Superintendent, board begin work on goals

Posted on August 15, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

Following the USD 234 district budget hearing on Monday evening, school board members approved a change in board policy regarding the annual report to allow Superintendent Diane Gross to deliver it monthly, rather than annually.

In her August monthly report, Gross said since taking on the role of superintendent she has began to formulate a foundation for establishing the district’s new mission statement and goals.

“I would go as far as to say it’s about putting us all on the same page as to … the main objectives we are trying to address,” Gross said told board members.

The seven-member school board began considering changing the district’s goals and mission statement at the end of 2011.

Business Manager Tiffany Forester said in a past Tribune article that board members thought it would be a “good idea” to review the statements because the district’s goals may not be the same as they were in the early 1990s.

“What they (the school board) ended up doing was kind of putting that (district goals) on hold until a new superintendent was hired,” Gross said. “So I took the information that was shared with me when I began and began using that as a foundation.”

Gross outlined six goals for the district, in no particular order, that would replace the district’s current objectives, which were adopted in October 1993:

They include:

* Community engagement with the parent/family environment

* Curriculum instruction and assessment

* Recruit, retain and train highly effective staff

* Build capacity for use of technology operation and instruction

* Develop a long-range facilities plan

All of the revised goals include action plans to help the district fulfill its ambitions and explain the value and importance of each.

Gross said she will continue to meet with building administrators to “get some indicators” as to where certain individuals would like to see the direction of the district go.

“I eventually will be working with teams of teachers from each of the buildings to really put the action plan into place so that we are all taking ownership of these goals,” Gross said. “Some discussions will include community leaders and different organizations, as well.”

It’s important that community members understand and “take ownership” of education locally, Gross said.

District goals serve as an “agreement” among staff, that are adopted through the school board.

In other business, the board:

* Heard that the staff opening ceremony will be held at 7:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 20. Gross said it will include several presentations, a performance by the Fort Scott High School drumline and a few words from school board President Janet Braun.

* The district’s reception for new employees will be held at 5 p.m., Monday, Sept. 10, at the Board Office before the school board’s monthly meeting. Board Secretary Connie Billionis said the informal reception provides an opportunity for new employees to meet board members.

* Approved a 5-cent increase in the price of adult lunch fees, according to a news release.

The full price for an adult lunch was $3.15 at the end of July. A full price breakfast was $1.95.

* Approved hiring: Angela Kemmerer, early childhood coordinator in the Early Steps to Success Program; Nancy Geneva, Fort Scott Middle School ticket clerk; Jenna Campbell, Fort Scott High School assistant freshman volleyball coach; Erin Broadbent, Winfield Scott Elementary School counselor; Dustin Wiley, Eugene Ware Elementary School physical education teacher; and Jared Martin, FSMS football coach.

The panel also approved the following employment matters: The resignation of Jeanie Murrow, Eugene Ware paraeducator; the resignation of Julie Mewhinney, Fort Scott Middle School ticket clerk; retirement request of Phyllis Combs, FSHS cook; and a maternity leave of absence request for Amy Hixon, FSMS science teacher.

A special board workshop is scheduled for 5 p.m. today with Doug Moeckel, of the Kansas Association of School Boards at the Board Office. The workshop is meant to assist board members with the transition into the school year with the new superintendent.

USD 234 mill levy stays at 2011-12 level

Posted on July 17, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton, The Fort Scott Tribune

USD 234 Board of Education members met on Monday night in what was considered a special meeting.

Board members spent the majority of the meeting in executive session to discuss issues relating to “personnel matters”.

After the closed portion of the meeting concluded, business manager Tiffany Forester informed the board that she spoke with a representative at the Office of Labor Relations in Topeka about the teacher contract negotiations. Forester said she was told that “they will be assigning a case number and then sending the case on to federal mediators” soon.

“They gave no estimate on time for this,” Forester said, referring to when talks will continue.

Forester also gave a review of the district’s 2012-2013 budget to the board. One of her goals, she said, was to keep the mill levy the same at 43.972, which she was able to do.

According to the projected budget, the assessed valuation of all funds excluding the general fund has also increased about $1 million.

“So that is a good sign,” Forester told the other board members.

School board president Janet Braun said it appears

to her that “things are in place” for the coming schoool year.

A budget hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. August 13 at the board office, 424 S. Main. The budget has to be submitted to the state before August 25.

Teacher talks reaching conclusion

Posted on July 10, 2012 by angeliquemcnaughton

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

After nearly three hours of negotiations, USD 234 officials and Fort Scott Kansas National Education Association members failed to reach an agreement regarding salaries and the district’s health insurance contribution for the 2012-2013 school year.

Representatives from both sides, including new Superintendent Diane Gross, met Monday at the board office to discuss items still up for negotiation on teacher contracts for the coming school year. Educators recently accepted the district’s offer to use end-of-the-year funds to recoup lost steps from 2009 through 2012 as a separate item. Checks were made available on July 3 for those who were eligible.

District officials had previously promised to forfeit any new money — totaling about $148,000 — acquired from the state legislature’s proposed $58 increase in base state aid per pupil funding to help pay for salary increases or step movement.

School board president and spokeswoman Janet Braun said based on available funds, the district could offer one of two proposals: a 2 percent raise and funding for advanced degree movement, but no step movement within the salary schedule; or advanced degree movement, one step within the salary schedule and a 1 percent raise. Neither district offer included any additional contribution for employee health insurance.

After discussing the offers, Fort Scott KNEA representatives declined both scenarios counter-proposing a $30 contribution to health insurance and a one-time “loyalty stipend,” or bonus, for some 45 individuals considered “stuck” in the salary schedule and who didn’t receive any back pay from the lost steps. The bonuses would cost the district about $22,000.

Fort Scott High School social science teacher and KNEA lead negotiator Roberta Lewis said, “we have a hard time letting our experienced teachers go backwards.

“We feel that those who voted for the offer (to recoup lost steps) and got nothing, they deserve something more,” Lewis said. “We would accept $25 on the insurance, but we would like the bonus for those people.”

After going back and forth for most of the morning, district representatives agreed to the $25 health contribution, but Braun said the insurance offer only stands without the bonus.

“The bonus is the problem,” Braun said. “The new money stops with 1 percent and advanced degrees and we can’t go over the new money at this point. We just feel like the district has other needs and we want to give you all the new money, but we can’t take it away from the other people or things.”

Money has been the most contentious item during this round of negotiations, with both sides refusing to budge. Fort Scott KNEA representatives continue to ask for salary increases while district officials contend they’ve offered all they can afford while still leaving the district fiscally responsible.

“The board came to us with their parameters,” Lewis said. “With our people, we ask that they try to find the additional money to give them (teachers).”

The teachers are willing to compromise, Lewis said, if the board “gives us something to work with.

“We’ll see what we can do from that, but we ultimately feel like they need something and we want them to get that,” she said.

Braun said the district’s proposals were the “last and best final offers.

“I had gone as far as I can go based on what I was told by other board members and that was as far as they felt comfortable going,” Braun said.

Both parties did agree to revise and clarify language referring to personal and sick days. It was decided that personal and sick days would be considered under discretionary leave, allowing more flexibility for educators under the negotiated agreement.

Braun brought the results of the negotiations to fellow board members at an executive session at Monday’s regular board meeting. The next scheduled teacher contract negotiations are scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.

“My guess is we’ll either settle, or we’ll file for impasse because that’s where we are,” Braun said.