Transparency goal of changes at school business office

McCOOK, Neb. — In an effort to create more transparency, the business office at McCook Public Schools has been busy with several ongoing projects.

The office wasn’t doing things wrong before, said John Brazell, McCook Schools business manager at the regular McCook Board of Education meeting Monday, but these efforts are merely making things more understandable for others in the district.

In conjunction with McCook Schools maintenance director Chris Wallace, the business office is in the process of creating a “Request for proposal” (RFP) for outside custodial services, Brazell said. The RFP would “make it more clear…on who does what and the costs,” Brazell said.

The district already uses one company they’re happy with, but opening it up for other cleaning companies in the area to compete would be fairer, added McCook Schools Superintendent Grant Norgaard on Tuesday. Norgaard said using an outside custodial service is flexible and cost-effective, as companies have a team of employees who can get more work done in a shorter amount of time.

Other projects Brazell updated the board on Monday night included:

-- updating job descriptions for certified (teaching) and administration staff, that were out-dated and needed to be reviewed. The new job descriptions are also good for workman compensation issues, he said. The administration staff is currently reviewing the description in draft form, he said.

-- developing employee agreements for key classified (non-teaching) staff, such as those in supervisory positions.

-- asked for a board representative for the district’s Wellness Committee, with Brad Hays stepping up for the position.

Earlier in the meeting, Brazell alerted the board to a new procedure he’s implementing for greater transparency, in the monthly record of checks the board receives at each meeting.

Employee benefits will now be broken down into individual categories, such as health insurance, long-term disability, retirement accounts and other benefits received, to give the board a better picture of where the money is going, he said. Employment benefits for the month of December was $168,238, with the majority, at $150,250, going to health insurance.