Olathe School District Board of Education Meeting — Thursday, Feb. 7

Art Credit: KC Education Enterprise | Illustration Credit: 123rf stock image

Olathe School District’s Board of Education met Thursday evening, Feb. 7. From a policy standpoint, the highlights of their agenda were:

• A report, Implementing Changes to the Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. According to the agenda:

Improving child nutrition is the focal point of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.  The legislation authorizes funding and sets policy for USDA’s core child nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Summer Food Service Program.  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows USDA, for the first time in over 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children.

• A report, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum. The report had two purposes:

1. To update the Board on a change in terminology to College and Career Ready Standards for newly revised and approved state standards

The Kansas State Department of Education now references all newly revised state standards with the term College Career Ready Standards.  The use of College and Career Ready provides a common term to link all standards developed under different initiatives such as Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts and Math), Next Generation Science Standards, and Kansas Social Studies Standards.  Additionally, all standards developed are directly connected to the research and valued expectations for post-secondary student success (College Career Ready).  Our District will develop familiarity with the use of state terminology College and Career Ready Standards in tandem with Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards as we transition through the curriculum revision and approval process.

2. To provide information about the newly revised  K-12 English Language Arts Standards

K-12 teachers, Instructional Resource Teachers, and District English Language Arts leaders spent the past several months reviewing each Common Core Standard approved by the State of Kansas and developing District curriculum implementation document.  The presentation tonight emphasizes familiar content from the previous 2003 curriculum and the learning expectations receiving greater emphasis in English Language Arts for all learners.

• Approved a resolution authorizing the sale of $28.5 million in school bond debt authorized by voters in 2007. The vote was in two parts, with unanimous approval of assuming $11 million in additional debt. However, board members LeEtta J Felter and Rita S Ashley voted against assuming the remaining $17.5 million. According to the agenda, the district will use these funds “to finance the construction of remaining projects including Elementary #35 and the Technology Support Building.”
• A unanimous vote to approve proposed Budget Development Goals for the next fiscal year.

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