SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working to ensure America has a skilled workforce. The Fort Scott High School Chapter of SkillsUSA is hosting a job fair on Wednesday, April 25, 2023 from 8 a.m. to noon in the high school auxiliary gym.
The purpose is to acquaint students with career opportunities available in the region. Michelle Laubenstein is the advisor for the group and can be reached at [email protected] or call 620.223.0600.
The FSHS SkillsUSA club is one of 23 Fort Scott High School student organizations, here is a list of the rest.
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 12, 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:
Minutes from August 8, 2022, Board of Education meeting and minutes from August 1, 22, and 23, 2022, Board of Education special meetings
Financials – Cash Flow Report
Check Register
Payroll – August 20, 2022 – $1,361,769.35
Activity Fund accounts
First Day Enrollment Count
Appointment of Zach Reynolds as the school attorney for the 2022-23 school year
FSHS Orchestra Fundraiser Application
The board heard reports from FSKNEA regarding the bucket auction for scholarships, staff returning to school, and thanked Superintendent Brown for his visibility in the schools.
The Superintendent reviewed the KSDE Accountability Report for 2020-21 and the recent culture survey that was taken of staff. Superintendent Brown updated the board on assessments and PLC professional development on behalf of the Assistant Superintendent.
The Business Manager reported on the special education audit, financial audit, and annual reporting.
The board approved the following items:
Contract with Greenbush for federal E-rate related to connectivity which allow the district to receive an 80% discount on services.
Place three (3) buses and a suburban for sale through auctiontime.com. In addition, scrap two buses that are no longer in service.
Vehicles for auction will be:
2006 Blue Bird 27 passenger
1998 AMTRAN 64 passenger
2003 Blue Bird 40 passenger
1990 Chevy Suburban
Contract with Diehl, Banwart, Bolton CPAs for the annual financial audit.
Curtain divider purchase to allow additional classroom space at Fort Scott Middle School.
Roof bids to Meridian Roofing Solutions. This will address roofs at Winfield Scott, Fort Scott High School, and Eugene Ware Elementary. The total bid was for $1,341,401.
Direct Communication & Public Relations proposal to evaluate communication with students, families, and staff.
KDHE Kansas K-12 Stay Positive Test Negative Initiative Grant in the amount of $776,558. This is a non-matching grant that will allow for testing to continue for the schools and the purchase of Synexis machine to fight viruses, bacteria, mold, odors, and insects.
Personnel Report – following
The board went into an executive session for personnel matters and the superintendent evaluation process.
President Danny Brown adjourned the meeting.
PERSONNEL REPORT – APPROVED EMPLOYMENT
RESIGNATIONS/TERMINATIONS/RETIREMENTS:
Dennis Dennigan – Resignation – FSHS special education teacher, effective September 1, 2022
BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 2022–5:30 P.M. AGENDA SUMMARY 1.0Call Meeting toOrderDanny Brown, President 2.0Flag Salute 3.0Approval of the Official Agenda (Action Item) 4.0Approval of the Consent Agenda (Action Item) 4.1Minutes fromAugust 8,2022,Board of Education Meeting Minutes fromAugust 15,2022,Special Board of Education Meeting Minutes from August 22, 2022, Special Board of Education Meeting Minutes from August 23, 2022, Special Board of Education Meeting 4.2Financials–Cash Flow Report 4.3Check Register 4.4Payroll–July20, 2022–$1,361,769.35 4.5Activity Fund accounts 4.6First Day Enrollment Count 4.7Appointment of Zach Reynolds as the school attorney for the 2022–23 school year 5.0Leadership Reports(Information/Discussion) 5.1FS KNEA Report 5.2Superintendent’s Report 5.3Assistant Superintendent’s Report 5.4Business Manager’s Report 6.0Old Business 6.1No items 7.0New Business 7.1Approval ofErate contracts(Action Item)
7.2Approval to place threebuses and a suburbanfor sale through an online auction and scrapping two buses(Action Item) 7.3Approval ofaudit contract with Diehl, Banwart, Bolton(Action Item) 7.4Approval ofFSMSCurtain DividerPurchase(Action Item) 7.5Approval of roof bids (Action Item) 7.6District Communication & Public Relations Proposal (Action) 7.7KDHE Grant–Kansas K–12 Stay Positive Test Negative Initiative(Action) 8.0Public Forum 9.0Other Business–Personnel Matters 8.1Enter Executive Session–Personnel Matters (Action Item) 8.2Exit Executive Session 8.3Approval ofPersonnel Report (Action Item) 8.4Exit Executive Session 9.0Adjourn Meeting PresidentBrown
Fort Scott Community College offers adult education classes to assist students in General Educational Development (GED) preparation, basic math and reading skills, employment skills, and college preparation and transition. Individuals who have completed the adult education classes will have the opportunity to earn a GED, Basic Computer Skills certificate, and the Kansas Work Ready certificate.
Adult education classes are open to students ages 16 and older. Students who are under 18 must have a Parental Waiver for Compulsory Attendance to attend class; the form can be obtained from the last school district the student attended.
Attendance is mandatory all days of orientation. Class times are Monday through Thursday from 9 am – 12 pm, 1 – 4 pm, and 4 – 7 pm. The adult education center is located in the Library in Bailey Hall.
Based on the results of your assessment during orientation, staff members will develop an individualized plan to help you achieve your goals. In order to be eligible to take the GED examination, you must have completed all of the adult education class requirements, passed all required exams, and have a valid government issued photo identification card.
The cost for the class is $35 and includes the ACCUPLACER college entrance exam, Northstar Digital Literacy Certification, WorkKeys Employment Skills Test, TABE assessment, and one GED Ready Practice Test. GED testing fees are not included in the class fee. The GED test fees are $33 per subject (Math, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Science, Social Studies) which can be taken and paid for separately; due when you register for the test.
Upon successful completion of the examination, the student will be issued a diploma by the Kansas State Department of Education.
These classes could be for students lacking a diploma OR for anyone needing to review their basic reading and/or math skills. I have had students take my class to prepare better for college entrance, to qualify for a program such as KansasWorks, or to even just learn how to use a computer and brush up on technology skills. Students CAN enroll in the ABE class if they lack basic skills, even if they have a HS diploma or GED.
I am accepting students that are ready to learn. They would just need to contact me to schedule an appointment to fill out paperwork and take the TABE pre-assessment. If students are not ready to start right away, our next orientation will be September 6th. If you know someone that is interested, please send them my way.
This is part of a series featuring the 26 new educators in USD 234.
Dale and Ashleigh Brauer and children. Submitted photo.
Dale Brauer is a new 8th-grade math and Algebra 1 teacher at Fort Scott Middle School.
He earned an Associates of Science from Fort Scott Community College, Bachelors of Science in Education from Pittsburg State University and a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership from Pittsburg State University.
This is Brauer’s ninth year in education.
His hometown is Girard, Kansas.
His wife is from Fort Scott, Ashleigh Page Brauer, and they have three children.
“We raise our six year-old nephew Theodore Brauer, our
oldest son is 2 years-old, Maverick Brauer, and Macen, 2.5 months old.”
Brauer’s grandparents are Mary Diane and Derell Spencer, and his mom is Susan West. He has a brother Marcus Page and wife, Ashley, who work at Fort Scott Community College.
In his spare time he likes making items out of wood – cabinets, tables, kids toys, and spending time with his family.
A former teacher from his high school inspired him to take part in the profession of teaching, he said.
For Brauer, the best part of teaching is interacting with students.
A special meeting of the Board of Education, Unified School District No. 234, Bourbon County, Kansas, is hereby called to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the twenty-third day of August, 2022, at the River Room, 3 W. Oak Street.
The purpose of the meeting is a discussion with the Bourbon County Visioning Committee. There will be no action taken at this meeting.
By order of the President of the Board of Education of Unified School District No. 234, Bourbon County, Kansas.
Zach Mason, 32, is a new junior/senior high physical education teacher at Uniontown.
He attended Fort Scott Community College, McPherson College, and Fort Hays University.
His teaching experience includes one year as a K-6 Special Education teacher at Dighton Elementary School, one year Special Education Para at St. John-Hudson Elementary School, and seven years K-12 Physical Education/Weights and Conditioning instructor at Crest Schools.
His hometown is Uniontown.
He and his wife, Megan Mason, have three daughters Markayla, Paxton, and Rory.
Outside of school he enjoys golf, softball, hunting, and spending time with family.
He wanted to become a teacher to help kids find the fun in staying active, he said. and his college track coach, Robert Spies, inspired him to teach.
The best part of teaching for Mason is “Seeing kids progress and do things they might have thought they couldn’t do.”
What are the challenges?
“Trying to get kids to understand that running and lifting are not the only ways to stay physically active. He wants students to understand that exercise as simple as walking, golfing, and bowling have health benefits.”
Luke Davis has been hired by USD 235 to teach math at the junior high school.
“Since Luke Davis still needs to complete a semester of student teaching, Ed Ramsey will also be in the room with him during the first semester,” USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said. “Ed is a retired teacher who moved to Uniontown a year or two ago. Last year he was a substitute teacher and substitute bus driver for the district. Luke will be providing the majority of the instruction. Once Luke graduates in the fall, he would then be able to assume the full responsibilities as the teacher.”
Davis graduated from Uniontown High School, before attending Pittsburg State University.
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 22, 2022, for a special board meeting at the board office.
President Danny Brown opened the meeting.
The board heard a presentation of the revenue neutral recommendation from Gina Shelton, Finance Director/Board Clerk. The revenue neutral hearing was held. One patron addressed the Board.
The board heard a presentation of the budget from Superintendent Destry Brown and Mrs. Shelton. The budget hearing was held. There were no patrons that addressed the Board.
The board went into an executive session for personnel matters.
The board approved the following items at the meeting:
Resolution 22-07 – Expressing the Property Taxation Policy of USD 234 with respect to exceeding the Revenue Neutral Tax Rate
Approval of the 2022-23 Budget with the Building Needs Assessment and State Assessments having been provided to and evaluated by the Board of Education as used in the budget approval process
Resolution 22-08 – Local Option Budget Percentage to use in 2022-23 Budget
Approve revision of calendar
Tiger Families – Students will not attend on September 19th so that the district can have a professional development day to focus on safety and training. Students will attend on May 1st
Approve MOU with Greenbush for special education director
Personnel Report – following
President Danny Brown adjourned the meeting.
PERSONNEL REPORT – APPROVED EMPLOYMENT
RESIGNATIONS/TERMINATIONS/RETIREMENTS:
Leave of Absence – Tim Coyan, FSPC Van Driver
Leave of Absence – Gordon Harris, Eugene Ware/FSPC custodian, Aug. 18 to Sept. 18, 2022
Resignation – Tamara McReynolds, Eugene Ware paraprofessional
This is a series on new educators in Bourbon County.
USD 235 has six new teachers and all new administrators: new elementary principal, new jr.and sr. high school principal and new superintendent. School starts on August 25.
Kaitlyn Bradbury and her family. Submitted photo.
Kaitlyn Bradbury, 33, is a new fifth-grade teacher at West Bourbon Elementary, Uniontown.
She earned a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from Pittsburg State University in 2010 and a Masters in Educational Leadership in 2014.
Previously Bradbury has worked as a WBE-Title 1 Math teacher for two years and 4th-grade for four years from 2010-2016.
Her hometown is Uniontown.
She and her husband Tony have three girls Khloe (8), Laine (4), and Andie (1).
Outside of teaching her interests are gardening, spending time in New Mexico, volleyball officiating, and is a member of Dry Ridge Baptist Church.
Bradbury was born into a family of teachers, she said.
“Both of my parents taught at Uniontown, and our lives revolved around the activities that go along with being a teacher/administrator/coach.”
” My parents are quite inspiring to me. I know the positive impact that they made on their students, and I want to leave the same legacy that they did.”
“I love building a lifelong relationship with each of my students. It is rewarding to know that you helped make their school year memorable and that they had fun learning.”
A challenge she sees: “The misconceptions that some of the public have about teachers and what is being taught seems to currently be a big challenge. I take pride in knowing that Uniontown is a district with great teachers, and we all work very hard to see that our students are excelling.”
Rhonda Foster, 61, is a new 4th and 5th grade Math and English Teacher at West Bourbon Elementary School.
She earned a BSE at Sterling College, and a Masters of Special Education from Pittsburg State University.
She has two years experience in general education and five in special education. Her hometown is Moran.
She has two grown daughters and a 17 year-old granddaughter, a 15 year-old grandson and a 5-month-old granddaughter.
In her spare time she loves to bake, sew and crochet, as well as attending her grandchildren’s school activities.
In addition, “I help with Bible school and other church activities,” she said. “In the past I have been a 4-H leader.”
She started her career working as a para-educator and became interested so went back to school when her youngest child was in college.
” I just enjoy working in the school setting with both staff and students,” she said.
For Foster, the best part of teaching is making connections with the students.
A challenge she has experienced in the past is staff shortages, she said.
