Tori Glandon, Vocal Music Teacher at Horizon Middle School, left; Rick Mitchell, KHS band teacher, right, (Kearney Public Schools, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — The Kearney Board of Education took time to recognize two individuals, a music chapter and noted the level of the school safety certification the district received during the board meeting on Monday, Aug. 12.
Tori Glandon, Vocal Music Teacher at Horizon Middle School, was named as the 2024 Outstanding Young Director of the Year by the Nebraska Choral Director’s Association (NCDA).
“This prestigious award recognizes Glandon’s exceptional work in the classroom and on the concert stage, reflecting her dedication and talent in the field of choral music,” per the NCDA.
It was noted that Glandon taught in Hastings before taking her position in Kearney. All students in middle school must participate in either band, orchestra or vocal music.
Glandon was noted for her work ethic, especially when it came to getting seventh grade boys to sing out loud.
The next recognition was for Rick Mitchell and Kearney High School’s Tri-M Chapter 4101 as the 2023-2024 Nebraska State Chapter of the Year.
“Tri-M Music Honor Society, a program of National Association for Music Education (NAfME), recognizes secondary music students for their musical ability, academic excellence, school involvement, and community service,” per NAfME.
The program’s mission is to provide a means of recognizing the efforts and achievements of music students who go above and beyond in their dedication to music and their communities.
Mitchell described Tri-M as the “National Honor Society but for music.” He noted that in the Kearney chapter, they heavily promote service and giving back to a community that has given much already to its students.
The last recognition noted that the Kearney Public School district received a Diamond Badge certification in the Nebraska School Safety and Security.
“KPS is receiving Diamond Badge Certification in Nebraska School Safety and Security by meeting the Nebraska Department of Education’s highest standard in keeping our school community safe and secure,” per the Kearney school district.
With school on the cusp of returning to session, the school board received an update about the various construction projects going on across the district during the summer.
Top left: Kenwood Elementary, top right: Park Elementary, bottom left: Horizon Middle School and bottom right: Windy Hills Elementary, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
At Park Elementary, the project is under budget and the work is complete and ready for school. It was noted there was an issue with the quality of the flooring installation in the corridors.
It was noted it would take a trained eye to see the issue and it would not hamper the day-to-day activities of the students. The issue will be addressed next summer.
At Horizon Middle School, the project is trending under budget and all of the interior work has been completed in time for school. There is exterior work that will continue until the end of October.
After being slowed down by rain in early July, the new roof membrane is around 45 to 55 percent installed. All roof drains are in place and a cooling tower is back in service to provide air conditioning for the school.
The work being done at Windy Hills Elementary is far more extensive with a full renovation and a new addition being added. Students will attend Buffalo Hills Elementary this year while the work is complete.
As for the renovations, the asbestos abatement is complete, floor in-fills, framing, glass and aluminum and duct work are all in progress. Looking at the new addition, the under-slab work, floor slab, interior framing are complete while a fire main installation is in progress.
At Sunrise Middle School, the project to convert shop rooms into traditional classrooms is complete and under budget.
Finally, at Kenwood Elementary, the new calming room, sensory room and conference room project is complete and came in on budget.
During the regular agenda, the board approved a resolution to increase the school district’s overall property tax request authority by up to an additional five percent above the base growth percentage.
This action was taken to ensure that the overall school district’s property tax request complies with the recently passed LB243, which among other actions, partially limits the growth in school district taxes.
The board approved Memorandums of Understanding with the University of Nebraska – Kearney and Central Community College for dual credit classes.
The board also approved the Emergency Operations Plan that was presented.
A date for a special budget retreat session was set for Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 12 p.m. at the Administration Building.
The board also set Monday, Sept. 16 as the date for the annual budget hearing and special September board meeting.
In housekeeping business, the board suspended their policy regarding addressing the board and rescinded their policy regarding high ability learners. Superintendent Jason Mundorf noted these policies are redundant and covered in other areas of district policy.
The board also approved, on first reading, a revised policy regarding option enrollment. It would add additional language for accepting or rejecting option enrollment applications.
The next regular meeting of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education will be held on Sept. 9, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Staff Development Room in the Administration Building at 320 West 24th St.
