SBPS Annual Report 2019-20

Achievement
THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY

2 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
WHAT’S INSIDE
OUR SCHOOLS
Scottsbluff Senior High • 635-6230
Mike Halley, Principal
Bluffs Middle School • 635-6270
Jana Mason, Principal
Lincoln Heights Elementary • 635-6252
Kraig Weyrich, Principal
Longfellow Elementary • 635-6262
Laurie Bahl, Principal
Roosevelt Elementary • 635-6259
Frances Burkhalter, Principal
CONTENTS
Westmoor Elementary • 635-6255
Bert Wright, Principal
Lake Minatare Elementary • 783-1134
Jeremy Behnke, Principal
Bear Cub Preschool • 635-6293
Jodi Benson, Principal
This publication was produced by Scottsbluff Public
Schools. For more information, contact Melissa
Price, Director of Communications at 308-635-6200
or mprice@sbps.net. Photos by Melissa Price, and
SBPS Staff.
Questions About Your Child’s Development?
Does your child have trouble learning, speaking, hearing,
seeing, walking or taking part in activities with other children?
Or are you concerned about your child’s physical
condition, learning or development in other areas? Scottsbluff
Public Schools seeks to locate and identify all children
who may have an educational disability. Any person may
refer a child between the ages of birth and 21 years (who
has not yet earned a regular high school diploma) for evaluation.
The ‘Child Find’ requirements also apply to highly
mobile children, homeless children, home schooled children,
and children who are suspected of having an educational
disability even though they are advancing from grade
to grade.
Referrals may be initiated by contacting the Director of
Student Services for Scottsbluff Public Schools (635-6200).
For school-age students, building principals or classroom
teachers may be contacted to initiate a referral for special
services. Students enrolled in any private school within the
geographical boundaries of Scottsbluff Public Schools may
also be referred to the Scottsbluff Public Schools regardless
of where they reside. Students who attend private schools
outside the geographical boundaries of Scottsbluff should
contact the district in which the private school is located in
order to make a referral for a special services evaluation.
Combined Non-Discrimination Notice
The Scottsbluff Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and
provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the
non-discrimination policies:
Rick Myles, Superintendent or Wendy Kemling, Executive Director of Student
Services, 1722 1st Ave. Scottsbluff, NE 69361, 308-635-6200
Juniors in the Project Lead the Way Medical Interventions class were assigned
to investigate a fictitious Bacterial Meningitis outbreak on a college campus.
One of their goals was to determine who had the disease, who was Patient Zero
and the path the infection spread through the students. They accomplished
this by completing an Enzyme-linked Immunosorbant Assay Lab (ELISA).
FEATURES
4 | A System for Accountability
Learn more about the District’s move to a three year
strategic plan based on the six tenets of AQuESTT
6 | Success, Access and Support
SBPS has taken huge strides in adapting to the needs
of today’s students. Read how the District has
proactively innovative practices to meet the needs of
an exciting, yet often challenging, student population
8 | Teaching, Learning and Serving
SBPS continues to lead the way with Career and
Technical Education, high quality curricula and top
quality educators
14| Safety, Efficiency and Effectiveness
Learn more about the SBPS Budget and how state
and local dollars are used to support our work

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 3
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
From left: Ruth Kozal, Vice President, Terry Gilliland, Lori Browning, Back row from left:
Rick Myles, Superintendent, Bob Kinsey, President, Paul Snyder, Mark Lang
The Scottsbluff Public Schools'
Board of Education consists
of six highly dedicated
community members who donate
significant time and energy for the
sake of students and a quality educational
program. These positions
are uncompensated and require
a lot of work beyond the monthly
meetings that the public sees. They
represent all walks of life in our
community and do all they can to
champion the needs of children
and help to lead a strong, responsive
educational system.
Scottsbluff Public Schools Board of Education
RICK MYLES, SUPERINTENDENT
Hello Scottsbluff Community,
What a joy and honor it is for me to be the
Superintendent of your school district!
Throughout my tenure here – now in its
tenth year – I have stood witness to an
impassioned commitment from every
part of our community to do what’s best
for our children and for their future. And
yet, despite all the experiences over the
years, every day still brings surprises.
In his book, Life in Classrooms, researcher
Philip W. Jackson writes, “Teachers have
200 to 300 exchanges with students every
hour (between 1200-1500 a day), most of
which are unplanned and unpredictable
calling for teacher decisions, if not
judgments.” Larry Cuban, in his article,
Jazz, Basketball, and Teacher Decision
Making, further reflects, “Neither teacher
nor students can say with confidence
what exactly will happen next… Effective
teachers, then, like top jazz musicians and
basketball rebounders improvise – decide
on the spot – as they deal with both the
routine and unexpected in the art of
teaching.”
Message from the Superintendent
Despite (or perhaps because of) these
challenges, as parents, as community
members and as educators, we are
constantly “second guessing” ourselves.
Like any important effort – none more
so than the responsibilities associated
with educating and raising kids - it takes
all of us to make it work. And, each day,
each decision, requires our very best.
In this endeavor, these decisions can
be especially life impacting and very
unpredictable. Undoubtedly, our work
can be so “high stakes” for any given child
at any given moment.
Is it any wonder that all of us – teachers,
paraprofessionals, secretaries, custodians,
bus drivers, principals or superintendents
– drive home each day shaking our
heads about the one child that worries
us, the one decision that didn’t work out
as we’d hoped, or the one interaction
that didn’t go so smoothly – forgetting
everything that actually went very well
and truly enriched a life – perhaps,
forever.
For these reasons, this annual report
becomes especially important. While
each day inevitably brings its own joys
and disappointments, this publication
allows us to take a step back and
broadly examine the greater impact
of literally millions of decisions and
judgments that our staff makes for our
kids each year. This report brings us
the opportunity to be more strategic
and reflective about where we’ve been
together and where we are headed. In a
very public manner, it makes us just a little
bit more accountable as an organization.
That’s its purpose.
Starting with our Board of Education our
school district looks to our community for
leadership. The expectations generated in
our District Strategic Plan and, in turn, in
our schools’ Target Implementation Plans
are driven by the needs of our students,
our community’s values and a resultsoriented
attitude.
Throughout this document you will read
about our school district’s plans and our
accomplishments. You should see our
successes as well as our challenges. You’ll
see points of pride and efforts to grow
even better. Hopefully, what you’ll see
throughout is that we are all working
together. You’ll see a systemic and clear
focus. You’ll feel an energy that’s grounded
in our students and their future.
Thank you for taking the time to read
through this Annual Report to the
Community. It’s very challenging to
capture the work of so many for an
entire year in a relatively brief publication.
But, we hope it’s helpful in making
connections and sharing with you some
key components of what drives us as we
work to meet the needs of “every child,
every day.”

4 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
STRATEGIC PLAN
A System for
Accountability
SBPS adopts new three year strategic plan aligned with the
Nebraska Department of Education AQuESTT Accountability
Tenets.
Scottsbluff Public
Schools has adopted a
newly designed three
year strategic plan format as part of the
move from AdvancED accreditation
to AQuESTT. The Nebraska model for
continuous improvement is intended
to assist Nebraska schools in aligning
and coordinating the various school
improvement initiatives that may
be in progress in each district. The
Nebraska Department of Education
and stakeholders across the state
created AQuESTT (Accountability for
a Quality Education System, Today
and Tomorrow), an accountability
and support system, which centers
around six tenets.
AQuESTT allows schools to focus on
educational equity for their students
allowing the NDE to better funnel
resources and supports to students,
with the ultimate goal of ensuring all
students across all backgrounds and
circumstances have equitable access
and opportunities for success.
SCHOOL-DRIVEN PROCESS
The continuous improvement
process focuses on schools’ assets,
through a comprehensive needs
assessment grounded in the
six tenets of AQuESTT. Schools
identify areas of strength, as well as
opportunities for growth, focused on
increasing student achievement and
Positive
Partnerships
and Relationships
Transitions
Equitable
Educational
Opportunities and
Access
College, Career and
Civic Readiness
Student
Achievement
and Growth
Educator
Effectiveness
outcomes. Schools must
then build a comprehensive
plan focused on what is
going well and areas to improve, with
steps to monitor progress. Progress
plans should build upon a school’s
continuous improvement plan
already in place.
In addition to the six tenets which
are the foundation of AQuESTT, the
District has also identified three
additional areas of focus in order to
provide strategic management and
community accountability. These
three areas fall under the category of
Safety, Efficiency and Effectiveness
and are Safety and Security, Facilities
and Fiscal Responsibility, each playing
an important role in managing a
successful school system.
Schools are currently working
on personalizing their Target
Implementation Plans with focus
areas and actionable strategies for
each of these tenets. This process
includes soliciting feedback from
parents, staff members and the
community.
SBPS feel the move to a three year
strategic planning process will
provide continuity in vision and
planning while giving schools the
ability to personalize their approach in
achieving continuous improvement.

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 5
AQuESTT is based
on six major points,
or tenets. They are
Positive Partnerships,
Relationships, and Success;
Transitions; Educational
Opportunities and Access;
College, Career, and Civic
Readiness; Assessment;
and Educator Effectiveness.
To learn more about the
six tenets, go to
www.aquestt.com.
Coming Soon to Our Schools
Look for these new strategic plan posters and
building specific Target Implementation plans

6 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
Success, Access
and Support
SCHOOL CLIMATE
Positive Partnerships
and Relationships
Transitions
Equitable Educational
Opportunities and Access
Many of you can probably relate, as a
parent or a grandparent (or as anyone
who has children you love in your life), to
the challenges of managing a day when
you needed to engage, entertain, and
care for a few children you love for an entire
day. There are a lot of moving parts.
Depending on the ages and interests of
the children, you’d have to individualize.
Some have skills and talents that others
lack. The challenges vary, but the bottom
line is ensuring each has a great,
productive day.
Such is the work of a school district and
the responsibilities of each of our 500
staff members every school day. There
are a lot of moving parts – most of which
are critically important to ensure that every
child thrives. In order for this to happen,
three key pieces emerge right from
the start – just as they would for the
small group of kids you might be taking
out for a family adventure:
1. Positive relationships and partnerships
- Establish a foundation of
positive relationships with the kids
and bring in others to help make
their experiences more rewarding.
2. Transitions – Help all children prepare
for what’s coming next. Make
sure they’re “ready.”
3. Equitable Opportunities
and Access - Be sure everyone
has the chance to
enjoy every opportunity.
To conclude the analogy, extend
those critical components
of a good day with your
own very special children to
our school district of about
3500 or so students (including
the many newborns and
toddlers we serve). Scottsbluff
Public Schools is now nearly
double the size of any other
school district in western Nebraska (and
in most cases quite a bit more). Furthermore,
SBPS is among a small handful of
regional districts that have grown over
the past five years. In fact with a growth
of almost 600 students over the past decade,
SBPS stands in stark contrast to
the rest of the region which has dropped
over 1300 students in that time. SBPS is
a busy place and getting busier all the
time. Some of you can relate if
your family has been rapidly expanding!
With a guiding Mission of “Every
Child, Every Day,” SBPS continues
to focus on providing an
ever growing and changing
array of services and opportunities
for a constantly changing
school population. We know we
need to remain “agile” as we
adapt. We need to be flexible.
With ongoing attention to conservative
spending (as evidenced by a per pupil
cost of nearly $1700 less than the average
Nebraska school district), SBPS is
continually evaluating and re-evaluating
students’ primary needs and goals
and how the district can adjust and readjust
to those changes. For example, it
is likely no shock to anyone that society
is sending schools very different kids
than those of as little as a decade ago.
It’s commonly understood among educators
here that if we don’t “define” the
culture within our schools, that culture
will define us.
Consequently, this past fall, Scottsbluff
Public Schools competed for and was
“In addition to providing tremendous
opportunities to our students
and our schools, this federal grant is
delivering much of nearly 2.5 million
new dollars directly into our local
economy”
ultimately awarded over $2.3M federal
dollars to “transform” the cultures of our
schools so as to better meet the needs of
our students and community. Primary to
this work is a focus on responding to the
significant needs of children who come
to us unprepared to successfully participate
and learn. Oftentimes, these kids
bounce from one frustrating and dysfunctional
experience to the next and,
Dr. Katie Carrizales of ESU#13 gives an
update on the regional Day Treatment
School progress at the 3E Community
New Years Resolution Event.
on the surface, appear unable or unwilling
to live life any other way. They often
struggle with attendance, engagement,
behavior, relationships and, in turn, academic
and social progress. Many are
often victims of neglect, abuse, mental
illness, physical and emotional disorders,
and other traumatic events in their
lives that, for many adults, are difficult to
fathom. Some have faced unimaginable
tragedy, been exposed to horrible violence,
been abandoned and worse.
This multi-year Climate Transformation
Grant is funding a variety
of “restorative” components that
will help kids regain control of
their lives. For example, any student
consequence for a drug or
alcohol violation will be provided
out-of-school professional counseling.
Students in need of inschool
support will be provided
clear goal setting guidance, mediation,
comprehensive behavior
or safety plans, or a host of other
interventions. Valley Youth Connections
is now a satellite site for
the school district to serve students who
need temporary supports when suspended
or expelled. “Zoom” video cameras
provide kids visual and audio access
to their classrooms when they are out of
the classroom for short term interventions
or consequences. The grant will
fund diversity training and facilitation
of our District Diversity Team. And this is
just the beginning.

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 7
In addition to this Climate Grant, SBPS has also received multiple
grants to fund early childhood education and our after
school program. An aggressive approach to alternative funding
has helped secure grants that required competitive applications
that oftentimes only a small fraction of applicants
received. Collectively these grants have brought in over $6M to
help supplement the basic state funding that is typically and
significantly below what public schools in other states receive.
Our students deserve it.
There are many moving parts to an effective school district just
as there are for a successful family or thriving neighborhood
and community. Ultimately, regardless of the context, our children
require all of our persistence, creativity and initiative if we
are to meet their varied and often quite challenging needs of
today.
1
3
2
4
1The SHS Air Force
Junior ROTC Chapter
was recognized
by Special Olympics
for their participaton
in Unified Sports. In
Unified Sports, students
with disabilities
compete on a team with student
peers providing inclusion,
promoting respect and providing
meaningful sport experience.
Students with disabilities also
take part in ROTC at SHS.
2
Lake Minatare Principal
Jeremy Behnke presents
a “Bee Your Best” award to
Delilah Farrier. Bee Your Best
awards are given to students at
all elementary schools for going
above and beyond in displaying
a safe, respectful or responsible
behavior. Bee Your Best bees
were sponsored by the District
3E Initiative.
Every Child,
Every Day
Every Child, Every Day
is more than just a
mission statement for
the students, staff and
families of Scottsbluff
Schools . . . it’s words
to live by. The photos
above are a few examples
of how Scottsbluff
Schools promote inclusive
environments,
kindness and caring,
community service and
equitable opportunities
for all children in
Scottsbluff.
3The Scottsbluff
Public Schools Bear
Cub Preschool has
received a $155,000 Early
Childhood Expansion
Grant from the
Nebraska Department
of Education for the
2019-20 school year. Funding
from this grant was used to
add an additional preschool
classroom and new playground
at Roosevelt Elementary.
4Twenty ReConnect students
painted a house for a local
resident as a community
service project. Supplies were
donated by Diamond Vogel,
Sherwin Williams, Menard’s,
Carr-Trumbull Lumber and
Shaul Construction. ReConnect
is designed to offer the support
and flexibility to help students,
who have either dropped out or
are at risk of dropping out, get
their diploma.

8 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Teaching, Learning
and Serving
College, Career and
Civic Readiness
Student Achievement
and Growth
Educator Effectiveness
The AQuESTT Tenets for Teaching,
Learning and Serving are at
the core of the work that happens
every day in our schools.
Scottsbluff continues to lead the
way in College, Career and Civic
Readiness with a record 87%
of the class of 2019 graduating
from Scottsbluff High School
with college credit. Scottsbluff
School’s increasing partnership
with WNCC and community
employers is attracting more
and more students to pursue
post-graduate opportunities.
Over 150 students earned Career
Certifications such as Welding,
OSHA, Basic Nursing Assistant,
Microsoft Office and SafeServe
while being enrolled at Scotts-
NEW CURRICULA
Scottsbluff Public
Schools has adopted
an array of exciting new
curricular materials
which have enhanced
teaching and learning at
all levels. The below
graphic shows a timeline
of these adoptions as
well as anticipated new
additions for the 2020-
2021 school year.
bluff High School. SHS has
been recognized at the state
and national level for Career
and Technical education. A
successful internship program,
the addition of US Department
Registered Apprenticeships
and hands on Project
Lead the Way curricula create
flexible options for students
that are rigorous and relevant
from exploration through specialization.
Student Achievement and
Growth can be found throughout
all levels of the District.
Teachers at the Bear Cub Preschool
use Teaching Strategies
GOLD Objectives for Development
and Learning to prepare
our youngest of students for
SBPS CURRICULUM ADOPTIONS

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 9
Students at Bluffs
Middle School and
Scottsbluff High School
are participating in
the second year of
the Device Assisted
Learning Initiative
where all students
receive a District issued
Chromebook.
kindergarten. In our elementary
schools, grades K-2 join grades
3-8 in the adoption of Wit and
Wisdom English Language Arts
curriculum. Wit and Wisdom
uses engaging stories on subjects
such as space exploration
or the American Revolution to
teach essential reading, writing,
speaking, listening, grammar,
and vocabulary skills while
teachers lead student discussion
in Socratic seminars.
At Scottsbluff High School Algebra
I, Algebra II and Geometry
have adopted Illustrative Math.
This follows an adoption of this
curriculum in grades 6-8 during
the 2018-19 school year.
Illustrative Math is a
problem-based core
mathematics curriculum
that develops students’
mathematical
thinking skills through
questioning, discussion,
and real-world
contexts and connections.
The curriculum supports
learning and achievement for
all students with built-in differentiation
for English language
learners, remedial learners and
accelerated learners. Illustrative
Math fosters learning at home
with comprehensive resources
for families and aligns with the
Bridges Math program currently
being used in grades K-5.
On the horizon for 2020-2021 is
the adoption of PhD Science in
grades 3-5 and Quaver Music
curriculum for grades K-5.
At the heart of any school district
is its people and SBPS takes
pride in prioritizing Educator
Effectiveness with monthly
professional development days
and opportunities for grade and
87% of the Scottsbluff High
School Class of 2019 graduated
with college credit
department level collaboration
among classroom staff. At the
elementary schools Behavioral
and Instructional Support Specialists
provide instructional
coaching and lead classroom
staff in implementing Trauma
Sensitive Practices and Classroom
management strategies.
Recently SBPS Administrators
and Behavioral and Instructional
Support Specialists took
part in a training entitled “The
Impact Cycle” focusing on specific,
well researched ideas and
strategies that have the greatest
impact on student success
and how to facilitate meaningful
conversations with teachers
so as to make good use of their
time and make a difference.
In the spring, administrators will
partner with teacher
leaders from each
school to develop a
SBPS “playbook” of
strategies for each level
(elementary, middle
and high school)
that we can use as a
resource to strategize
with teachers in order
to grow professionally and be
most effective.

10 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
State Champions!
The SHS Math Team has enjoyed
an extremely successful
season winning every
contest they have competed in
this school year. Forty five SHS
students participate in Math
Club with practices taking place
throughout the school year and
in the summer. The season
kicked off with the
Math Team attending
a compeition in
Kearney in October
and taking home
the top prize at the
first ever mathleague.org
event.
The team also competed
at the University
of Nebraska at
Omaha and Colorado
State Univeristy
in preparation for
Nebraska Math Day.
At CSU
Math Day 300-400 students
from 64 schools take part in a
day of math competition and
exploration. Scottsbluff took first
place in the Large School bowl
competition. Scottsbluff also
competed in the poster compeition
receiving one first place
award and two second place
awards in the three categories.
Students competed at the 30th
Nebraska Math Day in November.
The contest is hosted by the
Department of Mathematics on
SHS Math Team has a
successful undefeated
season winning every
competition this year!
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
City Campus. 94 Nebraska
high schools brought 1,247 students
for a day of fast-paced
mathematics. For the sixth time
in seven years, Scottsbluff won
MATH CHAMPS
the “Best Represented School”
award, which honors the school
with the highest percentage of
its school population competing
at the contest in each classification.
Scottsbluff brought 45
students to the contest.
Scottsbluff won its third math
bowl state championship
in five years. For
the first time in school
history, Scottsbluff High
School won the PROBE
I Competition. All students
take the PROBE
I (Problems Requiring
Outstanding or Brilliant
Effort). The Probe I is a
25 question multiple
choice exam. Select students
were chosen to
take the PROBE II Exam
for a chance to compete for
scholarships awarded to the Top
10. More information including
individual results are available
on our website at www.sbps.net.

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 11
US Dept. of Labor
Registered Apprenticeship
Leading the Way
In STEM and CTE
AScottsbluff High School and 21st
Century Equipment held a US Department
of Labor Registered 21st
Century Apprenticeship Signing Ceremony
this fall at Scottsbluff High School.
This registered apprenticeship is the first
Youth Registered
Apprenticeship
for Diesel
Mechanics
in the state of
Nebraska.
21st Century
Equipment is
the second employer
in Western
Nebraska to partner with Scottsbluff
High School in order to create a Youth
Registered Apprenticeship, the first being
Aulick Industries who partnered with
SHS for an Industrial Manufacturing Apprenticeship.
This Diesel Mechanic Apprenticeship
with 21st Century is available
for Juniors and Seniors in the Skilled and
Technical Sciences or Ag, Food, and Natural
Resources Academy and extends after
graduation into post-secondary training.
Students complete a sequence of courses
at the Junior
and Senior
level aligned
to the Apprenticeship
program and
a senior year
internship with
21st Century
while receiving
Dual Credit
from WNCC. The program then extends
to Southeast Community College’s John
Deere Tech program and continued internship
with 21st Century until the Certification
is obtained. Throughout the
internship, students are employed by 21st
Century Equipment.
This is Nebraska’s first
Youth Registered
Apprenticeship for
Diesel Mechanics
SHS CAREER ACADEMIES

12 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
The SBPS After School Program
has partnered with
Beyond School Bells to bring
exciting new STEM based activities
to students partcipating in
the After School Program with a
new Think, Make Create Mobile
Lab. The lab is located in a trailer
which is rotated weekly between
elementary school after
school programs. Interior furnishings
were created and installed
by the SHS Skilled and Technical
Sciences Career Academy
students. The lab is designed to
allow for a wide range of tinkering
and makerspace activities
for students and include a vide
variety of supplies-from electronics,
crafting supplies,
textiles/sewing, paints,
arts, STEM manipulatives,
etc. Students can
participate in guided
activities such as penny
batteries or paper cir-
After School Program
Students Think, Make and
Create in new Makerspace
cuits, create their own
projects, or take part in
competitions such as
Lego and K’nex challenges
and recyclables challenges.
235 students
participate in the After
School Program with
sites at Lincoln Heights,
Longfellow, Roosevelt
and Westmoor elementary
schools.
The SHS 3D Visualization
Table is a state of the art piece of
technology providing students
a valuable educational tool
comparable to most colleges.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Lincoln Heights 5th Grade
Safety Team help students stay safe
during dismissal with the help of
equipment donated by the Tri-Cities
Active Living Advisory Council.
The SBPS Foundation awarded
new Excellence in Education
Awards to teachers across the
District. Anyone can make a nomination
at sbpsfoundation.com.
AMAZING TECHNOLOGY
STUDENT SAFETY
RECOGNITION

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 13
DID YOU KNOW
Taher partners with the After
School Program to hold Kids
in the Kitchen Labs at all
Elementary Schools
COOKING LAB
SBPS Nutrition Services Provider
Taher partners with the After
School Program to hold monthly
Kids in the Kitchen Labs at
each elementary school. Chef
Marcella visits the school and
leads the students in an interactive
cooking exercise such as
the pizza students made at Roosevelt
Elementary.
Longfellow Students
participated in National
Start With Hello Week
A FOCUS ON KINDNESS
Start With Hello teaches students
to make a difference with their
peers in a simple, fun, and impactful
way. They take small but
powerful actions to promote connectedness
and inclusion and to
identify and help lonely students
who are showing signs of social
isolation. Longfellow joined thousands
of schools in participating
in Start with Hello Week this past
Sepetember.
Scottsbluff High School
Students Awarded AFJROTC
Flight Academy Private Pilot
Scholarships
OPPORTUNITIES
Two SHS Air Force Junior
ROTC cadets were selected
to the AFJROTC Chief of Staff
Flight Academy Private Pilot
Scholarship Program. SHS
AFJROTC Cadets Brooke DeSha
and Paul Esparza-Garcia received
a scholarship to attend
an accredited aviation university
participating in a private pilot
license training program in the
summer of 2019.

14 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
Safety, Efficiency
and Effectiveness
Safety and Security Facilities Fiscal Responsibility
BUDGET SNAPSHOT
State Aid - 41.5%
Local taxes -
38.7%
With the District Strategic Plan
guiding the allocation of resources,
Scottsbluff Schools
manages the budget in order
to maximize local tax dollars to
meet the needs of all students:
Federal - 6.0%
County - 0.5%
Cost Per Pupil
Other-13.3%
Wages and Benefits - 69.38%
Professional
Other -
Supplies -
Services -
11.22% Capital-
a 5.07%
2.17%
SBPS- $10,929.28
State Average $12,613.59
HOW THE DISTRICT
IS FUNDED
The District continues
to rely on State
Aid and local property
taxes as its main
sources of income.
HOW THE FUNDS
ARE SPENT
Teaching and learning
continues to be
a fiscal priority with
78% of the District
budged going directly
to student
instruction and the
largest expense being
wages and benefits.
SBPS continues
to spend significantly
less per pupil than
the state average.
The Scottsbluff Public
School District, Board of
Education, and building
and district administration work
hard to maintain a school budget
that addresses the needs of
all students while being a good
steward of the taxpayer’s dollars.
The District’s expenditures
for the 2018-19 school year were
$39M which supported all of the
schools and programs in the
District. The District’s budget
is built through several funding
sources with the majority of
SBPS is among the
largest employers
in Western Nebraska
with over 500
employees
the revenue coming from State
Aid. In addition to State Aid, the
School District collects funding
through local taxes. In terms of
dollars generated locally, 38.7%
of the District’s budget reflects

Scottsbluff Public Schools | 15
funds collected through local
taxes. The District has also generated
and continues to maintain
a healthy reserve in accordance
with state requirements.
Here are some of our areas of
focus:
• School-based budgeting –
Significant resources are allocated
at the building level giving
each school the flexibility to
meet the needs of its students
and the ability to plan for long
term expenditures.
• Maintaining a low cost
per pupil – Scottsbluff Public
Schools’ cost per pupil is significantly
below the state average.
• Efficient, effective purchasing
practices - The District utilizes
a variety of purchasing practices
including competitive bids,
volume purchasing, inter-local
agreements and outsourcing
of services in order to make the
most of every dollar spent.
• Alternative revenue sources
-Whether through state or
federal programs, competitive
grants and awards, state
aid maximization or the SBPS
Foundation, the District is constantly
exploring new and alternative
revenue sources in order
to lighten the burden of the local
taxpayer.
• Bond Refinancing – In 2019,
the board refinanced the 2014
Series Bond which saved the
taxpayers $1.136 million over the
life of the bond. We continue to
watch for refinancing opportunities
to lower the burden on the
taxpayer.
• Community oversight – The
District offers a variety of ways
for citizens to offer input and provide
oversight of the budget including
public budget hearings,
Board of Education oversight
through the Finance committee,
and parent and staff input for
school-based budgeting.
See Something
Send Something
SBPS leads county-wide adoption
of mobile app for incident reporting
At Scottsbluff Public
Schools we believe
in partnering with
our parents and the
community to combat
drugs, weapons, or other
factors which may be
harmful to the school
environment. Scottsbluff
Public Schools has
made online incident
reporting available to
students and parents
for many years and we
are excited to partner
with Scottsbluff and
Gering Police, the Scotts
Bluff County Sheriff’s
Department, WNCC and
all other schools in Scotts
Bluff County to adopt a
comprehensive incident
reporting system, the
See It, Say It, Send it
App. Students, parents,
teachers, and community
members can download
the app and hold
anonymous two-way
conversations with school
and law enforcement
officials as well as submit
pictures of videos with
their reports of suspicious
activity.
In the event of an
emergency, students can
also receive broadcast
notifications specific to a
geographic location. By
working together, we can
help prevent incidents
from occurring and
ensure the safety and
security of our students.
Students and parents can
report:
The app is available for
students, parents and
community members to
download from the App
Store or the Google Play
Store.
LEADERS IN SAFETY AND SECURITY
In addition to See Something, Send Something SHS
and BMS are now using the Raptor School Security
System which screens and identifies all visitors to the
buildings.

If you live,
work or do
business in
Scottsbluff, you
don’t have to look
very far to find an
SHS Intern. SHS Seniors
are filling a variety of
internship positions at local
companies in fields such as
welding, accounting, education,
graphic design, business and
journalism. In order to be
assigned to an internship, SHS
students must complete a
Foundational Career Pathway
as a Junior and as a Senior
must apply and be accepted for
the Internship program. Prior
to placement, students take
an internship course which
prepares them for expectations
in the workforce. Currently over
30 SHS Seniors are participating
in internships at companies
throughout Scottsbluff/Gering
and the surrounding areas.
Interns are doing hands on work
such as welding fabrication at
Aulick Industries, working as
tellers at Platte Valley Bank and
working directly
with animals at
local veterinary clinics.
Interns are placed
based on student interest
and business needs. For
more information on the SHS
Internship program contact
Derek Deaver, Internship
Coordinator at Scottsbluff
High School or ddeaver@
sbps.net.