USD
434 Board of Education
Vollrath to fill vacant position
Gabe Faimon | Reporter
CARBONDALE—The appointment of Shandy Vollrath to complete
the unexpired term of former board member Carolyn Hug was the
first item of business taken up by USD 434 Santa Fe Trail Board
of Education during its April 13 meeting. The vacancy was created
by Hug’s Feb. 12 resignation from the board. Vollrath won
the seat in the April 7 election, but would not have filled the
position until July if it had not been vacant.
Responding to recent board approval of district reorganization,
planning for a smooth transition to start the 2009-2010 school
year has been initiated. Information regarding those activities
was provided by the three attendance center principals –
Gary Foulke, Overbrook, Michael Flax, Carbondale, and Sheryl Gill,
Scranton. The principals considered that since most teacher assignments
for next year had been established, an April 13 staff development
day was to address issues at each building location. Topics included
review of student data and information, teacher referrals for
placement of students in classes, development of a common supply
list, revision of the student handbook and planning for student
orientation day.
The principals summarized the orientation day, scheduled for 8:30-11
a.m. May 11. All students and staff will participate in orientation
at the building they will attend next school year.
In other discussion, the board received information from driver
training program coordinator Regan Erickson. The loss of state
funding and resultant impact on student enrollment fees for the
driver training program had been previously discussed by the board.
Erickson said the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center’s
student charge of $35 for use of the online academic course had
been confirmed. Instead of two weeks of classroom study, students
will be able to fulfill the classroom requirement by online study.
With an April 15 start date, the board adopted a $175 in-district
student enrollment fee for driver training. Out-of-district student
enrollment was set at $275.
Since Carbondale Attendance Center will become the junior high
school, Flax submitted a junior high cheerleading proposal for
board review.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable that cheerleading
is not a sport,” Flax said, opening the discussion.
Flax’s proposal addressed establishing two cheerleading
seasons (fall/early winter and late winter), two divisions (seventh
and eighth grade, each consisting of eight members for each season),
tryouts for each season, two cheerleading coaches, two practices
per week, $25 participation fee, uniform provided by the district,
and meeting eligibility requirements. The board approved Flax’s
proposal.
Dr. Steve Pegram, superintendent, submitted for review a five-year
plan for the district’s professional development council
in-service, which was approved by the board.
Pegram also distributed a document listing school fees for the
2008-2009 school year, and capital outlay and maintenance requests
for next school year for the board’s consideration and future
action.
Pegram said the capital outlay document reflected the results
of combined assessment of facility needs by principals, faculty
and support personnel.
Also for future board consideration, Pegram raised the question,
“Should the district facility use policy continue to be
unwritten?” |
