New track at Heights OK'd

For the past few years, the Jackson Heights USD 335 Board of Education has been looking at renovating the district’s track, which has fallen into disrepair and has prevented the district from hosting any track meets.

On Monday, the board took action to make sure that a new track will be in place before students return for the 2015-16 school year.

Board members approved a proposal from Brian Foster of Wichita’s United Sports Systems to tear out the old JHHS track and put down a new six-lane asphalt track with a half-inch rubberized surface. Foster’s base bid for the work was $389,460, but with additions and modifications suggested by the board, the final cost to the district would be closer to $420,000, board members said.

United’s work load would also include installing new drainage and regrading the football field to help improve drainage, board members noted. Other modifications to be performed by other companies included removal of the old asphalt by Brahma Excavating of Holton, along with placement of new sod and installation of an irrigation system, both for the football field, to be done by companies to be named later.

Foster had met with the board at a special meeting on June 1, outlining two plans of action for the track. The first, with a base cost of $177,950, involved repairing the track, giving it a half-inch rubberized surface and installing new inner drains.

The second plan involved removing the entire track, including “runways” for certain field events, adding a rock base, overlaying it with new asphalt, putting on a half-inch rubberized surface and installing new runways along with inner drains. The base cost of this plan as outlined by Foster was $389,460.

If the board didn’t act fast on one of those two plans, as District Superintendent and Elementary Principal Adrianne Walsh told the board on Monday, those prices could have gone up by 10 to 15 percent. Board members agreed that, as board president David Allen put it, “we’re going to have to bite the bullet” to take one of the two plans and get started on the work.

The main concern with not waiting until spring, some board members noted, was that if the football field was graded, there might not be enough time for new sod on the field to take root before football practices begin. Allen noted that if new sod were placed as soon as possible, “it would have time to work in,” and Walsh added that new sod would need about three weeks to acccomplish that.

Walsh told board members that $400,000 of the funding for the new track would be split between the district’s construction and capital outlay funds, Board member Kelly Kennedy added that the $420,000 estimate was well below an original estimate of about $1.2 million given to the board some time ago and encouraged his fellow board members to act on Foster’s proposal.

“This is a discussion we’ve been building up to for three years,” Kennedy said. “It’s not eight lanes, it’s only six, but it’s something that will serve our athletes for a long time. This is doing it the right way, and it’s money we have available. It’s a lot, but it’s an investment in our kids and our school. The community has committed to doing this in affordable fashion, and we have the opportunity right now.”

Foster’s second proposal passed on a motion by Ed Rostetter, seconded by Melinda Wareham — on the motion’s second try. Rostetter and Wareham had made an initial motion and second to go with the proposal, but all other board members voted against it, saying they needed clarification on some aspects on the proposal, and called Foster to get that clarification.

Rostetter and Wareham later made another motion and second after the telephone conversation with Foster, and the proposal was approved unanimously. Foster had originally told board members that he could get started on the track and football field project within 10 days of the meeting.

In other business on Monday, the board ratified the teacher salary contract for the 2015-16 school year, which showed no increase in base salary from the 2014-15 contract. The base salary remains at $33,775, it was reported.

Teachers will still be able to move “across” or “down” the salary schedule according to their level of education and years of service, according to the 2015-16 contract. “Steps” of $600 have been incorporated into the salary schedule.

The contract was ratified following a 10-minute executive session held to discuss teacher salary contract negotiations, with Walsh present for the session.

Board members also:

n Approved the meeting’s agenda and consent agenda, the latter including minutes from the board’s May 11 and June 1 meetings and monthly bills and activity account reports.

n Approved a $1,750 contract with Holton Community Hospital for athletic training services for the 2015-16 school year. Walsh said that price, which includes two visits from HCH staff per week, is unchanged from the 2014-15 contract.

n Approved a series of KASB policy updates, including new policies on staff use of communication devices, special education services, Section 504, student privacy, financial literacy classes, care of students with diabetes and parent rights, and revised policies on school vehicles, emergency safety interventions, workers compensation, graduation requirements, enrollment, weapons and complaints received by the district.

n Approved a $7,257 premium on a student accident insurance policy from K&K Insurance of Fort Wayne, Ind., for 2015-16. Walsh told board members this insurance is optional, noting that many school districts have stopped providing it due to budget cuts.

n Approved an adult lunch price increase from $3.15 to $3.45, an increase in elementary lunch prices from $1.95 to $2.05, an increase in middle and high school lunch prices from $2.15 to $2.25, an increase in elementary breakfast prices from $1.10 to $1.15 and an increase in middle and high school lunch prices from $1.20 to $1.25.

n Agreed to seek bids for vehicle fuel for the 2015-16 school year.

n Heard an update from Walsh on summer maintenance work at the school buildings.

n Met in executive session for 50 minutes to discuss personnel matters with Walsh present for the session.

n Following the executive sessions, accepted the resignation of Greg Nilges Sr. as fourth grade teacher and middle school head football coach, as well as the resignation of Greg Nilges Jr. as assistant high school football coach. The younger Nilges plans to take over the middle school head football coaching position, it was noted.

n Agreed to offer the assistant high school football coach position to Joshua Gray.

n Agreed to offer the food service director position to Elaine Stephenson.

n Accepted an increase in classified and administrative salaries. It was reported that Walsh’s salary would be increased by $1,599 to $95,700, and Darren Shupe’s salary as middle and high school principal would be increased by $1,328 to $79,467.

n Adjourned the meeting at 10 p.m.