Sports and health were the focal points at Monday night’s USD 257 board of education meeting. FOOD service director Colleen Riebel presented changes to the meals this year and the feedback she and the rest of her staff has witnessed. JEFFERSON Elementary Principal Brad Crusinbery gave the board a brief on the Dec. 4 winter music program. THE BOARD approved a new policy of paying for TB skin tests for USD 257 employees.
Terry Lower, middle school athletic director, gave a rundown of the fall and upcoming winter sports, along with his thoughts on the possibility of joining the Pioneer League.
Middle school win-loss records since 2005 have been good overall, with girls sports needing a little improvement.
Wrestling is drawing to an end, with only a handful of meets to go.
Iola Middle School is currently with the Southeast Kansas (SEK) League. The Pioneer League has approached IMS to join its league. Lower and IMS principal Jack Stanley have met with league members twice.
Some of the differences between the leagues are, games start at 4 versus 3:30 p.m., Pioneer League has wrestling but not golf, the league includes music competitions, and admission prices are a dollar higher.
The cost to join the league is $1,000 and the middle school gets officials.
An advantage to the Pioneer League, Lower said, is the schedules are already set and they play the scheduled teams each time.
According to Lower disadvantages are for volleyball they require two nets on the court, so two games could be played simultaneously.
“We don’t have a way to get two nets so we would have to confer with the high school or go to the park,” Lower said.
They would play Santa Fe Trail, which would be a longer commute. Varsity and B teams are played at different sites.
“With the present coaching staff, I would stay where we are,” Lower said.
“We are competing with bigger schools but we are winning and we are competing,” Stanley added. “We won’t get better by playing down. Not that Pioneer League is down, it’s just smaller schools.”
With the exception of the volleyball coach Terri Carlin, administrators Lower and Stanley and the coaches are all in favor of staying in the SEK league.
New state-mandated regulations have changed the required foods students are offered.
One of the new regulations is that dark green vegetable be available. Monday spinach was offered and “we threw away 90 percent of it,” Riebel said.
Students are required to choose three out of the five food choices, meat (or meat alternative), grain, fruit, vegetables and milk.
The food staff believes more carbs should be offered, especially during football season, Riebel said.
“We have a lid on calories (allotted) this year, whereas before we didn’t,” Riebel said.
“If you have complaints that kids are hungry, they probably are,” Riebel said.
The grab and go breakfasts newly offered to the students this year have been popular. Students can use their meal tickets at the the snack bar and, according to Riebel, the banana nut bread and s’mores Pop Tarts are the most popular items.
Last year, the Monday after Thanksgiving about 30 students ate the school breakfast. This year, Monday morning, only 22 students ate the school breakfast, but 138 ate from the snack bar.
Because Jefferson is the largest elementary school it is also the school that has the most problems fitting all family and friends into the Bowlus Fine Arts Center for the program.
This year they are limiting families to three tickets per household, not including the Jefferson Elementary student.
Letters went out with students Monday informing parents of the ticket setup.
Another letter will be sent out Thursday including the three tickets. Everyone must have a ticket to watch the show.
There will be a 1 p.m. dress rehearsal that requires no ticket, that Crusinbery is recommending family members and friends to attend if they cannot make the evening show.
“We have to keep to Kansas fire laws and we want everyone safe,” Crusinbery said.
All elementary schools will be requiring tickets this year for their performances.
Any new USD 257 employee, hired after Dec. 1, may be reimbursed the cost of their required TB skin test from a district recommended medical facility, if the employee submits the receipt to the district office no later than one month from the date of the starting employment date.
IMS teams to stay with SEK League
