The USD 411-Goessel School Board approved plans for dedicating the junior high gym at the board?s Jan. 11 meeting.
Marc Grout, junior/senior high school principal, said the gym will be dedicated as ?Lynel J. Unrau Gymnasium? in honor of the long-time board chairman. The ceremony will take place between the high school girls? and boys? games Monday, Feb. 1.
Grout said high school games would be played in the junior high gym that evening, and junior high games will be played in the high school gym. He said both local schools ended up at Goessel on the same evening because of a schedule change. Since Flint Hills will be hosting the regional Scholar?s Bowl tournament on the same day, Flint Hills could not host a basketball game.
On another matter, Super?in?tendent John Fast announced he had been asked to make a presentation at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church about the school?s budget concerns at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17. Goessel Mennonite Church has asked him to speak about budget issues at that church at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31. The community is invited to attend those presentations.
Fast will explain how the state?s budget cuts could affect the Goessel school district, and thereby, the whole community.
In addition to the meetings at the churches, the public is also invited to a community meeting about budget issues at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, before the regular February board meeting. The board meets at the elementary school.
In other business, the board:
? heard the financial report from Chet Roberts, business administrator. Echoing Fast?s concerns about state funding, he said, ?It?s pretty sobering.? Roberts and Fast had plans to travel to Topeka Jan. 19 to discuss the budget.
? listened to Lori Soo Hoo?s presentation about the Marion County Parents As Teachers early childhood education program. Soo Hoo, the director, said 34 children ?graduated? from the program last year. Thirteen children participate from 11 families in the Goessel district. Two families are on the waiting list. A total of 104 child?ren from 88 families are being served.
In addition to the county-wide PAT activities that are planned throughout the year, an educator visits families in their homes on a regular basis. The educator works with the children and gives the parents ideas of educational activities they can do with their children.
Roberts said, ?I don?t think people understand how great that program is.?
? agreed not to purchase wind turbines at this time. Fast said the school could receive $3,700 in grant money toward the purchase of a wind turbine, but that would still leave more than $30,000 or $40,000 the school would have to pay. Consequently, Fast recommended putting a wind turbine ?on hold.?
