By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

A new 71-passenger school bus was approved for purchase at Monday’s Centre board meeting.

The bus, which cost $96,440, will be the district’s first to be equipped with air-conditioning.

Some board members questioned the need for air-conditioning that will be only used a few months of the school year, but they conceded that the change needed to be made.

“We’ve got to start somewhere,” board president Mark Heiser said.

Superintendent Susan Beeson’s husband is a bus driver. She said he told her when windows are open, the dust from country roads becomes almost unbearable.

“I’m surprised I haven’t heard complaints from students or parents,” she said.

The money for the new bus will come from a capital outlay.

The board approved the purchase of 30 Chromebooks plus covers for fifth- and sixth-grade students for $9,344. The money will come from the federal REAP fund.

The board approved a three-year subscription to a digital science curriculum for kindergarten through sixth-grade students for $10,073.

An asphalt overlay of the parking lot this summer was approved at a cost of $13,368. A new floor machine was purchased for $5,600 from Williams Janitorial in El Dorado. In addition to cleaning floors, the machine is used to strip gymnasium floors for refinishing every year.

The board approved a request from teacher Janis Peterson to take leave as sick leave.

The board accepted a $750 donation from Holy Family Parish for student needs.

Lists of certified personnel, aid staff, and supplemental assignments for the 2019-2020 school year were accepted. Max Venable was approved as a Kansas Online Learning Program counselor.

KOLP coordinator Vickie Jirak reported that 52 students are on track to graduate this spring.

The board accepted the resignation of Heather and Sheldon Patton, effective at the end of the school year.