By Alan Rusch

HOLYROOD — At Monday’s meeting of the Central Plains USD 112 board of education, a motion to have the district administrators renew or develop the existing agreements in softball and baseball for USD 112 was approved.

The administrators were also instructed to investigate the potential of helping with transportation of student athletes to these sports.

Bert Besthorn, board vice president, said he made the motion to give the parents, students, and coaches involved some stability.

"Hoisington wants to be involved," said Superintendent Steve Woolf. "That’s a real nice shared resource. It’s something I would like to look at continuing."

At the beginning of the meeting, Tony Zink of Claflin asked the board to keep the current baseball and softball agreements in place.

"I can’t speak for the softball ladies from Claflin, and I sure can’t speak to the agreement between Wilson and Ellsworth, but I think, overall, if I had to make a generalization, everybody is pretty happy with the way things are going."

In other business:

• Dawnya Hickel of Claflin said the current Claflin High School junior class will be taking a non-school sponsored five day cruise the first week in June 2012. The cruise will be out of Florida to points east.

• A memorandum of understanding with the Central Kansas Cooperative in Education to continue services for special education students who live closer to Great Bend than Salina was approved.

"I’m glad we have it," said Woolf.

• Approval was given to the Quivira Heights High School senior class trip to Kansas City, Mo. March 22-25.

• Dates for 2012 high school graduations were approved by consensus as recommended by Woolf. They are Saturday, May 19, 2012 for Wilson High School and Sunday, May 20, 2012 for Central Plains High School in Claflin.

"That way, people can make their reservations," Woolf said.

"I think it’s a smart move," Besthorn said.

"I think it’s a good idea to split the two days," said board member Dawn Dolezal.

• Because of liability reasons, the board approved Woolf seeking bids to replace the Claflin High School football field bleachers. He will also investigate building a concession stand there and look into additional parking space.

• Woolf said a celebration of Claflin High School, the Claflin Reunion, is planned for Sunday, May 29, during Memorial Day weekend.

A parade and tours of the school are planned during the celebration.

"There will be lots of reminiscing," he said. "We’re celebrating the end of one thing and the commencement of another."

• During a discussion of dispersing old equipment, Woolf said he didn’t have a list yet of what equipment the district has.

"We know we have a pile of stuff," he said. "I don’t know too many things over $500 that we are going to be sending down the road."

Woolf suggested using internet sites such as Purple Wave and Nex-Tech, as well as a public auction to sell the items.

• Woolf was given permission to research the purchase of a used nine to 10 passenger bus to transport special education students to Great Bend.

"I think that’s an immediate need," Woolf said. "And it would be really great for a lot of different activities we have."

• During a brief discussion of the Parents as Teachers program, Woolf said he would like to see Quivira Heights Elementary-Junior High School principal Jane Oeser continue the work she is doing.

• Summer school was discussed, but due to the planned movement of equipment between schools, Oeser and Woolf are still not sure whether it will be in Holyrood or Claflin.

The next meeting of the USD 112 school board will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 28, at the QHEJHS library in Holyrood.