Lakeview board to focus on future at Dec. 7 meeting

COLUMBUS -- The Lakeview school board Monday evening discussed how they would like to proceed with short- and long-term planning.

The board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at Lakeview High School with Burma Kroger from the Nebraska Association of School Boards to determine the best process.

Superintendent Russ Freeman said Kroger had presented two approaches.

The first is a “plan to plan” where a vision and goals would be developed with the involvement of the board, administration and selected patrons. The other would be a meeting to develop a vision and goals with the board and administration and develop options on how to involved selected patrons in developing a plan to meet those goals.

Mary Ann Schreiber, board member, said she would like Kroger to explain at the meeting the different processes used in the past, and the board would then select which process it would like to use.

Board member Keith Runge agreed.

“We’re hiring her,” Runge said. “We should be able to tell her how we want to do it.”

Freeman said Kroger has expertise working with groups to determine a vision and set goals.

Tim Mueller, board member, said he would like to see the board hold a work session to determine what the goals are going to be in the next few years.

“As a board we need to get the ball rolling, get some goals set and then get patrons involved,” Mueller said.

Freeman said because of the perception that the board member’s minds are already set regarding at least one component of the district’s future, he strongly recommend involving patrons from the start.

“Then they would also know what they are volunteering for after Dec. 7,” Freeman said.

Board member Jerry Korte said he also would like to see patron involvement throughout the process.

“We need to involve our patrons and get everyone on board,” Korte said.

Freeman had little to report on the impact the state’s budget shortfall may have on more than $100,000 in state aid to the district.

“Exactly what this means and how it affects Lakeview, at this point we just have to keep monitoring,” he said. “Worst case scenario we lose $100,000 in state aid.”

During the meeting the school board also voted to approve Dick Kamm as Lakeview’s educational lobbyist for 2009-10., approve the language arts standards and accept the annual audit report.