Enrollment, funding losses emerge as challenges

Goessel students became spectators as demolition began in late December with McPherson Wrecking on site at the high school to tear down the old metal portion of the agricultural education wing. This was done in preparation for building the new wing that will house agricultural education, high school science and family and consumer science in a learning community. Voters passed the $3.3 million bond issue, which included several other improvements to the elementary and high schools, by 96 percent in the April election.Declining enrollment?expressing itself in classification changes for four of the five school districts in Marion County as well as fewer state dollars fund programs and teaching?set a tone for public education in Marion County challenges during 2013.

Goessel was a key exception to that trend, boasting a modest increase in enrollment and breaking ground for a $3.3 million building and renovation project.

Meanwhile, Tabor College made news in private education with ongoing campus improvement projects and the announcement of a fund drive to build a $9 million fine arts center.

January

Weston Hiebert, a Goessel High School graduate and a Kansas State University football player, visited Goessel Elementary School as a prize for students who donated 375 food items to the local food pantry before Christmas. Hiebert wore his KSU football uniform and brought his football along.

The USD 410 school board implemented a new identification policy as part of an emergency operations plan. The new policy would require all district employees to wear a photo identification badge during the school day. Visitors to the elementary school, middle school and high school would be required to sign in at the school office and also wear an ID badge while on campus.

February

Mid Kan?sas Cooperative Association presented Goessel Elementary School with a check for $500 to cover expenses for most of this school year and perhaps into the fall for tending the school garden.

The Goessel High School Scholars Bowl team won its regional tournament. Members David Hesse, Bjorn Schumann, Heath Goertzen, Mark Schmidt, Jo Hoffman and Ben Wiens qualified to compete for the state title.

Mesa Merrell, a Hills?boro eighth-grader, won the Marion County Spelling Bee when she correctly spelled ?Incoherently.? Twenty students from across the county competed.

USD 410 sought adult volunteers to help launch its new ?Walking School Bus? program. The inaugural run was planned for March 26, after the completion of spring break week.

The USD 411 school board was updated on community information gatherings in the coming weeks regarding a school remodeling project. An open house to explain the project was scheduled for Feb. 26 at the high school.

The USD 410 board endorsed a city-sponsored program for middle school students designed to enhance community involve?ment through leadership opportunities and partnerships with the city. The program?Youth Engage?ment Leadership Develop?ment?would target seventh- and eighth-grade students.

The threat of a bomb exploding March 1 at Pea?body-Burns High School prompted action by school personnel and law enforcement officials at the local, county and state level. Super?intendent Ron Trax?son said a student at the high school had been identified in connection with writing the bomb threat Feb. 14 on a bathroom wall.

March

Hillsboro High School presented ?The High Schooler?s Guide to the Galaxy? as its spring play at March 15 and 16 in the high school auditorium.

More than 60 adults and children from all five school districts in the county participated in the fourth annual Daddy Olympics Saturday at USD 408?s Sports and Aqua?tic Center in Marion. Lori Soo Hoo, with Marion County Parents as Teachers, said the event was open to children ages birth to 5 years.

Christian Becker, a sixth-grade student at Marion Ele?mentary School, won first place at Kansas History Day in Manhattan for his exhibit, ?Commerce on the Santa Fe Trail and How it Defined a Nation.?

Callie Arnold, a fifth-grader at Hillsboro Elemen?tary School, won first place in the Kansas Arbor Day Poster Contest. She is the first HES student to win the state contest. Callie was recognized for her accomplishment at a statewide Tree City USA event March 28 in Derby.

Family Reading Night drew about 217 students and nearly 200 of their family members to Hills?boro Ele?mentary School March 12. ?We just want the kids to see that reading can be fun, and that its important for whatever career they?re going to go into,? said Sandy Arnold, who coordinates the event as the district?s lead librarian.

Principal Max Heinrichs reported 94 percent of Hills?boro High School students are enrolled in at least one class that is part of the 20 Career and Technical Education Pathway programs offered by Unified School District 410.

Centre schools? second annual Blue Ribbon Cere?mony took a musical turn this year, but the purpose remained the same: Giving students and faculty an opportunity to say thank-you to someone who has made a positive difference in their lives. About 450 people gathered in the gymnasium. Headlining the celebration was Monte Selby, known as ?education?s songwriter? for the hundreds of songs he has produced over the years with students, educators and Grammy-winning musicians.

April

About 96 percent of voters in the Goessel School District voted in favor of a $3.3 million bond issue for school improvements during the April 2 local election. The total was 337 in favor with 29 opposed. The project will include upgrading the science, agricultural education and family and consumer science departments at the high school building, and improvements for the art and weight rooms. At the elementary school, the project would add a storm shelter and renovate the boys? restroom.

The launch of USD 410?s Walking School Bus program, originally was planned for March 26, was delayed by weather until April 4. Seven students participated.

Nationally known pianist Paul Kenyon performed April 11 in the Tabor College Chapel-Auditorium.

After less than two hours of deliberation, a jury decided that a former McPher?son College football player was not guilty of second-degree murder in the beating death of Tabor College student Brandon Brown in fall 2012.

About 100 people turned out Saturday forenoon for a dedication and ribbon-cutting event for Harms Residence Hall at Tabor College. The building was made possible by a donation from North Newton physician Wilmer Harms to honor the memory of his late wife, Esther.

May

Fifty-eight seniors received diplomas at the 129th Marion High School commencement May 11. Eliza?beth Goentzel and Ryan Nelson were valedictorians, Isaac Baldwin was salutatorian

Fifty-two seniors received their diplomas at the 107th commencement for Hills?boro High School at Joel H. Wiens Stadium. Valedictor?ians were Bailey Kauf?man and Tena Loewen. Josh Wiebe was salutatorian.

Tabor College announced it is in the leadership phase of a three-year, $16.1 million campaign that includes $9 million for a new fine arts center on campus. The project has been on the drawing board for 30 years The facility would provide instruction and performance space for the vocal, instrumental music, theater and visual arts departments.

June

Tabor College announ?ced it would be investing about $2 million in campus infrastructure improvements starting this summer and into the next school year. Work had begun on improvements to the women?s residential quad and cafeteria. The next project would be replacing the parking lot between the men?s quad and the Campus Recreation Center.

Thirteen area FFA members were awarded their State FFA Degree, which is the highest honor the Kan?sas FFA Asso?ciation can bestow upon its members. Receiving the degree from the Centre chapter were Justin Deines, Kyle Methvin, Chad Mueller, Tom Oborny, Tanner Peterson, Karl Riffel and Ty Simmons. Members from Hillsboro were Lauren Geis, Bryce Roberts and Nathan Unruh. Recipients from Marion-Florence were Jacob Cope, Aaron Molleker and Montana Percell.

July

Brian Smith took over as the new superintendent of Centre schools July 1. No stranger to Marion County, Smith grew up in Peabody.

One year after bringing home gold medals in three individual events at the Family, Career and Com?mun?ity Leaders of America national leadership conference, Goessel High School brought home gold medals in three two-person events at this year?s conference. The three teams were comprised Alex Hiebert and Tia Goertzen, Alicen Mey?sing and Page Hie?bert, and Alyssa Booton and Anna Wiens.

Hillsboro High School junior Erich Herbel pulled off a rare triple crown of sorts by finishing among the top 10 in each of his three events at the national convention of the Tech?no?l?ogy Student Associa?tion in?Orlando, Fla. Herbel placed third with teammate Chase Meisinger in the Structural Engineer division, and individually he finished fourth in Dragster Design and ninth in Flight Endurance.

Goessel school board members were informed the district is projecting a slight increase in enrollment for the coming school year. Superintendent John Fast estimated a head count of 267 students for 2013-14, compared to 265 for the past school year.

August

Kim Klein of Hillsboro was appointed to the USD 410 Board of Education, filling a vacancy at Position 6. The seat will be on the April 2015 election ballot, and Klein can run if she so chooses.

With multiple groups taking their turn with the shovels, USD 411-Goessel broke ground for their $3.3 million facilities improvement project.

September

USD 410 Superintendent Steve Noble said he received notification that Hillsboro High School had been recommended as a model school for Success Showcase at the Career and Technical Education Pathways annual conference in November.

October

Four Marion County school districts had their size classification affected by the Kansas High School Activi?ties Associa?tion?s enroll?ment counts. Hills?boro, a longtime participant in Class 3A, slipped to 2A for all activities except football, where it will continue to compete as a 3A school. Marion will remain a 3A school for all activities except football, where it will compete for 2A honors. Goessel and Centre will continue as 1A schools in all activities, but will be swapping divisions for football. Goessel will move from 8-man Division II to 8-man Division I, while Centre will make the reverse move from Division I to Division II.

Judy Harder capped her 26-year career as drama director at Tabor College with the production of ?Godspell? during homecoming. It was her 74th public production over 26 years, and the 72nd and final one in her lead role at Tabor.

Enrollment numbers for freshmen and new students reached a historic high at Tabor College. Based on the 20th day of classes, registrar Deanne Duerksen reported 246 new students, including 159 freshmen, 59 transfers and 28 high school and guest students. Overall enrollment was down slightly from the previous year.

For the 10th straight year, Tabor College has earned a national, Tier 1 ranking in the Best Colleges report issued by U.S. News Media Group. Tabor is ranked 50th in the division of regional colleges in the Midwest.

Hillsboro Ford and the Ford Motor Co. sponsored the fall Drive One 4UR School event in downtown Hillsboro. A record 225 people test-drove a vehicle, which resulted in about $4,500 for the HHS Booster Club. The event has generated $18,470 for the Booster Club since the inaugural event in 2009.

The presidents of McPher?son College and Tabor College predicted ?just another game? when prior to the football game between the two schools. The game, completed without incident, marked the first gridiron meeting between the two programs since the beating death last fall of Tabor College student-athlete Brandon Brown and the eventual arrest of two McPher?son College student-athletes.

USD 410 Superinten?dent Steve Noble said this year?s unexpected enrollment loss of 52 students, combined with decreased state funding since 2008, would cause an operating deficit approaching $750,000 over the next couple of years.

November

Responding to the unanticipated loss of 52 students this fall, the USD 410 board cut three employee positions: activities director, a central office administrative position and a mechanic position.

December

In response to typhoon victims in the Philippines, Goessel Elementary School students collected eight boxes of supplies, including 91 towels, 151 bars of soap, 210 bars of laundry soap, 212 tooth brushes, 20 boxes of adhesive bandages, 24 bottles of shampoo and 14 nail clippers. The relief items were delivered to the Mennonite Central Committee center in North Newton.

USD 410 Superintendent Steve Noble said law enforcement has concluded that a bullet that penetrated the exterior and two interior walls of the district?s central office earlier this month probably came from a hunting rifle. The incident occurred Dec. 7 while Noble was working in the building. No one was injured.

Shin-hee Chin, Tabor College professor and globally exhibited artist from McPherson, is being featured at the Lawrence Arts Center, Nov. 22 to Jan. 5. In her exhibition, called ?Mother Tongue and Motherhood,? Chin portrays her inspiration for the project and the journey of abandoning her mother tongue while becoming a mother simultaneously.

A crew from McPherson Wrecking was on site at Goessel High School in late December to tear down the old metal portion of the agricultural education wing. This was done in preparation for building the new wing that will house agricultural education, high school science and family and consumer science in a learning community. Construction was expected to begin in spring.

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