Surveillance equipment to be updated at RV
Video surveillance camera equipment will be updated at two of Royal Valley’s schools after action was taken by the USD 337 Board of Education Monday evening.
The board approved the purchase of several digital cameras and a server from American Digital Security of Liberty, Mo. at a total cost of $12,677.62.
The equipment will be installed at the middle school in Mayetta and the high school in Hoyt, according to Superintendent John Rundle.
“This would replace our oldest camera system, which is analog,” Rundle said. “We have nine analog cameras, and this purchase would replace six of them with digital.”
Five of the cameras will be installed at the middle school and the other at the high school.
The purchase also includes updating the camera server at the middle school. The same server upgrade was completed at the Hoyt site two years ago.
Also during the meeting, the board approved a 2016-2017 property casualty/workers compensation quote from Willis Insurance of Lawrence at a total cost of $100,625, which is a decrease from last year’s cost of $107,045.
The quote included $42,220 in property premiums, $13,019 in automobile premiums and $35,288 in workers compensations premiums.
Last year, the district’s workers compensation premium was $44,052.
“It’s all about hiring the right people and making sure they operate safely as best they can,” Rundle said. “But we’re always just one accident away from it increasing and going the other way. It’s just the fact. Our people have a done a good job though.”
In other business, the board:
* Approved consent items.
* Briefly discussed the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling that funding for public education in the state is inequitable. The court has given lawmakers until the end of the month to fix the issue, and Gov. Sam Brownback has called a special Legislative session for June 23.
“Hopefully they’ll be some resolution,” Rundle said. “If not, at our June 27 meeting, I may have a recommendation to close schools. Any action on the issue prior to the special session is premature. I still believe the political process will work itself out.”
* Received school site council reports from Jim Holloman, RVHS principal, and Noah Slay, RVES principal.
Holloman reported that the high school site council met twice, once in September and once in January.
The council discussed enrollment and ACT data and senior reports. Random student drug testing was discussed, as well as trends in enrollment.
Slay said that the elementary school site council held four meetings this year. The first half of the year focused on the new report card format, as well as a discussion on random student drug testing.
The site council also organized the annual science fair and reviewed various student data.
* Reviewed the final 2016-2017 school calendar before it’s published.
The first day of school has been set for Aug. 17. Christmas break is Dec. 22 – Jan. 3. Spring break is March 20 – 24, and graduation will be May 14.
Board member Linda Hegemann emphasized the importance of having a spring sports award ceremony at the end of the school since some students only participate in springs sports.
This year’s awards ceremony was cancelled due to baseball regional finals.
* Received a budget update from Rundle.
* Approved a renewal contract with Greenbush Learning Services Consortium totaling $9,782.63.
* Approved preliminary staff development points for the 2015-2016 school year.
* Accepted a $3,750 Carl Perkins Teacher Recruitment Grant for Monique Litherland, RVHS family and consumer sciences teacher, and a $1,050 Frontier Farm Credit for the high school plant systems pathway, which is taught by Kim Mitchell, RVHS agriculture teacher.
* Declared several pieces of band equipment as surplus property.
* Met in executive session with Rundle and Susan Pfrang, board clerk and director of curriculum and instruction, for 20 minutes to discuss a matter of non-elected personnel and teacher salary negotiations.
Back in open session, the board accepted the resignation of Justin Moore, RVMS English teacher and assistant coach for several sports. The board also accepted the resignation of David Boucher as the freshman boys basketball assistant coach.
In addition, the board approved coaching contracts for the 2016-2017 school year, including David Boucher, head track coach for grades 7-12; Joe Baumchen, lead RVMS volleyball coach; Andrew Gower, RVMS assistant football coach; Nathan Smith, lead RVMS boys basketball coach and 7-12 assistant track coach; and Marizona Winter, rule 10 RVMS assistant volleyball coach (if needed) and assistant girls basketball coach.
The board also offered employment contracts to Wayne Duncan, regular route bus driver; Melanie Kester, RVMS transportation secretary; Kayleen Fleming, RVMS English teacher; and Farrell Holthaus, groundskeeper for the Hoyt facilities.
The board also agreed to a request from Katie Petesch, CLC program director and food service director, to reduce her employment contract to 30 hours a week.
The board also voted to offer parents as teacher contracts to Wayne Berry and Melissa Peven.
The board also ratified the teacher negotiation agreement, which included a 1.64 percent salary increase for all classified staff and administrators for the 2016-2017 school year.
* Adjourned the meeting. Board members Jim O’Toole and Jeff Stithem were absent. Also present was Aaric Davis, who will begin serving as the new superintendent for the district on July 1.
