USD 383 board votes to give notice of intent to terminate contract for Sheila Henke, suspends her with pay

Following executive sessions on student and personnel matters, the Manhattan‑Ogden USD 383 Board of Education approved Resolution 26‑27‑7 on July 9, declaring its intent to terminate the employment contract of Sheila Henke and directing the clerk to provide written notice of the board’s intent.

The resolution, read on the record, cites violation of board policy GAAF and ‘‘failure to perform contractual duties’’ as the stated reasons and explains that Henke is entitled to request a hearing within 15 days of written notice. The resolution also suspends Henke with pay effective 07/09/2026 and authorizes the superintendent to notify her immediately.

Board members moved into executive session earlier in the evening to discuss confidential student information and individual employee performance pursuant to statutory exceptions. After returning to open session, the board voted 7‑0 to approve the resolution.

Members of the public who spoke during the meeting urged trustees to review the full record, avoid prejudgment, and allow the investigation and statutory process to play out. Daniel Henke, a retired veteran and district substitute teacher, told trustees to ‘‘resist the urge to find a convenient target’’ and to ‘‘look at the entire chain of command’’ when reviewing personnel matters.

The resolution initiates the statutory notice process; the board’s clerk was directed to issue written notice and the board provided the procedural language informing Henke of her right to a hearing within 15 days.