LARNED — The Fort Larned USD 495 school board met March 14 in regular session. The following are approved minutes submitted by Joyce Simpson, the board clerk.
Jay Haremza, president, called the regular meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Board members Marda Giessel, Jay Haremza, Brenda Hagerman, Sharon Arnold, Cory Stelter, June Barger, Sharon Lessard were present. Also attending were Jon Flint, superintendent; Boruue Carlson, treasurer; Joyce Simpson Clerk. Board attorney Phil Martin was missing.
Technology
Stan Higgins reported that state testing is going smoothly. He inquired if the board wanted an addendum to the board packet on changes or submittal of full packet with corrections. The consensus was to send only an addendum.
Curriculum
Jennifer Anderson reported that there were good preliminary results and handed out a sheet with the rough estimates of the students that have taken the test. Anderson reported that the number of students in the exemplary is pretty phenomenal and noted that the auditor was impressed with the students being excited, using the computers properly, and not playing around. High marks for Lea Harding and the staff.
Anderson reported that the auditor will return at the high school. The February Early Out was focused on the building level. On the March 16 Early Out there will be some presenters from ESSDACK, Casey Cloninger will be presenting on Math, Troy Langdon will be presenting on Career Pathways, and Rusty Wrinkle and Rick Blosser will be presenting to the classified staff on student management. Anderson also reported that with the budget cuts the district was not planning on summer school.
Maintenance
Daryl Gobin reported that they are getting ready for the mowing season. He will get Pro-Green over to work on the crabgrass at the football field since there will be no reseeding until closer to fall. A board member suggested Gobin should contact Rodney Wallace, Pawnee County Extension Agent, to make sure we are getting the right products put on the grass. Gobin said things are starting to get busy.
Transportation
Richard Fairchild reported that he had checked on some pricing for the defibrillators. The low end of those places checked through Mr. Stude at the State Hospital was $1,350 with the high end at $2,200. A board member informed Fairchild he might check with the hospital or EMS for some other connections to companies. Fairchild said he is waiting for level of the fuel to get low enough to be able to accept a full load of fuel and the prices keep going up. Fairchild told the board that it will cost approximately $25,000. Fairchild attended a conference March 10 in Salina regarding the CDL licensing. There were answers and opinions as to whether the public school drivers were exempt from CDL licensing. Fairchild will need to educate the drivers on their needs and what boxes to check when applying.
Principals
LMS Principal Derek Reinhardt passed out the Reading Assessment figures and noted that the scores have been positive. Math Assessments will begin tomorrow for the 7th and 8th grades and the 5th and 6th grades will have the Math Assessments after spring break. Reinhardt reported on the Middle School Plan of Improvement as he had received some training this year as to what needed to be done. Work on the Plan began in February and if the Board has no objections, he will e-mail the final copy to the State. If the Middle School does not meet AYP the State will look at the Plan and make any corrections needed. Reinhardt reported that TRIBE is moving in the right direction. There were 151 reports involving 118 students. Reinhardt said that this program is improving the environment of the building.
Preparations have started for Museum Night which will be held on May 16th and Track practice starts after Spring Break.
Phinney-Northside Principal Lea Harding told the board that State Assessments went very well at Northside. Lea introduced Alicia Moeder, one of the Northside students who had done very well on the Assessments. Harding discussed the parent letter regarding requests with the Board noting that the requests make scheduling very hard. Hearing no objections regarding the letter from the Board, Harding will send the letter out in the student report cards. Harding said that the PTO Carnival held from April 29th to May 6th is looking for volunteers to work at some of the booths. Harding reported that she would like to do the Race for Education for technology. She would like to get more i-Pods in the hands of students and would also like to get some document cameras.
Westside Principal Casey Cloninger said student numbers are up. There is a lot of gang activity out of Wichita. Westside is currently set up for 114 students and are at 109 with five more coming in this week. Westside has good news on assessments with about 70 percent passing. So far, no further cuts to Westside. Cloninger reported that special education numbers were down. Cloninger said Curtis Whitten came in as the new commissioner.
LHS Principal Troy Langdon told the board that spring sports practices started. substate was a big success and they have heard a lot of compliments.
The cheerleaders started practice and the band will travel to Hutchinson. State testing begins on the 29th and the auditor will be there. Langdon reported that two students will be going to Topeka to page for Senator Allen Schmidt. The high school had a successful tornado drill. Langdon said that the Career Clusters and Pathways are completed and sent. Five minutes will be added to the day for next year.
Superintendent, Jon Flint reported that the schools should meet the requirement of 1116 hours per year student time. The middle school and elementary schools had five days over the minimum and the high school had three days. By adding the five minutes this will pick up days over the period of a year. Flint said that the board might want to adjust the snow days per year to three days instead of five days. Flint said he is very concerned with the direction Topeka is going with education. This is by far the worst working relationship between the districts and the state legislatures.
As noted from a KSDE representative, the credibility at the state level is nil. Flint said that in the middle of the whole mix is “suitable education” which will dictate the amount of money the state will send. There would be additional tax on the taxpayers for activity funding. Flint that we need to be vocal in the community.
There are possible adjustments on KPERS, Social Security, as well as a possible reduction of benefits. Educational staff is under a lot of pressure. Flint said it seems like education can’t get a break. He also felt that the two students going to page for Senator Schmidt was a good idea. Flint feels we have no voice in Topeka.
Reduction in Force
Jay Haremza moved that the Board has determined that a necessary reduction of professional staff will not be accomplished through normal attrition and the Superintendent is directed to implement the Reduction in Force procedure as stated in the 2010-2011 negotiated agreement.
A resolution was passed for non-rewenal of a non-tenured teacher, Charisse A. Hostetler, currently employed by Fort Larned for the 2011-2012 school year, with written notice to be delivered to Hostetler on or before May 1, 2011.
Nominations
The board approved the following nominations for the 2010-2011 school year — Craig Morford and Daimon Otten, District Wide Maintenance/SS; Larry Nething, Head Custodian/LMS; Diane Seltman and ReBecca Myers, Substitute ParaiTRI/Offerle; Jill Hutchins, Substitute ParaiTRI/ECHC.
Seperations
The board approved the following separations for the 2010-2011 school year — Terry Huff, Teacher/TRI/Kinsley; Mary Shelton, Para/TRI/ECHC; Betty Stegman, Para/TRI/Offerle; Luis Loya, Asst. Custodian, LMS; Jennifer Keith, assistant track coach LMS.
Approval passed for the following transfer for the 2010-2011 school year — Mary Linder, Para/TRI/.25 FTE/ ECHS .75 FTE from para/TRI/LHS.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 p.m.