[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6590277,"mediaKeyId","5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7","parentId",5598292,"title","Board approves consent agenda; adopts superintendent‑evaluation goals and waives bidding to buy eight activity vans","audioSeconds",177,"startMs",5173000,"endMs",5350000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7&start=5173&end=5350","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7/thumbnail_5173000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6590277/Nebraska/Board-approves-consent-agenda-adopts-superintendentevaluation-goals-and-waives-bidding-to-buy-eight-activity-vans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590277-411bf98af40549ac1a0b71c6a04153a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443365&Signature=E6Yc07XwdplbNbVDiczQ21wI-9oG4-wTw8wZsABZboDiNXXQAHxNMqRRMtLnwn1vymi5BMKECBFY9mO-7SspEAw57GnfA7N8ZPPNHfnpOU40~XZOvOc3NguGlB4Vv56VyC-bE62vMGGfLhbraqQ70rBKedpVeSdt5YCP90u6XASilo8wIdqJuRvpMEu8ZIDrgnc05hzXqlkMC67AW4ReruVnYxu3MAFr74pmQ1lU~~SZ8rLMN1wO2WWNKZ58jJhKk3f~a0ylPaoHU4iQJHVa10TAu4IX9oyizuLdztZpF9jukGBR3FLIC0KBQcRdJ8eRQjP0aMWfHEO9tkPxqtW8TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Omaha Public Schools, NE","date","2025-08-19T01:26:50Z","article","The Omaha Public Schools Board of Education approved routine business items, adopted evaluation goals and waived district procurement policy to buy eight activity vans at its Aug. 18 meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (general motions, excluding item I‑22/J‑2A while it was moved to action): Motion to approve the consent agenda passed by roll call. (No individual item on the consent agenda was removed for separate action except I‑22, which was handled later.)

- Adoption of superintendent evaluation goals and timeline: The board voted to adopt three goals and a timeline for the 2025–26 superintendent evaluation process (accountability/climate and culture; collaborative/shared vision and strategic direction; teaching and learning). Roll call resulted in seven ayes and one recorded nay (Board member Poe). The motion passed.

- Waiver of Policy 7000 and approval to procure eight 9‑passenger activity vans (item J‑2A, relabeled from I‑22): The board approved a motion to waive the bidding requirement in Policy 7000 and to procure eight Collins 9‑passenger vans from a vendor identified by district staff. Board members said supply chain and bid‑fulfillment problems have made vehicle procurement difficult in recent years and that the vendor's pricing appeared consistent with expectations. The motion passed by roll call.

What the board said and why it matters

Board members discussed the superintendent evaluation process and whether the yearlong timeline gives the superintendent timely feedback. Board member questions focused on what evidence would be accepted, how the metric surveys would be selected and whether there should be a public midyear check‑in; the board approved the three goals and timeline after discussion.

On the vehicle procurement waiver, board members said the district needs activity vans to ferry high‑school students to activities and that recent procurement cycles have left some ordered vehicles undelivered; the waiver was justified in part by the district's need to secure available vans immediately so schools can support activity transportation.

Procedural notes

- Motion records in the meeting transcript show roll‑call voting recorded by member name on all actions above. The board met in closed session after the votes to receive legal advice; the meeting adjourned after the closed session.

No contracts beyond the stated vehicle procurement were executed on the record during the meeting; specific vendor names and contract amounts were not specified in the public discussion.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Omaha Public Schools Board of Education Meeting 8-18-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Omaha Public Schools board approved its consent agenda, adopted three goals and a timeline for the superintendent's annual evaluation and voted to waive procurement policy to buy eight nine‑passenger activity vans for schools.","taxTitle","OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, School Districts, Nebraska","taxId",13054,"location","Nebraska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6590283,"Parents urge Omaha Public Schools to remove sexually explicit and violent books from school libraries",290,2698000,2988000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7&start=2698&end=2988","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7/thumbnail_2698000.jpg","/articles/6590283/Nebraska/Parents-urge-Omaha-Public-Schools-to-remove-sexually-explicit-and-violent-books-from-school-libraries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590283-97f5dde04bc00d177f29064ef65d9aa5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443365&Signature=kxfXObDnPMAHKgq8eHLw4R1T2f5-blTS2X3kxQbo1El9OyZN7sydO54eDxulpsDfgnjbLa59SAfDdXtoDORFsBsgVRBwHLHRIvxbMMONlluwwjVBnxD2KsX9EQKZYOIDMU0geL48jspEtXbUBa9vVCFYdSKLkdWDPZANCc2~hWVr7MyMdp3YRXeYQw5XgujqJuVTvFTgvXRTMFws8iC5ZsjgdQ8B~vvJ3vsh12aN6uOjebokU0LbjzImlqa898XHqqBC~rhBkO-AMhwoJoAk8T8CLa0xjdzn1T-i6Uk5stSy4BvGl0v0MgugiSY9EfOqSOOLLHuNU0LF~sdFxIT9RA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two speakers at the Omaha Public Schools board meeting on Aug. 18 urged officials to remove or restrict access to books they described as sexually explicit or containing violent material.

Mikaela Khazor, who identified herself as an Elkhorn resident, told the board that the novel The Infinite Moment Between Us by Lauren Maracle contains “graphic pornographic material” and “should not be in Omaha public schools.” Khazor read aloud a passage from the book and asked the board to remove it from student access at Omaha North High School; she said the title is marketed as a young‑adult romance and is not an appropriate trauma resource for students.

Michelle Rogers, who said she lives in Omaha, spoke about the novel Monday’s Not Coming and described violent scenes and frequent profanity. Rogers told the board the title is available in 13 OPS schools — including middle schools and a program the district described as serving students with social, emotional and learning needs — and urged school leaders to review its placement.

Board policy and state law governed the public‑comment instructions: speakers were reminded not to identify individual students or staff in their remarks. Board members did not respond during public comment; the meeting then moved on to the consent agenda and other business.

Neither petitioner identified a specific administrative outcome (for example, a formal challenge under the district’s library‑materials or reconsideration policy) during their remarks. The board did not take immediate action on the books during the meeting.","Two public commenters asked the school board to remove or restrict student access to two novels they described as sexually explicit or violent; one read an explicit excerpt at the podium and a second cited counts of profanity and violent passages and said the books are available at multiple OPS schools.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6590288,"Omaha Public Schools research team wins Qualtrics customer-experience award",661,397000,1058000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7&start=397&end=1058","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598292-d18359f4abf174eb77494ad28033e4f7/thumbnail_397000.jpg","/articles/6590288/Nebraska/Omaha-Public-Schools-research-team-wins-Qualtrics-customer-experience-award","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590288-087fed00e806ec8ce16244a0d40de111/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443365&Signature=aSaIThZ6g3qfI0Nxae~X3Lp52MazNDMO7LlZSz9ls4LEkfZZ27DIYDarcm~nAdfX0zse06wS3uW5MxtvzrshFOSuEj2QnTB0gYLArPxMLqajFDvJ~9C03dnZ4LZuplYhJH7JZ3jbRYG5bqkkIKqIaKIkBAqjZX5KE0NoIwE78BYbfvjO~lRaAUTbj2~vUrKvdvFDTfD86PUoZblheXBAexv5gqMBhmEA9MvmDFhsDBdnTJTkN-42Ye5ShiNz8upox384XFUEeuAh0MMvY3Oxijd4QBF-C6HjWtMvOXeSccceco09Fiit1LLeXPKoWJtX1fXU24F~d4CGPEVPVUhpxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Omaha Public Schools' research division said it received a Qualtrics award recognizing excellence in customer and staff experience, and officials described district tools they say improve data quality and free staff for direct student work.

At the board's Aug. 18 meeting, a research department staff member told the board the award — presented at Qualtrics' annual summit — recognizes the district's work using the Qualtrics platform to build systems for curriculum adoption feedback, attendance follow-up, suicide‑ideation screening and a new support process for early‑career teachers.

The presenter said the attendance automation, called “Anna,” texts and emails families when an absence lacks explanatory information and follows up to collect a reason; the department estimates the automation has returned roughly 20 workdays per attendance secretary per year by reducing manual follow-up. The research staff member also described a computerized suicide‑ideation intake that replaces multiple paper forms and populates information into the student information system (Infinite Campus), and said the change improves recordkeeping and speeds counselors' access to needed documentation.

A third effort the presenter described was an EX (employee experience) process that sends 30‑, 60‑ and 90‑day surveys and attaches ticketed support so new teachers can be routed to the right department expert. The presenter said three years of district surveying identified unmet expectations for support as a leading cause of early teacher turnover and urged that the ticketed supports help managers connect new staff to resources more quickly.

Board members asked about how projects begin and whether the district will scale them. The research staff member said projects usually start when leadership or school staff identify a persistent “sticky point” and the research team collaborates with school staff and divisions to develop, pilot and refine automations. Vice President Snipes asked about scaling; the presenter said some projects (for example, the EX process) could expand into other staff groupings based on HR priorities, while other systems are more task‑specific.

Superintendent Ray and board members congratulated the research staff. The presenter acknowledged many OPS colleagues by name for collaborating on the projects and said the award reflects districtwide work, not just the research office.

The presentation did not include any formal board action.","Omaha Public Schools' research division received an industry award from Qualtrics and described several district automation projects — including attendance messaging, suicide-ideation screening and a teacher support workflow — that officials said save staff time and improve records.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves consent agenda; adopts superintendent‑evaluation goals and waives bidding to buy eight activity vans

Parents urge Omaha Public Schools to remove sexually explicit and violent books from school libraries

Omaha Public Schools research team wins Qualtrics customer-experience award