USD 234 board weighs in on school bond issue

With only about three weeks until voters will decide upon a $40.8 million USD 234 bond issue, USD 234 Board of Education members weighed in on the matter during their regular meeting Monday night.

Voters who head to the polls during the Nov. 4 election will vote on the bond issue, which includes several district-wide improvements to all school buildings and the district stadium.

"The bond election is 21 days away," USD 234 Superintendent Bob Beckham said during the meeting.

He thanked Carolyn Sinn and Diana Mitchell, both members of the bond committee that has worked in recent months to spread information about the bond issue in the community, for their continuous work and efforts. Beckham said he, Board President Jordan Witt and other members of the committee plan to continue to speak at "numerous community events" about the bond issue in the coming weeks.

The third in a series of four public forums on the bond issue was scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Fort Scott Middle School media center. The last forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Fort Scott High School media center.

Board Vice-President Gary Billionis thanked the bond committee, as well as Beckham and Witt who have presented information at the public forums, for their work.

"If it (bond issue) doesn't pass, you won't be able to say it wasn't transparent," Billionis said. "Nothing was hidden. There were no hidden agendas."

Board Member Justin Meeks also mentioned the bond election, calling the issue "important."

"I hope it passes," Meeks said. "Whether they vote yes or no, I just hope people vote, and vote their conscience ... I see people talking about it. It's on people's minds."

Board Member Michelle Parker said she is "excited about the positive things going on now in the district," of those being the bond issue and recent grants the district has received.

"One of the goals was to have conversations to bring us together and not tear us apart," Witt said of the bond forums. "People are concerned about the facts. It's truly been a community conversation. It shows the strength of this community."

Witt said passage of the bond issue is "paramount to a strong Fort Scott and school district." He added the formation of the bond issue is "based on several things," among those being community input.

"November 4 is a huge day for Fort Scott and the future," he said. "People can have areas they disagree with but still vote yes on the whole package. There will not be a 100 percent perfect bond package."

"Some (people) have said we're reaching too far, that the price tag is too high," Witt said. "It's not the board pushing for a bond issue. These are things the community has told us they wanted."

Also present for the meeting were Ed Carlson and Keegan Jackson, of Hollis and Miller Architects of Overland Park, the district's architectural and engineering team, who presented information on the three construction delivery options available for the district if the bond issue passes. Carlson then discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

The three different construction delivery types are: a competitive bid through a general contractor, construction management agency and construction management at-risk.

The first option involves "a design, bid and build" process, a traditional delivery method and usually the lowest bid. The second option, construction management agency, would involve the district hiring construction management prior to the design/bid phase. Construction management cannot perform the work with this option, according to Carlson, who added overhead costs vary with each option.

With construction management at-risk, the construction management is hired prior to the design/bid phase and the construction management can self-perform the work. This option typically involves the "guaranteed maximum price" and "as much local participation as possible," Carlson said.

"Regardless of the method chosen, the architect's role doesn't change," Carlson said. The firm will be in charge of quality documents, maintaining project budgets and assuring quality construction and installation, among other responsibilities.

"We're all in this endeavor together," he said.

Witt asked about timing in terms of how much time the board will have to choose an option following the bond election, if the bond issue passes.

Jackson said a time line will be put together following the bond election. He also said the construction management at-risk option has been a "favorable" method among school districts handling similar projects.

"It gives us the best project for the dollar," Beckham said. "It puts an expert set of eyes on every phase of the projects."

See story about the third public forum to discuss the bond issue on Page 1.

Other board business:

* The board heard a report on the local Kansas National Education Association chapter from Fort Scott Middle School teacher Stephanie George. George said she appreciated Beckham's attendance at recent KNEA council meetings. George also provided an update on the "Read to your Bunny" program, a district-wide KNEA program that helps expose children to reading at a young age.

* The board took no action following a 10-minute executive session to discuss personnel matters for non-elected personnel and for matters relating to the security of the board, the school, school buildings or facilities or the information system of the school.

* During Beckham's report, he updated the board on the progress of the Board Policy Review Committee, which consists of Beckham and board members Billionis, Meeks and Janet Braun. Attorneys with the Kansas Association of School Boards have reviewed the board's policies and have sent suggested changes to the district. The committee, which meets once a week, is reviewing the suggestions and plans to bring policies before the board at a later date, Beckham said. Board policies have not been reviewed for several years.

"We want to adopt it as a whole rather than in part," he said. "We'll continue to hammer at this one hour per week."

* Beckham informed the board of a $20,000 Kansas Department of Health and Environment Healthy Kansas Schools Grant the district has secured for the 2014-15 school year. Grant funds will be used to promote health and wellness in the district, Beckham said. The board approved acceptance of the grant.

* Beckham provided an enrollment count report to the board, saying that both head count and FTE (full-time equivalency, the number which state funding is based on) figures are down this year from about the same time last year. He said the numbers are somewhat "concerning" but there are some positives.

"We'll continue to monitor this," he said. "We're in good shape budget-wise."

At the start of the 2013-14 school year, total head count was 1,938 and the district started this school year with a head count of 1,904, according to Sept. 22 figures the district reports to the state.

The FTE number at the start of last year was 1,861 and this year that figure is 1,835.

"Ironically, it's up in both categories from where we finished last school year," Beckham said.

The district ended last year with a head count figure of 1,901 and a FTE number of 1,831.

"And that speaks to we have some transient students coming through," he said.

Beckham said when the district budget was built in July, the district budgeted an FTE figure of 1,810.

"Our budget is actually going to be able to handle a few more kids than we budgeted for, and that's always a good thing," he said. "It's better than having the opposite."

* The board approved the $5,631 purchase of new uniforms for the track and cross country teams. Beckham said the total price tag will be funded using $3,500 currently in the building-level track budget and $2,131 in gate receipts from sporting events.

"It's been awhile since they've been replaced," he said. "It's nice to have that money to pull from (athletic funds)."

* During the board comments portion of the meeting, Billionis asked for thoughts and prayers regarding the recent deaths of former district employee Pennie Province, who died Oct. 1, and Lance Hedges, a 1986 FSHS graduate who grew up in Fort Scott. Hedges died Oct. 9. Billionis said both deaths were "sudden."

Billionis also urged thoughts and prayers for Kelli Mintz, a secretary at Winfield Scott, and retired district employee Tom Davis, as well as their families. Mintz and Davis are both battling health issues.

* Board members approved the following employment matters:

A retirement request from Doris Hudson, Eugene Ware secretary, effective Dec. 31.

A resignation request from Casey Lewis, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, effective Oct. 17.

Hired Susan Karleskint as a high school one-day-per-week ESOL teacher; Ken Klassen as a middle school boys' and middle school girls' basketball coach; hired Diana Larsen as a Eugene Ware paraprofessional; and hired Susanne Cosens as a Eugene Ware professional, all for the 2014-15 school year.

Added a Eugene Ware paraprofessional position for the 2014-15 school year.