The USD 383 school board discussed Wednesday the district’s current COVID-19 response plan for the upcoming school year.
Masks are not included, but could be brought back for discussion, if conditions warrant. Superintendent Marvin Wade explains the factors that the district plans on monitoring the most as kids return to school.
Board President Curt Herrman says he’s confident in the district’s ability to navigate the current COVID-19 climate and any issues that may arise in the future.
The plan was approved with a 7-0 vote following the alteration of one clause regarding contact tracing.
The board also received some updates on budget planning. New this year, the district will be required to include building needs assessments and site council reports minutes in its upcoming budget.
Business Services Director Lew Faust indicated that the new requirement is part of a legislation approved earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly governing how dollars are appropriated from the state. Faust says while it needs to be included in the budget, it is not actually part of the budget.
Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid says administrators are still sifting through details, including the wording of a motion, what needs to be a resolution and definitions of some of the wording.
The school board will need to review state assessments and identify barriers over student achievement proficiency above level 2, and reallocate resources to address said barriers. Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid says identifying barriers won’t be hard, but addressing the ones beyond their control will be.
Reid says he has issues with the state dictating where to allocate funds for the district when it is not doing its part for special education funding. He says this creates a large barrier to recruitment, retention, and classified employees. Board Member Darell Edie says it feels like some sort of penalty to the districts by including this requirement.
Board Member Karla Hagemeister suggested inviting local legislators to see how this process will look.
