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Burlingame
USD 454
Board evaluates drafts
for next year’s schedule
Gabe Faimon
Reporter
BURLINGAME—To examine options and gather additional information,
the USD 454 Board of Education devoted a major portion of its Dec.
10 meeting to scheduling for the next school year.
Three draft proposals for the 2009-2010 school calendar were presented.
Discussion of the proposals reflected concern for scheduling parent-teacher
conferences that would likely provide opportunities for influencing
student change and improvement. Those opportunities include selection
of day of the week and meeting times that would be convenient for
most parents to participate. Other opportunities relate to consideration
of teacher preferences for linking the parent-teacher conference
schedule to grading periods. The three proposals also provided choices
for scheduling dates when school would not be in session, such as
holidays and teacher in-service days.
Superintendent Allen Konicek said he is interested in making more
time available for direct teacher contact with students through
teacher-initiated professional development activities. To encourage
in-county teacher collaboration, Konicek is pursuing establishment
of a “county-wide in-service day.”
To allow for additional review and input, the board deferred action
on the school calendar to its next regularly scheduled meeting.
To initiate fundraising activities, yearbook sponsor Keri Welch
and journalism students requested authorization from the board to
attend the 2009 National Journalism Convention in Washington, D.C.
The five-day trip would include two travel days, attending the convention,
and sight seeing. Board discussion focused on the educational opportunity
associated with students spending time in the nation’s capital.
The students were reminded that policy for such trips restricts
district funding to $50 per student, for no more than 10 students.
Any additional students authorized to participate would not receive
district funds. To receive additional information, the board deferred
action on the request to its next regularly scheduled meeting.
In other discussion, Konicek presented a letter from the State Fire
Marshal to board members regarding findings of a recent fire inspection.
The letter included two citations – combustible materials
in the high school shop storage area without sufficient fire barrier
protection, and storage of combustible materials in the new addition.
Discussion focused on the need to remove infrequently used or excess
items, through sale or disposal, plus relocation of combustible
items to storage areas protected by fire barrier. Konicek said that
a plan will be prepared and submitted to the fire marshal within
30 days, outlining action to respond to the citations.
In other business, the board:
• received a report from Fred Diver regarding completion of
the School Bell Memorial.
• approved a learning center agreement with the Southeast
Kansas Education Service Center to establish an alternative education
program at a facility to be located in Lyndon.
• approved authorization, requested by the Burlingame High
School Principal Tammy Baird, for the high school to sell out-of-date
varsity basketball uniforms.
The next meeting of the Burlingame school board is scheduled for
6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 in the district office. |
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