The transition to attendance centers is almost a month ahead of schedule, Scott Stanley told USD 257 Board of Education members Monday night. IN OTHER news:
Stanley, director of maintenance and operations, said he had planned on having every classroom moved by July 1.
“Every classroom is now physically moved and they are now ready for the next step,” Stanley said.
The next step is for the technology department to set up each room with its SmartBoards, computers and projectors.
Brett Linn, technology director, presented quotes for teacher laptops and student computers. These quotes were part of the five-year technology plan. The board approved 62 Lenovo E550 laptops for teachers at $35,340, 68 Lenovo N21 4GB Chromebooks for students at $12,036 and 48 student Chromebox computers for $7,662.24. Chrome management for the computers is required. The approval of the computers comes to $57,924.
Angie Linn, curriculum director, presented the new language arts curriculum. Linn, along with a group of teachers, researched various brands of textbook companies to find the right fit for their classrooms.
“Teachers used a rubric to grade the materials,” Linn said. “They also reviewed the textbooks by taking them home and going through them.”
Elementary teachers preferred the McGraw Hill edition and secondary teachers preferred Houghton Mifflin. The board approved the purchase of textbooks for pre-school to 12th grade for $157,185.71.
Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn addressed the board members about an advertisement the Kansas Policy Institute is running in newspapers, including The Iola Register.
“The numbers are right in the ad but they don’t tell the whole story,” Koehn said.
Koehn said KPI is making public schools look like the enemy.
“Kansas Policy Institute now wants to claim the additional equalization aid as increased school funding,” Koehn said. “Our budgets did not increase because of the court case (Gannon vs. the State of Kansas).”
In Gannon vs. the State of Kansas the Legislature was ordered to follow their own law and fully fund the equalization aid to poorer school districts. Before this case schools were receiving only 72 percent of aid.
Over the next two years USD 257 will lose $42,430 in school funding due to the block grant bill.
“They also want you to think increased state aid and increased local taxes are linked,” he said. “Local tax contributions have decreased in both general fund and supplemental general fund over the last three years as state aid has increased.”
Koehn is hoping to form a rebuttal to the ad with other Kansas superintendents.
The USD 257 food service program received a $2,000 grant from Seed Allen County Fund to expand the Summer Meal Program.
The board accepted the resignations of Jason Marciano, Lincoln Elementary School principal, Greta Adams, as vocal music and strings instructor for the high school and middle school, and Carol Larson as a high school guidance counselor.
Gina Storrer was hired as an elementary school teacher and Jeremy Meyer was hired as a technology assistant.
Staff hired for summer school during the month of June were: Melissa Stiffler, Travis Hermstein, Amanda Thompson, Virginia Crane, Regina Young, Pam Riebel, Susan Walters, Brad Crusinbery, Linda Johnson, Briana Curry, Angie Linn, Nancy Cokely, Laura Caillouet-Weiner, Aubrey Creitz, Katie Ellis, Jackie McIntyre and Tammy Prather.
For 2016 spring sports Doug Kerr was hired as golf coach, Dana Daugharthy will be girls and boys track head coach, Don Berg, boys tennis, Mark Percy, baseball. The board is accepting applications for the softball coaching position.
Middle school spring coaching hires are Terry Lower for boys track and Lori Oestreischer.
USD 257 expands curriculum, tech
