Beatrice Board approves handbooks, contracts, policies and pay changes; lease reaffirmed

The Beatrice Public Schools Board of Education on July 14 approved a slate of consent and action items including personnel actions, multiple policy reaffirmations and handbooks, contracts for special‑education services and a seven‑year lease reaffirmation with the Southeast Nebraska Education Agency.

The board voted unanimously to approve the consent agenda, which the agenda notes included approval of the minutes of the regular board meeting on June 9, 2025; proposed accounts for payment; budgetary receipts and expenditures for June 2025; committee of the whole minutes for June 30, 2025; approval of option students; the resignation of Jenna Lee Wright (first grade); and approval of teacher contracts for the 2025–26 year including Britney Kurtzer (fourth grade) and Camden Harland (first grade). The consent agenda also listed numerous policy approvals by number (for example, policy 1200 anti‑discrimination; 4003 and 5401 anti‑harassment and anti‑retaliation; procurement plan; school food authority policy 3132; internal controls 3410; safe driving record standard 4009; drug and substance 5001; admission 5101; student discipline regulation 5101.1; dress code 5004; full‑time and part‑time enrollment 5103; extracurricular 5201; promotion/retention 5202; FERPA notice 5301; association activities 5414; identification of high‑ability learners 5507; foster care and student transportation 6113; electronic communications 6113.1; parental community involvement 6400; behavioral intervention 1100; community use of facilities 1100 & 1100.1; facility use regulation 5205.1; graduation dress code and excusal of absences for Marissa Centuro and Erin Hamilton). The motion to approve the consent agenda passed.

Separately, the board approved these motions (all recorded as passed): rescind Policy 6410 (Title I parental and family engagement) and replace it by completing the Nebraska Department of Education Title I template online; reaffirm Policy 5415 (anti‑bullying), noting state statute 79‑2,137 requires each school to have and annually review an anti‑bullying policy; reaffirm Policy 5416 (student fees) and its appendix; reaffirm Policy 6400 (parental/community involvement); approve an agreement with the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired (NCECBVI) for orientation and mobility services for roughly three students for 2025–26; approve a contract with Nebraska Mental Health Center for 2025–26 (reducing contracted school psychologist time because the district hired an in‑district psychologist); approve the special education contract with ESU 5 for services in 2025–26 (with vision services moved in‑house after hiring a vision teacher); approve school psychologist contracts with Dr. Don Bilaw and Dr. Maris Maria Luiza for 2025–26 (Bilaw at 0.2 FTE to assist with transitions and threat‑assessment training); approve Policy 4029 (jury duty/pay change reflecting Department of Labor updates allowing the $35 stipend to be kept by employees because the state no longer issues the check); approve the PK–12 student handbook, certificated staff handbook and substitute handbook for 2025–26 (updates include dress code/cell‑phone expectations, start/end times, discipline language and substitute attendance incentive); approve the classified staff handbook (added paid sick leave accruals and clarified weather cancellation pay rules); increase substitute teacher pay to $175 per day (with additional step increases after 5 and 20 days); designate Chuck Reedussell to replace Lisa Peeper as one district representative on the Southeast Nebraska Education Agency board of directors; and ratify and reaffirm the lease dated June 1, 2022 with the Southeast Nebraska Education Agency for a seven‑year term beginning June 29 as required by the lease’s annual confirmation provisions.

Board Treasurer Jason reported June expenditures: payroll $1,829,965; bills $2,126,935; total $3,956,900 and said the district has expended roughly 80% of budget authority through June. Several administrators explained specific contract adjustments: the district reduced contracted school psychologist time with Nebraska Mental Health Center because an in‑district school psychologist was hired; ESU 5 vision services were replaced after hiring an in‑house vision teacher; and the NCECBVI orientation and mobility contract continues because there is no local provider.

Votes at a glance (recorded outcomes): rescind Policy 6410 — passed; reaffirm Policy 5415 — passed; reaffirm Policy 5416 — passed; reaffirm Policy 6400 — passed; approve NCECBVI agreement — passed; approve Nebraska Mental Health Center contract — passed; approve ESU 5 contract — passed; approve school psychologist contracts (Dr. Bilaw, Dr. Luiza) — passed; approve Policy 4029 (jury duty/pay) — passed; approve student/certificated/substitute handbooks — passed; approve classified staff handbook (paid sick leave) — passed; increase substitute pay to $175/day — passed; designate Chuck Reedussell as SENE representative — passed; ratify SENE lease — passed. Other consent‑agenda personnel and policy approvals listed above also passed as part of the consent agenda.

The board announced the next regular meeting will be Aug. 11, 2025 at 6 p.m. in the administration building.