School board plans health standards, salary votes

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Board of Education will be asked to approve a statement on the current version of the Nebraska Department of Education’s proposed health standards and to approve the superintendent’s salary, at the regular meeting Monday, 6:30 p.m. at the junior high conference room.

The NDE’s proposed health standards have drawn fire across the state from the public and elected officials for being inappropriate and too graphic for younger students. Many of the controversial topics are found under the “human growth and development topic, including content that involves gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender-role stereotypes.

Thirty Nebraska state lawmakers recently urged local school boards to reject proposed state health standards, according to a July 1 Associated Press story.

The senators issued a joint public statement to local school boards on July 1. The standards under consideration by the NDE are optional if approved, so school districts are not required to adopt them.

The statement the McCook School Board will be asked to approve reads in part that “the Board will not adopt health curriculum objectives that do not align with the community’s values; therefore, no action will be taken to approve the Nebraska Department of Education’s proposed health standards as currently written. It is the belief of the Board of Education that some of the standards found within the proposal are not appropriate for our students, their families, nor our community.”

It goes on to say that when the Nebraska Department of Education releases their revised health standards, the McCook Board of Education will review them to see if the new version has addressed the concerns of the majority of the state, the McCook Board of Education, and the patrons of McCook Public Schools. It also states that McCook Public Schools reserves the right to approve or reject curriculum standards adopted by the Nebraska Department of Education.

Also on Monday night, the board will be asked to approve a salary package for Superintendent Grant Norgaard and to increase school lunch prices. Last year, the board unanimously approved to increase the superintendent’s salary by $1,000, from $167,500 to $168,500.

Rates for the child nutrition program at McCook Public Schools is also up for approval, with the proposed rates for lunch being $2.90 for elementary students; $3 for Central Elementary and $3.15 for the junior/senior high.

The meeting will begin by the board appointing incoming Business Manager, Jeff Gross, as the treasurer and recording secretary for the Board of Education.

Under “Administrative Comments,” administrative officials will discuss scheduling a meeting with the school board to interview architect firms on major updates proposed at the McCook Junior High and the school district’s statement on the Mitigation of illness for 2021-22.

Superintendent Grant Norgaard told the McCook Gazette on Thursday that the statement covers procedures addressing bacterial and viral infections at the school district, such as sanitizing classrooms, sending ill students home and maximizing space in classrooms so students can spread out. Masks will not be mandated for students or staff, he said, although this policy can change depending on directive health measures from the state.

Last year, students and staff were required to wear masks from October 2020 until the end of the year. The COVID-19 vaccination is not a requirement this year for students or staff, he said.