BY TONY FURSE | October 25, 2023

In addition to voicing approval for a four-day week survey and preparing for open enrollment policy/daycare grant application decisions next month, two reports located elsewhere in this issue, the Prairie View Unified School District 362 board of education acted on personnel moves at its monthly Oct. 17 meeting.

Following four executive sessions, each five minutes in length, the board approved the retirement of Dennis Bolton, high school science teacher, at the end of the school year, the resignation of Deanna Darling for food service/cook, and the transfer of Orval Godfrey to maintenance.

Hirings include Bolton as assistant high school girls’ basketball coach, Doug Nelson as high school head boys’ basketball coach, Brittany Newman as assistant middle school girls’ basketball coach, Kim Huebert and Rhonda Post as part-time bus drivers, Jeff Russell as co-Performing Arts Center coordinator, Kimberly Leese and James Sweat as food service/cooks, Jacoby Johnson as co-senior class sponsor, and Jennifer Andersen as a temporary part-time custodian at Parker Elementary.

A 6-0 board action will enter the district into an agreement with Shred-it, Lenexa, a document handling/shredding and information security firm. Chris Johnson, Ph.D., district superintendent, said the monthly pickup fee is $80, with a $15 monthly rental for a central administrative office “biggest” container and separate $7.50 monthly rental for containers at both the high and middle schools.

Johnson said the central office has “boxes and boxes” of documents “with information that can’t be seen.” She said the pickup would also occur during summer months--”it’s typically the busiest shredding season.” She said the district is allowed to opt out on pickup in any month not needed.

Also on a 6-0 vote, the board adopted policy updates as submitted through the Kansas Association of School Boards and reviewed by the board’s policy committee of Brian Lueker and Brian Uphoff.

Johnson said all policies were required to be passed “due to state law and regulations” except for an optional one concerning guidance in administering emergency opioid antagonists, such as naloxone or Narcan. USD 362 already has a Narcan policy in place.

In answer to Lueker, who said its adoption is a good choice, Johnson said staff are trained on its use at the beginning of the school year on using in an emergency the “nose spray that can’t hurt anyone.”

During principals’ reports, Lueker asked about a behavioral specialist’s recent visit to Parker Elementary, the specialist’s high compliments to the staff in working with students who struggle with behaviors, and remembering to attend to basic needs for elementary-age students prior to addressing academic areas of weakness. 

Mark Staab, Parker Elementary principal, said the school maintains “plenty of extra clothes” and has showers for emergencies. Johnson added that washers and dryers are also available.

In other business before the board:

--After a six-minute executive session for student confidentiality, the board approved early-graduation status for Avery Paulsen and Zebulon Wobker and approved the transfer of two secondary-level students from Pleasanton USD 344 and of a third-grader from Heidelberg, Germany.

--The board approved the appointment of Todd Wollard, human resources/food service coordinator, as the district’s account representative with the Kansas State Department of Education for child nutrition/wellness related to food services.