Neligh-Oakdale Forms Committee, Wants 'A Seat At Table'

Neligh-Oakdale officially formed a committee to begin meeting with neighboring school districts to "have a seat at the table."

During Monday's monthly Board of Education meeting Superintendant Scott Gregory told the board he supports opening the lines of communication with other districts.

"The smartest thing that we can do is to be progressive and stay ahead of the curve because if we sit on the curb and watch other districts be progressive and talk...you don't want to be left out. That's not a good place to be," Gregory said.

Although the Neligh-Oakdale board did not identify what neighbor schools had inquired about future cooperatives, the Clearwater advisory board said during their meeting on Monday that two of their board members recently met with two Neligh-Oakdale and two Ewing board members to gauge interest.

During Monday's meeting, Gregory said Neligh-Oakdale needs to take action to maintain the lines of communication with any and all school districts.

"We just need to have a seat at the table. It doesn't necessarily have to be consolidation, it could be sharing and co-oping resources, a unified board," he said. "It could be anything that's on the table. We have to make certain that if a decision is made to benefit the students and community that we are at the forefront to do that, and I think that's the main goal of what needs to be accomplished."

Without discussion from the board members, Neligh-Oakdale unanimously voted to form a committee for communications with other districts, Gregory recommended the committee consist of David Wright, Ryan Koinzan and Ron Gilg.

In other items, Elementary Principal Mary Shrader gave a report about the ongoing MAPS and NESA testing as well as a 95 percent turnout at West Ward and 98 percent turnout at East Ward for parent teacher conferences. She also spoke fondly Grade Teacher Cassie Koinzan's final Master's Degree project that involved writing a grant to Great Plains Communications.

Koinzan was awarded $3,800, and she plans to purchase 10 iPads so she can have a 1:1 with every child in her class.

George Loofe, the 7-12 principal, detailed the numbers for spring parent-teacher conferences for the high-school were at 53 percent. He said the junior class will be taking the ACT on April 19 in place of the NESA state tests.

"I've reserved the Fellowship Hall at Lutheran Church for our students to take the 4 1/2 hour test without interruptions. We are also hosting Elgin Public. They are sending their 14 juniors over, and we will administer that ACT to them," Loofe said.

With extra-duty assignments, Loofe said he has no one to coach next year's all-school play.