Other items of discussion and actions taken at the Hoisington USD 431 board of education meeting on Oct. 2 included:
• A proposal for property insurance from Conrade Insurance Group for $105,030 was approved.
• A request from the Catholic Youth Conference for students to have excused absences from school during the conference, provided class work is completed before attending, was unanimously approved. • The district entered into an agreement with Bruce Cooper for the 2018 Summer Driver’s Education Program.
• The district accepted a donation of a tennis ball machine from the Logan Trust.
• The Roosevelt and Lincoln elementary school playgrounds will now be open after school on Monday - Friday until 6 p.m.
• Final expenses of the Lincoln Construction project were reviewed.
• Board members were reminded the Kansas Association of School Boards will take place Dec. 1-3 in Wichita.
• Alan Charles, Pat Reinhardt and Matt Schultz, reported on events and activities at their respective buildings.
BOE President Dean Stoskopf reminded board members that elections will be held in November, with new members taking office in January.
HOISINGTON — The Hoisington USD 431 board of education met Monday, Oct. 2 at the District Office. The board reviewed a district policy on fundraising which was approved in 2015, and approved extending the reach of the policy to the middle school classes.
USD 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry gave a legislative report concerning the recent Kansas Supreme Court ruling on school funding. The court ruled for the fifth time that the new school finance law continues to violate the adequacy and equity requirements of the state constitution, despite advances toward the goal of equity by the newly elected Legislature.
Lowry also reported the district enrollment headcount will be similar to last year, but the funding formula counts should be higher. He also offered an overview of the new Kansas Educations Systems Accreditation plan and the Kansas Vision for Education.
BOE President Dean Stoskopf reported on his recent attendance at the Kansas Association of School Boards regional meeting in Pratt, which he attended with Lowry. He is pleased the district provides a progressive preschool program, which puts it ahead of other districts in the area of Kindergarten readiness.
Executive session
The board entered into executive session in order to discuss supplemental and certified personnel position, pursuant to the non-elected personnel exception under the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Lowry was present. The executive session ended and the board returned to regular session at 8:55 p.m. The board then approved the following supplemental contracts:
Chris Kinman as Middle School Boys Basketball Assistant Coach for the 2017-2018 school year; Breanna Burns as Middle School Head Girls Basketball Coach for the 2017-2018 school year; and Blakelee Cooper as Middle School Girls Basketball Assistant Coach for the 2017-2018 school year. Also approved was the extension of a contract to Katelyn Kaiser as Middle School counselor for the remainder of the 2017-2018 school year.
The meeting was then adjourned.
