Phillips says 2023 session will have impact on education
Aurora 4R School Board members spent more than two hours reviewing policy changes at Monday’s regular monthly meeting, many prompted by legislative action passed during what Supt. Jody Phillips said was “a crazy session.”
“They shook up education this year,” Phillips told the board during his legislative update. “It was an interesting session. Filibustering was the main occurrence, and as a result … they adopted several bills within one bill. I hope it doesn’t become the norm because a lot of bills were thrown in without senators having a lot of conversation about them.”
LB 705 was passed in the final days of this year’s session and signed by Gov. Jim Pillen. Phillips tracked the discussion regarding education matters closely throughout the session and said it will be interesting to see if this becomes a trend that carries over into future sessions.
“If you look back at previous sessions, I don’t know that they passed 24 what I would consider high-profile, education-related bills in one session, and then did it all in one bill,” he said. “And that did not include education funding.”
Many of the bills contained in LB 705 resulted in required policy changes, some which could change operational expectations or requirements, Phillips noted. There were also nearly 30 mandates contained in the bill, many of which came with no funding to help Nebraska school districts implement them.
“I would say I’m a little more stressed to start a school year than I ever have been because there are changes that go into effect going into August,” he said. “We will have to make sure admin (administrative staff members) are brushed up on all the specifics.”
The board then dove into a lengthy list of policy reviews, which is often part of the June board meeting’s agenda. However, due to the number of required changes this year, that process took a lot longer than usual, prompting questions from board members and comments from various school administrators in attendance.
As the discussion began, Phillips suggested that Monday’s review would be considered a first reading, allowing board members time to process all the information more in detail before being asked to approve the changes after a final reading in July.
What follows is a list of highlighted policies reviewed and a brief explanation of proposed changes.
Policy 3001: Budget and property tax request — Phillips noted that the changes brought on a year ago by LB 644 remained in place, which added a step for districts seeking to raise the budget above 2 percent plus real growth. In those cases, district patrons received a pink postcard advising of the proposal, inviting them to a special public hearing. The only change this year, he added, is that budgets will be due Sept. 30, instead of Sept. 20.
Policy 3059: Audio and video recording — The 4R District had a similar policy in place, though changes are now proposed making the requirements apply to everyone in the district, not just students.
“As electronic devices become more saturated within our lives, I think it’s very important we have this policy,” Phillips began. “This outlines audio/video recording for anybody in the district.”
As written, the policy prohibits secret recordings, defined as audio or video recordings in which both parties are not aware they are being recorded. Phillips noted that the 4R proposal goes further than state law, which requires that only one party has to know the conversation is being recorded.
“For the sake of our students and staff privacy, I think it’s well worth us having this that we’re not going to have any secret recordings,” he said. “I do really like this policy. If you are a parent sending a kid to school, you want to know there is not a picture or video of your child being taken and put out there on the web. This policy doesn’t stop that, but it does allow us to take action should that happen.”
Policy 5003: Admission of part-time students — As a result of LB 705, Phillips said the board must now review how and what students who are not enrolled full-time in the district will be allowed to do.
“We have not allowed part-time students to participate in extracurricular activities,” he explained. “This bill changes that.”
In the past, for example, part-time students could be part of the music program, but could not compete in any district competitions or events since they are not enrolled in core classes. Athletic activities are handled differently, since there are weekly grade requirements for eligibility.
Under the new proposal, Phillips said part-time students must be enrolled in at least one class, though the Nebraska School Activities Association requires a minimum of 20 credits.
“That will take work,” he said. “We will need documentation to make sure the student is eligible to meet 4R and NSAA requirements.”
Policy 5004: Option enrollment — Another change dictated by LB 507 is that if a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) seeks to option in, they must be considered on a case by case basis, even if the district’s special education capacity is considered full.
Policy 5035: Student discipline — The major change in the policy is that students in preK through second grade can no longer be suspended for disciplinary reasons, and that requirements must be sped up in terms of giving students an opportunity to return to the classroom.
“Sometimes we need five to 10 days to investigate, speak to parents, etc.,” Phillips said. “In some cases it will be very difficult, depending on what needs to occur. It does speed up requirements, but we’re not going to not take action and have our schools not be safe because of some timelines or changes in the law.”
Administrators will be attending a planning session on this issue Aug. 8, just a few days before the start of the school year.
Policy 6038: Artificial intelligence — Addressing what is becoming a growing phenomenon, the board reviewed a new policy regarding the use of artificial intelligence.
“AI is rapidly growing so I do feel it is prudent to have something in place,” Phillips said.
According to the policy, use of AI is prohibited, unless the teacher gives prior permission.
“AI is probably going to drastically change the way we teach and assess,” he said. “We want to know what they know or if it’s something generated for them. This is something we’ve already dealt with in school, so it’s out there.”
After a few brief administrative reports, during which building administrators reviewed various summer programs and construction project progress, the board returned to its agenda to discuss and vote on a number of action items.
Board members voted to:
* authorize Supt. Phillips as the federal representative of all federal programs;
* removed Jeff Sutter, a former administrator, from the elementary school activity signature card at Pinnacle Bank;
* requested an exception to the Nebraska Department of Education for instruction hours for the 2022-23 school year. Phillips explained that two days of instruction were lost during a COVID outbreak and two more after an ice storm, thus he is seeking an exception from NDE to provide a cushion in instructional hours, adding that students still met the requirements even without the lost days;
* amended the 2023 board committee assignments to have Chad Svoboda replace Brock Wyatt on the teacher negotiations committee to avoid the potential appearance of a conflict of interest;
* affirmed a parental involvement policy outlining parents’ rights, which drew no comments during a public hearing at the start of the meeting. “I know that parental involvement is a hot topic in the legislature and probably will be in the next session,” Phillips said. “I do anticipate changes in policy for 2024-25, based on what does or does not get passed next year.”;
* reviewed student attendance policy 5001;
* adopted a student fees policy, which drew no comments during a public hearing at the start of the meeting. The new policy added a line for technology, increasing the fee from $35 to $50 for 6-12 students who want to take devices off campus;
* approved an increase in school breakfast and lunch prices for the 2023-24 school year. The prices are as follows: Elementary -- Student breakfast from $1.70 to $1.80; adult breakfast from $2.50 to $2.60; student lunch from $2.55 to $2.65; adult/guest lunch from $3.70 to $3.80. MS/HS -- Student breakfast from $1.70 to $1.80; adult breakfast from $2.50 to $2.60; student lunch from $2.80 to $2.90; adult/guest lunch from $3.70 to $3.80;
* approved student handbooks for the 2023-24 school year, with each administrator explaining changes in their respective buildings;
* approved a plan to change the district’s pay period and pay date, with Phillips explaining a desire to switch to a schedule based on the monthly calendar to simplify processing and reporting;
* approved a plan to utilize $25,000 in the depreciation fund for district band instrument repairs and replacements, using funds originally coded for vehicle depreciation;
* approved a proposal to address mental health and student and family support services by hiring a full-time staff member to work more as a case manager than as a counselor;
* approved a safe return to school plan for 2023-24 as required by federal law, keeping policies in place on more year in case COVID becomes an issue within the district;
* approved a plan to hire two para-educators.