Staff writer
With school out for the summer, the USD 410 Board of Education began preparing for the 2014-15 year Monday.
Board members began the meeting with approval of a republished budget for the 2014 fiscal year. The rest of the meeting dealt with organizing staff, reviewing school codes, and improving district facilities.
The board discussed the high school building handbook and enrollment fees most at length.
Where the handbook once said all students are required to enroll in eight classes, now if they want to take classes part-time they must go through a written process that requires board approval.
“If the justification is right, we’ll consider it,” Superintendent Steve Noble said.
Board members voted 5-2 to accept the handbook changes, with members Chad Nowak and Kim Klein opposed.
Because the dress code in the handbook prohibits students from wearing yoga pants and leggings without proper coverage, Nowak questioned if that also went for athletes in volleyball, softball, and wrestling. A closer look at guidelines showed athletes could compete in what coaches deem permissible.
Noble said no enrollment fees would change, save for a stipulation regarding transcripts.
Students requesting transcripts after Aug. 1 following their graduation date will be required to pay $5. Members also discussed charging juniors and seniors $5 as part of enrollment fees instead of paying $500 annually for a service that prepares the documents for mailing.
“The loss of time matters for the secretaries,” Noble said.
The board agreed to speak again about the transcripts at a later date.
In other business:
- Pre-school tuition for full-price meal qualifiers will cost $150 per month and $75 per month for reduced-price qualifiers.
- Members approved a $1,000 payment to the Center for Innovative School Leadership for an efficiency review assessing the district’s strengths and weaknesses. The service conducts interviews, surveys, and site visits, and offers suggestions for improvement.
- Members approved a master contract, which increased the salary schedule base by $400 and maintained a health insurance premium of $1,000 for teaching staff. Also approved was a $400 increase for administrative contracts, such as business manager/board clerk, technology, and building principals. The superintendent’s salary will remain the same.
- Employees hired on or before Oct. 1 received a 1 percent wage increase.
- Parents as Teachers Coordinator Lori Soo Hoo received a $300 raise.
- Superintendent Steve Noble said the Safe Routes to School project is behind schedule and fall is the earliest improvements could be made. Noble said Safe Routes, a plan to improve and widen sidewalks on the high school and middle school campus for elementary school walkers and bike riders, was delayed by the application process with KDOT.
- The board’s next meeting July 14 was moved to July 8 at 7 p.m. because of conflicts in board members’ availability. A special meeting regarding financials will follow on July 10.
- TEEN representative Mark Rooker said the group has proposed to move the annual mash up to a biennial meeting.
- Members approved the resignations of Bob Woelk as spring drama coordinator, Brenda Kimberly as part-time elementary school aide, and Eileen Butler as part-time elementary school aide.
- The board approved a $28,000 contract for Rita Loewen as a part-time teacher and K-2 supplemental and supplemental contract. It also approved the supplemental contract of Susan Saunders as middle school assistant volleyball coach.
- Members approved work agreements for media coordinators Jeannie Harsin and Janet Whisenhunt at $12 per hour, a wage increase to $11.35 per hour for high school secretary Lisa Mayfield, an increase of two hours on cook Tricia Williamson’s work schedule, and Tammy Ollenburger as walking school bus coordinator.