Photo Credit: 123rf stock image
If it’s the second week of July, it must be … time for Kansas school board reorganization meetings. This is the time of year they generally select new officers and start planning for the new school year. Missouri school boards — on the other hand — hold their reorganization meetings in the spring.
The Kansas State Board of Education and twelve local school boards — including seven in Kansas — met last week.
Probably the most significant new business this week was the Lansing school board’s decision to ask voters to approve the sale of $52 million in bond debt to build a new high school.
Kansas
State Board of Education
Highlights:
- Renewal of U. S. Department of Education School Improvement Grants for Northwest Middle and Emerson Elementary Schools, both in the Kansas City, Kansas School District
- New School Improvement Grants for Douglass and New Stanley Elementary Schools in the same district.
- The federal government issues these grants “turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools.”
- Request from the Kansas City, Kansas School District for a waiver allowing them to use ACE and Explore assessments for eighth-grade students rather than the annual state standardized test in mathematics, reading and science.
- Budgeting for the 2012-13 school year.
Basehor-Linwood School District
Highlight: Reorganization
De Soto School District
Highlights:
- Reorganization
- Proposal to save money through energy conservation. Utilities are often one of a district’s greatest expenses, second only to staff salaries.
- Hiring a firm to conduct a boundary and enrollment study.
- Update on construction funded by the sale of bonds approved by voters. A storm shelter under construction at the high school is part of improvements funded both by bonds and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (On a side note, thieves broke in and stole copper from the construction site, so the district has increased security.)
Lansing School District
Highlights:
- Reorganization
- Update on design plans for proposed new high school
- Board decided to ask community members for a vote to approve $52 million in school bond sales to build the proposed new high school. According to district administrators, a new school is necessary to accommodate a growing number of students.
Piper School District
Highlights:
- Reorganization
- Enrollment projection showing district schools will not have enough room for all students expected to enroll in the 2014-15 school year.
- Notice of public hearing to review budget for 2012-13 school year scheduled for next month.
- Consider changing nine district policies, including a change to put the district in compliance with the new federal Children’s Internet Protection Act. The deadline for approval was July 1, 2012.
Shawnee Mission School District
Highlight: Consideration of district policy revisions, including one governing “Public Concerns/Complaints About Instructional and Library Resources.”
Spring Hill School District
Highlights:
- Reorganization
- Three possible sets of elementary school boundary changes
- Contract to continue providing virtual high school classes
Turner School District
Highlight: Reorganization
Missouri
Excelsior Springs School District
Highlight: Scheduling tax rate hearing for next month.
Fort Osage School District
Highlights:
- Consideration of district policy changes
- Update on construction funded by school bonds approved by voters
Independence School District
Highlight: Update on construction funded by school bonds approved by voters
Kansas City Public Schools
Highlight: Meeting focused on routine but necessary responsibilities of governance
Raytown Quality Schools
Highlights:
- Proposal to save money through energy conservation. Usually utilities are one of a district’s largest expenses, second only to staff salaries.
- Consider changing two district policies.
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