Beatrice School Board swears in members, sets new meeting times, dates
BEATRICE – A new term is off and running for a southeast Nebraska school board. The Beatrice District 15 Board welcomed two new members, Monday night.
Erin Hamilton and Marrissa Centeno took the oath of office as newly elected members…while Eric Book took the oath to serve another term. Eric Trusty was reelected President of the Beatrice School Board this year, and Doris Martin was elected as Vice-President of the Board.
Committee appointments dealing with staff negotiations, community and school relations and civics were postponed. Board President Eric Trusty says that provides some time for the board to review committee policy.
"This policy does need some reviewing. There's committees on here that we have not utlized in the past, but there's also some committees that we have not utilized that I think could be of importance."
In recent years, the school board has gone to a separate committee-of-the-whole meeting which discussed issues that eventually will go before the board’’s regular meeting for decisions.
Five committees that still exist, Trusty, said he’d like to see reviewed. They are Transportation and Facilities, Budget, Policy, Administrative Review and School, Community and Staff Relations. Board member Doris Martin says some of the committees that still exist without appointed members…were held at different times and locations.
"They would hold those meetings at, like 11:30 (am) in a little conference room at the high school. It was very difficult for the public to attend...they were very cumbersome, so I think, I'm guessing that is why those are in place. I think the committee-of-the-whole serves the purpose that those once did."
The goal is to finalize committees and their membership at the board’s regular meeting in February.
The Beatrice Board of Education will go to a slightly earlier time for their regular monthly meetings and hold a committee-level meeting on a newly established date.
The District 15 board voted 7-0 Monday night to continue to hold their regular monthly meeting on the second Monday of each month…but move the time up one hour. Instead of starting at 7 p.m., the board’s meetings will now begin at 6 p.m.
The board also unanimously voted to change Committee-of-the-Whole meetings…typically on the final Thursday of each month….to the fourth Monday of each month, also starting at 6 p.m.
Board President Trusty says the earlier times help would help avoid very late in the evening sessions and changing the day of the committee session might help avoid conflicts. "Thursday night seems to be a heavy activity night for both the high school and middle school. And, a lot of us now on the board do have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews that are in a lot of activities, whether it's sports, or theatre, speech, whatever that might be...so we're just really looking to see if there's potential to move the committee-of-the-whole meeting to Monday night, as well."
Monday regular and committee-level meetings will continue to be held in the School Administration Building Board Room, on 5th Street.