Superintendent John Fast, who is also the grade principal, told the board that 17 children have enrolled for kindergarten for next school year. Parents of nine of those children would be interested in all-day kindergarten.

He said currently kindergarten is only funded one-half time, but the legislature is considering funding all-day kindergarten.

Fast emphasized that all-day kindergarten is not definite.

"We're waiting to hear what the legislature will do," he said. It might be possible to use some "at-risk" money to help fund all-day kindergarten.

Fast asked the board's opinion about all-day kindergarten. Board chairman Lynel Unrau said, "If that's what's going to happen around us, we have to offer it."

Board member Maynard Knepp asked, "How soon do you think we need to make this decision?"

Fast said he would like to have a contingency plan and work out a schedule so the school would be ready either way.

"Parents would have the option to have children stay for all-day kindergarten or not.... The afternoon would reinforce what was learned in the morning," Fast said, adding that it would help get children "to a pre-reading level before first grade."

Fast said he has been in conversation with teachers about staffing if all-day kindergarten becomes reality.

He told the board, "It takes a special kind of person to teach kindergarten" because the teacher has to keep activities moving; it is fast-paced. He talked about the importance of an aide.

Board member Lynette Duerksen agreed, saying that kindergarten students cannot be sent down the hall alone.

New contracts approved

The board to extend contracts to several new faculty members.

The board approve the administration's recommendation to hire Rachel Hein as full-time high school math teacher and Joel Hesed as full-time middle school language arts teacher. Hesed also will be the high school forensics coach.

The board voted to hire Lee Buller as the full-time technology director. Supplemental contracts were approved for David Goerzen, junior class sponsor (in addition to his teaching duties), and Ryan Hoopes, assistant junior high football coach.

Successful music trip

Fast reported to the board that the high school band and choir had an outstanding trip to Dallas for a music competition.

"We were by far the smallest school competing," he said. "They did a remarkable job."

He said the band and choir performed in a premier acoustic building and received four large trophies.

In addition to the competition, the students visited the JFK museum, saw the largest bronze statue in the world, ate at a medieval banquet attended by nearly 1,000 students, and spent time at Six Flags Over Texas.

Fast said the students stopped at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial on the way home, and the choir sang at that site.

He said the students received "tremendous applause" when they were done. He commended music teachers Bud Meisel and Greg Bontrager for their teaching and planning.

Other business

In other business, the board:

n approved the administration's recommendation to cut off lunches when students have a negative balance of $15. Fast said families get too far behind and find it difficult to catch up at the current $50 cut-off point. He said that children who have been cut off do get food; they receive a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk in a brown bag. Fast said that most schools do not allow any negative amount before students are cut off from hot lunches.

n heard Fast report that 85 people had attended the family "Cowboy Reading Night" led by Mary Schmidt, Title I teacher, on March 23.

n heard Fast report that grades K-5 will take a trip to see "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" at the Crown Uptown Theatre. The trip is sponsored by the parent-teacher organization and will be paid for by boxtops that the children collected.

n heard board member Richard Drake report that the Marion County Special Education Co-op board has been discussing the facility lease agreement with Marion schools. He also said two certified staff had resigned.

According to Drake, there will be a coordinator of math and reading for special-needs students. This will be a new position, made necessary by "No Child Left Behind."

n heard board member Dewayne Voth's Learning Consortium report. "We are still having some picture quality issues," he said. A break had been found in one of the fibers. "But that didn't seem to solve the problem," he said.

n heard junior/senior high school Curt Graves' report about Breaking Ranks II meetings he had attended. We spent a day last week with 15 to 20 other school districts," he said.

The schools shared programs and strategies. Teachers Justin Schrag and Crysta Guhr had created PowerPoint presentations. Graves said the Goessel presentations focused on how the high school has personalized the environment and raised school spirit. He said the school has seen increased student participation in all activities as a whole.

He briefly mentioned "outstanding class" competitions, the Champions of Character partnership with Bethel College, and the "student of the month" challenge.

Board member Dan Miller commended the Breaking Ranks team: Graves, Guhr, Schrag, and Janna Duerksen.

n reviewed proposed eligibility requirement changes. Under the proposal, students would be placed on academic probation the first time their grades fall below the specified level. The second time, activities would be missed. For the third time and following, the student would lose activity privileges and would be required to stay for an extended school day.

Graves said the Student Advisory Council worked on the proposal. "We feel like it's a fair policy," he said.

The students had also worked on a drug and alcohol policy proposal, which would include the option of evaluation and counseling. Miller said, "When it comes from the student body, the opportunity for success is much higher."

n heard Graves say that "on-line courses are gaining numbers." He is considering a student contract to be sure that students in those courses are successful.

n listened to Graves report that the student-aide program is being evaluated: "We feel some improvements and modifications can be made."

n heard Graves describe the Learning and Empowerment through Experiential Process program. He said some students will receive leadership training that will teach conflict resolution and assertiveness rather than aggression, in addition to other topics. The plan is to schedule five one-hour sessions.