Each November, the USD 428 Board of Education plans a noon meeting at Great Bend High School.  Not only is it their opportunity to learn first-hand from Principal Tim Friess about the ongoing school improvement program and get vital information about the academic programs, it’s also a chance to shine a light on the culinary skills of students and faculty at the school. Kerri Batman, Family and Consumer Science teacher, and her students prepared a formal luncheon for the administration, including take-away loaves of coconut and pecan bread.

Future Business Leaders
Students taking part in Future Business Leaders of America took advantage of the chance to share plans for two initiatives the club is taking on.  Salam Ball and Morgan Harwood, seniors, spoke about the American Enterprise Project they created.  Four educational sessions will be held with third graders in the district, teaching them about how to run a business.  The program will conclude with a students running their own “business” at a bazaar which parents will be invited to attend.
Sarah Niederee, a junior, and Jami McVay, a senior, presented the project  Kids For Our Community.  The students will encourage young people to think of ways they can volunteer in and help their community.  It comes on the heels of last year’s successful Student Volunteer day in which high school students spent a day volunteering in the community.
No action was required by the board, as arrangements had been dealt with administratively.  Both FBLA projects have been approved by principals at district elementary schools and will begin sometime before February, 2014.  Exact dates are still to be determined.

Change order defined
But then it was time to get down to business.  Earlier, at the Nov. 11 BOE meeting, a list of change orders was presented for the board’s approval.  All but one change was approved.  At issue was change order 14, which addressed an increase due to roof edge flashing detail.  Board members questioned who was responsible for a design error that resulted in a height difference where an existing wall abuts a wall of the newly constructed gymnasium.  The height difference did not cause any structural problems, but did require additional roof edge flashing to camouflage the difference.
Don Pruitt, HTK architect, discussed why the change order was needed, and reminded the board that a percentage of the project cost had already been worked into the budget to cover the cost of errors and omissions and unforeseen circumstances.  It was his position that the flashing issue fell into that category.  He also stated that while five percent was the figure budgeted for,  change orders not requested by the district had only amounted to .77 percent.
Board Member Larry Kutina asked additional questions, including if the roof would be more prone to leaking because of the change.
“Just the opposite,” Pruitt said.  He explained how having the roofing membrane rolled over the top of the adjoining edge actually made it less susceptible to future leaking than it would be had the original plan been followed.  “Originally, the membrane was to end flush with the wall, which would have required a caulking edge to be maintained, something that’s rarely kept up on.  This solution eliminates that need.”
The change order was approved unanimously.

GBHS improvements
Friess presented a brief overview of improvements being made at the school.  The number of students being sent to the office since the implementation of the seven hour day has gone down, he reported, likely because there is less downtime in the classes now for disruptions to occur.  The late starts on Wednesday are having their desired effect, with faculty coming together to collaborate on ways to implement new Common Core and College and Career Readiness standards.
The Board will meet again at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, as part of a full day of activity with members of the Kansas State Board of Education.  Gary Sechrist and Max Heim, representatives from KSBE, will visit USD 428 to conduct informational sessions with staff, faculty, patrons and board members and gather insight into what qualities the district hopes to find in a new superintendent.  Dr. Tom Vernon announced his retirement earlier this year, effective at the end of the current school year.