This past weekend was amazing as we were so fortunate to help host the Special Olympics Nebraska Flag Football Tournament. Thanks to EVERYONE that helped us show the Nebraska Special Olympians what a great place York is. Watching the flag football games and the teamwork and support the Special Olympians gave to each other was inspiring.
We had student and staff helpers from YPS, Hampton, Aurora, Lincoln, and GINW. We borrowed equipment from High Plains, McCool Junction, Seward, Hampton, and Cross County. We had parents and students and community members step up and work hard all weekend. York College Baseball players and coaches worked all day on Sunday and were amazing.
The York County Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, downtown businesses, and Todd Kirshenbaum helped roll out the red carpet. York Office Supply donated a great “welcome” banner. Wal-Mart helped with a donation. Culligan Water, Pieper's Potties, and Kopcho's Sanitation all helped out as well.
Our banks and service clubs donated funds to offset expenses. Donn Athcison came out and took some amazing pictures. Dickey’s BBQ and LunchTime Solutions delivered delicious meals to the competitors and coaches. The YPS Foundation and “student travel group” provided great food for fans and officials. My favorite part of the weekend was working with my son, Bo, as he helped me with all of the setup and cleanup. He was a huge help!
We had about 45 Special Olympians join us for our Friday night football game vs GINW. They loved the atmosphere and I think we picked up some York Duke fans out of the bunch!
I got to see two of my former students from West Point Elementary compete in the games. One plays for West Point and the other for Fremont. I was able to make a new friend named Brian in Minden. I can still see his smile and sense of pride from his work in Saturday morning's skills competition. I got to see James from here in York win a medal on Saturday and feel so good about it he was still wearing it on Sunday. I enjoyed getting to know the Omaha Bears and visiting with them about their trick plays and defensive strategies.
Everywhere I looked, I saw joy. I saw tremendous competitors that cared about each other. I saw athletes that just wanted to play. I saw appreciation and support all over the place. I saw many of our students from YHS showing tremendous poise, patience, and kindness as they helped the competitors.
It was a "Top 10" weekend for me. I smiled more this past weekend than I have in a long time. I learned a lot from the Special Olympians and am so appreciative of them coming to York. They have it figured out. Their positive attitudes are contagious.
Thanks again to everyone that helped and/or came out to watch and support. It was such a special weekend!
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Nebraska has a School FUNDING Problem
In a recent article in Kearney area newspapers submitted by State Senator John Kuehn, he stated that “big increases in local subdivision spending created the property tax crisis.” That really caught my attention because that certainly has not been my experience as superintendent of schools in York, Nebraska.
I realize it’s a very “catchy” thing for some elected officials to blame local spending for our property tax dilemma but let’s look at some actual, audited data to form our own thoughts on this wildly political topic.
You see, our politicians know how the system works. They know what the school aid formula (TEEOSA) calculates each year and how much they allocate in the state budget for K-12 funding. I would hope they realize that TEEOSA has only been fully funded to its calculation three or four times in the past 16 years leaving increased local property taxes to fill the void in all other years. I would hope they understand that K-12 education used to be 32% of the state’s budget but is now 27.6%. They should know that their unwillingness to adequately fund K-12 public education forces our over-reliance on local property taxes. I assume they know that approximately 65% of Nebraska’s school districts don’t receive any equalization aid from the state as they are on their own with local property taxes as their primary revenue stream. Property taxes have soared in the last 7-8 years because of inadequate school funding.
Let’s look at the revenue side of the equation to back up my claims from above.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual total revenue increase of just 1.1% since 2008-09 despite our local property tax request increasing over 57% in that same time span. Many other school districts and communities are in the same situation.
o That’s correct….local property taxes have increased over 57% in eight years but our TOTAL revenue increased just 8.8% in that same eight year span.
o You see, in way too many instances, local property tax revenue is simply replacing lost funding from the state.
• We’ve seen the total annual revenue of York Public Schools decrease from $16,040,850 in 2014-15 to $15,016,433 in 2016-17 even though our property tax revenue went up close to $700,000 within that same time frame.
Now, let’s look at spending.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09 and a 0% increase since 2014-15. Many other public school districts in Nebraska can say the same thing.
• So, a 0% spending increase since 2014-15 but our local property tax request has gone up $700,000 since then because it is replacing lost revenue….not because of spending.
Here are some facts and figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and annual audit of York Public Schools.
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
o YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
o YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
It’s so easy for some elected officials to blame local spending for high property taxes. I wish they would spend more time and energy on fixing how our schools are funded. We have a funding problem that negatively impacts numerous school districts and communities. Expanding our tax base and looking at the hundreds of millions of dollars of incentives we give away each year could be a place to start as we work on finding revenue outside of local property taxes.
I realize it’s a very “catchy” thing for some elected officials to blame local spending for our property tax dilemma but let’s look at some actual, audited data to form our own thoughts on this wildly political topic.
You see, our politicians know how the system works. They know what the school aid formula (TEEOSA) calculates each year and how much they allocate in the state budget for K-12 funding. I would hope they realize that TEEOSA has only been fully funded to its calculation three or four times in the past 16 years leaving increased local property taxes to fill the void in all other years. I would hope they understand that K-12 education used to be 32% of the state’s budget but is now 27.6%. They should know that their unwillingness to adequately fund K-12 public education forces our over-reliance on local property taxes. I assume they know that approximately 65% of Nebraska’s school districts don’t receive any equalization aid from the state as they are on their own with local property taxes as their primary revenue stream. Property taxes have soared in the last 7-8 years because of inadequate school funding.
Let’s look at the revenue side of the equation to back up my claims from above.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual total revenue increase of just 1.1% since 2008-09 despite our local property tax request increasing over 57% in that same time span. Many other school districts and communities are in the same situation.
o That’s correct….local property taxes have increased over 57% in eight years but our TOTAL revenue increased just 8.8% in that same eight year span.
o You see, in way too many instances, local property tax revenue is simply replacing lost funding from the state.
• We’ve seen the total annual revenue of York Public Schools decrease from $16,040,850 in 2014-15 to $15,016,433 in 2016-17 even though our property tax revenue went up close to $700,000 within that same time frame.
Now, let’s look at spending.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09 and a 0% increase since 2014-15. Many other public school districts in Nebraska can say the same thing.
• So, a 0% spending increase since 2014-15 but our local property tax request has gone up $700,000 since then because it is replacing lost revenue….not because of spending.
Here are some facts and figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and annual audit of York Public Schools.
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
o YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
o YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
It’s so easy for some elected officials to blame local spending for high property taxes. I wish they would spend more time and energy on fixing how our schools are funded. We have a funding problem that negatively impacts numerous school districts and communities. Expanding our tax base and looking at the hundreds of millions of dollars of incentives we give away each year could be a place to start as we work on finding revenue outside of local property taxes.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Student Contests to Celebrate Nebraska's 150th Birthday
Nebraska became a state on March 1, 1867 and has become an outstanding place to live, work, and raise a family. Nebraskans are known for a strong work ethic, kindness, and common sense. We hope many of our YPS students will participate in the contests below to show their pride in their home state!
ART CONTEST for K-12th Graders will recognize winners in K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Artwork of your choice that simply revolves around the theme of “Nebraska” is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. are all welcome. Just make your artwork about Nebraska and turn it in.
ESSAY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Essays need to be between 250-600 words and describe why you feel Nebraska is a special place to live. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this essay that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
POETRY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Poems need to be about some aspect of Nebraska you want to write about. The style of poem you wish to submit is up to you. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this poem that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
Good luck!
Mike Lucas
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
402-366-6491
ART CONTEST for K-12th Graders will recognize winners in K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Artwork of your choice that simply revolves around the theme of “Nebraska” is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. are all welcome. Just make your artwork about Nebraska and turn it in.
ESSAY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Essays need to be between 250-600 words and describe why you feel Nebraska is a special place to live. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this essay that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
POETRY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Poems need to be about some aspect of Nebraska you want to write about. The style of poem you wish to submit is up to you. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this poem that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
Good luck!
Mike Lucas
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
402-366-6491
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Just some Random Thoughts
I couldn't settle on one specific topic for this week's blog so I'm just going to share some miscellaneous thoughts on a wide array of topics...
* Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship. You earn trust by doing what you say you're going to do.
* I'm disappointed in Republicans and Democrats. We need AMERICANS. We need political leaders that are more interested in making our NATION great than they are in serving their political party. Imagine if both sides spent half as much time and energy on actual solutions to make our country better as they do on blaming each other. The United States of America is more important than the Republican or Democratic party.
* Mammy, who I blogged about last week, is hanging in there. She isn't able to walk, has had some heart failure episodes, and is battling low blood pressure but she's alert, in good spirits, and surrounded by her friends.
* "High expectations" is an important aspect of successful organizations. Too many places accept "pretty good" as good enough. If you're not trying to be the absolute best at whatever it is you're doing, why waste your time? Find a sense of purpose in all you do. Pretty good is the enemy. Be elite!
* All winning organizations have a "comfortable level of discomfort." We can't get lazy and content and satisfied. We must be willing to make ourselves and our teammates a little uncomfortable so we can continue to get better. This is an area many people struggle with...we're never going to be as good as we need to be....success is a "journey" and not a "destination." Find new things to try. Find new strategies to implement. Try new lessons. Stay relevant.
* I love the saying "there are no traffic jams on the extra mile." Good things happen to people that work hard. The best way to develop confidence in yourself is to outwork your competition. You can't control many things about life but you can control your effort and what kind of tenacity you put into something. I will take someone with average talent and an insane work ethic over someone with lots of talent and an average work ethic every day of the week.
* I can't imagine a better career for me than public education. Our students inspire me in so many ways. We have some amazingly talented and hard-working students. We have students that overcome more adversity in one month than you'd wish on your worst enemy in a lifetime. We have a positive culture (not perfect) throughout YPS where kids genuinely care for each other most of the time and work to support each other. It's an honor to work for the students of YPS every day.
* Being part of the TeamMates mentoring program is something I look forward to each week. I've recently begun my third mentor/mentee relationship with a wonderful 8th grader at YMS. It's awesome to look at things through his lens for 45-minutes each week. I highly recommend to anyone who has the time to become a mentor.
Have a great week.
* Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship. You earn trust by doing what you say you're going to do.
* I'm disappointed in Republicans and Democrats. We need AMERICANS. We need political leaders that are more interested in making our NATION great than they are in serving their political party. Imagine if both sides spent half as much time and energy on actual solutions to make our country better as they do on blaming each other. The United States of America is more important than the Republican or Democratic party.
* Mammy, who I blogged about last week, is hanging in there. She isn't able to walk, has had some heart failure episodes, and is battling low blood pressure but she's alert, in good spirits, and surrounded by her friends.
* "High expectations" is an important aspect of successful organizations. Too many places accept "pretty good" as good enough. If you're not trying to be the absolute best at whatever it is you're doing, why waste your time? Find a sense of purpose in all you do. Pretty good is the enemy. Be elite!
* All winning organizations have a "comfortable level of discomfort." We can't get lazy and content and satisfied. We must be willing to make ourselves and our teammates a little uncomfortable so we can continue to get better. This is an area many people struggle with...we're never going to be as good as we need to be....success is a "journey" and not a "destination." Find new things to try. Find new strategies to implement. Try new lessons. Stay relevant.
* I love the saying "there are no traffic jams on the extra mile." Good things happen to people that work hard. The best way to develop confidence in yourself is to outwork your competition. You can't control many things about life but you can control your effort and what kind of tenacity you put into something. I will take someone with average talent and an insane work ethic over someone with lots of talent and an average work ethic every day of the week.
* I can't imagine a better career for me than public education. Our students inspire me in so many ways. We have some amazingly talented and hard-working students. We have students that overcome more adversity in one month than you'd wish on your worst enemy in a lifetime. We have a positive culture (not perfect) throughout YPS where kids genuinely care for each other most of the time and work to support each other. It's an honor to work for the students of YPS every day.
* Being part of the TeamMates mentoring program is something I look forward to each week. I've recently begun my third mentor/mentee relationship with a wonderful 8th grader at YMS. It's awesome to look at things through his lens for 45-minutes each week. I highly recommend to anyone who has the time to become a mentor.
Have a great week.
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