The Goessel school board heard Superinten?dent John Fast report during its Jan. 12 meeting that classes will begin to move into new facilities this month.
Fast said the agricultural education, science and FACS (family and consumer science) departments planned to begin moving equipment into their classrooms Jan. 19. However, students have to wait to use the classrooms until the fire marshal makes a final inspection.
Fast said the floors are nearly ready. Tables and chairs will be moved in soon. ?smart boards? have been installed.
Scott Boden, junior high and high school principal, said the weight room has already been in use.
?There has been a strong positive response from students and staff,? he said.
Added Fast: ?We are extremely pleased to see this part of the project approach completion.?
He told the board that Loyd Builders offered to host a pizza lunch to celebrate for students and staff when classes move into the new classrooms.
Fast said the public will be invited to see the new classrooms and shop area, and the formal dedication will be held later in the semester when the entire project is done.
The dedication will include the storm shelter at the elementary school.
?We are eager to share the excitement of these new facilities with our community,? he said.
Fast expressed appreciation to the board for its support of the construction and remodeling project and for its efforts in other ways for the school.
He said January is the month to recognize school board members; he presented a certificate to each one and thanked them for the volunteer work they do for the school.
?It is appreciated,? he said.
Board member James Wiens told fast, ?How fortunate I feel to be in a place like this,? adding that he had seen Fast at the door of the school in the mornings telling students he?s glad to see them.
Board chairman Dan Miller agreed: ?This is a community of hospitality.?
Other business
In other business, the board:
? voted to approve the request for no classes at the junior high/high school building Feb. 11 because Goessel will host the state-wide FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) event that day. Classrooms throughout the building will be used.
Boden said teachers will be on duty that day, either assisting with the FCCLA event or working on school improvement activities.
? heard from Boden that the school improvement day Jan. 19 would include CPR training by high school teacher Curtis Guhr.
? heard Fast report that The Learning Consortium is looking into hiring a company that would do all the locating work for the consortium. The schools in the consortium would share the cost. Hesston has been sending one of its staff members and has incurred the location costs through the years.
? heard Fast report that computer use continues to increase. He said computers are used more at the grade school now than they were five years ago.
Boden said computer use at the junior high and high school building has increased in some classes but not in others.
?Some classes still need paper,? he said. They can?t do everything electronically.
Fast said exchange students ?love the access of laptops for each student.?
? briefly reviewed the proposed school calendar for the 2015-16 year. Fast is checking with other Marion County schools, Newton and Hutchinson Community College in an effort to keep the breaks the same as the other schools.
Goessel shares some services with other schools in Marion County. Some Goessel students go to Newton for automotive technology classes and other specialized classes that are not offered at Goessel.
Also, some students are enrolled in online college classes through HCC.
? heard board member Kelly Booton report that Marion County Special Education Cooperative has seen some staff turnover with positions in the county.
? heard Wiens report on the Kansas state budget shortfall and said schools are under-funded. He said some legislators want to move school board elections to November. However, the Kansas Association of School Boards feels it is not ?healthy? or necessary to hold elections at that time in the school year. It is better to keep elections as they are currently scheduled.
School board members were reminded to file for re-election by noon Jan. 27. Dan Miller, Darla Meysing and Kyle Funk are eligible for re-election.
? approved a reward trip for junior high school students to Worlds of Fun near the end of the school year.
? heard from Boden that the school is working on a broadcasting policy for outside entities that want to broadcast events from the Goessel school. He said this was prompted by some schools that wanted to broadcast sporting events from Goessel.
?Officially, we retain all rights to any broadcasting,? he said.
? heard that the basketball tournament had been well-organized, and Boden said the school had received many positive comments on the well-managed event.
? commended students for their donations to the Tabor Mennonite Church food pantry.
? heard that elementary school students will see a production of ?Miss Nelson Is Missing? Feb. 27 by the Wichita Children?s Theater. The event is paid for by box tops.
? heard from Fast that the school?s ?head-count? is now 278, one more than the beginning of school.
? heard Fast say expenditures so far this school year are comparable to last year. He said January will be a busy month, and more motor fuel would be needed for transportation. He said the total for all the utilities is within the budget.
