This year the budget adoption process for Superior Public Schools will be different from previous years as required by LB 644 also known as the postcard bill.
Supt Kobza expects Superior Public School will be required to participate in a joint Nuckolls County tax request hearing because state aid has decreased and the school’s budget authority has increased. Property tax asking to fund schools in Nuckolls County increases when land values increase because state aid decreases. However, the increase of land value is not considered real growth. Real growth is based on new construction and new industry.
Each school district must consider allowable growth when preparing their budget.
The county assessor certifies the county’s growth. The county’s growth plus two percent is the school’s allowable growth. If the school’s property tax request exceeds the allowable growth they must participate in the county’s joint public hearing. The joint public hearing is organized and scheduled by the county and a post card will be sent to every residence.
Each taxing entity exceeding their allowable growth must send a representative to the public hearing and make a presentation. The public may ask questions at the hearing, but the representative is not required to answer them.
This year the school’s projected tax asking increase is 4.60 percent. Valuation is $515,237,588. This is up 2.70 percent. One penny on the levy represents $51,525 this year.
In 2016-17 valuation was $581,932,886. Then it dropped from the next four years until in 2020-21. It was $483,579,511 or approximately $100 million less. The change primarily relates to land values.
State aid to the district was only $2,489 in 2016-17. As land prices fell, state aide increased to a high of $1,127,532 last year. This year state aid is expected to be down $125,000 to $1,003,378. The change represents approximately half of the school’s tax asking increase which is $258,659.
As of Monday evening, the school district had not received the certified allowable growth from the county assessor.
About the only flexible expense for the district is staffing costs. Staff received a two percent raise this year. The school’s health insurance costs have increased six percent or $170,000 for the coming school year. This year’s cost of living has increased more than the percentage raise for staff.
“It is a new circus for everyone,” Supt Kobza said. “Not property tax relief for our patrons, but just political pressure.” Most likely it will also be an added cost for the district as Supt. Kobza expects the schools will be required to pay for the post card mailing.
To complete the budget process according to state law, Supt. Kobza expects the board will have to have a special meeting in September.
Enrollment Projections
As school starts both Bob Cook, middle school and secondary principal and Jodi Fierstein, elementary principal, project a small enrollment increase over last year at the same time. Pre-kindergarten through fifth grade enrollment is expected to be 204 students as compared to 196 last year. Enrollment by class is as follows: 22 in kindergarten, 31 first grade, 29 second grade, 30 third grade, 24 fourth grade and 28 fifth grade.
Sixth grade through 12th grade enrollment as school opens Thursday is expected to be 218, up four from last year at the same time. There are 29 sixth grade students, 31 seventh grade, 22 eighth grade, 38 freshmen, 31 sophomores, 28 juniors and 39 seniors. Boys will out number the girls 120 to 98.
This year’s theme in the elementary school is “Just Keep Swimming.” There is ocean décor throughout the building and live fish in the office. Grit and perseverance will be emphasized throughout the year.
Alternative School
A new learning environment called bridge school or alternative school will be available to sixth to twelfth grade students this year. Monday evening, members of the Superior Board of Education approved the bridge school handbook for parents and students.
Supt Kobza expects the year to start with three or four students in the program and for it to increase throughout the year, perhaps to as many as 25 students in the program. It will start on site, but may need an alternative site as it grows.
Alternative schools will use Acellus Academy, which is online.
There are six key features of bridge school: preventive – focuses on risk factors that can be altered through intervention; capacity building – promotes acquisition of skills and successful school habits; efficient – builds upon existing resources and networks with systems of home, school and community; outreach – structured to create long-term, trusting relationships between school, youth families and community; individualize – focuses on the individual needs of the students and adaptable – uniquely designed to incorporate the goals and strength so the local school, the home and community as a whole.
Each student will have an individualized education plan which will address academic and or behavioral goals, projected time lines for meeting the goals, criteria to evaluate the student’s progress, signatures of the student and their parents.
Schools, by law are required to provide educational services to students even after expulsion.
Students or their parents may self-select bridge school. Other reasons students may be referred included: suspended for up to 10 days or expelled, nature and seriousness of a school policy violation; degree of danger to the school community; students’ disciplinary history, appropriateness of an alternative education placement and a student’s attendance or academic record.
The students will be encouraged to participate in the elective career planning –work experience component of the program to develop short-term and long–term goals toward post-secondary pursuits and professional work opportunities.
In other business, members of the board of education approved July claims of $521,705 from the general fund.
Renewed a cooperative wrestling agreement with Deshler. Supt. Kobza expects Deshler to send four or five students.
Approved offering both girls golf and bowling this year.
Part of the preschool orientation for staff has been a live evacuation and reuniting drill. The Nuckolls County Sheriff, two county deputies and the Superior Chief of Police participated in the drill. School security continues to tighten.
Opening of school forms will be completed on-line this year and the JMA system used to track response.
The elementary school has accepted a four year WORDS project grant which focuses on the science of reading and targets rural schools. The grant provides professional development, assessment, coaching and support for all levels of staff, pay for the schools universal screener (Acadience) while participating in the grant.
A new dust collecting system has been installed in the high school’s wood shop which meets OSHA standards.
Roofing supplies have arrived and are in the school’s back parking lot. Supt. Kobza expects it will take two months to complete the roof repairs. “It is time,” he said. “Two or three major leaks have developed over the summer.”
Students first day of class is today, Thursday.
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