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BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, August 8, 2022
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022, for their regular monthly meeting at the board office.
President Danny Brown opened the meeting.
The board approved the official agenda, and the consent agenda as follows:
The board heard reports from FSKNEA, the Assistant Superintendent, and the Business Manager. The board received a presentation of the budget and reviewed a copy of the District Needs Assessment. Budget publications will also be posted to the district website.
The board approved the following items:
The board went into an executive session for personnel matters, negotiations to discuss reopening the 2022-23 negotiations, and then into an executive session for personnel matters.
President Danny Brown adjourned the meeting.
PERSONNEL REPORT – APPROVED EMPLOYMENT
RESIGNATIONS/TERMINATIONS/RETIREMENTS:
EMPLOYMENT/REASSIGNMENTS – FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR
Durnell was influenced to teach by his high school teacher and coach, Randy Robertson, he said.
“In teaching, we are faced with students being more distracted than ever,” he said. “It is a challenge to keep things interesting for them.”
Christie Lutter Smith, 48 is the Speech Language Pathologist for Eugene Ware Elementary, Fort Scott High, St. Mary’s Elementary, Christian Heights and Christian Learning Center all in Fort Scott.
“I am really looking forward to being a part of the Fort Scott School District,” she said. “I am looking forward to the upcoming school year and can’t wait to work with the kids and their families.”
Smith earned a Bachelor’s in Communication Disorders (Speech Language Pathology), then a Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education, taught school, then earned a Master’s in Communication Disorders.
“I have been a speech therapist for over 20 years and have practiced in a variety of settings: schools, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities. I love them all and feel blessed to love what I do.”
She and husband Dallas have been married 25 years and have three girls: Meg, 22, is getting married this fall; Ellie,17 will be a senior and “can’t wait for basketball season, and Cate,10a, ttends Saint Mary’s and pretty much loves everyone,” she said.
In her spare time she loves to travel, read, and has hobbbies of photography, music and art.
Smith’s other involvements in the community: Catholic High School Youth Leader, past Mercy Hospital Foundation Board member, a nursing home volunteer, Parent Teacher Organization, past board member of Mother to Mother Ministry, Relay for Life, PEO, and Magazine Club.
“I started college as a pre-med student; however, after taking a few classes in speech pathology I fell in love. Probably because I love to talk! As my classes went along I also fell in love with the special education field and became actively involved in the Special Olympics. All these exposures and experiences have aided me throughout my career.”
“Some of the greatest challenges I have faced in my career and continue to face is finding the resources our families need in Southeast Kansas. It may not be easy to find but there are amazing people and companies out there, a lot of them in our community.”
The City of Fort Scott Water Distribution Department will be changing out a fire hydrant at 1st and Grant Street on Wednesday, August 10th, 2022.
In order to do this safely and without a long term water outage, the water pressure in the area from Broadway to Cameron along 1st Street will need to be reduced.
Some residents may experience low or no water pressure during this time.
The Water Distribution Department will try to keep this situation as short as a time frame as possible.
Please watch for the water pressure drop around 9:00 a.m. that morning.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 620-223-0550 and ask for Water Distribution Department.
This week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by the Church of Christ (15th and Crawford streets). The music will feature a program of a cappella hymns and gospel songs.
“The singers represent multiple ages and they really shine with a passion for blending harmonies with their musical styling of the gospel,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “Come out and join us; it’s a great opportunity to see friends and enjoy some beautiful encouraging music. We are happy to welcome this church family back to the park pavilion.”
The one-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas and Jim Butler provide the sound each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors.
Sales Tax Holiday Weekend
in Fort Scott |
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The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces an opportunity for shoppers to save money this weekend, August 5th-7th!
With no “official” Sales Tax Holiday weekend in the State of Kansas, we have our own holiday here where these local retailers pay the tax for you! Save 9.4% this weekend at these local merchants: Angie Dawn’s Boutique Bids & Dibs Hedgehog.INK! Museum of Creativity Gift Shop Papa Don’s Pizza Ruddick’s Furniture & Flooring (up to $500 of sales/$50 of Sales Tax) Shirt Shack Sunshine Boutique These stores offer a variety of merchandise including apparel, home furnishings and décor – both new and repurposed, school supplies and much more! There is no need to cross the border during this No Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. Save money, shop local, shop Fort Scott! |
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BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING
AUGUST 8, 2022 – 5:30 P.M.
AGENDA SUMMARY WITH COMMENTARY
1.0 Call Meeting to Order Danny Brown, President
2.0 Flag Salute
3.0 Approval of the Official Agenda (Action Item)
4.0 Approval of the Consent Agenda (Action Item)
4.1 Minutes from July 11, 2022, Board of Education Meeting
Minutes from July 25, 2022, Special Board of Education Meeting
4.2 Treasurer’s Report
4.3 Check Register
4.4 Payroll – July 20, 2022 – $1,289, 232.37
4.5 Activity Fund accounts
4.6 Audiology Contract with Greenbush
4.7 Low Incidence Contract with Greenbush
5.0 Leadership Reports (Information/Discussion)
5.1 Superintendent’s Report
5.2 Assistant Superintendent’s Report
5.3 Business Manager’s Report
6.0 Old Business
6.1 Approve MOU with the City of Fort Scott for a second School Resource Officer
7.0 New Business
7.1 Approval of participation in the KDHE School-Based Grant (Action Item)
7.2 Budget Presentation
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7.3 Approval of 2022-2023 COVID Update for the upcoming school year (Action Item)
7.4 Approval of 2022-2023 Employee Handbook (Action Item)
7.5 Approval of 2022-23 No Limits Contract (Action Item)
7.6 Approval of 2022-23 Happy Kids Contract (Action Item)
7.7 Approval of middle school chiller replacement (Action Item)
8.0 Other Business – Personnel Matters
8.1 Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters (Action Item)
8.2 Exit Executive Session
8.3 Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)
8.4 Enter Executive Session – Negotiations (Action Item)
8.5 Exit Executive Session
8.6 Approve amended 2022-23 negotiated agreement
9.0 Adjourn Meeting
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Tuesday, August 9th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a work session to discuss the 2023 budget. This work session is open to the public, but no action will be taken.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
This is part of a series featuring the new educators in Bourbon County. There are 26 new educators in USD 234.
Jon Barnes, 23, is the new Fort Scott High School American Government and American History teacher.
Barnes graduated from Fort Scott Community College with an Associates of Science and from Pittsburg State University he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education.
He is a first year teacher.
Barnes comes from Yates Center. His family: mom Tonya Billiard Barnes of Fort Scott, dad is Kevin Barnes of Mound City.
In his spare time he enjoys walking his dog, lifting weights, playing golf, basketball, watching movies, playing video games, hunting/fishing, and is involved at the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
“I decided to become a teacher after working as a tutor my second year at FSCC,” he said. “Both my parents are in education and they certainly inspired me, as well as my fourth grade teacher and high school cross country coach, Rex McVey.”
“The part of teaching I’m most excited about is getting to work with my students,” he said. “I’m in it for the kids, I love building relationships and being a positive influence on the next generation.”
“As a first year teacher, I’m sure I will find the challenges when we get rolling, but I look forward to working through them,” he said.
Mike Krull, 56, is the new Fort Scott High School Physical Education Teacher and head boys basketball coach.
He has a Bachelors of Science in Education Degree from Pittsburg State University, with emphasis in physical education and social studies.
Krull taught at Louisburg, from 1991-1998 Frankfort, from 1998-2000, Yates Center, from 2000-2002, and Parsons from 2002-2022.
He grew up in Girard, Kansas.
His wife’s name is Misty and together they have five children.
“Three are mine and two are hers,” Krull said. “One son shy of Brady Bunch. I have a son Wesley, who is a teacher at Parsons and two daughters, Kaylee, a teacher at Pittsburg, and Sydney, a senior at PSU. I have a step-daugher, McCarly, a nurse/RN in Pittsburg and a step-son, McCade, an independent contractor in SEK.”
Some of his interests outside of school are “obviously basketball / sports, learning new cultures around the world, traveling / cruising, grandchildren Rip and Myla,” he said.
He became a teacher because he enjoyed school, he said. “I was always around the school environment with my mother, a secretary, and father, a teacher. I went to Fort Scott Community College and Pittsburg State University for my formal training, and really enjoy being around the environment.”
“No one person really inspired me to be a teacher, but really a combination of the overall experience. My mother, father, coaches, my high school teachers, and my college teachers,” he said.
“The best part of teaching is probably knowing that other teachers go through the same thing you go through with students and also the bonds that are made with students and their families and the bond with other faculty members,” Krull said.
“Probably the biggest challenge is knowing that each day will be different, good or bad, from the previous days,” he said.
Nedra Barr, Spyder CEO, of Spyder, announced today that they were selected to be included in the NXTSTAGE Accelerator program in Kansas.
“We are excited to collaborate with this program and the other awardees in the program,” she said. “This allows Spyder a larger stage in the State of Kansas to sell our new software products geared towards small business.”
Spyder CTO Mike Upright said, “Spyder’s small business product is scheduled to be released in September and will include Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. These tools are not widely available to small business’ today, but we see it differently. Small Business’ need these types of solutions to put them on more of a level playing field. Small business’ are the lifeblood of our U.S. economy, so helping them get to a level playing field is an important mission of Spyder!”
To learn more:
The City Commission will reconvene on Thursday, August 4th, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. for the postponed meeting from August 2nd, 2022. at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room at 123 South Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
This meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast on the City’s you tube channel.