December 10, 2025 at 6:30 PM - Monthly Meeting

Discussion:  Mrs. Kuhl introduced herself and shared a little about her early years in education and how the trends from that era seem to be returning.  She has challenged her middle school students to read forty (40) books this school year.  Her goal is to get students to want to read .... not make them read. So far this year, the sixth through eighth-grade students have read a total of 168 books, averaging 188 pages per book. 
Mrs. Kuhl departed at 6:39 PM 
 

Discussion:  Mr. Gebhard shared a list of the vehicles that are currently in operation for the district.  Bus #13 (tree damaged) was sold on Purple Wave. Bus #20 will reach its maximum length of service this May. With the loss of those two, he and Mr. Tharman will be watching for a suitable replacement. 

Discussion:  Mr. Tharman shared HB 2567, which went through this past summer.  This bill (more commonly called the Education Mega Bill) makes appropriations to KSDE, adjusts KSEEA, and amends various provisions of law related to K-12 education.  Section fourteen (14) Part-time Enrollment requires school districts to allow students enrolled in a private school or homeschool to participate in part-time enrollment. Each board of education of a school district must adopt a policy to allow such students to enroll and attend any courses, programs, or services offered by the school district.  
Mr. Tharman stated that he will be gathering information to aid in the board's creation of this requirement over the next several months. 

Discussion:  At 7:32 PM the meeting returned to open session; no action taken. 

Discussion:  Mr. Tharman shared the information surrounding the Anti-Bullying Compliance for KESA Accreditation requirements, as well as the material that will be posted on the school website to satisfy that requirement.

Discussion:  At 8:07 PM the meeting returned to open session; no action taken.
 

Discussion:  Mr. Gebhard shared the history of interest in purchasing printed screens for the main entrances and lower-level hallways. Mr. Tharman shared some of the safety and aesthetic values that could be attained with the installation. The company agreed to honor the bid price as much as possible if it was decided to stretch the project over a couple of years. The board requested Mr. Gebhard to find out the durability, expected life, and possibly get some samples for them to look at. 

Discussion:  Mr. Tharman shared with the board the proposed cheer constitution for next year. 

Discussion:  Mr. Tharman updated the board on the recent Wellness Committee and Site Council meetings. The Wellness Committee has several new members, and they each shared ideas they plan to put in place next semester to help promote nutrition and exercise across the district. Several members of the group are collaborating and using cross-curricular activities. The next meeting is scheduled for February 11th at 3:00 PM in the HS conference room. 
The Site Council is looking for new members (parents and business owners in both Almena and Long Island). Several names were brought up as possibilities, and members will be reaching out to those. The Wall of Fame was brought up as a topic of interest.  There was a suggestion proposed to one of the committee members on a change in the requirements.  This will continue to be looked at. The district will also be sending out surveys to the community to gather insight into the Title program. The next meeting was scheduled for January 12th @ 5:30 PM in the HS math room.

Discussion:  Mr. Tharman shared the following: NCKSEC open house Friday (12th) Lots of basketball now that we are in full swing/ tournament the rest of this week / Monday (15th) - Scholars Bowl in Norton / Tuesday (16th) - Pep Rally at 3:30 PM & Home HS BB / Friday (19th) full day of school & Away HS BB / Saturday (20th) away HS BB / Christmas Break / Jesse Zimmerman floor crew to do GS Boys & Girls bathroom as well as MS Girls locker room / Results of vote for board positions / Kansas Communities That Care (KCTC) November 18th / The last item was to share a request for use of school for graduation party. After some lengthy discussion, it was decided to deny that request. 

Discussion:  Mr. Gebhard shared: The Christmas program was GREAT. / Prairieland Electric presented a bicycle (2nd place prize) to Evie Nykamp and an award of $250 to the 3rd grade class for their participation in the safety poster contest/ GS had a 67th day celebration / 5th grade went Angel Tree shopping in Kearney today / KMEA District Honor Choir had several participants this past weekend / JH basketball is going full speed with a home game on Monday, Dec. 15th.