School board discusses football field, basketball schedules
Staff reporter
USD 410 board met in regular session Monday and discussed Reimer Field and middle school basketball schedules.
Kirby Fadenrecht, Tabor College vice president for business and finance, had requested that the district consider a joint effort to pave the parking lot at Reimer Field.
The college has three parking areas in need of improvement: the lot south of the library, the lot north of the tennis courts, and the lot used for Reimer Field.
Adequate funding is available for the college to do the lots at the library and tennis courts, but not to complete Reimer Field. The estimated cost is between $60,000 and $70,000 for a two-inch overlay. The college asked the school district to consider paying one-half of the costs for the parking lot.
Gordon Mohn, superintendent, presented information to the board regarding the district's most urgent need
The lighting at Reimer Field needs to be improved, followed by improvements to the track, the seating area, and a press box. Improving the parking lot is not the highest priority, said Mohn.
Board members agreed and took no action regarding the request.
Max Heinrichs, activities director, reported to the board, through Mohn's board agenda, that the Mid-Central Activities Association middle school principals met last month and adopted a basketball schedule that kept the league in one division and requires a game with each league member.
Previous to this decision, the middle school principals adopted a resolution last April stating that the league would be divided into two divisions for basketball, football, and volleyball.
Under this arrangement, the longest trip for Hillsboro Middle School students would be 52 miles to Wichita Collegiate.
With the two-division format, schools within each division would play a double round-robin schedule.
Under the one-division format, HMS's longest trip would be 98 miles to Hoisington.
After learning of the change in plans, Mohn requested that the principals reconsider their action. On Jan. 7, a motion to create two middle school divisions failed with a 6-6 vote in the principal's council.
Heinrichs and HMS principal Corey Burton informed the council HMS would not honor the adopted schedule without approval from the school board.
Mohn is opposed to the one-division scheduled because it would require the players to leave Hillsboro by 1:45 for a 4:30 game at Hoisington. Players would not return until after 10 p.m.
Board member Rod Koons agreed with Mohn.
"I think it's ridiculous for middle school students to travel that far on a school night," said Koons.
One option that was proposed, said Mohn, is for Hillsboro and Hoisington to play on a Friday night, before the high school basketball season begins.
Heinrichs told the board that he would like to see HMS try the new schedule with the Friday night game at Hoisington. Koons agreed that it was worth a try.
The consensus of the board was to follow the one-division schedule and play Hoisington on Nov. 19, which is the Friday before the high school basketball season begins.
The following action items were approved by the board:
— Extension of superintendent Gordon Mohn's contract for a three-year period.
— Remove the assistant baseball coaching position from Dustin McEwen's supplemental contract and add head baseball coach and winter weight room supervisor positions to his contract.
— Remove the winter weight room supervisor position from Matt Carroll's supplemental contract.
— Approved use of the district's 1994 Ford Crown Victoria by Marion County Parents as Teachers parent educators. PAT will pay for gasoline costs and the district will pay insurance and routine maintenance.
— Accept two cash gifts from Robert Sextro in the amounts of $500 and $3,000.
The funds are designated for Hillsboro High School Concert Choir trip to Cavalcade of Music, $250; HHS athletic department, $250; Carrie Sextro Math Scholarship fund, $2,500; and enhancement of classroom instruction at HHS, $500.
— Pay $10 per hour for in-school suspension supervisors.
— Requirement of two signatures on all checks issued from the district and building level petty cash and activity accounts.
Two consecutive executive sessions were taken to discuss teacher evaluations and superintendent's evaluations. No decisions were made when regular session reconvened.
Board members toured three places in the high school facility identified as being the highest priorities for remodeling. Those areas were the classrooms above the HHS auditorium, the biological science classroom, and the boys' dressing rooms.
The next board meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9
