OSMOND - The District 42R Board of Education met Monday, Jan. 12, with a Celebration of Excellence presentation by music director Christalin Ginn. Mrs. Ginn gave a review on the highlights of 2025 for the Osmond Community School music programs, including honor band participations, District Music Contest, the marching band season and others, as well as the many awards the music department has received.
Ginn also told the board about upcoming events, which includes honor choirs, spring concert and the music trip to Dallas. The board thanked her and congratulated her on the music department’s record of excellence in 2025 and years past.
Appointments and Elections The January meeting also included reorganization of the board, election of officers and committee appointments. Mark Moes, Larry Krohn and Tyler Gansebom were reelected to their positions as board president, vice president and secretary-treasurer, respectively.
Margaret Ryan was again appointed recording secretary.
In addition to the usual committees, a temporary ad hoc committee of Michelle Reikofski and Tiffany Rice is working on the school purpose statement, vision and action plans and school motto.
K-6 Principal Report
K-6 Principal Paige Parsons re- ported on her "fabulous" first semes ter here. She noted that the staff are student focused and she is thankful to be part of this district.
Parsons congratulated elementary music director Vanessa Steinkraus and the K-6 students on the successful winter concert, as well as the winter PBIS celebration on Dec. 19.
The principal noted the elementary staff attended several meetings on Jan. 5 to plan for the second semester. She also advised that she asked staff for names of parents who would be interested in starting and elementary Parent Teacher Organization. There will be a meeting on Feb. 12 to begin planning for organizing a PTO.
Ms. Parsons then reported on some concerns with inappropriate comments, negative remarks toward peers and disrespectful behavior in some students in grades 4-6. The students, staff and administration have reestablished expectations and com- municated consistent consequences, and a letter to family was shared to address concerns at home.
Upcoming events include a teacher inservice on Jan. 19, with no school to be held that day, and a Region III Principals meeting in Norfolk on Jan.
21, which she will attend.
7-12 Principal Report
High School Principal Kurt Polt reported that first semester report cards were sent home on Friday, Jan. 9, and there will be no school for students on Jan. 19 for the teacher inservice in Norfolk.
He advised that Osmond has 10 junior high boys and four junior high girls in the winter activity junior high
co-ops. Upcoming events include the first speech meet on Jan. 31 at Har tington, conference honor band Jan.
17 at Wayne State College, and ESU 8 quiz bowls on Feb. 24 and 25.
Polt noted that the high school doesn’t have a lot of testing going on in January and February, but if one looks at the school calendar, there are plenty of activities going on.
Polt also told the board that post prom will be held at King’s Lanes again this year, and there is one basketball game scheduled in South Dakota on Jan. 24.
The principal was asked if there had been any discipline problems, with students not allowed to use cell phones in school, and he said "not really much." He said a lot of kids are playing UNO.
Polt noted that there are three new students and one returning student that started here at the beginning of the semester.
He and the other administrators were also asked if Osmond has considered speech or any other arts sharing with Plainview, and they said no, that the focus right now is on athletics. They also commented that Osmond’s arts programs are doing very well.
Superintendent Report Superintendent Skip Bremer briefly
went over the policies for this month, which included 2005, Conflict of Inter est; 2006, Complaint Procedure, and 2012, Code of Ethics. All are available to be read on the school’s website.
Bremer commented on the town hall meeting held earlier that day to discuss the community survey, and noted city patrons thought it important to continue to maintain the public school.
Bremer noted the annual report to patrons would be sent out. It includes the district’s AQuEST ratings, which are all Excellent, and the ACT scores which are all above the state averages.
Regarding the sports co-op with Plainview, Bremer said he informed the Lewis and Clark Conference of Osmond’s plans with Plainview. He has also reached out to GNAC (Greater Northeast Activities Conference) and will be corresponding more with them to see what it takes to join that conference. The superintendent read an email to the board from a bowling coach in another community, complimenting the Plainview and Osmond coaches and the owners of Main Street Alley on a recent well-run meet held here.
Mr. Bremer informed the board that the 2026 NRCSA spring conference will be held March 18-20 in Kearney, and asked them to let him know if they will be going.
Bremer reminded the board that Justin Koehler, Tyler Gansebom and Tiffany Rice are the three board members up for election this year.
Incumbent filing deadline is Feb. 14 at 5 p.m., and non-incumbent filing deadline is March 3.
Committee Reports Board President Mark Moes noted the upcoming board president retreat in Kearney on Feb. 16, and said that anyone can go to it.
Board Member Rice suggested having monthly Zoom calls for each of the board committees.
In other business, the board: - designated The Osmond Re - publican as the official news agency; KSB Legal Firm as school attorney; AMGL as school auditor, Superin - tendent Steven Bremer as the State and Federal Programs Director, Non-discrimination compliance coordinator, and Title IX Coordinator; Dwight Kahny as bus mechanic for bus inspections; Security Bank as the school depository; and Policy 2008 to be followed by publicizing meetings.
— took all necessary action on the 2026-27 and 2027-28 Teacher Negoti ated Agreement as presented.
