The Goessel school board met on Sept. 11 and heard a report from superintendent/elementary school principal Mark Crawford about the out-of-district student law that will go into effect for the next school year. Crawford said Goessel has 63 out-of-district students this year. They have to reapply every year.
In May, schools will need to publish their student capacity on their website for the following school year.
“If we have room, we can’t exclude a new student,” Crawford said, although there will be some criteria that the students have to meet.
Schools will have to have a lottery if there are more applicants than openings.
Turning their attention to another matter, the board heard of training for a possible bus emergency, noting that 4th and 5th graders could be the oldest students on the bus.
Crawford commended the school’s bus drivers: “Our bus drivers do a great job,” and “We have high-quality buses.” But he said something could happen.
Therefore, elementary school students were taught what to do if there’s an emergency. For example, if the bus driver is unconscious, students learned how to turn off the bus, how to use the radio and how to evacuate the bus, including evacuating the back of the bus. They learned to get away from the bus and where to meet.
In addition, Marion County Emergency personnel have done tornado, fire and crisis drills with students and teachers. Goessel police chief Anthony Voth worked with teachers and administration to create a plan for an intruder in the building.
“It is peace of mind knowing we have a plan,” Crawford said.
In other business, the board:
* wished to thank Susan Nafziger for being a long-term substitute for preschool. “She’s done a great job,” Crawford said.
* voted to hire Jana Church as the pre-kindergarten three-year-old teacher aide.
* voted to hire Audessi Unruh as the pre-kindergarten four-year-old teacher aide. This is a five-day-a-week position and includes assisting in the elementary school lunch room for 50 minutes a day.
* learned from junior high/high school principal Scott Boden that the school plans to continue to livestream home events. He also noted that rising official costs and a shortage of officials continue to concern schools.
* heard from Boden that 24 students are playing high school football, 11 at the junior high level. Sixteen high school students are playing volleyball, 24 junior high. Eight students are participating in high school cross country. The high school has seven cheerleaders. Twenty-three students are participating in the high school play.
* heard that “about a dozen kids” need interventions at the junior high level.
* heard a legislative report from board members Bryant Miller and Pat Flaming. Miller said, “Things are moving in the right direction” for students, and Kansas ranked 13th in outcomes. Kansas is one of the few states in which ACT scores have held steady since the pandemic. However, Flaming said there is a 30 percent truancy rate across the state “post-pandemic” but about 10 percent at Goessel.
* heard from Crawford that students need to have fewer than 11 absences for the year. If a student reaches eight absences, a letter is sent home to parents. Students will be ineligible for extra-curricular activities if they have 12 or more absences.
* approved out-of-state travel for high school science teacher Donna O’Neill so she can attend the National Science Teachers Association Regional Conference in Kansas City.
* approved the audit report from Vonda Brecheisen of Knudsen, Monroe and Co., LLC.
* passed a mill levy of 55.462 and a budget of $3,194,246.
* approved the month’s expenses of $178,679.89.
