Working together to achieve Academic success, respectful Behavior, and Career readiness in a Safe environment.

PCS Superintendent Weekly Update

Sept. 29, 2023

PCS Strategic Planning

Community Engagement

PCS is working with the Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB) on the development of a strategic plan for our school district. We want your input. In addition to various surveys that are being distributed to stakeholders, you are cordially invited to a Community Engagement Meeting that is scheduled for 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM on Wed., Nov. 8, 2023. Click HERE for the press release and additional information. Thank you for your support of the Plattsmouth Community Schools!

We have openings in our Plattsmouth Early Childhood Center home-based program. Check out the information in the graphic above or click HERE.

PCS is hiring! Click HERE to view our open positions.

Please check out the flyer from the Food Bank for the Heartland that includes information about food resources. A website and QR code are available to find food using an interactive map that shows partner food providers and mobile pantries. Click HERE for a PDF version of the document.

Many community resources are identified in the document that is available by clicking HERE. PCS is providing these resources via SENCA for informational purposes. 

On June 12, 2023, our Board of Education approved Policy 5417 School Wellness Policy and 5417 School Wellness Policy Administrative Regulation. We welcome your feedback relative to the policy and administrative regulation. Feedback can be submitted at https://forms.gle/n3nuaQyV23avscqV9.

PCS Board of Education members and administrators have received questions and concerns relative to media materials (i.e. books) that are available in our school libraries.  Various materials are being reviewed, and our Board of Education approved a revised Policy 6300 and related forms that are available on the July Board agenda at https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Agenda/56?meeting=588330.

Click HERE to see the list of books being reviewed at PCS. You are welcome to provide feedback about one or more of the books being reviewed by going to https://forms.gle/ySGDx8uxdkjFDDGY6. This form is to provide specific feedback about individual books. If you want to provide general feedback about the review and Policy 6300, please read the paragraph below and use the link to Let's Talk.

If you have questions, compliments, comments, or concerns relative to instructional materials, media materials, or Policy 6300, please utilize Let's Talk at the link below. Scroll down to District Topics and select Instructional Services. I believe this will be an efficient format for the district to collect feedback on the topic and allow the person that works directly with reviewing instructional and media materials in buildings throughout the district to provide a timely response.

Have you seen the inside of our career and technical education (CTE) building? Click HERE and go to our career academies website. Scroll down the page to view a one-minute video tour from inside the CTE building.

As of March 1, 2023, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has begun reviews of Medicaid eligibility.  More information is available at https://sarpycasshealthdepartment.org/programs-services/medicaid.html.

Draft minutes from our Board of Education budget hearing, tax request hearing, and regular meeting on Sept. 11, 2023 are available by clicking on the links below.

1. Draft budget hearing minutes

2. Draft tax request hearing minutes

3. Draft Sept. regular meeting minutes

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021. The ARP Act includes nearly $122 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund that allows state and local education agencies (LEAs) to take additional steps for continued safe in-person instruction and to address unfinished teaching and learning to mitigate the pandemic. The ESSER III funding enables Nebraska school districts to promote safe school operations and equity-driven, sustainable, evidence-based programs to serve students – especially those who are the furthest from opportunity – and to continue to strengthen teaching and learning. PCS was eligible for $1,505,865 of ESSER III funds.

In order to be eligible for ESSER III funding, Nebraska school districts had to submit an amendment to our ARP application by Sept. 15, 2021. Prior to submitting the application, we requested your input relative to the potential uses of the funds.

Thank you to everyone that provided input regarding the potential uses of ESSER III funds at PCS. I am pleased to inform you that we were able to incorporate many of the items in our amendment including updated curriculum materials, professional development for staff members, Clifton Strengths training and support for staff members, bleachers on the east side of the high school stadium, new activity buses and sport utility vehicles, staff dependent care, staff COVID-19 emergency leave (many districts no longer offer this to employees), renovation of the outdoor middle school concession stand to include restrooms, personal protective equipment, interactive technological devices, furniture and equipment, music risers, and musical instruments. If you do not see a specific item, it might be included in one of these broad categories or it might be obtained through other available funding sources 

Business manager Jenni Serkiz and I will continue meeting with the Board of Education’s Finance Committee to develop a plan and timeline for spending the funds. Unfortunately, we must pay for the items and wait for reimbursement to arrive later. With other ARP funds, it has taken up to eight months for NDE to process the reimbursement request and transfer funding to our district.

Since we are already accessing a line of credit for our usual general fund expenses, we will have to be very strategic about spreading our ESSER III expenditures over the next two fiscal years. For instance, we plan to expend approximately $1 mil. in the 2021-2022 fiscal year from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, with the additional amount of about $505,865 being spent in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Our plan for the expenditure of ESSER III funds is available by clicking HERE. There were other requests submitted for ESSER III that are not included here, but many of them are being addressed with other funding sources available in the district.

Thank you, again, for providing your input for our amendment.

Thank you to everyone who provided input relative to our COVID-19 protocols and items for consideration in the development of our PCS Plan for Safe Return to School which is available by clicking the link below. As part of our ESSER funding, we are required to post and periodically review our plan. Our plan is included below.

PCS Plan for Safe Return to School

Our safety team includes certified and non-certified staff members from our early childhood center, elementary school, middle school, and high school, including administrators, nurses, school social workers/licensed mental health practitioners, school psychologists, Plattsmouth Education Association representatives, before and after school program directors, our nutrition services director, our transportation location manager, maintenance, and our school resource officer(s).

At this time, our safety team holds quarterly meetings during the school year. 

Click HERE to provide feedback relative to our PCS Plan for Safe Return to School. Thank you for your support of the Plattsmouth Community Schools!

Thank you for your support of the Plattsmouth Community Schools. #PLATTSMOUTHSTRONG

Best regards,

Superintendent Dr. Richard E. Hasty