New mandated classes set for 2024

New mandated classes in the near future for schools

McCOOK, Neb. — New technology classes will be mandated for public school students beginning in 2024.

Recent laws passed by the Nebraska Legislature require that beginning in 2024-25, computer science and technology education will be required at elementary and middle schools, such as at McCook Elementary and Central Elementary. In the 2026-27 school year, a five-hour credit course or equivalent one-semester course will be required in high school in computer science and technology education as a graduation requirement.

This means at the high school, elective courses will be pared down to allow for these classes, said McCook High School principal Craig Dickes.

The problem is that many of these mandated classes are semester-based and there aren’t many semester-based courses at the high school, said McCook Business Manager and former high school principal Jeff Gross. Current semester-based courses are health (physical education), speech, which is a district policy, and personal finance classes required by state law. Gross said mandated classes can influence the number of electives offered to students, citing choir and art as popular electives.

Superintendent Grant Norgaard said the Nebraska Department of Education will come up with standards for the technology classes and agreed that mandated classes can impact school districts financially and otherwise.

Gross also updated the board that the school district has been approved this summer for the “Summer Food Service Program” funded by the USDA. The district qualified due to the poverty rate at McCook Elementary.

This year’s summer food program will be different from the previous pandemic-based program, in that instead of “grab and go” meals, meals will have to be eaten on-site at Central Elementary. The lunches are free to anyone in the community from ages 1-19 years old. Gross said he expected the food program to return to pre-pandemic status next fall, with meals free to eligible students, reduced-price meals and full price.

The board also accepted with gratitude the resignation of two teachers, Gail Korus, who’s taught at McCook Public Schools for 36 years and Kristen Harris who has taught for 11 years. Korus is the kindergarten-first grade reading interventionist/Title teacher, prior to that, a science teacher and has accepted a teaching position in Omaha, Neb. Harris teaches high school journalism and has accepted a position at Southwest Public Schools, where her children attend. Both teachers were commended by board members as having a significant impact on their students and exceptional relationships with students.

Earlier in the meeting, Norgaard spoke about expanding efforts to recruit teachers as applicants for teachers are declining. It’s a state-wide problem, he said, with the number of applicants at job fairs no longer in the double-digits. Recruitment will expand to Colorado this year, he said, along with attending new recruitment fairs, such as at Wayne State College.

Other pro-active efforts he mentioned were the eight high school students who enrolled in the “Careers in Education” class and the importance of parents encouraging their children to pursue a career in education.