Building and Fandom

            The 2015-16 school year is in full swing.  The students and staff have done a great job of coming back and building on where we left off last year, which makes it an exciting time at Tekamah-Herman Schools.  Luckily, the weather has cooperated until this past week.  We had to dismiss early on two days because we had temperatures approaching 90 degrees in classrooms.  With limited circulation throughout the building and humidity rising, it doesn’t cool well overnight.  The conditions make it difficult on our students to learn and reaffirms the need to address building deficiencies sooner rather than later.

            Another exciting aspect of the beginning of a new school year is the activities.  With new faces in new places, it is always interesting to see how our students compete against others.  Specifically in athletics, I would like to pose a challenge to our fans and student body.  I want us to be the best, most positive fan base we can be.  When I travel for conference meetings or to away contests, a recurring theme from other schools is that they view us as one of the “worst” fan bases they encounter each year.  That is a little disheartening because I know we have great people and athletes who are passionate about their activities.  However, there seems to be too much emphasis on the negative aspects (a missed call by an official, a perceived poor decision by a coach, an inadvertent mistake by a player) instead of promoting the positives.  The NSAA awards fans of schools Sportsmanship Awards at each State Tournament.  I cannot wait for the Tekamah-Herman fans to be the recipient of such an award because of how we approach the game.  While no fan base is innocent of the occasional outburst, WE can directly control how WE conduct OURSELVES.  This means each individual conducting him/herself how they would want their child to act.  After all, our youngest fans are watching everyone else and taking a cue from them how to cheer for the Tigers.  I would love to be able to attend the next conference meeting to hear how “great” our fans are, because I know we are.  Have a great week and Go Tigers!!

Welcome Back!

            Welcome Back!!  The 2015-16 school year has begun with much excitement and anticipation.  With the new beginning, there have been a few changes that should be addressed.  The first is daily bus routes for out-of-town students in the district.  The Board of Education approved a policy change that eliminated daily routes, instead paying mileage to parents for transporting students.  There is a service available that runs between Tekamah and Herman schools for use, but no daily pick-ups at home sites.  Eligible families, under the new policy, should have been contacted.  If you believe you are eligible and have not been contacted, please get in touch with an administrative office at school.

            The second big change you may notice in Tekamah is upgraded safety and security measures.  There has been a concerted effort to bolster video camera presence in the building to cover each accessible portion of the school.  This video is archived, to be accessed later if necessary, and is a precautionary measure taken to keep the building safe.  Also, the entry doors have been made more secure.  There is now keyless entry with a functioning card at each major entry/exit point.  Additionally, the high school and elementary main entrances have been equipped with a buzzer system for entry.  Now during the school day, if a visitor wishes to enter the building, he/she must first push a button to be identified with audio and video before the door being unlocked for entry.  These safety features a preventative measures to keep the building safe and secure.

            Finally, the upgrades to the gymnasium have been completed.  The floor received a new paint job and resurfacing, the old bleachers have been replaced with updated seats that meat code requirements, and the lighting has been replaced.  With the lighting replacement, it is expected to use about 20% of the electricity that had been common in the past, creating an operational savings.  Also, there are rebates available on the lights that also allowed the Board to save money on the project.  The gym looks fantastic and these upgrades should improve the competition facility for both participants and fans.  Have a great school year and I look forward to anyone visiting our buildings!

Reorganization Letter Response

At the May regular Board of Education meeting of the Tekamah-Herman Schools, the Board discussed and decided to send a letter of invitation to the boards at Oakland-Craig and Lyons-Decatur Northeast to reconvene a meeting of reorganization committees.  This decision was reached based on the recommendation of Jerry McCall with Educational Consulting Services.  The Board employed Mr. McCall to fully analyze current and projected data concerning our school district and communities, and make a recommendation as considerations are continuing with our current facilities.

The districts of Oakland-Craig and Lyons-Decatur Northeast each responded to the letters of invitation.  The Board at Oakland-Craig is willing to reconvene the committees and listen to Jerry McCall’s findings.  They are also willing participants in dialogue between the representatives of the school districts.  Their commitment to participate is not a commitment to reorganization, but a willingness to listen to options available.  The Board at Lyons-Decatur Northeast respectfully declined the invitation to meet with the other districts.  They currently have a cooperative activity relationship with Bancroft-Rosalie and did not want to turn their backs on that configuration.  Since Bancroft-Rosalie was not invited to an informational meeting, Lyons-Decatur Northeast did not feel it in their best interest to come back to the meeting table.

With those two responses, representatives of the districts of Tekamah-Herman and Oakland-Craig will reconvene their reorganization committees with Jerry McCall leading discussion.  The first meeting, hopefully to take place before the end of June, will involve information and conversation, but not a commitment to reorganization or a stand-alone district.  Your Board of Education wants and hopes to do what is in the long-term best interest of the students in the district, and based on the recommendation of the trusted consultant, feels this is the first avenue that should be explored.  As things evolve or change, I will continue with updates in this article to clear questions as they arise.  If there continues to be unclear pieces, please don’t hesitate to contact your Board representatives or myself at the school. 

District Recommendation and Graduation

As I discussed in a previous article, the Tekamah-Herman Schools Board of Education contracted Jerry McCall with Educational Consulting Services to evaluate the options for the district.  Through his work, he considered many factors including current facilities, school population trends, regional population trends, financial ramifications, and many others that the district could not have interpreted on its own.  Through his work, he came to a recommendation to the Board as to a direction to pursue concerning the facilities and future of the district.  His recommendation was to pursue a consolidated effort with Oakland-Craig and Lyons-Decatur Northeast.  The initial presentation would suggest PK-8 attendance centers in Tekamah, Oakland, and Lyons, with a high school for grades 9-12 constructed between the communities at an undetermined location. 

With that recommendation, a letter has been sent to the two districts to gauge their Board’s respective interests in pursuing a joint venture.  The Tekamah-Herman Board has asked for a response in short time regarding any interest, or lack thereof.  As this process moves along, as it is envisioned from our Board’s perspective, the three districts would establish committees composed of Board members and community members to work with Mr. McCall through the process.  Eventually, a proposal would be brought to the voters of participating districts for backing of construction needs.  At this time, the Tekamah-Herman Board is reaching out to determine the interest levels of the two other districts.  If there is no interest on their parts, the Board will continue to work with Jerry to find a second solution that may work.

This time of year also means the end of the school year for most teachers and students, and the end of careers at Tekamah-Herman for graduates and retirees.  While graduation is focused on those seniors moving on, I would like to recognize those behind the ceremony that make it possible.  The custodial staff responsible for setting up the gym, Mr. Gross for organizing the ceremony, Mr. Steinke and Mrs. Niewohner for their preparation of music performed at the ceremony, Board President Gordy Bryant for the presentation of diplomas, and Sarah Chatt with the Tekamah-Herman Schools Foundation for her representation and the Foundation’s continued support of graduates through scholarships.  Lastly, I would like to commend Ms. Nuss for her tireless work tracking student progress, encouraging students with scholarship applications and meeting graduation requirements, her work with the Foundation to get the students applications out and back to the Foundation, and preparing for the graduation ceremony.  She does an excellent job for our district and our students.  Finally, congratulations and good luck to our retirees: Jaccie Mencke, Kathy Mussack, Jim Steinke, Priscilla Warren, and Marsha Weise.

As is always the case, all articles, past and current, can be found at http://suptcorner.blogspot.com.  Please communicate with a Board member or myself about any questions, comments, or concerns with Tekamah-Herman Schools.  Have a great summer!!

External Visitation and Review

Tekamah-Herman Schools, as every other public school district in Nebraska, participates in a Continuous Improvement Cycle to set goals and make sure we are moving in a positive direction.  Every five years, the district entertains an external visitation team to review the Continuous Improvement Process.  The district had a measurable goal of improving reading comprehension in all grades and an immeasurable goal of improving communication in and out of the district. 

            The external team that visited was composed of four public school administrators and one community college representative who was formally in a K-12 public district.  This team met with our Continuous Improvement Team and administrators, took tours of our buildings, met with elementary and junior/senior high students, met with some of our teaching staff, had lunch with some of our Board members, and then reported their observations, commendations, and recommendations for our next five-year cycle.

            We have many great things going on at Tekamah-Herman Schools that were recognized by the external team.  Some of those highlights included: 1) having great students and staff who were proud to be a part of Tekamah-Herman, 2) an outstanding curricular offering for a district of our size, 3) the active participation of our students (extracurricular, i-Help, FBLA, Computer Club, FCCLA, National Honor Society) in the school and community, 4) the Board’s vision in creating the curriculum coordinator position, which has proven to be invaluable, 5) the positive strides taken to prepare students for the digital world with technology, 6) the use of data to guide decisions and improve student learning in the classroom.

            While one of the duties of the external team is to help us celebrate our accomplishments (noted above), another is to provide suggestions for improvement in our district.  There were two or three minor changes they recommended which can be addressed over the summer concerning staffing and technology, but there was one big one that they spent most of their time on when reporting out to our staff.  Facilities.  The external team reinforced, as a district, we must reach, challenge, and educate students regardless of what is going on around us.  This is absolute fact and something we strive to reach on a daily basis.  However, the quote they used several times was “You are doing the best you can with what you have”.  This struck me and made me ask, is this fair to our students to just get by when they are competing with so many other students for scholarships, placement in higher level education, and jobs once they leave us?

I think most would agree our facilities are in need of some significant attention, however there is not a clear public majority as to what that should be. 

In addition to several facility comments from the team, they stressed the importance of everyone (teachers, administration, Board of Education, and communities) getting on the same page and working toward a common goal for our students.  I hope each of you are reading these articles, sharing with those that aren’t, talking about the future of our district, and educating yourself as to the needs of our district.  If you have talked with a Board member, please continue to do so.  If you have not, please take the time.  If an external team can make such strong observations in the span of nine or ten hours in our facilities, it is a pressing need for our students.  The Board wants to do what is best for our students and needs public input for that to happen.  If we continue to fail bond issues or make incorrect decisions regarding our facilities because of lack of input, that is a severe injustice to our students, current and future.

Educational Consulting Services and Progress

            Since the Board of Education approved hiring Educational Consulting Services and Jerry McCall to help guide them toward a decision concerning the future facilities of our district, there has not been a lot of information to report.  What I can definitively share is that he is extremely thorough in his craft and will certainly have a multitude of information he is able to share with the Board.

            Mr. McCall has the ability and resources at his disposal to gather far more information and predictive data, and in turn interpret those facts, more adeptly than any single body or organization (superintendent, Board of Education, community committee) could possibly imagine.  He has been in contact with the leadership in both Tekamah and Herman, Burt County officials, economic development, community colleges, regional planners, staff members at within the district, and others to accrue as much information as possible before developing some of his own thoughts.  He will be sharing with a Board committee as he works through the process, with goal to being for the Board to come to a consensus, based on facts and professional input, as to the best solution for Tekamah-Herman Schools.  Mr. McCall is expected to be done with his work no later than September 1^st, though may be completed sooner.

            While I understand the public interest, and encourage that to be sustained, this is a process that must be completed.  Following the failed bond election in November, the Board has continued to work toward a solution to our facility concerns.  The issues are significant and have not been “placed aside”, but there may not be something to report on progress every week or even two.  The Board is excited to have Jerry contributing his expertise and continues to focus on moving forward with addressing the facility needs as appropriately as possible.   

            I am available to provide tours of our facilities at any time for those that are interested.  As is always recommended, please communicate with Board members about any questions, concerns, or conversations you may have regarding the district.  The most effective school districts are those that have great teachers, wonderful students, good facilities, and positive public support from the patrons within the communities.  We certainly have the ability to be a great district and hope each of you strives for the same.

Facility Concerns #7

            The article below represents the last submission as a result of the Board of Education’s original “needs identification” activity to supply information to the public.  There may be other issues that arise that can be shared, but every article through the end of this one indicates the immediate needs of our district.  The content will focus on extracurricular spaces and facilities. 

            As shared previously, our current gym space is scheduled for a facelift this summer.  This activity will improve safety for spectators and playing surface for competitors, it does not address practice time and space or the ability to attract other people into the community for activities.  The Board feels a second, competition-sized gymnasium is warranted and needed with any updates/construction going forward.  The space could be used to alleviate P.E. scheduling conflicts between elementary and high school, practice scheduling conflicts, and gain the ability to host conference and district events in our community.  The use of our current gym begins shortly before 6:00 am with junior high practice and often ends after 8:00 pm with some youth activity.  This all assumes there is not a home activity that night.  The ability to host events may not seem to be important, but having outside people in our community and in our schools, is an added revenue source for the local economy and the school economy that can certainly assist us going forward.  Additionally, when weather requires recess to be held inside, there are no available spaces.  The construction of a second gym/commons area could alleviate this pressure, as well.

            The football “complex” is the other major extracurricular facility that will require significant investment.  The asphalt track that is used in the spring is due to be completely redone, from the base to the topcoat, because the base is crumbling because of age and natural heaving of the landscape.  Below the text, you will find pictures of the track taken this spring before any patching.  If the track were to be redone, it would make sense to also re-crown the football field.  There should be a natural elevation in the middle of the field to help with water management and maintaining an even playing surface, but ours as eroded over the past four decades.  This may not be an absolute necessity, but would certainly make sense if the track were to be torn up and the equipment on-site to address this, as well.  The stadium bleachers at the field are a safety concern.  With the foundational concrete for the bleachers and press box changing shape, the surface may not remain level.  Additionally, just as with the bleachers in the gym, those at the field are safety hazards and would not meet requirements they set for current construction.

            Finally, in conjunction with the football field, the current “field house” used by our players has served its purpose.  With the amount of renovation work that would need done to the building, it would make sense to have it a part of our football facility, at the north field to house our student-athletes.  This could also serve as a storage facility for football and track equipment, as well as concessions at the field, depending on the size of a proposed structure.  The current concessions’ building has several disjointed blocks and cracks throughout which would warrant a safer building.

            As a reminder, each of these articles, past and present, can be read online at http://suptcorner.blogspot.com or by visiting our webpage and clicking on “Superintendent’s Corner” in the top right corner.  Please feel free to comment or leave feedback on any of the submissions.  Thank you for your continued attention to the facility needs for the students in our district.