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The USD 214 Board of Trustees heard an update on a potential Adult Changing Station/Breast Feeding Station at Ulysses High School during its July 14 board meeting at Joyce School.
Nancy Borthwick made a presentation to the Trustees May 12, proposing an adult changing station, or dignity room, in the restrooms at Ulysses High School gym. Borthwick has a 17-year-old nephew who was born with Polymicrogyria (PMG), which is a developmental brain malformation characterized by an excessive number of small, abnormal gyri (surface folds) in the cerebral cortex.
Between the May 12 presentation and the end of June, Borthwick toured the gym area with former superintendent Corey Burton, and discussed ideas for where a dignity room/breast feeding station would fit at the school.
“One was officer Cavasos’s office, which is a nice size, there’s a sewer running right under the flooring, so all you would need to do is tap into that to put maybe a toilet and handwashing station,” Borthwick said.
Borthwick met with the Local Health Equity Action Team, and they voted to help the district to move the project forward. L-HEAT cannot spend money on construction, but it can pay for a changing table up to $4,999 on each project.
“Whatever we can do to help you move this project forward, we’re more than happy to help do that,” Borthwick said.
Another area where such a station could be placed is the locker room of the gym, but Borthwick said it’s a little small for the kind of table needed.
Trustee Stacey Gee said the locker room area could be redone to make more space.
“If we took a section of those lockers out and a section of cement bench,” Gee said. “We have got to have running water in this facility, in my opinion.”
Trustee Chad McCormick said the area of the building by the gym is great for public access, but would not service the students at all during the day.
“To be honest with you, for school kids to utilize that facility, they’re on their way to it for a reason, so another three-minute walk is not going to be an issue,” Gee said.
Trustee Diana Nuñez said the changing table is needed based on students who will soon move up to the high school who will need it.
“It’s a for-sure thing we do need this,” Nuñez said.
Borthwick agreed to provide specifications to building supervisor Andy Cole so he could take a look at how it could be done.
“We really need to get moving on that,” Gee said. “To me, the locker room is feasible.”
It also works because there is privacy on that side of the building, because all of the public restrooms are on the east side of the building.
“I think the ability to open up some space by removing some lockers is definitely logical, because there’s tons of lockers in there that don’t get used by shop kids,” said athletic director Travis McAtee.
Borthwick suggested installing a push button code for security and privacy reasons for anyone using the facility for a restroom or breastfeeding.
“So you can know who’s been in there and how they left it and then have a lock on the inside where they can go ahead and lock it while they’re in there conducting business,” Borthwick added. “It’s just a little safer, I think, for everybody.”
The item was just for discussion only and no action was taken.
In other business:
•Board approved resignation for: Celine Schwindt – Sullivan Para.
•Board approved contracts for: Jamie Torres – After School Coordinator; Mayra Pando – Sullivan Para; Breckyn Haar – Kepley Middle School 7th Grade Assistant Volleyball and Basketball coach; and Katie Curl - Sullivan Para.
•Board adopted the following policies:
•A 1,116-hour calendar for 2025-2026. The Board had already adopted the 2025-2026 school calendar but USD 214 elects to run based on hours. The Board needed to take official action in order to use the 1,116-hour calendar of instruction.
•Board of Education meeting dates, times, and place for Regular Board Meetings for the 2025-2026 school year:
August 11, 2025
September 8, 2025
October 13, 2025
November 10, 2025
December 8, 2025
January 12, 2026
February 9, 2026
March 9, 2026
April 13, 2026
May 11, 2026
June 8, 2026
July 13, 2026
All meetings will take place in the Joyce Elementary board room at 6 p.m.
•Approved participation in the USDA School Nutrition Program for the 2025-2026 school year, which is required to receive federal reimbursements.
•Gave permission to destroy records prior to 2019-2020 school year. The Board, by statute, must give the Board Clerk permission to destroy records eligible to be destroyed. Records are kept for five years before being destroyed.
•Adopted Annual Waiver of Requirements for Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP) for fiscal year 2024. The Board, by statute, must act on this waiver each year.
•Established mileage reimbursement rate for 2025-2026. The state mileage rate is 67 cents per mile.
•Established School breakfast and lunch prices for 2025-2026. Grades preK-5 is $2.45/3.15 per meal; Grades 6-8 $2.55/3.35 per meal; Grades 9-12: $2.55/3.40 per meal; USD 214 Staff $3.05/4.40 per meal, and Visitors $3.05/4.40 per meal.
•Established Student Fees for 2025-2026: Grades K-8 $30 Technology Fee; Grades 9-12 $30 Technology Fee, and Grades 9-12 $20 Classroom Resource Fee.
•Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kevin Warner Reported on the Multiplier Group 2.0 Biography Driven Instruction and Culture Responsive Instruction. Warner said Multiplier Group 2.0 (eight teachers) has completed two of seven trainings with Maria Ortiz-Smith, focusing on Biography-Driven Instruction (BDI) and Culture-Responsive Instruction. During the school year, they have three trainings and will also take a tour to Dodge City in October to see how the implementation of the instruction impacts student achievement.
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