Monday night, the USD 428 Board of Education was visited by several Great Bend High School students, some who were to be recognized by their coaches for their above-board efforts in fall sports, others who were there to thank the board for their support and to propose ways to increase contributions to the food bank.
Great Bend High School Activities Director David Meter introduced coaches who in turn introduced team members who had achieved the status of all-conference athletes.   Each team is a little bit different, he explained.  With soccer, football and volleyball, coaches pick the All-Conference athletes.  In golf, there are five tournaments and All-Conference is determined by a points system.  With tennis and cross country, a conference meet determines All-Conference.  (See related story and online videos.)   Students were excused to attend the fall sports banquet at the Great Bend Convention Center.  
“They are very good athletes, but more importantly they are very good role models in our school and very good students also,” Meter said.   “Congratulations to our students and our coaches.”
Kays and Kayettes representatives Cole Mulch and Natasha Bieker then addressed the board.
“Thank you for sending us to the annual conference in Clearwater,” Mulch said.  “We’re pretty proud of the award.”
Both clubs achieved the Gold award for service projects they had organized.  The board approved the use of buses and funds to attend.

Seniors ask for food drive incentives
Great Bend Student Council President Alex Morgan and Grant Harris, a senior, both active in the National Honor Society, proposed bringing back incentives for the upcoming NHS canned food drive.    
Prior to two years ago, students competed for a half day off of school as an incentive for the food drive.  Then, the administration removed the incentive.
“The reason that was given was that we should do good and be generous because we were genuine, and not just for the incentive,” Harris said.  “Since then, we’ve continued to have the food drive, and last year we collected over 4,000 items and collected $800 for the local food bank.”
Morgan suggested allowing students to have the morning off on the next scheduled half day for parent teacher conferences.  This would in effect give students a whole day off.  Another suggestion Harris suggested was to allow students to have open campus lunch for a week.  He suggested also that it could be either for the entire student body, or the class that collects the most, at the Board’s discretion.  
For this, Morgan and Harris believed the student body could collect at least 8,000 or more items and surpass their previous financial contribution.  They believe it is possible because in years past when an incentive was offered, the student body collected over 11,000 items with a goal of collecting 8,000.  They added that their sponsor, Mrs. Scott, supported their proposal.  Mauler and the board said they would consider their proposal.  

Teachers request waivers
During the comments period,  Mrs. Lisa Essmiller, ESL Teacher at Riley Elementary School, and Mrs. Amanda Wyatt, fifth grade teacher at Park Elementary School, approached the board requesting waivers for early termination of their contracts with the district.  Both are leaving early because their spouses had changes in employment that were taking the families out of the area.  Mauler thanked them for their communication and said they would take their situations into consideration.  Following these two requests, the board entered into Executive session at 7:20 p.m. for board and superintendent for 2o minutes, which was then extended an additional 15 minutes. No action was taken.

New middle school league agreement
Superintendent Brad Reed reported to the board that the new middle school league mentioned at the October noon meeting was a go.  Since June, the new middle school athletic director, Mr. Ellegood, had been hard at work negotiating agreements, and an agreement has finally been reached and the schools are in the process of writing the by-laws and schedules for next year.  
The five districts that take part in the high school Western Athletics Conference will now be extended to include the middle schools, effectively creating the middle school WAC.  There will be eight schools in the league.
“This will be a big benefit for our middle school kids,” Reed said.  “There will be some traveling involved, but the benefits will outweigh the negatives.”     
Reed also recommended the board approve two donations from school related organizations.  One, from the Lincoln Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, of $140 to purchase two new microwaves to be used by students in the lunchroom to heat up lunches brought from home.  The other, from the Great Bend High School Panthers Booster Club, of $10,000 for a new sound system, electronic batting cages, and an electronic sign for the school.  The board approved the donations.  
With the annual teacher negotiations only a few months away, Tuesday, Reed and others on the negotiation team will attend a workshop in Topeka.   
In a continuing effort to enhance communication between the district and the community, Reed has made himself available to speak at service clubs.  He was an Optimist Club speaker on Monday, Where he provided a vision for the where the district is now and where it is headed.  He fielded several questions and received positive feedback about the district from the members, he said.
Rounding out his report, Reed said he had talked with John Heim with KASB about suggested funding changes, informing him of the Board’s disagreement.  Heim was feeling the displeasure by many people across the state, he said.  As a result, KASB reversed their decision, so it likely won’t be brought up at the convention in December.  

Mill levy question resolved.  
Assistant Superintendent Khris Thexton briefly revisited the information he provided the board in September with regards to the benefit to the district of approving the maximum allowable mill levy for the district.  With no protests registered during the 40-day public comment period, the Board approved the district’s Capital Outlay Resolution which authorized a continuous and permanent annual tax levy not to exceed 8.0 mills.  Currently, the district levies 4.0 mills. In response to a question by board member Doug Bender, Thexton clarified that the approval did not mean the district would raise the mill levy to the maximum.
“This simply allows the district to raise the levy in the future should the need arise,” he said.

Other actions and discussions included:
•    Approved the Title VI B and Early Childhood flow-through budget application.  The budget covers salaries for school psychologists, ECH staff, speech therapists, and other certified staff.  The Title VI B application is for $945,656; the ECH is for $39,254.  
•    Approved the appointment of Mrs. Sandy Smith to the Great Bend Recreation Commission board as the Board of Education representative.  The Great Bend Recreation Center Board includes two seats that are to be picked by USD 428.  
•    Approved the retirement of Mrs. Ronda Hixon, fourth grade teacher at Riley Elementary School, effective in February, 2015.
•    Approved the resignations of Mrs. Lisa Essmiller, ESL Teacher at Riley Elementary School, effective in January, 2015, and Mrs. Amanda Wyatt, fifth grade teacher at Park Elementary School, effective Dec. 20, 2014.  Check the video of this
•    Discussed a recent state-wide technical experiment to test bandwidth on the internet based assessment site.  District schools were able to provide the state’s technical support team feedback on the issues the district experienced during the experiment.
•    Assistant Superintendent John Popp reported on the completion of the Danielson Instructional Model course by 21 district teachers, completion of the second round of MTSS training and implementation, and went over the minutes of the Curriculum Steering Committee.
•    Thexton said R&R roofing will do approximately $15,000 worth of repairs to the high school roof.  This is necessary for insurance purposes.  There are a few leaks that need repair.
•    Board President Kevin Mauler asked someone from the board to consider taking over his position on the Foundation board, as his term is now up in December.
•    Reed requested the board revisit the question of whether to allow board members to keep or purchase their assigned iPads for a reduced cost which was brought up at the October noon meeting.  Board member Joyce Carter suggested it be studied further so a viable option could be produced.  The board agreed to table the motion until further information could be obtained.  
•    Popp reported on the district’s curriculum day which was held Oct. 27.  The information was well received, he said, and several presenters received positive feedback.
•    Thexton reported he  recently reviewed the district’s disaster procedures for accuracy and updated the manual to include up-to-date wording for procedures for student runaways and child abuse to weather related disasters.  Students regularly do fire, tornado and intrusion drills on a regular basis.  Thexton also plans to travel with the district’s principals to an upcoming presentation by speaker Brad Spicer, CEO of SafePlans on the subject of “Intruderology,” which will be in Sublette later in November.  
•    The education foundation dinner will be at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 25 at the Great Bend Convention Center.  Proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction will benefit the foundation’s mini-grant program for teachers.
 
The Board will meet again at noon on Nov. 30 at Great Bend Middle School, and at 5 p.m. Dec. 8 at the District Offices.