Centre board purchases bus, athletic equipment
By ROWENA PLETT
Reporter / photographer
Centre USD Board of Education has authorized purchase of a new 53-passenger bus from Kansas Truck Co., Wichita. The low bid of $51,520 was accepted at the Feb. 10 meeting. After allowing a trade-in value of $2,625 on a 1991 bus, the final cost is $48,895. It will be paid from capital outlay funds.
Prior to the action, Steve Jirak questioned the proposal to trade in a 1995 GMC/Thomas mini-bus seating 19 passengers. It has mileage of 109,000.
The bus was used when kindergartners attended half-days and is no longer needed. Jirak suggested keeping the bus for the years when enrollment in kindergarten may be more than 21 students, requiring half-days again.
Clark Davis agreed the bus should be retained at least for another year. It was not traded.
Other bids received, with trade-in, were: Allied Bus Sales, Nixa, Mo., $50,606; Midwest Bus Sales, Bonner Springs, $52,081; and Williams Service, Florence, $50,865.
A total of $2,818.20 was approved for purchase of supplies and uniforms from Sports Connection and Varsity Sports — including game balls, practice pants, and football helmets.
In response to a survey being conducted by Kansas State High School Activities Association regarding eight-man football, the board authorized a vote to support an increase in the number of schools in a district to six or seven and to allow two schools per district to qualify for play-offs. The vote was recommended by high school athletic director Bud Peterson and principal Neal Weltha.
The board accepted the resignations of Jutta Darwin as Centre Elementary School assistant cook and Gail Burns as cheerleader sponsor.
Board members spent 30 minutes in executive session to evaluate the superintendent's performance. Supt. Demitry Evancho met with them briefly.
A half hour was spent in executive session with Evancho and Treasurer Peggy Falen to discuss matters related to certified staff negotiations.
In open session, the board voted to support two students' participation in the Lions State Band Camp, May 27-31, at Fort Hays State University. Tampa Lions Club and the school district will sponsor one student each.
The board approved a March 12 field trip by CHS extended-learning and foreign exchange students to the Treasures of the Czars exhibit in Topeka. They will travel with other students from Marion County. Hillsboro USD will provide transportation. Students will pay admission and meal costs.
The board approved an in-service transcript submitted by Marci Cain.
They accepted the 2001-2002 school "report card" on elementary, junior high, and senior high students as presented by Supt. Evancho.
It showed a drop in attendance from 97.8 to 92.5 percent, a slight decline in graduation rate, and a minuscule dropout rate. The data also showed that student violence against students and staff is almost non-existent. Academic performance in most tested areas of math, reading, and writing improved.
Forty minutes were spent in executive session with Weltha and Evancho to discuss matters related to non-elected personnel. No action was taken when the meeting re-opened.
No action was taken after the board spent five minutes in executive session with Weltha and Evancho to discuss the principal's contract.
Evancho announced that CES has been nominated by the Kansas Department of Education to participate in a special training program in technology-enriched teaching, to be provided by a respected research company. Notice will be given in about four weeks if CES is selected, he said.
Evancho said a three-year asbestos inspection conducted earlier this month showed the district to be in compliance with regulations.
Former instructor Andy Hansen appeared before the board to question the process used in making the decision to dismantle his unfinished woods project in the industrial arts workshop. He claimed that he was not notified by letter, as promised, before the gun cabinet was dismantled.
Weltha said he had offered to reimburse Hansen for the cost of materials.
Jennifer Kassebaum told Hansen he wasn't handling the matter correctly. Other board members agreed. They told him he should first try to work things out with the principal. If not settled there, he should go to the superintendent, they said, and as a last resort, to the board.
Hansen said he would not pursue the matter further.
