School board OKs improvements to MHS track
Marion-Florence USD 408 board of education voted Monday to improve the Marion High School track at Warrior Stadium. The inside lanes of the current track are starting to wear and crack in certain spots.
With a 5-2 vote the board accepted a bid from A1-Track and Tennis to repair the surface for $48,750. Only places where the track is cracking will be replaced. The repair will include a spray, re-top system to the original base of the track, and is estimated to last four to five years.
MHS head track coach Grant Thierolf was present at the meeting to honor five athletes who qualified for the state track meet this year.
He said MHS's track is second to none for a school its size in Kansas. It was the majority of the board's opinion the improvements needed to be made in order for the facility to stay that way.
Two other improvements, an underground irrigation system at the high school football field and a repair of the elementary school gym roof, will be voted on next month after more information is brought to the meeting.
In other business:
— The board accepted the resignations of Anne Collett as a paraeducator, Doug Dick as Marion Elementary teacher, and bus driver Margie Nienstedt, who will be retiring.
— The board recognized the following: Carlsons' Grocery for donating $2,700 to the school district through its Register Tapes for Education program; Marion High School sophomore golfer Travis Hett for qualifying for the Kansas 3A golf tournament; five MHS tracksters, Jeremy Vondenkamp, Leann Thomas, Toni Gordon, Danielle Cope, and Adam Depler, for their performance at the state track meet; and members of the MHS musical, "Suessical the Musical," which received two Jester Awards.
— Computer technician Mike Fruechting gave a presentation to the board on the status of the schools' computers. Some are outdated, and have remained longer than the proposed four-year recycle plan. Superintendent Lee Leiker said more information will be brought to next month's meeting concerning the computers.
— The board voted 7-0 in favor of keeping open lunch at the high school for juniors and seniors, with the same rules that applied this past year.
— The 2005-06 school handbooks were passed 7-0, with a few provisions. School dismissal will be moved from 3:25 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. because of later buses. Milk for kindergartners will now be $36 per year instead of $20. Leiker said the milk was being undercharged compared to the other grades. First grade lunch was moved from 10:55to 11 a.m.
— The district's 2005-06 PE and health curriculum was passed.
— Bill Griffith, Tyler Stubenhofer, and Heidi Zogelman were approved as part-time summer help for the district, and will not exceed 40 hours of work per week.
— Board members Gene Bowers and Roger Hannaford III, whose terms expire, were honored for eight years of service to the board. Lyle Leppke and Jan Helmer will take over for them in July.
"Thank you for helping children," Leiker said as they were presented their awards.
