Marion school board discusses runaround kids at sports events
Someone is going to have to supervise children who run around constantly at football and basketball games. That was the consensus of board members at Monday night's meeting of the Board of Education of Marion-Florence USD 408.
Kids running amok, playing, running to the restrooms and concessions stands, or even going outdoors, at basketball games, are more of a problem than the current situation at football games, administrators said.
Tod Gordon, principal at Marion Middle School and activities director for the district, said there are three different groups of younger kids defending their territory, playing and sometimes fighting, at Marion home football games.
A "sideline" or end-zone football game and fight between Marion and Herington kids here last Friday night resulted in one Marion child getting a black eye.
Ken Arnhold, Marion High School principal, said a district patron told him, on the phone, that kids in groups were cursing and indulging in under-age smoking at the games.
Superintendent Gerald Henderson said, "A football game is not a place to come to fool around, play, not watch the game."
But, he said, people will protest vigorously if the district tries to discipline these kids. That does not mean it shouldn't be done, he said.
Supervisors, perhaps off-duty police officers, could be hired to patrol the grounds at football games, or the gym at basketball contests.
The problem is greater at basketball games, with the close proximity of players and spectators. Henderson said the district could refuse to let kids in unless they were accompanied by an adult.
He said he felt the consensus of the board was to leave things as they are, at present, at Warrior Stadium.
A woman in the audience Monday said that at "away" games, those school districts often forbid "extra" football games on the sidelines or near the end zones.
Little kids playing football is not a problem, Henderson said. Board President Rex Savage and member Chris Sprowls agreed.
Board Vice President Gene Bowers said the cost to employ one off-duty police officer, on foot, would be minimal.
Bowers said he feels it's discourteous for people to go to the concessions stand, for instance, when it's not "time out" or intermission time.
Henderson said that if the board was going to announce some sort of disciplinary policy in this regard, they would have to see that the policy compliance is monitored and enforced, too.
If people leave the building at a basketball game, then want to re-enter, they could be asked to pay again for admission.
Arnhold said he planned to have varsity athletes from the high school talk to elementary school kids, to encourage them to actually watch the games, not go just to "run around."
"You have to monitor behavior and have reasonable consequences for non-compliance," Henderson said.
"Corral them, make them sit, and call their folks to come and pick them up," he said.
Board member Keith Collett said, "We can monitor the small areas, indoors, at the gym. The concessions stand is not a place to gather."
The board named member Roger Hannaford III to be its delegate to the Kansas Association of School Boards annual convention.
Martin Tice, district business manager/board clerk, told board members of the Kansas Department of Transportation's plan to build a roundabout for safe traffic flow at the intersection of two state highways at Florence.
KDOT seeks public input, but it must be given quickly, Tice said. KDOT will make a decision within a month. The stage agency installed four-way stop signs at the intersection in August.
Accidents are less likely and less severe, KDOT says, with a roundabout, like those on Interstate 135 at Newton. The Newton ones, however, are located on the on/off ramps, not on the interstate itself.
KDOT has said it lacks the funds to build an overpass at the Florence site, as some have advocated.
Board member Sarah Cope, from Florence, said, "I don't mind the four-way stop."
Donna Fadenrecht, of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd, accountants, McPherson, presented the audit report for the district, which was approved by the board, 7-0.
She said a new fraud-auditing standard set by the state will include a "surprise" procedure every other year.
Also, there will be a "related party questionnaire" to be filled out, to check into and avoid any real or potential conflicts of interest on the part of board members.
Interview questions will be asked such as "Have you ever committed any fraud against USD 408?" for district employees, and maybe something similar for board members.
Fadenrecht said the auditors are not responsible for finding small instances of fraud. But if a major one is found "that would impact your financial status," auditors would take action by informing the proper parties.
