Students explain activities to LCC School Board

LAUREL —Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School Board members met Jan. 13 with Student Council members from elementary school, middle school and high school addressing them with reports on their activities.

Two elementary students gave reports which included a project to donate to the Hansen family more than $300 and the progress of their candy bar sales among other projects and activities.

Middle school students reported on the Veteran’s Day program, digital citizenship program and a project to donate to the Hansen family among other projects.

High school students Katie Schutte and Deagan Puppe reported about the recess buddies program with the elementary, homecoming activities, state student council conference, adoption of a family at Christmas, bulletin boards, a cake walk, a service program to sell donuts and donate an IPAD to the nursing home, a breast cancer awareness program including a pink out day and break through for sports teams, the Veterans program, teacher appreciation project and other activities.

They were told the school box tops used for fundraising can be scanned with phones. Interested individuals may download an app for this.

The digital citizenship project was put on by the Nebraska Attorney General’s office and covered online safety topics.

Teammates at LCC now has 110 mentees which is gaining statewide recognition for the school. Class C schools have contacted LCC to see what they are doing to have such an impact.

LCC Teammate members called around and found out Wayne State College will do a program with game tickets for the Teammates Recognition Night.

The Board also heard about a new bus route plan, which will include four routes.

Logan Jackson sang in Youth in Nebraska with 150 students selected in North Platte.

The elementary has made impressive gains in reading interventions and teachers are excited to try new interventions, Board members were told.

Elementary students have been keeping classrooms and restrooms clean including a boys vs. girls contest. Boys won and were granted the right to go first to lunch. A new para-educator, Blayr Johnson of Randolph will be replacing Amber Hoeppner.

Supt. Jeremy Christiansen also recommended to the board the contract renewal for all three principals.

Kristina Lunz will be the new early childhood educator. Lunz had a great deal of experience and comes from a position in Crete. ESU 1 will still service LCC for the birth to three program needs, according to Christiansen. LCC will do three and four year olds.

The school conducted nine interviews and four interviews in the second round. Christiansen said all four were good candidates.

Christiansen said the school is now advertising for a maintenance head and a bus driver.

He also noted a maintenance problem at the school. A school pipe was plugged and required service to be unplugged. Workers had to scope 90 feet of the pipe to discover its condition.

He also noted the school had someone access its computer system when the electronic door at the school was opened when the ESU firewall went down. Ransomware went into the door system, according to Christiansen. Everything should be fine, now, he said.

From February to the end of the school year LCC will be hosting a community conversation series including “Business of Schools’’ and “Lunch and Learn’’ topics, according to Christiansen.

The series segments will be the first Wednesday of each month.

“Topics will include the format of an info graphic with school district info graphics, then an opportunity for people to ask questions, tour the school or visit,’’ Christiansen said.”The May 6 session will be a year in review with planning for the future,” he is hoping to get the word out on this event and encourage people to come out to support the school.’

Christiansen is recommending the school increase its mental health services.

“An increase was requested to ESU 1, however it is not available because the service is shared with another school and they are not willing to reduce their services,’’ Christiansen said.

The school is charged an eight percent fee on top of services by the ESU, although services are valuable the school could hire a mental health provider for the amount the school would spend with ESU, according to Christiansen. He recommended the issue be an action item at the March meeting. The school could be reimbursed from the state for a part of the cost because it would fall under special education.

Negotiations have come to an agreement on Jan. 6.

The school’s legal representatives will be Perry Law Firm. Official depositories are Security and Citizens banks. Designated newspaper is Laurel Advocate.

Jay Vance will be the nondiscrimination compliance coordinator as the person cannot be the superintendent.

The February board meeting will be Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. due to a conflict with post-season basketball games.

It was also announced a student board member position will be selected with a due date of March 6.

The Board also reviewed Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics policies.

The Board decided to keep the Board member committee assignments the same for another year.

Board up for re-election were told there is a Feb. 18 filing deadline if they choose to run for re-election this year.