The Falls City Public Schools held its regular monthly board meeting on Monday, May 8, 2023. Here are the highlights of the meeting.

UNL Extension's School Enrichment program is offering exciting opportunities for students of all ages – UNL Extension Assistant, Jami Ankrom, describes the variety of activities taking place at FCPS. The program covers grades PreK-8 and even offers a high school entrepreneurship program.

In the entrepreneurship program, high school students are encouraged to design their own business plan. They learn how to identify potential markets, create a budget, and develop marketing strategies. This hands-on experience helps them develop practical skills that they can use in the future.

For Falls City High Anatomy course students, the program has arranged a visit to the Nebraska Medical Center's cadaver lab and dental school this week. This visit provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about the human body in a practical way. They get to observe and study human cadavers and learn about the intricate workings of the human body.

The School Enrichment program has received a positive response from students, teachers, and parents alike. It provides students with opportunities to learn beyond the traditional classroom setting and fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

"We are thrilled to offer these unique learning opportunities to students," said Jane Smith, Director of UNL Extension's School Enrichment program. "We believe that these experiences will help our students become more engaged and motivated learners, and better prepare them for success in the future."

Overall, UNL Extension's School Enrichment program is doing an excellent job of providing valuable learning experiences for students of all ages. With its innovative approach, the program is helping students develop practical skills and knowledge that will serve them well in the future.

            Nebraska Legislature advances LB705 Education Priority Package - Debate on LB 705, the Education Committee Priority Package Bill was advanced to the Final Round on a 41-3 vote on May 9. As advanced LB705 includes those provisions attached through the committee amendments, as noted below, along with some new content, also outlined below.

Committee Amendments, Adopted

• LB 705 (Murman) Change distribution of lottery funds used for education;

• LB 153 (DeBoer) Extraordinary Increase in Special Education Expenditures Act;

• LB 356 (Walz) Provide changes to the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Act;

• LB 372 (Murman) Part-time enrollment in public schools and extracurricular activities;

• LB 385 (Linehan) Adopt the Nebraska Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act;

• LB 414 (Conrad) Change provisions relating to the enrollment option program;

• LB 516 (Walz) Provide school safety grants and provide funding for Safe2Help Nebraska Report Line;

• LB 520 (Walz) Change the Computer Science and Technology Education Act;

• LB 603 (Linehan) Change the Alternative Certification for Quality Teachers Act;

• LB 632 (McKinney) Prohibit suspension of students in prekindergarten through second grade in in ALL school districts);

• LB 647 (McDonnell) Relating to purchase and loan of textbooks for K-12 children enrolled in private schools;

• LB 648 (McDonnell) Provide duties to NDE relating to the development of a workforce diploma program;

• LB 698 (Murman) Change residency provisions for enrollment in a public college or university;

• LB 703 (Murman) Change provisions relating to the University of Nebraska;

• LB 708 (Arch) Require state government entities to enter into a memorandum of understanding for the sharing of data relevant to students under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court;

• LB 724 (Vargas) Eliminate basic skill test requirements for eligibility for teaching certificates;

• LB 762 (DeBoer) Create the Nebraska Paraprofessional to Teacher Program;

• LB 787 (Wayne) Adopt the STEEM Development Act; and

• LB 811 (Murman) Behavioral Intervention Training and Teacher Support Act.

            The Sixpence Board of Trustees has recently announced their approval of grants totaling over half a million dollars for the Falls City Public Schools -The Board has allocated $291,907 for the 2023-2024 grant term, which will be used to fund various programs aimed at improving the quality of early childhood education in the Falls City area.

In addition to this grant allocation, the Sixpence Board of Trustees has also approved an allocation of $237,330 for the 2023-2024 funding year for the Falls City Public Schools Sixpence Child Care Partnership Program. This funding will be used to support the continuation of the program and its various initiatives.

            The Falls City Public Schools Sixpence Child Care Partnership Program is designed to provide high-quality early childhood education and care to young children in the Falls City area. The program aims to support families with young children and promote positive early childhood development.

The program has been well-received by the community and has seen great success in recent years. The Sixpence Board of Trustees' continued support and investment in the program will enable it to continue providing quality early childhood education and care to the children of Falls City.

            We are very pleased with the Sixpence Board of Trustees' approval of these grants. This funding will allow us to continue providing high-quality early childhood education and care to the children of our community, and we are grateful for the Sixpence Board of Trustees' continued support.

The District 56 Board of Education acted on several items before concluding the regular meeting.

1.     Approved the Final Reading on Policy Reviews and Revisions: 1) 4231 Denying Access to School Premises or Activities; 2) 4265 Staff and District Social Media Use; 3) 6175 Certified Faculty Certificates; 4) 8212 Multicultural Education

2.     Approved Classified Employee Wages for 2023-2024 to include a 3% wage increase.

The next regular monthly Board of Education meeting is scheduled for June 13, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. in the Central Office in Falls City Middle School. Regular and special meeting agendas are kept in the Office of the Superintendent, Tim Heckenlively.

Falls City Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status or economic status in its programs, activities and employment.