Heights names stadium in honor of Dave Henry

The recently-renovated Jackson Heights Middle and High School football stadium has been named in honor of a longtime district coach, athletic director and physical education teacher, according to action taken Monday night by the Jackson Heights USD 335 Board of Education.

Late in the board’s regular meeting, board members agreed to accept the resignation of Dave Henry as a bus driver and groundskeeper, following a discussion of personnel matters in executive session. After that, the board voted to amend the meeting’s agenda to include the naming of the JHMS/JHHS football stadium for Henry.

Henry, who came to work for the Jackson Heights district in the 1971-72 school year — the third year of the district’s existence — had served as a physical education instructor, head football coach and athletic director before retiring at the end of the 2006-07 school year. He would later come back to work for the district as a groundskeeper and bus driver.

In other business on Monday, board members approved the potential purchase of a pair of two gas-powered heating and air conditioning units from McElroy’s Inc. of Topeka for the elementary school. The two Carrier units were priced at $23,346, not including overtime pay for installation, board members noted.

District Superintendent and Elementary Principal Adrianne Walsh said that after reviewing the age and maintenance records of the elementary school’s rooftop-mounted HVAC units, those units servicing the school’s second and third-grade class wing and the fourth-grade class wing were most in need of replacement. The units proposed by McElroy’s were “30 to 35 percent more efficient” than the existing units, Walsh added.

The motion, made by board member Ed Rostetter on the condition that McElroy’s pricing suggestion be accepted “unless another bid comes in lower,” was approved on a 6-1 vote, with board member Kelly Kennedy opposed. Board member Melinda Wareham also suggested holding off on the purchase until the district and McElroy’s could come to an agreement regarding overtime pay.

Board members also:

* Accepted the meeting’s original agenda and consent agenda as presented, the latter including minutes from the board’s Nov. 9 meeting and monthly billing and activity account reports.

* Accepted a list of Kansas Association of School Board policy updates and changes on a 6-1 vote, with Wareham opposed.

* Received a draft version of the district’s 2016-17 school year calendar from Walsh for review, with some preliminary discussion held about possible dates for Christmas break and high school graduation. Walsh said she would “look at some options” for the calendar prior to the January meeting.

* Discussed the possible future additions of handrails for aisles at the football stadium.

* Discussed options for concrete sidewalk work.

* Heard a report from Walsh on a Kansas State Department of Education audit on the district’s food service program. District personnel were commended by KSDE on free and reduced lunch application reviews, but KSDE expressed concerns about flavored water in vending machines since middle and high school students were in the same building, and such drinks are “not OK for middle school” according to federal guidelines, Walsh said.

* Heard a report from Walsh on a KSDE audit of the district’s weighted enrollment from the past two years. The audit stated that for 2015-16, the district had an audited headcount of 376 students and a full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment of 361 students; in 2014-15, the district had an audited headcount of 389 and an FTE of 376.

* Heard a report from Walsh on elementary school activities, including the positive response to the SPIN program, on which the district partnered with the Meadowlark Extension District to offer to fifth and sixth graders and are looking to offer to third and fourth graders next year. Walsh also reported on a fifth-grade bake sale, kindergarten and first grade students singing at Medicalodges Jackson County, student council activities with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students and the arrival of six new elementary students.

* Received a report on middle and high school activities from Shupe, who was not present for Monday’s meeting. Shupe reported on middle school girls basketball, the wildlife class’ first-place finish in a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, high school finals and other upcoming activities.

* Met in executive sessions with Walsh for a total of 55 minutes to discuss personnel matters.

* Following the executive sessions, approved the hiring of Bob Powers as a bus driver in the wake of Henry’s resignation.

* Adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m.