By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Enrollment in USD 410 has fallen by 28 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, Superintendent Steve Noble told the Board of Education Monday.

Only counting kindergarten through 11th grade — the grades where the same students are in school from a year ago — the district had a net loss of 19 students.

“That concerns me,” Noble said. “I don’t know why.”

He said he would meet with school principals Tuesday to discuss why there was the loss of students.

Only two classes gained students. The class that went from 3rd to 4th grade gained one student, and the class that went from 7th to 8th grade gained two.

The new high school junior class lost the most students, seven.

District outperforms state on ACT scores

Hillsboro High School students scored, on average, 2.2 points higher than students across the state on the ACT test in 2010. Forty-one students, mostly juniors and seniors, took the standardized test and earned an average score of 24.2. The state average was 22.0.

District students also outperformed the state average in all four individual testing areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.

Additionally, test results showed a higher percentage of HHS students were ready for college courses than the state average:

• 88 percent were prepared for college English composition, compared to 74 percent statewide.
• 73 percent were prepared for college algebra, compared to 51 percent statewide.
• 73 percent were prepared for college social sciences, compared to 60 percent statewide.
• 56 percent were prepared for college biology, compared to 34 percent statewide.
• 49 percent were prepared for all four subjects, compared to 28 percent statewide.

Out-of-state trips approved

Out-of-state trips for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, FFA, and Technology Student Association were approved, but no district funds will go toward the trips.

FCCLA will compete in family and consumer sciences quiz bowl at a national cluster meeting Nov. 5 through 7 in St. Louis, Mo.

FFA will attend the organization’s national convention in late October in Indianapolis, Ind. Darren Mueller will compete in dairy cattle showing. FFA was fortunate to receive a $2,500 gift from Monsanto because a chapter supporter won a contest.

TSA will compete at the organization’s national convention June 21 through 25 in Dallas, Texas.

Board member Rod Koons urged other board members to consider what would happen if a student qualified to go on an out-of-state trip but was unable. TSA sponsor Creigh Bell said that happened even when the district provided some funding for such trips.

In other business:

• The district will advertise for a construction manager for a renovation of the future district office at the current Midway Motors building.
• High school Principal Max Heinrichs and elementary school counselor Mike Moran will attend a national anti-bullying conference Nov. 15 in Seattle. The conference will be paid for with Title IV money that carried over from 2009-10. Noble said the conference is the best in the country regarding cyberbullying.
• Ronda Suderman King resigned as a Parents As Teachers parent educator to take a job providing hospice care.
• Lynn Just, Shirley Baltzer, and Sean Boller received contracts to provide supplemental vocal and instrumental music programs.
• Just also received a contract for two extra zero-hour classes per week because of additional instrumental music responsibilities. That contract will end when a new instrumental music teacher is hired, Noble said.
• Tammy Ollenberger’s contract was extended by 30 minutes a day to serve as a transportation aide at the elementary school.
• Special education teacher Anne Janzen was nominated to receive a Kansas Teacher of the Year Award.
• The district switched to mandatory direct deposit for payroll this month. The transition was smooth despite having 115 employees, business manager Jerry Hinerman said.
• Board member Joe Sechrist asked the number of sports uniforms the district’s $1,000 budget for uniform replacement would purchase. The line item was $12,000 two years ago, Noble said. The district isn’t planning to replace any uniforms until funding improves. Vehicle replacement may be the next budget item to be cut, Noble said.

The next regularly scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Oct. 11.