RC Superintendent Tidbits
By: Mark Otten
Nebraska Department of Education held the annual State Education Conference last week in Omaha. If that first line did not make you move on to another article, I promise it will get better. Within the conference, there were a couple of notable topics that were discussed. The first topic, and potentially most important, was the proposed changes to TEEOSA, the state’s formula for funding public education. The second part of the conference I will talk about in this article was the keynote speaker, Inky Johnson.
The changes to TEEOSA are designed to put more of the burden of funding public education on the state and take some pressure off local school boards when it comes to property taxes. I cannot explain the entire proposal as there are far too many details and I have now heard the proposal a grand total of one time. The proposal would call for Rock County Public Schools to receive approximately $200,000 more in state aid which could lower our levy by about $0.03. This may not sound like big news but at least there is an effort at the state level to lower our property taxes in Rock County.
Inky Johnson is a former football player who had a life changing experience on the football field while playing for the Tennessee Volunteers. Inky played cornerback and was projected to be drafted following his junior year at Tennessee. He grew up in conditions which made him very unlikely to graduate high school, much less attend a four-year college, graduate, and become the motivational speaker he is today. I came across Inky through social media. The messages he puts out of being a good teammate (in life, not just sports), bringing your best self, and generally being positive are great messages for all to hear. I have now had the privilege of following him on social media and also hearing his message firsthand at the State Education Conference. He was as good in person as he has been digitally. If you need a little motivation or inspiration, look up Inky Johnson and listen to his story.