Centre board approves teachers' contract
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
A new negotiated agreement with teachers at Centre USD 397 for the 2008-09 school year is almost identical to that of the previous year. A federal mediator, John, Doern, mediated the process which began Feb. 13.
The board of education approved the agreement Monday at its regular March meeting after a 10-minute executive session with Superintendent Jerri Kemble and an additional five minutes with board clerk Peggy Falen.
The board also approved the 2008-09 school calendar. The first day of classes will be Aug. 15 and the last day will be May 21.
The calendar includes 175.5 days of student instruction, two days of parent/teacher conferences, and 10.5 days of staff development and workdays, for a total of 188 days.
The board accepted the resignations of Lisa Beye as junior high sports and cheerleading sponsor and Gene Schafer as assistant high school boys' basketball coach.
Pat Schoenhofer, high school math instructor, gave an overview of projects being undertaken in various math classes. He also is teaching an interactive distance learning class in pre-calculus to several students at Hope High School.
In other business, the board:
— approved purchase of a bus from Midwest Bus Sales, Bonner Springs, at a cost not to exceed $67,727.
— approved a town hall meeting at Centre High School at 6 p.m. April 7.
— approved a 2 p.m. dismissal April 3 to allow time for preparations for a forensics tournament scheduled to be held at the high school beginning at 3:30 p.m.
— approved a Blue Cross/Blue Shield group health insurance plan for the year beginning May 1, with a premium increase of 9.73 percent.
The new rates are: single, $321.73; employee/children, $605.43; employee/spouse, $690.82; and employee/family, $965.03.
— extended the contract with 5-12 principal Nadine Smith through the 2009-2010 school year.
Superintendent Kemble reported that staff members are working together to establish a systematic update of textbooks, with various committees being formed to keep the K-12 curriculum aligned with state standards.
Kemble said the district is applying for membership in ESSDACK, a support organization based in Hutchinson. If the district is accepted, the board will be asked to approve the move. The district currently is a member of Greenbush, which is inconveniently located in southeast Kansas.
Principal Smith announced that Theo Kassebaum, an eighth grader, placed third in the Marion County Spelling Bee.
Smith also reported on participation by government students in the USpeak 2008 conference March 3 at Kansas State University.
Debates were presented on a variety of topics including abortion, sex education, gay rights, and same sex marriage.
Board president Jesse Brunner expressed his opposition to students debating such morally sensitive issues.
"I want to be on record as stating that these issues are not appropriate for our students to debate," he said.
Smith noted that parental permission was given for the students to attend the event.
