During their meeting Monday, the United School District 234 Board of Education received a report on grade proficiency data gathered from the 2014-2015 school year through the present as the schools continue to work on creating their own curriculum since the adoption of the Common Core Standards in 2010.

Curriculum Director Nicki Traul said for the past four years, the district has been utilizing Literacy First, an initiative that has trained staff and provided guidelines for the curriculum as well as a method for gathering data from the schools.

At Winfield Scott for example, Traul said they gathered data concerning three different areas; the students’ phonological awareness, phonics and fluency. Using that data, they have been able to assess where the students are at in their learning as well as how efficient the use of Literacy First has been in improving those reading and comprehension skills.

At that school, Traul said they data has been extraordinary, even drawing visits from other school districts wanting to learn from USD 234. Assessment tests for those students also showed the majority of the students are at expectation.

Eugene Ware data also showed improvement in those areas of data in recent years, with fewer students needing specific attention in areas of phonics and understanding the English language.

“We always want to get better,” Traul said, but said there has been much accomplished that should be celebrated.

Traul also shared data gathered from assessment tests taken by the third through 12^th graders in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, dividing the results in the areas of math and reading into quadrants ranging from below proficient with no growth year to year, up to proficient and showing growth. With only two years of data, Traul said she is uncomfortable emphasizing trends, but said one can see the beginning of certain trends through the facts gathered, which were not all positive.

With this data, Traul said they want to see students moving from less proficient with little growth to the proficient and growing areas. When they see significant numbers of students instead moving backwards, as was seen in some grades, Traul said that is cause for concern.

“There’re areas we really need to improve,” Traul said. “But there are areas that we really need to celebrate as well.”

After sharing the data with administration, Traul said she and Superintendent Bob Beckham were able to meet with those administrators to discuss why the data is the way it is among their students and what goals they might have for their specific buildings to bring improvements.

While the reading data shows some more positive numbers in proficiency and growth, Traul said the math students especially need to see improvement. While certain data shows there has been some growth, such as compared to national averages, Traul said they would like to see much more growth as some students appear to be stagnant instead of growing in their knowledge or remain below proficient.

“I didn’t get on the school board to build new buildings,” board president Jordan Witt said, saying the education of the students is their priority. “There’s areas on here I’m embarrassed about and we’re going to get better.”

Traul said this data helps her and others involved in developing new curriculum know where they need to focus. Some of that curriculum will be ready for use at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.

During their monthly meeting held Monday evening, the United School District 234 Board of Education received an update on the bond project underway at all four schools.

“We’re going full force,” Nabholz representative Steve Bennett told the board, but added the projects will likely not be complete by the time the next school semester begins. “There’s too much stuff to get everything done this summer.”

Because of the delay before work started as the district and Nabholz worked to get everything within budget, Bennett said there has now also been a delay in getting contractors to bid and get on board with the project because they have been busy with other projects. Other underground surprises such as rock, poor soils, coal, unexpected foundations and other issues such as weather and traffic have slowed the project slightly as well.

Bennett said they have worked through most of those delays and are nearing the completion of the utilities portion of the project. The design for the auditorium has also been completed and is now going through quality control for approval. The pre-casting is done as well as much of the demolition and electrical work.

While in a perfect situation Bennett said they would like to have most if not all of the projects complete by the fall semester, he said they will probably have at least 60 percent of the bond projects done by that time. The crews will then complete as much as they can during the weekends and evening hours when the schools are empty and schedule larger projects for the following summer.

But while the work may not be done in its entirety, Bennett assured the board that all four schools will be functional and ready for students by the time classes begin. Other projects such as the new gymnasium and other work that will not hinder the staff and students will be completed later in the semester.

The school board members explained they initially received several comments and questions from the community concerning the work since the beginning stages were either done inside the buildings or underground and could not be seen. But they are more encouraged now that the progress is more visible.

“It’s fun to drive by and see the projects moving along,” board member Michelle Hudiburg said.

Board president Jordan Witt said he has also received questions about how the projects are staying within budget and if the quality of the job has been compromised in order to stay within that budget.

“We have not sacrificed anything for the integrity of the job,” Bennett said, saying some excess, more decorative options were cut, a larger contractor selected for part of the labor and certain materials they will use have changed in order to save money, but only as long as the quality was equal to or better than the original.

Superintendent Bob Beckham said in future weeks the school board will be invited to participate in a walking tour of the buildings to see the progress being made.

During the weekly Chamber Coffee Thursday, employees with the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes announced that since the opening of their new building in just recent weeks, they have already welcomed more than 1,000 visitors to the new facility, including international visitors.

“The outreach is amazing,” Director of Marketing Dani Gardullo said of the far-reaching impact of the center, which in recent weeks has had visitors from Australia and other overseas places.

More than 1.2 million students from around the world have participated in the vision of the center and its founder to research and recognize people who have had a positive impact on the world and had not been honored for it.

“These are the role models that we want to instill in the lives of younger generations,” Gardullo said.

Gardullo explained that they will continue using the former building for students working on projects and for other needs, but the exhibits featuring unsung heroes are on display in the new structure with additional, interactive features for visitors to take part in. An in-depth tour of the entire building and all its exhibits could take as long as a few hours, though shorter tours are also available. The center is also now open on Saturdays as well.

“There’s just so much to see and take in here,” Gardullo said.

The center also provides a conference room that fits 32 people and is available for local organizations, business or other groups needing a place to meet. The center continues to sell memorial bricks for $100 each to be placed in the Unsung Heroes Park that will be located on the south side of the new building.

City Manager Dave Martin said it was a pleasure working with Lowell Milken on the new center and he is grateful Milken decided to keep the center in Fort Scott despite others encouraging him to move it to a larger city. Martin said the city needs to continue to support the center, recognizing how important it is to the city.

“We are so appreciative of all the support that we’ve received from this community,” Gardullo said. “Fort Scott is wonderful.”

Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site, June 8

Fort Scott National Historic Site is pleased to announce a unique exhibition of national park artwork now on display at the fort.

Visitors can enjoy images from other national parks across the country with this collection, part of the National Park Service 100th Anniversary celebration. The traveling art exhibit by Chad Farnes is unique in its medium as well in its theme. The collection, titled A Tribute to our National Parks, depicts 21 National Parks from around the country in duct tape and masking tape on canvas. The scenes vary as much as our national parks, including animals, scenery, people recreating and historic buildings. Some of the parks featured are Acadia, Mammoth Cave, Hot Springs, Yellowstone and Great Smoky Mountain.

The collection of works is on display now at Fort Scott National Historic Site, on the second floor of the museum, next to the theater. The exhibition arrived at Fort Scott from Homestead National Monument of America, and will travel next to Fort Larned National Historic Site after the exhibit ends on June 21. It will be displayed at several other national park sites in this Centennial year.

Chad Farnes was raised in California and moved to Utah for college. He originally stumbled across tape art when a roommate used painter’s tape to decorate a wall. Chad began creating his own wall creations and eventually expanded into using other types of tape, such as masking tape and duct tape, and different surfaces, such as canvas. Chad has exhibited at several locations around the country, such as the Utah County Art Gallery and in Brooklyn, New York, at the Crest Hardware Art Show. Discover more about Mr. Farnes’ creative work at http://ezetary.com/.

Fort Scott National Historic Site is one of over 400 units of the National Park Service. It is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Entrance to the site is free of charge.

Livestock Judging Camps

Submitted by Heather Cutshall, May 31

The Fort Scott Community College Agriculture Department will host its annual livestock judging camps in June. A beginners’ session for younger students will be offered on Tuesday, June 14, and an extended session for older students will be offered from Wednesday, June 15, through Friday, June 17.

During both sessions, students will learn how to evaluate livestock and provide oral reasons in a fun, learning environment. Students will learn transitions and phrases used during livestock judging, and they will be encouraged to improve on every set of reasons. Upon completion of the camp, students will be more comfortable with judging livestock and presenting their oral reasons.

The fee for the beginners’ session is $45 and the extended session is $165. Students who attend the extended session will stay two nights in the FSCC Boileau Hall dorms, and meals are included in the fee.

For more information or to register, please call (620) 223-2700, extension 3290.

Volleyball Camps

Submitted by Heather Cutshall, June 6

The Fort Scott Community College Volleyball Program will host several camps this summer to help students who wish to develop or enhance fundamental volleyball skills.

Kids’ All Skills Training Camp
The Kids’ All Skills Training Camp, open to students grades 3 – 6, will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 22. Emphasis will be placed on form and movement training for passing, hitting, setting and other skill areas. The campers will work in small groups with a great camper-to-coach ratio. The fee is $15 and includes a t-shirt.

7th – 12th Grade Skills Training Camp

This volleyball camp will be held 1 – 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 22. The camp will focus on fundamental skills, mental training and efficient ball control skills during game situations. The fee is $15 and includes a t-shirt.

College Prep Camp

The College Prep Camp is designed for high school athletes who would like to play volleyball in college. This camp will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at noon on Thursday, June 23. Emphasis will be placed on fundamental skills, mental training and efficient ball control skills during game situations. The fee is $30 and includes a t-shirt.

Payment is due at the beginning of each camp. Camp shirts will be guaranteed only for those who preregister. To preregister, please visit fsgreyhounds.com/sports/wvball/related_links/camp.

For more information, please contact Lindsay Hill, FSCC Head Volleyball Coach, at (620) 223-2700 or [email protected].

During their first June meeting held Tuesday evening, the Fort Scott City Commission approved of the 2016 street improvement program, but also discussed that department’s need for further revenue sources in future years.

Finance Director Jon Garrison said the budget will be sufficient for the next year or two, but by 2018 the city may have to find other ways to fund the street department as it continues to use up carryover finances, becoming a “major concern” financially.

City Manager Dave Martin said the need for street repairs is great in Fort Scott and the city could benefit from spending $300,000 to $400,000 on projects each year to keep ahead of that need. The 2016 program approved Tuesday was for a total of $130,429 in improvements, as presented by Streets and Traffic Supervisor Chad Brown.

“It’s not unique to Fort Scott,” commissioner Jim Adams said of the need for repairs, saying he frequently hears from residents listing areas that need repaired.

Garrison said the department is currently funded annually by the gas tax, which brings in about $225,000 from the state annually, and $400,000 from the city’s general fund. Options for other revenue sources could include earmarking a portion of the sales tax for the street department, reallocating existing resources or continuing taxes such as the pool tax that will sunset in upcoming years, instead using that amount of about $675,000 a year for street maintenance and repairs.

The improvement plan the commission approved includes 11 projects, five of them road projects and the other six off-street parking projects.

Road projects include 9^th, 10^th and 11^th streets between Main Street and National Avenue, Judson Street from 1^st to 2^nd Street and the intersection at 8^th and Wilson streets.

Two of the road projects, at 10^th and 11^th streets near the high school, will include taking up about two blocks of brick roads and replacing it with asphalt, which Brown said is a quicker and much cheaper process. Commissioner Randy Nichols said he realizes the brick roads are an important part of the historic downtown community, but the area for the project is outside that designated historic area and will benefit those driving around the high school.

Parking areas are included in the program at areas that need consistency where surfaces are currently made up of asphalt, concrete and brick as well as improvements in order to make them safer for pedestrians who have tripped or fallen on uneven areas.

“Parking is becoming more critical as we continue to improve downtown,” Martin said. “And these parking lots haven’t had anything done to them for quite a few years.”

Brown also gave an update on the city’s use of the new pothole patching equipment, used since the beginning of the year. It has been used for a total of about 135 tons of patching material at the cost of just over $3,400, saving the city almost $15,000.

“That’s a tremendous asset to us,” Brown said of the machine, which has saved the city employees time and efficiency as well as money.

After Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced in recent months that the state would have to delay indefinitely the Highway 69 project that would widen the highway between Fort Scott and Highway 44, that project could be back on schedule once again after Southeast Kansas politicians  and residents fought for the project.

“This is a perfect example of people speaking up and legislators listening,” Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin, expressing appreciation to those involved in the change such as Senator Jake LaTurner and Kansas Secretary of Transportation Mike King.

After the project’s delay was announced in April, LaTurner wrote a letter to the governor emphasizing the importance of the project and then met with him and other administration personally to find a way to continue the project. With the help of King, who agreed to use funding remaining in the Kansas Department of Transportation budget, an agreement has been reached that will allow phase one to begin within the next year.

“I’m not naïve enough to know we’re not there yet,” Martin admitted. “It looks like the first battle’s been won, but until they actually sign contracts and break ground, we can’t let up. We have to continue to fight.”

Although he admitted some might believe he is biased because of his position in Fort Scott, Martin said he believes, among the approximate 25 other projects the state of Kansas had to choose among, the connection between Southeast Kansas and Kansas City is probably the most crucial to the economic development of the state as it makes travel easier for visitors.

Martin added he and Fort Scott Director of Economic Development Heather Smith have made commitments to businesses located along that corridor and have even received commitments from businesses when they learned of the widening project, making its continuation important for area development.

“We can’t turn our back on it,” Martin said, encouraging the public to continue to keep pressure on the legislators. “That’s what we need to do to continue our development of our great city and county and Southeast Kansas.”

Contracts for the project could be let by October of 2016 with construction beginning on the $25 million phase one in the spring of 2017, earlier than it had been previously scheduled. The first phase will widen Highway 69 to four lanes from south of Fort Scott to the Crawford County line. Future phases will continue that widening even further south.

“I think once they start phase one, it makes even more sense to go ahead and continue it and get it done,” Martin said.

The 35th Annual Good Ol’ Days Festival, celebrating the 100th birthday of the National Parks Service, successfully brought large crowds of visitors to downtown Fort Scott as the city and local businesses provided a wide selection of events and activities.

Kicking off the weekend with the Fort Scott Idol competition Thursday and the parade Friday evening, the festivities did not end until Saturday evening as vendors lined Main Street for the street marketplace and performances were put on regularly such as the Red Garter Show, the Hemphill Family Band and the Dueling Pianos along with others.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site also played a key role as eight different national historic sites were present to provide information and demonstrations, including American Indian dancing.

Other events included a baby judging contest, petting zoo, pony rides, human foosball tournament, a carnival and a motorcycle and car show.

The event will wrap up with a post-event meeting and then the Good Ol’ Days committee will begin preparing for another year of the popular festival.