Junior high activities may be modified at Centre
Superintendent Demitry Evancho and the Board of Education of Centre USD discussed, at the regular March meeting, the possibility of cutting back on extra-curricular activities for junior high students during the winter sports season.
Junior high students play two basketball games a week, Monday and Thursday. Many of them also participate in the junior high/high school band, which plays at all home high school games.
Board member Leona Hajek noted that when there are two home games in one week (Tuesday and Friday), junior high students have activities every night of the week if Wednesday religion classes are part of their schedule.
The concern is that too many extra-curricular activities can influence academic performance.
Evancho suggested cutting junior high basketball games to one per week. He also suggested splitting the band for performances at high school ball games or having an honor band which would play at games.
Evancho said input from parents would be appreciated.
He reported a new format will be tried for parent-teacher conferences in the next calendar year. Two evenings will be devoted to parents of kindergarten through sixth grade students, and two evenings to parents of seventh to 12th grade students.
Evancho also reported that a committee of faculty members will be appointed to review the current attendance policy and to propose strategies that will promote good attendance.
He noted that the average daily attendance at both CES and CHS dropped below the state average during the 2001-2002 school year. In previous years, it has been above the state average. School attendance is one measure for assessing the effectiveness of schools.
Board members were encouraged to be present at school for the April 21 visit of the state accreditation team.
He later explained that QPA (Quality Performance Accreditation) and the No Child Left Behind new federal initiative will merge in July 2005. Centre's current school improvement cycle ends at the end of this year. Evancho said the district can go right into the next phase in 2003-2004. He recommended that the district enroll in the revised QPA.
"We have to have a highly qualified teaching staff," he said. "We've struggled to get the staff to buy into it, so we need to stay in it."
Evancho announced that the assistant custodian position remains open. He reported that vandals broke a window at the front of the school during the weekend of March 1-2.
Personnel changes
The board approved employment of Da'Linda Salada as assistant cook at Centre Elementary School. She has been a substitute in that position since Feb. 10, when the former assistant resigned. She will receive a starting wage of $7 per hour.
The board accepted the resignations of Lisa Beye and Tambra Owens as StuCo sponsors and thanked them for their service to the organization.
Several members expressed concern about middle-of-the-year supplemental resignations, which have been happening now-and-then throughout the year. They felt that sponsors should set an example of responsibility by remaining on until the end of the school year.
The board approved a change in instructor Nancy Brockmeier's contract from full-time to 3/4 time, at her request. The board also accepted her resignation of supplemental duties as junior high volleyball and girls' basketball coach.
Field trips approved
The board approved the following field trips, including cost of admission fees and transportation:
— March 26 — Spanish classes to Topeka, to see a performance by the Alejandra Dondines Dancers of the Americas, $180.
— April 3 — American History and American Government classes to Topeka, to spend a day at the Kansas Legislature.
— April 30 — Fifth grade class to Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, $119; sixth grade class to Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, $88.
Other actions include:
— Approval of out-of-district attendance of third grade student Cassandra Jones, whose family moved into the Herington school district, and high school student Daniel Denham, a former student whose parents have moved back to Herington.
— Power of attorney authorization to Mervin Deines, Jeff Deines, and Terry Deines to transact farm program participation for the district-owned Mowrer Farm for the time that the current lease agreement and farm program are in force.
— Approval of the in-service transcript submitted by instructor Kenneth Roe.
— Permission to bus students to Pla Bowl Lanes at Herington April 26 for an after-prom party.
— Authorization for Clint Power of Canton to repair cracks in parking lots and playgrounds at CES and CHS at a cost of $3,075. A proposal to seal-coat the CHS parking lot for $11,500 was rejected, to be done at a later date.
Jennifer Kassebaum, governmental relations representative, announced reports from the Kansas Legislature show that revenues are expected to be $105 million less than projected this year and $125 million less next year.
She said the issue of consolidation of schools was tabled in the House and referred to an interim committee for study during the summer.
Treasurer Peggy Falen reported a closing cash balance on Feb. 28 of $1,334,769.51.
The board held two executive sessions: five minutes to discuss staff negotiations and 45 minutes to discuss personnel. Evancho, Lacy Wallace, and Weltha were called in at times during the last one. No action was taken when open session resumed.
