GIPS Board Brief November 13, 2026

The Grand Island Public Schools "Board Brief" is an online monthly publication sharing the Board of Education meeting highlights, updates, campus recognitions, and more.

Here's a recap of the November 2026 Regular Board Meeting.

• Agenda
• Video Stream
• All Board members were present.

Mrs. Cara Kuhl, GIPS 6th-12th Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, & Mrs. Megan Ahrens, GIPS KG-5th Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, shared the district's bi-yearly report on American Civics.

The report allows for the Board and the community to stay up to speed on classroom experience for teachers and students surrounding social studies related curriculum and resources for Kindergarten - 12th Grade. The report also helps the district stay in compliance with Nebraska PL 79-724 and GIPS Policy 2230.

Highlights from the report include:

• Overview of curriculum resources and classroom tools.
• Notable American Civics projects for students during key grades.
• How GIPS meets state curriculum standards.
• The positive impact of social studies related discussions in classroom settings.

They also shared a fun game of "Are You Smarter than a GIPS Civics Student" with the Board members. A few fun curriculum-based questions were posited to the Board members for them to discuss in pairs.

This was shared as an information item report.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Dr. Summer Stephens, GIPS Associate Superintendent, shared the district's annual update on the Computer Science state standards.

The Nebraska state statute presents the following expectation:

"For purposes of the Computer Science and Technology Education Act, computer science and technology education includes, but is not limited to, knowledge and skills regarding computer literacy, educational technology, digital citizenship, information technology, and computer science."

Highlights from the GIPS commitment to the Computer Science state standards include:

• GISH:

• Computer Science enrollment in 2025-26 school year (previous) is 23.

• Course is offered to 10th - 12th Graders if they opt to take it online

• Juniors may take a “seated” in-person course instead if they’d rather.

• Current enrollment for Juniors in the seated class in 2026-27 is 514.
  
  

• Middle School:

• Two courses have been added as elective options for students.

• Digital Foundations (7th Grade) - Keyboarding; Word Processing; & Digital Citizenship

• Tech Tools & Innovation (8th Grade) - Careers in Tech; Basic Computer Science; Digital Design; Algorithms, and more
  
  

• Elementary School:

• Curriculum in the K-5th topics include:

• Basic Technology Operations / Concepts

• Computer Science and Programming

• Digital Citizenship & Research

This was shared as an information report.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Mr. Fisher shared a brief update on the partnership of coopting activities with other area schools.

This specific request would allow for students enrolled at Grand Island Central Catholic High School to participate on the Bowling Teams at Grand Island Senior High. As GICC does not have official Bowling Teams, co-opting this opportunity would grant students a chance to pursue this specific activity at a high-level.

This was shared as both an information item and an action item so approval may be shared with NSAA and the partnership may start rightway for bowling season.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Mitchell Roush, GIPS Communications Director, shared an update on a new program to be offered at Grand Island Public Schools.

The GIPS Community Academy is a newly launched community engagement initiative. The five-month program, running from January - May 2027, will offer families and community members a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at Grand Island Public Schools. Applications for the inaugural cohort are now open.

Applications for the GIPS Community Academy are now open!

Interested community members and GIPS families may learn more about the program and apply on the district website or by clicking the button below.

This was shared as an information report.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Dr. Carrie Kolar, GIPS Chief of Human Capital Management, shared an overview of the small adjustments proposed to the next edition of the Staff Handbook.

Overall, the staff handbook serves as a go-to resource of expectations and best practices for all staff who work at Grand Island Public Schools. Recommended adjustments to the upcoming school year's edition of the Staff Handbook include:

• Adding a section that expands on the safety measures being taken for folks who use bicycles and other small wheeled vehicles to get to work/school. Specifically, the expectations of where they will be parked.
  
  
• Adding clarifying details on clocking-out expectations for hourly staff who leave the workplace during working hours.

This was shared as an information item and will be an votable action item at the December Board meeting.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Mr. Virgil Harden, GIPS CFO, shared an update on new, forthcoming school support opportunity for GIPS and the greater community.

• What is an SGO?

The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) through an SGO allows individual contributors (taxpayers) to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for contributions made to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) up to a maximum $1,700 per person.

The intent is for those dollars to support the educational function of both private and public schools.

In order to create the opportunity for taxpayers to be able to redirect monies to SGO for the benefit of Grand Island Public Schools (rather than the Federal government) we need to have an SGO in place.

Our SGO allows taxpayers to redirect existing tax obligations straight to the SGO for the benefit of GIPS students.

Federal guidelines outline a number of ways the SGO can support education functions such as:

• Transportation

• Technology

• Before and After School Programming

• Summer Programs

• A Number of Other Student Supports

Bottom line, our commitment is to use our SGO to directly and positively impact the day-to-day student experience through scholarships of the activities listed above and other allowable educational expenses.

• How does the SGO work?

A taxpayer chooses to designate an irrevocable contribution to the SGO for the benefit of GIPS students. The taxpayer may claim a tax credit up to $1,700 per individual, or $3,400 for a couple filing jointly. These dollars are taxes that would otherwise be paid to the Federal government.

The SGO, then, identifies in collaboration with GIPS a scholarship granting committee those functions which could be supported through these contributions. The district and the SGO also work to identify those students who would be eligible for scholarship support. (Note: Based on Federal guidelines, almost 95% of students will be eligible.)

When a taxpayer who has contributed to the SGO files their tax return paperwork, they will claim a tax credit equivalent to the contribution that they made.

• How is the SGO different from contributing to the GIPS Foundation?

A contribution to the GIPS Foundation is considered a charitable donation, and involves a donor making a contribution they are not required to give. Donors have some discretion on how they’d like to direct those dollars.

A contribution to the SGO is eligible for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. This contribution is a required part of the taxpayer’s obligation. They are simply redirecting where those tax dollars will go. Contributors cannot designate specific students or programs to be supported by their tax dollars.

More information will be shared publicly with GIPS Staff and the Grand Island community in the coming weeks.

This was shared as an information report.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Mr. Virgil Harden, GIPS Chief Financial Officer, shared an update regarding the recently completed annual Audit Report for the fiscal year of 2025-2026.

The annual audit came back in good standing and reports the district to be in a good financial position. A full look at the full 47-page approved audit may be found on the Board meeting agenda. A notable quote stated:

"In our opinion, the accompanying basic financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the respective modified cash basis financial position of the governmental activities, the discretely presented component unit, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the District as of August 31, 2026, and the respective changes in financial position-modified cash basis, thereof, for the year then ended in accordance with the modified cash basis of accounting described in Note 1.”

This was shared as both an information report.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Mr. Dan Petsch, GIPS Director of Buildings, Grounds, & Safety, shared an update on a necessary building support for Walnut Middle School.

Earlier in the school year, it was discovered that one of the Walnut chillers was struggling to run at full capacity. After investigating, it shows the chiller needs to be replaced. Per standard district protocol, the process of replacing a chiller for the school was put out to bid (RFP). After receiving bids, the recommendation has been made to make the purchase and installation through Mechanical Sales, Inc. for an estimate of $147,400.

This was shared as both an information item and an action item so that materials may be ordered right away for an install before Spring 2027.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Mr. Fisher shared the latest installment of district policy reviews and proposed updates. Descriptions of the proposals may be found immediately below.

Hear Mr. Fisher's full presentation on policies HERE.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Only proposed change would be to remove "The" from in front of the name Grand Island Public Schools.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposed changes would include removing a few sentences that speak to processes we no longer need in the district. The newly drafted edition better reflects the current safety practices in GIPS.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review on an existing policy.

Proposed changes would include removing a few sentence that speak to processes we no longer need in the district. These edits would match the same ones in the Staff version of the policy (immediately above). This policy speaks more to the student facing support.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposal is to remove this policy as the practice is more procedural and that it fits better in the Staff Handbook.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposal is to remove this policy as the practice is more procedural and that it fits better in the Staff Handbook.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposing to adjust the transfer date to earlier in the year (March 31st). This deadline would match the window of registration rather than later in the summer. Overall, making this adjustment will better support our schools as we plan for classes, number of sections, and staffing.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposed re-write of the policy would better reflect the current practices and expectations for student parking. The new language would read as:

"The Superintendent or designee is authorized and directed to establish administrative guidelines and criteria for the issuance of vehicle parking permits and to regulate student driving and parking. Eligible students who operate a motor vehicle on school grounds must hold a valid state-issued driver’s license or permit, register their vehicle in accordance with administrative procedures, and abide by all school rules and traffic laws.

Vehicles parked on school grounds are subject to routine administrative monitoring and may be inspected or searched by authorized school officials when there is reasonable suspicion that school rules, board policies, or laws are being violated. The district assumes no financial liability for theft, loss, or damage to personal vehicles parked on or near school property.

Unsafe, reckless, or unauthorized driving on school property or failure to comply with parking rules may result in disciplinary action, loss of driving and parking privileges on school property, vehicle immobilization or towing at the owner's expense, and/or referral to law enforcement. Repeat offenses will be referred to appropriate authorities."

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposed changes include:

• Removing "The" from the name Grand Island Public Schools.
• Removing a clarification around instructional time as it is not applicable.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

The only proposed change would be to remove "The" from the name Grand Island Public Schools.

This was shared as a first read item and will be up for approval at the December Board meeting.

November 2026 Report from the GIPS Foundation:

• The Foundation Board held its inaugural Innovation Tank—a new opportunity for teachers to pitch innovative learning experiences for GIPS students. With individual grants available up to $5,000, the Foundation awarded over $19,300 in total funding. Judges awarding funds were Lindsey Jurgens, Virgil Harden and Jack Sheard.

Pitch 1: Broadway Educational Field Trip ($1,053.91) – Presented by Abigail Bloom (GISH, coached by Dr. Summer Stephens), this project links theatrical arts to classroom instruction by connecting high school musical theatre students with industry professionals.

Pitch 2: GIPS Junior Musical ($5,000.00) – Katherine Welk (District-Wide Partnership, coached by Dr. Stephens) pitched a cross-grade program connecting elementary, middle, and high school students to foster confidence and mentorship through stage performance.

Pitch 3: Every Child an Author ($3,000.00) – Bailey Aupperlee (Shoemaker 2nd Grade Team, coached by Venus King) proposed funding to turn all 2nd graders into published authors without teachers paying out of pocket.

Pitch 4: Creating Belonging Through the Arts ($4,756.49) – Megan Danner (Engleman Arts/Disney in Schools, coached by Venus King) aimed to integrate creative arts into elementary education to build inclusion, empathy, and strategic district goals.

Pitch 5: Rhythm in Action ($5,000.00) – James Holys (Wasmer Music Dept., coached by Dr. Stephens) pitched bringing Omaha Street Percussion into the school for an interactive, hands-on rhythm experience.

• The Foundation’s college scholarship online application will open on December 1, 2026 and is accessible on our website: gipsfoundation.org.

• The GIPS Foundation will be offering over 200 scholarships to the Class of 2026 that will exceed $750,000.

• The Foundation Board will have the following business before them at its November 17,2026 meeting: Fiscal Year 26 Audit; Fiscal Year 26 990; Scholarship Preparation; & New Member Nominations.

Angie De Orta, GISH Senior, was elected by his peers to represent them on the Board of Education as a Student Representative. At each Board Meeting, she shares a student report.

Highlights from Angie's report include:

GISH ACTIVITIES:

• National Honors Society - Blood drive coming up Friday 13th,from 7:45am-2:30am, go on redcrossblood.org to sign up and use code GISH - they haven't reached their goal of 163 appointments so they need a lot of help.
  
  
• Dance - The Islandaires performed their Thunderstruck Routine at the annual “Dancers Against Cancer” Fundraiser by the Grace Cancer Foundation this past week.
  
  
• Robotics - There are currently 29 members and 6 different competitive teams. They have their first tournament the 21st of November open to the public at UNO in Omaha.
  
  
• SkillsUSA - They had their Mid-America Leadership conference October 25th-28th in Downtown Omaha. Four members got awards and were recognized at the state level with 7 different states in attendance. It was Elise Phinney, Ayden Kuebler, Alexia Nunez, Melany Luis Medina, and Isabel Corona. They had a lot of training for SkillsUSA officers.
  
  
• HOSA - In late October Junior and Senior students attended the Hastings Discovery Day Conference at Mary Lanning where students got to participate in many hands-on activities such as drawing blood from a mannequin arm and demonstrating real life scenarios from the point of view of a professional healthcare team.
  
  
• Unified Bowling - They are starting their season with the Northwest Invite this Saturday Nov. 14th at 1:00pm at Westside Lanes.
  
  
• GlamourGals - Had their first visit to Bickford where they had amazing community bonding time creating great intergenerational connections. As of right now they are currently visiting four different assisted living facilities to help unite the community.
  
  
• Band - The Marching band earned a Superior Division 1 rating ending their season at the Nebraska Bandmasters State Marching festival and are now currently working on their concert music.
  
  
• Musical - The musical had an amazing turnout with an amazing show that they worked really hard on.
  
  
• Cheer - They’ve been working on competitions practices and have their first competition some time this month. They also have a fundraiser Nov. 18th from 4-8pm. So if you’re hungry next Wednesday, go and get some Chick-fil-a and support our Cheer team!
  
  
• Student Council - They hosted this year’s state Student Council Leadership conference Saturday November 7th with guest speaker Lamar Womble shared a great presentation about being a “Legendary Leader”. There were also many breakout sessions and special activities planned for student council students state wide!
  
  
• DECA - Hosted a “Spike Out Cancer” fundraiser yesterday where teachers versed the students in a fun competition in order to raise money to support the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Events Around GIPS:

• The National Association of Teacher Singing had their regional competition at the University of Nebraska Lincoln where GISH student Ulises Acosta placed Third in Musical Theater qualifying him to audition for the preliminary round of the National competition.
  
  
• Shoemaker Elementary Hosted their annual Literacy Pumpkin parade where students displayed a pumpkin they decorated based on a book they read throughout the school so families could see and ask about their books.
  
  
• Knickrehm Elementary school hosted a Heritage night for the second year where families participated in several activities to celebrate family heritage of all kinds of different backgrounds for the Knickrehm family.

Staff Shoutout:

For this Month’s Staff Shoutout, I would like to acknowledge Mrs. Riak. I have gotten to know her since she stepped in as the GlamourGals Advisor. She is so kind and caring and values her students so much. She is also very deeply appreciated by her students because she pushed them to their best. She also finds many ways to teach creatively and makes learning fun for her students.

Hear Angie's full report HERE.

Mr. Fisher shared a Superintendent Report with the Board.

The proposed budget development calendar provides a structured but fluid timeline for the Fiscal Year 2027-2028 budget. One of the primary functions of the budget calendar helps ensure the district meets all statutory deadlines and scheduled board reviews. Additionally, it provides transparent opportunities for community engagement and strategic financial alignment well ahead of the final budget approval.

Highlights from the proposed budget planning forecast include:

• Regular monthly Facilities & Finance Board Committee meetings
• Weekly District Leadership Team meetings
• Regular reporting at Board of Education meetings
• Yearly Negotiations with GIEA
• Responding to legislative sessions
• Staff Planning
• Programs Planning
• And More

This was shared as an information item at the October Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

See above information item for rationale.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

See above information item for rationale.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

The only proposed change would be to include all Staff in the listing of folks required to wear protective eyewear during specifically identified instruction. The previous wording only included Teachers.

This was shared as an information item at the October Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposed changes include:

• Removing details about specific holidays as to keep the policy generic in nature so it may be more helpful in governing.
• Specifying other practices in detail that may or may not change throughout the years.

The newly worded policy, if approved, would read as:

"Grand Island Public Schools will continue school ceremonies and observances, which have become a tradition and a custom of the education program. Such ceremonies or observances shall have a secular purpose and shall not advocate or sponsor a particular religion. Students who do not wish to participate in these activities may be silent during the ceremony or observance or receive permission from the principal to be excused from the ceremony for religious reasons."

This was shared as an information item at the September Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

The changes proposed would update the policy to include new safety protocols and expectations around motorized bikes and scooters. A new opening paragraph in the policy would read as:

"Bicycles and other small wheeled vehicles, including battery powered vehicles, that are ridden to school by students will be parked in a designated outside area, and no bicycle or small wheeled vehicle will be allowed inside any district building. Any attachments, racks, batteries, or other accessories that are on the bicycle or small wheeled vehicle must remain outside with the vehicle."

This was shared as a first read item at the October Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Executive Session for the purposes of negotiations, litigation, and Superintendent contract.

There was no votable action as a result of the Executive Session.