Football co-op among school board agenda items

By Jewell County Record staff

Jewell County Record/STPNS

March 29, 2008

JEWELL COUNTY, Kansas (STPNS) -- USD 279 Board of Education met in special session with three items on the agenda. The Football Co-op agreement was discussed with several comments and questions from patrons present. Patrons expressed preference with Rock Hills, since the boys have friends in that district and it is a shorter travel time.

It was reported Mr. Turner and a few board members have been talking with Rock Hills since December with no definite answer for an agreement available by this meeting.

Some board members and Mr. Turner met with Pike Valley Board of Education in February and they were willing to enter into a football agreement plus they would welcome an addition to the coaching staff. No written application was made to Pike Valley. A motion was made to enter a two-year football agreement with Pike Valley; it was seconded and passed 5-1.

The architect's plan for remodeling Jewell Junior and Senior High School to accommodate grades K through 4 were termed too costly. The architect has been asked to design a lower cost plan.

In answer to a question from this newspaper's reporter, Scott Lienberger, board president, stated no decision has been made to close the Randall building. Another patron urged them to consider any changes carefully.

Third, Mr. Turner said he met with the administration of Ashland schools as they operate on a four-day school week (Monday-Thursday) which apparently saves the district $40,000 to $50,000 a year in transportation, school lunch programs, and reduced expense for utilities. Test scores have been better. Fridays are used for snow days, for in-service, parent-teacher conferences and extra-curricular activities. He visited with teachers, secretaries, students and a few patrons and received positive comments from all of them.

Phone calls with other schools having four-day weeks were made to Cheylin, Bird City and Tribune. It was reported all responses were positive.

Other suggestions given to save funds in the district were to combine classes, discontinue pre-school, turn the day-care to a private entity, add a computerized regulator to the heating system to decrease temperatures on weekends and installing a wind turbine.

Patrons are urged to talk to board members and to attend the next board meeting set for April 7 to express their opinions on any of these issues.

A representative from Smoky Hills Educational Service Center will be invited to the next board meeting to discuss services available.

All board members were present for the special meeting. Guests were Darrell, Deb and Damon Bohnert, Gaye Daniels, Robin and Deb Griffeth, Steve and Karen McIntyre, Janelle Greene, Greg McMillan, Mary Ann Kibbe, Superintendent of Records Jeff Travis and Fawna Barrett.

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