Sept. 16: Westside Community Schools Board of Education

Before the regular board meeting, Brian Gabrial, the district officer of business and finance, reviewed the FY25 budget, focusing on the reduced levy rate. Property valuations for FY25 total $4.98 billion, reflecting a 3.46% increase compared to last year’s 9.44%. Gabrial highlighted that Westside’s levy rate of $1.0956 is lower than the average rate of $1.1197 in other districts.

Kris Karnes reported an increase in salary expenditures and a decrease in revenue, with the district receiving 97% of its allocated tax funds. The nutrition food service budget faced higher-than-usual costs due to repairs. 

The board heard from students in the upcoming production of “Noises Off.” The show runs from Sept. 26 to 29, with tickets available online.

The board approved several measures, including a construction management risk position for Paddock and Rockbrook schools and a $1.44 million bid from Fluid Mechanical for the air handling unit replacement project. The board updated the district’s Title IX policy to align with new federal regulations  and discussed eliminating a policy concerning confidentiality requirements due to redundancy.  Meagan Van Gelder was approved as a candidate for the NASB board of directors.

Meeting documented by Marcus Chaffee

Read full meeting notes here

By Omaha Documenters

Omaha Documenters is a program that empowers citizens to actively participate in local governance by documenting public meetings. This initiative enhances transparency and accountability by making critical information accessible to the community, fostering informed public discourse, and promoting civic engagement. Through its network of dedicated Documenters, the program bridges the gap between government entities and the public, ensuring that decisions affecting the community are transparent and inclusive. For more information and to get involved, visit documenters.org.

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