A review of Omaha Public Schools Board of Education meetings.

Aug. 22, 2023


Following each Board of Education meeting, the Office of District Communications recaps the board meeting in the Board Digest.

#OPSProud Spotlight

African American History Challenge National Competition

The #OPSProud Spotlight recognized teams from South High and Marrs Middle for their success at the African American History Challenge National Youth Competition in June 2023.

 Board of Education Consent Agenda

Consent Agenda Items

Consent agenda items are packaged into one agenda item. They are often routine and garner very little discussion.


The consent agenda items were:

  • Staff Adjustments
  • Approval of Agreement with Collective for Youth for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 School Years
  • Approval of the Agreement with Verdis Group, LLC. Exercising a Second One-Year Option from August 2023 Through July 2024 ($52,000.00)
  • Approval to Award Bid No. 23-057 to Digital Scoreboards, LLC. for OPS High Schools LED Video Scoreboards – Package “B”, Fall 2023 to Summer 2024 ($698,933.00)
  • Approval to Award Bid No. 23-059 to Digital Scoreboards, LLC., for OPS High Schools LED Video Scoreboards – Package “A”, Fall 2023 to Summer 2024 ($1,049,321.00)
  • Acceptance of the Certificate of Substantial Completion for Highland Elementary School: Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program
  • Acceptance of the Certificate of Substantial Completion for Westview High School: Exterior Bleacher Improvements & Outbuilding Softball Press Box – 2018 Bond Program
  • Approval of Change Order No. 001 – Modification to Substantial Completion Date and Additional Handling Costs for Roofing Materials. Bid No. 22-075 McMillan Middle School / Minne Lusa Elementary (Add $25,418.40). Revised Total: $1,974,818.40
  • Approval of Change Order No. 001 for Northwest High School: Capital Improvements and Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program - (Deduct $351,682.21) Revised Total: $5,943,882.79
  • Approval of Change Order No. 003 for Buena Vista High School: New High School Project Substantial Completion Date to be Extended by Forty-Five (45) Calendar Days to September 15, 2023 – 2018 Bond Program - (Neutral $0.00) Revised Total: $83,651,850.00
  • Approval of the Consulting Services Agreement with Nanette Beller for the 2023-2024 School Year ($55,000.00)
  • Approval of Contract with Agencies for Special Education Services for the 2023-2024 School Year ($1,544,565.00)
  • Approval of Contract with University of Nebraska Medical Center to Facilitate the High School Alliance Program for the 2023-24 School Year
  • Approval of the Memorandum of Understanding with Service Employees International Union Local 226 Relating to Contracting Out of Open Special Education Transportation Routes
  • Approval of the Proposed Negotiated Agreement with the Educational Interpreters/Transliterators for the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 School Years
  • Approval of Renewal Agreement with Formative for Respondus Lockdown Browser for Middle School and High School Students for the 2023-2024 School ($22,000.00)
  • Approval of Title I Homeless, Delinquent & Neglected Agency Contracts for the 2023-2024 School Year
  • Preapproval of Pay for Fall Extracurricular Activities


View the entire consent agenda.

Board of Education Information Items

Aligning Continuous Improvement: A Common Understanding of Effective Schools 

Susanne Cramer, accountability and school improvement chief officer, presented to the Board of Education regarding steps our district is taking for continuous improvement. 


Our district is aligning school improvement work through a systems approach to accreditation with Cognia. In the past, accreditation was done at the school level with differing standards for elementary and secondary. Continuous improvement in Omaha Public Schools will now be a single process with goals and monitoring aligned from the classroom to the board room. 


A standard K-12 accreditation system supports data-driven conversations and actions about what makes effective schools. It creates a shared framework to achieve measurable, meaningful improvement for our students.


Cognia offers evaluation and observation tools to support ongoing data gathering to ensure consistent experiences and improved results. This systems accreditation process has three phases: 

  • Self-assessment
  • Engagement
  • Progress


Our district will work on self-assessment in 2023-24 and engagement review during the 2024-25 school year. After that, there will be ongoing improvement and monitoring efforts to track progress. 


What is next? 

Our district is building a Continuous Improvement Steering Team, which includes principals, district leaders, teachers and classified staff. This group will guide the work moving forward. Staff will update the Board on evidence of improvement in September and the Strategic Plan of Action in October.

Next Omaha Public Schools Board of Education Meeting

The next Board Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 7, 2023. It is tentatively scheduled to start at 6 p.m.


Board of Education Agenda

To review previous Board of Education agendas, click here. If you have trouble accessing direct links, please access the entire Board of Education Agenda to view presentations and other documents.


How Can I Watch a Previous Board of Education Meeting?

The video from the meeting will be available by Wednesday at noon following the meeting. The video can be viewed by clicking here.

Omaha Public Schools | 531-299-0220 | www.ops.org

Questions or feedback? Email us at: BoardDigest@ops.org
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