Kearney Public Schools Administration Office, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Several homeschool parents raised questions about a proposed change to dual credit enrollment at the Kearney Public Schools board of education meeting on Monday, March 10.
Kearney Public Schools was seeking to make the change to dual credit enrollment hours to have the district policy align with a state law that was passed in 2023. It included language related to part-time students and a five-hour credit limit.
During the public comment period, Kelly Rasmussen appeared and said this new limit would restrict those option students who seek to participate in the district.
She noted that with the law passed in 2023, many schools have interpreted the language as imposing a limit. However, she noted that Senator Dave Murman who introduced the 2023 bill has entered a new bill, LB 497 that seeks to clarify the language.
“LB 497 also clarifies language that a part-time student wishing to participate in
extracurricular activities must be enrolled in at least five credit hours but is not limited to
five credit hours,” according to the statement of intent that was submitted by Murman on March 3.
Rasmussen said that if LB 497 was passed, it would put the district in conflict with the new law, if it is passed this session.
There were three other homeschool parents who also spoke and asked the school board not to approve the new dual credit enrollment policy.
The dual enrollment policy was a part of the consent agenda of the meeting, which items are considered routine and could be enacted in one motion.
There is typically no separate discussion on these items unless a board member requests an item be removed from the agenda for a separate motion.
Board member Drew Blessing made a motion to remove the dual credit enrollment policy from the consent agenda, which was unanimously approved.
However, when Blessing made a motion to approve the new policy, there was no second to the motion. Board member Paul Hazard then motioned to table the new policy until the next meeting, which was seconded by board member Amy Barth.
There was a discussion over the policy, by the board members and staff. Superintendent Jason Mundorf said the district wishes to operate with consistency and match state statute, hence the policy changes based on the state law currently on the books.
Blessing said that the policy should be open to discussion, he said he wished to approve the policy as present as it would provide clarity at the moment and the board could always take up the matter again after the current session of the Legislature closes.
Board president John Icenogle noted he would hate to shut the door on part time students who enroll, only to be denied later on.
Hazard noted that while there are changes that seem to be coming to the policy, there is a state law on the books that the district needs to adhere to.
Mundorf did note that the current law could use some clarification, as noted by Senator Murman’s entry of LB 497 this session.
When the vote to table the policy was taken, all other board members voted yes, with Blessing having the sole dissenting vote.
There board moved on to personnel and approved the resignations of Sharon Argueta-Gonzalez, math teacher at Kearney High School, and Julia Peterson, 5th grade teacher at Northeast Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
The following hirings were also approved, Mary Fries, special education teacher at Sunrise Middle School; Keegan Lindner, 3rd grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School; Barbara Gentrup, special education teacher at Kearney High School; Laura “Abbie” Benson, special education teacher at Kearney High School and Asha Regier, 4th grade teacher at Northeast Elementary School, for the 2025-2026 school year.
The board also approved the hiring of administrative staff, Kent Edwards was approved as associate superintendent, starting the 2025-2026 school year.
The board also ratified the negotiated settlement with the Kearney Education Association.
“The Kearney Public Schools Board of Education has completed negotiations with the Kearney Education Association for contract terms for the 2025-2026 school year. The two sides have agreed to a 4.86% total compensation increase, agreed upon changes to the negotiated agreement, as well as identified extracurricular positions for the 2025-2026 school year. The KEA membership ratified the proposed Negotiated Agreement, so we will ask the Board of Education to ratify the agreement as well,” according to KPS.
The board also approved a five percent increase in total compensation for classified and classified exempt employees and a three percent increase for administrative employees within the district.
Finally, in regular business, the board members approved a five year contract for athletic training services with Family Physical Therapy.
The next regular meeting of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education will be held on April 14, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
