School Board Approves New ELA Curriculum

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The USD 214 school board met on Monday, April 11, 2022. All seven board members were present. The consent agenda was approved unanimously. There was no public forum at this board meeting.

The FFA President Blake Harrold and Jayden Heaton asked the school board to provide a van and fuel for an out of state, fun weekend trip to Colorado Springs. The trip will take place June 10-12. There will be nine students going and one advisor. This trip was unanimously approved.

The Ulysses High School Odyssey of the Mind also addressed the school board to go to the National competition after getting first at state. The national competition will be held in Ames, Iowa May 28. They requested a school van, fuel, and $1,500 for transportation May 24- May 29. There will be seven team members and one coach going. The board moved and passed the request, 7-0.

State assessments have begun. Ulysses High school has finished math & ELA but need to finish science. Kepley Middle school has finished ELA and will finish math later this week. Science will be next to be finished. The state assessments will be be completed in the district at the end of April.

Kevin Warner stated that the school has been recruiting new hires and providing them with a new Ulysses Tiger t-shirt before they arrive in August. Warner gave a shoutout to the elementary schools for using Data Walls at Hickok and Sullivan. The Data Walls provide the teachers with the information to stay informed if students are on the correct course of learning.

Dave Younger, Superintendent, gave the report that the legislators are on break. The parents bill of rights was passed, however the governor is expected to veto the bill.  The Open enrollment proposal is still undecided. This proposal states that if a school has room they have to take students from any other community, taking away the decision and authority from the local school boards. The legislators are due back April 25. There is not an education budget as of yet. Younger gave a shoutout to coach Rietchek for his power lifting club. Four kids started and now there are over twenty kids involved.

Board President, Clay Scott stated that there was 12 applicants and three interviews for the Superintendent position. There are 60 school superintendent positions open in the state of Kansas. Scott thanked the staff and board for all their hard work in the hiring of a new Superintendent and feels good about where the district is heading with Corey Burton.

For new business, Younger shared that the Opaa! contract is a five year contract. A four to six percent increase in food cost is expected. There will be more discussion and approval  in the May meeting.

Warner shared that school handbooks are available for the 2022-2023 school year for the board to review. The board will approve the changes and handbooks at the May board meeting.

Marcia Raines, Hickok Elementary Principal and Warner addressed the school board about the ELA textbook adoption at Hickok School. This adoption is a six year contract with a one time cost of $157,000. Raines requested the board approve the adoption earlier than May so that the material can be ordered and given to teachers at the end of this year so they may look over the material in the summer, if they wish. The program provides coaching sessions with live trainers and offers different individual study options for students.  Raines shared that this curriculum rose to the top time and time again for the school. Raines stated that she did a poll and had a 95 percent participate rate with 100 percent of teachers buying into the new curriculum. Raines stated that she is in her fourth year as an administrator and feels confident leading her school into the new transition. The board unanimously approved the purchase of the new ELA curriculum for Hickok Elementary.

In old business, Younger shared that the concrete slab was poured for the high school field house. There have been some change orders. There has been a $14,000 change order for the relocation of the scoreboard, $3,500 for an addition of locker doors, $4,500 for sheetrock, $5,700 for rerouted water lines and $1,500 for plumbing for a whirlpool tub in the new training room. The contractors still can not find the waterline north of the old concession so they will be capping the water line to prevent future flooding in the remodeled locker rooms. The total change orders are a little under $33,000.

Younger also requested the board sell district excessive equipment and material. Included in this is a 2005 bus, chainlink fence and posts, Amana furnaces that work from the old field house, and the older convection ovens from the kitchens that were replaced with new ones. These will be sold on Purple Wave auction. The board approved the selling of excess equipment and for Younger to have a summer garage sale at the school warehouse, 7-0. Board members discussed a conflict with the normal school board meeting in May and moved the meeting to Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00pm at Kepley Middle School.

The board of education accepted the resignation of Tim Hofferber from his coaching positions (Girls Basketball and Tennis) and Michael Ask at UHS. The board extended the contract of Travis McAtee, Athletic Director at UHS. The board approved the contracts for Melinda LeVene; Reile Meile, elementary; Joan Diet, elementary; and Everett Metcalf, Kepley Middle School.

The board of education and the Grant county teachers association will meet April 27 for the first negotiations session.

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