BY TONY FURSE | December 28, 2022

In addition to extension of two-year administrative contracts, a report located elsewhere in this issue, the Prairie View Unified School District 362 board of education at their monthly meeting Dec. 12 approved grants received from district United Methodist churches (UMCs).

On individual 7-0 votes separated from consent agenda financial statements, with Russell Pope participating via speaker phone, the board accepted a November installment of $569 and a December one of $33.42 to Parker Elementary from the Beagle UMC specifically earmarked primarily to supplement the school’s nutrition program.

Three votes approved $56.75 donations each from the La Cygne UMC for discretionary use, one each for Prairie View High School and the attendance centers at both La Cygne and Parker.

The board also set the 2023-24 school year calendar. Rex Bollinger, Ed.D., district superintendent, said staff had voted 80 percent in favor of the selected calendar choice, which he said is similar to the current year’s.

Among highlights he pointed out are classes starting on a Wednesday, Aug. 16, no classes on Oct. 30-31 with a staff in-service Nov. 1, classes in session Dec. 18-19 to begin the week prior to Christmas break, and at the end of the second week following spring break no classes on March 29 for Good Friday,  

Board questions during principals’ reports were primarily directed to Mark Hough, secondary-level activities director and assistant high school principal.

Brad Stainbrook asked for clarification on sports concussion protocol--”at what point after a doctor signs off can they compete?”

Hough said that, following a doctor’s release, the district follows the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) return-to-play protocol.

Asked by Pope about completed assessments “on how things went with fall sports,” Hough said he will conduct formal meetings with fall coaches next month where they bring scheduling/equipment needs and have one-on-one conversations on their successes and struggles.

Asked about the assessment of Will Shannon, first-year high school head boys’ basketball coach, Hough said that official assessment would occur at the end of the season.

Also during administrative reports, Bollinger pointed to a special education report available for board review. The full report can be found through the ‘special education funding’ tab under the Dec. 12 board agenda item 6.1 at http://www.pv362.org/page/board-agenda-and-minutes.

Bollinger said proponents “will be talking a lot” during next year’s legislative session about state percentage increases in special education funding and pointed to endorsements from the Kansas Department of Education, the Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators, and the Kansas State Parent Teacher Association.

During her report, Beth Sandness, district student services director, answered Brad Heide, board member, that the winter battery of FastBridge nationally-normed testing was to be completed by last Thursday, the final day of classes for the first semester, and that she would have the tests’ overall outlook in reading and mathematics ready for the 7 p.m. Jan. 9 monthly meeting.

Heide also alluded to 75 percent of students in December above the 90 percent attendance rate as being below the 80 percent mark in November as reported through the Buffalo Attendance Matters attendance promotion.

Sandness explained that the lower percentage was “because of a ton of kids sent home (ill recently) from the elementary schools.”

She told Heide that this year’s attendance rate as compared to last year’s has not yet been compiled.

Immediately after Wade Teagarden, board president, called last week’s meeting to order, the board voted to recess for 45 minutes to attend the Prairie View secondary-school level “Classic Christmas” concert in the Performing Arts Center. Photos from that concert can be found elsewhere in this edition.