The Goessel school board discussed plans during its Oct. 10 meeting for a meeting with Kansas state legislators Jay Emler and Bob Brookens.
The board also discussed meeting with Ken Willard, who is the Kansas State Board of Education representative for this area.
Board member James Wiens, who has been in contact with the three men, said, ?It will be good to have these folks here.?
The board plans to invite staff and community leaders to the meeting also. The date and time of the meeting are still to be determined.
New teacher
The board listened to new teacher Lynda Schroeder, who was hired as an additional second-grade teacher this year because of the large second-grade class.
Schroeder originally is from Lancaster, Pa., and attended Hesston College. She is married to Dan Schroeder, who is a Goessel High School graduate. They live in Hesston.
Schroeder said her students ?are doing a fantastic job at going from class to class??something students don?t usually do until they are older.
Schroeder taught family and consumer sciences at Southeast High School in Wichita for six years and four years at Valley Center Middle School. She has also been a substitute teacher.
Schroeder is certified in FACS and early childhood education and is working on a broader certification to include all grades.
Aside from teaching, Schroeder volunteers as a clerk at the Newton Et Cetera Shop in summer and will also be on the board.
She also volunteers with Circles of Hope, a program to help people in poverty.
She is the congregational secretary and a Sunday school teacher at her church. She is also on a district church committee.
Schroeder said she is excited to teach at Goessel and enjoys teaching in the school her husband attended.
Board clerk resigns
The board accepted the retirement resignation of board clerk Patsy Schmidt, effective Oct. 1, 2012. She has been the board clerk for 23 years.
Superintendent John Fast said, ?She has always been one to come to work with a cheerful and positive spirit and has treated all of the employees, public and students with utmost respect.?
He mentioned her diligence in ?completing the myriad of reports that are filed with the state department? and her adaptation to changing technology.
?Most people would be shocked at the amount and variety of duties she covers,? Fast said. ?It has been a pleasure to work with her.?
Bus accident
Fast reported on a bus accident with another vehicle that had happened the previous week on Kansas Highway 15.
?I?m pleased to say there were no injuries,? he said.
He said the substitute bus driver had followed all procedures and was in compliance with the law. The bus was stopped at the time.
Fast said a bus driver can pull off the highway onto a driveway if there is a curve or a hill. He said the bus drivers will review the five K-15 bus stops.
At the time of the board meeting, the bus was in Florence for repairs.
Evaluation proposal
The board listened to Fast?s report that schools can seek a waiver from ?adequate yearly progress.? He explained a detailed sample of guidelines that could be used instead, including the ?five Rs?: relationships, relevance, responsive culture, results and rigor.
He said schools would be assessed based on how they are achieving, but the proposal is going to be challenged.
?There are a lot of question marks,? he said.
He expressed concern that rural schools be represented in the ?pilot? project.
Other business
In other business, the board:
? approved the administration?s recommendation to hire Justin Regehr as the assistant junior high boys? basketball coach. Regehr is a Bethel College graduate from Halstead and is working as a substitute teacher.
Garrett Hiebert is the junior high boys? basketball head coach. Hiebert is a Goessel alum who also graduated from Bethel College.
? heard that parent-teacher meetings are Oct. 24. School will be out at 12:30 p.m. that day for meetings in the afternoon and evening.
? heard that the annual book fair at the grade school is scheduled for Oct. 21-26.
? heard plans for fire safety week.
? heard from junior/senior principal Scott Boden that he is looking into options for replacing the junior high lockers.
? listened to Boden?s report about upgrades in interactive-television equipment. He said that a replacement microphone has already been installed, and the remaining upgrades likely will be done in November.
He said the school is applying for a free dedicated network connection through Kan-Ed, which would be especially helpful in case of Internet outages.
? heard that students are using Study Island to review concepts in preparation for state assessment tests and the ACT test. Boden said some students are also receiving individual tutoring instruction.
? heard that Ryan Hoopes is upgrading the school?s website.
? heard that Joe Biggs, elementary physical education and health teacher, is incorporating lessons on responsible Internet use, especially as it relates to Facebook and other social media.
Boden said the school is also addressing the issue of cyber-bullying.
? accepted an anonymous donation of $50 for Scholar?s Bowl. Boden said the team will begin competition Oct. 20.
? heard Boden report that volleyball sub-state will be at Centre Oct. 22, and cross-country regionals will be the same day at the Cessna Activity Center in Wichita.
He said the high school football team has experienced several injuries.
?Nothing could have been done differently,? Fast said.
The junior high volleyball and football teams have had successful seasons.
? heard FFA chose not to attend the national convention this year but is considering a less expensive activity instead.
? commended board member Eric Schrag for his work with Goessel?s Harvest Festival run. Schrag said he appreciated working with teachers Tyler Schroeder and Derrick Birdsell.
?I hope the event continues,? Schrag said, adding they had received ?lots of positive feedback.?
? heard Boden report that potholes and low spots had been fixed in the school parking lot.
? heard the audit report from Dale Clark of Knudsen and Monroe. According to Clark, all financial records are in good order.
? voted to donate $2,500 to Families And Children Together, which formerly was called Communities In Schools. Fast said the school had approved $2,500 for CIS in the past.
? heard the Marion County Special Education Cooperative report from board member Kelly Booton. He said Prairie View has approached the MCSEC board about renting a room in the MCSEC building to use as an extension for Prairie View?s services. The room is currently used for storage. Wiens said he thought it would be good for both the MCSEC and Prairie View.
? learned that the basketball team is considering the possibility of selling Bluebird items such as shirts, hats and blankets.
