Extracurricular participation at Royal Valley is 'steady'

Participation in fall athletics and activities at Royal Valley remains steady in most grade levels, the Royal Valley Board of Education learned Monday evening.

Jeff Gustin, athletic director, presented a summary report of fall participation in grades seven through 12 during the meeting.

Forty-nine percent or a total of 195 students at the middle school and high school are participating in football, volleyball, cross country, cheerleading, dance or are a team manager.

“We’re down a little bit, but we’re higher than we were two years ago,” Gustin said. “We’re close to that 50 percent of students involved in a fall sport. When you add in band and kids involved in speech and drama, our participation in activities is very high around the 75 percent range, which is very good.”

There are 68 students participating in football this year at the middle school and high school levels while 58 students have signed up for volleyball in grades seven through 12.

Gustin noted that there are just 11 students each on both the seventh-grade and eighth-grade football teams.

“Our numbers will start to go back up in the next year or two,” he said. “Our current sixth-grade and fifth-grade classes have high enrollment numbers.”

Gustin said that some parents are more aware and concerned about concussions in football.

“We have a number of parents that are being cautious with their kids and rightfully so,” he said. “Middle school football across the league is down. There are four schools out of eight schools in the Big Seven league that are not able to field two teams at the middle school.”

Fourteen girls and 29 boys are involved in cross-country this year. A total of 14 students are participating in cheerleading and 12 are involved in dance.

In addition, a total of 56 high school students are in band this year and 46 students are involved in vocal music. A total of 20 students are involved in student council at RVHS.

Also during the meeting, Superintendent Aaric Davis reported that the district was one of 10 districts selected in the state to participate in a legislative post-audit regarding the use of federal funds.

“The post-audit was requested by the Legislature to see if federal funds were worth the time and effort to get them,” Davis said. “It’s not a post-audit on the efficiency of the school district. It’s more of a audit to see if federal funds are worth it.”

Davis was initially notified in mid-August that the district was one of 15 possible schools to participate in the audit. A few weeks later, Davis learned that the district had been selected.

Records are being submitted to auditors regarding money the district receives at the federal level, including Title I and Impact Aid funds.

About 300 students in the district qualify for Impact Aid. Students are deemed eligible if their families live on or work on federal lands, including Indian reservations.

“We were chosen because we’re one of three districts in the state that receive Impact Aid,” Davis said.

A survey was sent to staff members as part of the audit, and auditors will be in the district Friday meeting with different supervisors and administrators.

Davis said that when Impact Aid funds are factored in, the district receives more than $1 million in federal assistance a year.

The results of the audit should be available prior to Christmas break, Davis said.

In other business, the board:

* Approved consent items.

* Was introduced to Andrew Gower, a new math teacher at the middle school.

* Discussed attendance at the Kansas Association of School Boards annual conference set for Dec. 2-4 in Wichita.

* Designated May 1-5 as “Celebrate Freedom Week.”

* Received an update on curriculum from Susan Pfrang, director of curriculum and instruction. During the summer, the curriculum/textbook committee adopted a new writing curriculum at the elementary school.

“It’s more staff development,” Pfrang said. “It trains the teacher how to get students to write.”

This year, the district is looking at a new language arts curriculum, as well as shifts in the math curriculum at the middle school.

Pfrang also gave an update on last year’s state assessments and how that will effect how teachers instruct in the classroom this year.

* Received a budget update from Davis.

* Received a fall maintenance report from Davis, which only included minor projects. Some additional painting at the high school is being planned. At the middle school, some exterior lighting needs to be replaced. A broken trashcan will be replaced on the elementary school playground.

Davis also reported that the Genie lift used at the middle school needs to have a cable replaced. The original parts for the lift are no longer available so the district is looking at replacing the entire piece of equipment.

* Received and approved an updated district crisis plan. There were no major revisions to the plan. The only updates were the addition of new staff members.

* Approved the tuition reimbursement report for the 2015-2016 school year, which included $24,696.

* Approved a list of final district staff development points from the 2015-2016 school year.

* Approved IDEA Title IV(B) (early childhood special education) assurances as presented.

* Approved a lease purchase payment of $44,585.89 to Security Bank of Kansas City.

* Approved the KASB recommended policy updates.

* Approved the purchase of a Grasshopper 725DT mower from Tarwater Farm and Home at a cost of $9,200 after trade-in for use at the middle school.

* Declared former gym light bulbs and old pieces of technology as surplus property to be listed for sale.

* Approved regalia purchases for the Native American Singers and Dancers. The items totaled $900 and will be paid for by Impact Aid funds.

* Met in executive session for 15 minutes to discuss non-elected personnel.

Back in open session, the board approved the early retirement notice from Nancy Mergen, a second-grade teacher. Mergen will retire at the end of the school year.

The board also offered employment contracts to Stephanie Erickson (parents as teachers) and Nathan Smith (supplemental high school assistant volleyball coach).

* Adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m. All board members were presented.