Board Approvals:
- minutes of April 12, 2023
- treasurer’s report for March 2023
- let bids for school buses
- donation from Walnut PTO to Walnut Elementary for $2800 for a poster maker and $2600 to pay for field trips
- Memorandum of Understanding with Communities in Schools
- donation from Kansas University Endowment Association for $1,000 in honor of Mrs. Erica Huggard being selected as a Wolfe Teaching Excellence Award for 2023
- Broker Services Fee Agreement between Brown & Brown/Hays Companies and USD 253 for services related to the 2024 health insurance renewal at a cost of $30,000
- offer from the Emporia Area Chamber Foundation as accepted, contingent upon approval of the grant, as submitted, and including to continue marketing by the district realtor in the event that the grant is not obtained
- updated board policies, retire the corresponding existing board policies, and adopt new policy JCF as submitted
- job description for District Childcare Supervisor
- purchase of 125 laptops for staff from CDW
- purchase of proposed English Language Arts resources for preschool
- Memorandum of Understanding to adjust the scheduled four hours of teacher work time on May 19, 2023, to one hour on May 17th, 2023, and three hours on May 19, 2023
- 2024 - 2025 Academic Calendar
- adjustments to the 2023-2024 academic calendar
Board Updates and Information:
Sale of Maynard:
Dr. David McGehee, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations, shared with the Board the district’s real estate agents had received an offer of $265,000 for the Maynard property from the Emporia Area Chamber Foundation. Jeanine McKenna, President of the Emporia Chamber Foundation, was available to answer questions and provide details of the Foundation’s plans to provide 24/7 childcare to the Emporia Community. Additionally, agents from Caldwell Banker, the district’s realtor company shared information regarding the property’s value and suggested the district continue to have them market the property pending the Foundation's grant approval. The board voted unanimously to accept the bid as presented contingent upon approval of the grants. Calwell Banker will continue to market the property in the event that the grants are not approved.
Village Elementary School Improvement Update:
Mrs. Brandi Mitchell, Village Elementary Principal, and members of the Village staff provided the Board with accreditation and design updates for the 2022-2023 school year. The group reviewed their school’s goals and strategies for math, reading, and social emotional learning. Students have begun their FastBridge assessments and will continue completing those assessments over the next few weeks. Staff is looking forward to comparing the results to determine if the strategies that were implemented have been successful in achieving the school's improvement goals. Learn more here by reviewing the Village Elementary presentation.
English Language Arts Core Resource Adoption:
Mrs. Judy Stanley, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Student Services, Michelle Young, Jones Instructional Coach, and Amber Clay, Jones Early Childhood Teacher, presented information to the Board regarding proposed ELA resources for PreK students. In previous resources that the district has purchased, PreK had not been included. The proposed resource, World of Wonder, addresses many of the concepts desired to help improve academic achievement. The Board voted to purchase the PreK resource at a cost of just over $42,500. The majority of the cost will be paid for through ESSER III funds. To learn more about the preschool resource adoption, you can review the presentation available here.
Future Board Calendar Dates:
- Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 6:30 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center
- Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 6:30 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center
- Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 6:30 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center
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