Middle school sports; USD 234 trustees turn down interscholastic proposal

Posted on March 6, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

Once again, middle school athletics dominated the conversation at Monday’s regularly scheduled USD 234 board meeting.

Tom Davis, intramural director at Fort Scott Middle School and one of five members of the intramural sports committee formed after the January board meeting, spent a little under an hour presenting the committee’s recommendation to trustees regarding introducing interscholastic sports to middle school athletics.

“It was not a simple task and there are some weaknesses,” Davis said of the recommendation. “We wanted to look at what was best for students, parents and the community.”

After carefully considering the recommendation and budget concerns, a motion was made to approve the committee’s recommendation. Only after all votes were in did it become apparent the recommendation wouldn’t get the four votes it needed to go into effect during the 2012-2013 school year. So as of now, no FSMS sports will become interscholastic during the 2012-2013 school year.

The committee’s recommendation was for sixth and seventh-grade athletics to keep intramural sports but for eighth-grade athletics to become interscholastic, enabling them to play other schools. The recommendation did not cut any programs, but would cost the district an additional $7,500 out of the general fund.

Board members biggest reservations regarding the recommendation were budget related.

“There is just a little bit of wiggle room in the budget so that we could provide for interscholastic at the eighth-grade level this year,” Business Manager Tiffany Forester said. “But I don’t know about next year or the year after.”

As of last night, school board members have yet to set fees for the 2012-2013 school year.

School Board President Janet Braun said they are waiting to hear what the state legislature will do with education funding. With that in mind, board members said they are not comfortable taking $7,500 out of a budget that is not set.

“I’m struggling with the money,” board member Justin Meeks said. “We have the money to do this, but would it hinder us (from) doing other things?”

Although school board members denied the middle school athletic committee’s recommendation, the panel approved a motion to reconsider the recommendation for the 2013-2014 school year, pending funding.

Board members said the motion emphasizes their support, just not right now, due to funding.

In other business:

* The board approved employment and leave of absence requests for the following: Employment of Morgan Ratliff as the high school assistant softball coach; the employment of Allison Gorman as the middle school boys and girls’ tennis coach; a leave of absence request from Connie Niel, a Eugene Ware teacher; and the transfer of Amy Lybarger from her math and language arts position at FSMS to sixth-grade language arts and social studies for the 2012-2013 school year.

* Heard information about the April 20 Wellness Fair. Superintendent Rick Werling said health care professionals, including a pharmacist and a dietitian, will be present.

Werling said the fair will also feature healthy eating testing, stress and money management advice, as well as other fitness related activities, including Zumba.

* Update on the superintendent search: Forester said the interview dates for the applicants have been established as well as any other accommodations that need to be made for applicants and their spouses.

Following the recommendation of Doug Moeckel of the Kansas Association of School Boards, who will be leading the search, the school board sent formal invitations for community members to attend March 15 focus groups that will discuss desirable characteristics for the new superintendent.

“The process is moving,” Braun said. “That’s what were saying.”

Fort Scott school board begins process of hiring new superintendent

Posted on March 1, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Thursday, March 1, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

Less than a month after Superintendent Rick Werling announced his retirement from the district, USD 234 school board members met Wednesday with Doug Moeckel of the Kansas Association of School Boards to discuss the process for hiring a new school chief.

Moeckel is the associate executive director of leadership for KASB, which will be leading the search.

“We’re here to serve you,” Moeckel said at the special meeting.

During the almost two-hour gathering, Moeckel outlined what duties both KASB and board members will be responsible for throughout the seven-week process.

KASB will assemble a screening team to sort through the applications and conduct background and reference checks.

“We interview them, but we don’t,” Moeckel said. “You (the board) does the actual interview.”

In considering candidates for the position, both board members and KASB said they would like to involve the community in the search process.

At the meeting last night, board members decided who they would like to invite to participate in focus groups to discuss characteristics they see as important for a superintendent to possess.

Those groups included: teachers, students, parents, business leaders and community officials.

Moeckel will return on March 15 to listen to those groups individually during the day and then report his findings that night during a special board meeting.

The timeline for the search is as follows:

*April 2: The position of superintendent will close and no more applications will be accepted.

* April 4: KASB’s screening team will report to the board, notifying them of at least three, possibly four, suitable candidates for the position.

* The week of April 9: Board members will interview each candidate

* April 18: A special meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., of which the majority will be spent in executive session, for board members to make their final decision.

Collectively, board members said they would like to find and hire a new superintendent as soon as possible to include him or her in the hiring process for the other three administrator positions that are open.

The school board will meet for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on March 5 at which the intramural sports committee will be making recommendations regarding middle school athletics.

Board members mull hiring options for coming school year

Posted on March 1, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

Multiple open teacher and administrative positions in the district prompted a recent special

meeting of the USD 234 school board.

Board members discussed policy and procedures for hiring administrators and teachers for the coming school year following resignation and retirement announcements from several teachers and four administrators, including Superintendent Rick Werling.

Trustees said their primary concern in considering hiring options was the monetary aspect of the process because of the already strained budget.

“We’re just trying to be fiscally responsible in terms of filling positions,” school board President Janet Braun said.

Ultimately, board members approved the administrators’ recommendation for filling all vacant positions in the three schools and hiring a new at-risk/Title I teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School.

In deciding to hire and fill positions, board member Justin Meeks said it all came down to the fact that “we can’t get rid of any teachers or programs.”

He was referring to the elimination of some high school programs in 2010.

“We made the right decision (on Friday). It’s definitely what the administrators want us to do and it’s the right thing,” Meeks said. “We need the teachers that we have because we have cut back so much in the last three years. It would have been detrimental if we hadn’t filled the staff and we don’t want to make classrooms sizes any bigger.”

With the district facing diminishing state funds the past three years, board members were pleased that the options approved will result in no extra cost to USD 234.

The state funds salaries for at-risk/Title I teachers; it does not come out of the general fund.

“Whatever we’re doing,” board member Belynda Davenport said, “it’s not costing a dime.”

In considering hiring options and remaining “fiscally responsible,” board members also took into account the three-year freeze on teacher salaries.

Members even considered eliminating a position or two in the district to possibly open up more options for movement within the USD 234 salary schedule. However, it was decided that any money saved from that would not have been enough for salary increases.

“We’re trying to make it work with what we have,” Braun said. “Because of funding, we have tried to do what we can for the teachers we have.”

To help offset the lack of salary increases, teachers have seen a 4.41 percent increase in benefits throughout the last four years. Negotiating teams representing USD 234 teachers and the district will be presenting their salary concerns to the board sometime in the spring or early summer.

Tonight and on March 15, two more special meetings of the school board will be held to discuss the hiring process for Werling, who announced his resignation at the Feb. 13 board meeting.

Doug Moeckel, associate executive director of leadership for the Kansas Association of School Boards, will introduce focus groups and ultimately assist the panel in searching for a new superintendent.

Also on Friday, members approved the resignation of both Jodi Taylor, a high school cook, and Gabrielle Studer, a high school English teacher, and a retirement request from Sally Cullor, a middle school reading teacher.

As of Tuesday afternoon, all open positions in the district had been posted on the district’s website with corresponding application and contact information.

Superintendent, principals retiring

Posted on February 17, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Thursday, February 16, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

After 32 years with USD 234, Rick Werling has announced his plans to step down as superintendent and request early retirement effective at the end of his current contract on June 30.

“I have my health and I’m at retirement age,” Werling said. “So it’s the time to go.”

Originally from Hill City, Kan., Werling started working in summer camps with children while he attended college at Concordia University in Seward, Neb. He earned his master’s from Wichita State University and his doctorate from the University of Kansas. Superintendent since 2003, Werling joined the district as principal at Winfield Scott Elementary School and remained so for 13 years.

“I’ve just always been around children and all of a sudden there aren’t going to be any,” Werling said. “It will be a real change.”

When he and his wife, Cathy, first moved to Fort Scott to work for USD 234 in 1980, they thought it would be a temporary stay.

“Only planned to stay a couple years but we just fell in love,” Werling said.

While Cathy will continue to teach first grade at Winfield Scott Elementary, Werling said he plans on spending his extra time with family, especially his first grandchild.

“She lives in Kansas City and retirement will allow me more time with her,” Werling said.

The school board received Werling’s request for early retirement at their Feb. 13 meeting. Six others also submitted letters of resignation to the board including Sheryl Bloomfield, a Winfield Scott Elementary teacher; Debbie Miller, a special educator at Eugene Ware Elementary; Carol Davis, a teacher’s aide at Fort Scott Middle School; Kathleen Norris, a custodian at Fort Scott Middle School; and Stephanie Grantham, a Fort Scott Middle School technology teacher.

An early retirement option, available to educators for more than 10 years, stipulates that those who fall between the ages of 55 and 64 can take early retirement. Those who opt to take advantage this are eligible to receive a $5,000 a year bonus that ends at the age of 64 for up to five years. Retirees are also able to remain on their school’s insurance policy.

Board members describe the unusually high amount of letters received for retirement as sheer coincidence.

“We knew that this would happen some years,” School Board president Janet Braun said. “They all just happened to be in that age group and have decided to take advantage of it. It’s actually a good situation for the employee.”

Board Secretary Connie Billionis, who has also been with the district for 30 years, said she’ll be especially sad to see longtime Fort Scott Middle School Principal Barbara Albright go.

“It’s going to be hard to see her go,” said Billionis, who was Albright’s former secretary. “I’ve never seen anyone who is so willing to give so much to the children.”

Albright joins Werling as one of four administrators leaving their position. Last month, Winfield Scott Elementary Principal Billie Jo Drake and Penny Province, special education and testing coordinator, also sent in requests for early retirement.

Albright, a Fort Scott native who also grew up in the school system, joined the district as a secretary in 1968. A middle-level educator since 1984, Albright taught many subjects ranging from language arts to social studies. She’s been FSMS principal since 1995.

“I can’t say how much it really tears me up,” Albright said. “I love the kids, the teachers, the faculty and staff members. It’s been just great a ride for me and hopefully it’s not completely over.”

With a plan to continue substitute teaching, Albright said she hopes to stay involved in the community as much as possible following retirement.

The district is losing a lot of people, Billionis said.

“It’s going to be a big turnover, but I’m excited to have new blood,” Billionis said. “It will be great and I’m looking forward to it.”

The Kansas Association of School Boards will be responsible for sifting through applications and conducting background searches on potential superintendent candidates before making recommendations to the local school board.

Collectively, the four retiring administrators’ salaries total $305,938, which comes out of the general fund. Werling makes $101,359 annually; Albright makes $77,380; and Province, $61,270. Depending on where the new hires are on the pay scale, the retirement of top administrators could potentially mean good financial news for the district, Braun said.

Within the next month, a committee will likely be formed, Billionis said, to begin the search process to fill the other vacant spots. Ideally, administrators would like to have the process complete by May.

“It will be interesting to see what new ideas are brought in,” Business Manager Tiffany Forester said. “I was just getting used to working with them, though, and I am going to be sad to see them go. It will definitely be a change.”

Sports on the Agenda

Posted on February 17, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

USD 234 School Board members spent a majority of Monday night’s meeting discussing middle and high school athletics.

Board members heard from Eric Baldonado, director of rehabilitation services at Mercy Health Center, and Fort Scott High School Activities Director Larry Fink regarding the implementation of an ImPACT Testing system at the high school level.

ImPACT Testing provides comprehensive testing for concussions through a thorough evaluation of functional brain activity and is already in place at Fort Scott Community College.

“I’m bringing this to you as something we would like to implement at the high school level,” Baldonado said. “More importantly, I am bringing this to you as something to prevent high school injury that you don’t have to pay for.”

Board members approved the motion saying, “If it’s not going to cost anything and save kids, why not?”

Some 300 student athletes will be subjected to ImPACT Testing. The exam would take 30 to 45 minutes, be based on what he or she can do and it will be free.

The Mercy Health Auxiliary provided $2,400 that Boldonado said would allow three to six years of ImPACT Testing for high school athletes.

On the subject of middle school athletics, board members heard a progress report outlining the finances and options for intramural and interscholastic sports.

Tom Davis, intramural director at Fort Scott Middle School and one of five members on the intramural sports committee formed since the January board meeting, said he did not want the panel to make any kind of decision on Monday night but just wanted to give a progress report on what the committee was discussing.

Recommendations ranged from cutting intramurals at the seventh and eighth-grade level and going interscholastic to keeping intramurals at the sixth and seventh-grade level and having just five sports in eighth grade become interscholastic.

No decision was made, but many options were outlined. Board members said they would like to see a definitive recommendation in March that would allow scheduling needs to be met.

“We need direction from administrators and committee members to know what is best for the student. We don’t know,” board member Justin Meeks said.

Other items discussed at Monday night’s meeting included:

* Approval of fundraiser requests for student groups and the use of athletic/activity funds.

* The second semester enrollment count showed that total headcount is down 58 from this time one year ago, with the elementary schools taking the biggest hit.

“This is not good news,” Superintendent Rick Werling said.

* Seven employees put in requests for retirement or early retirement, including Werling.

“We have some long-standing people in the district who sent in letters and we are going to miss them,” Board President Janet Braun said.