Marion BOE limits flyer distribution in schools
Staff writer
Marion-Florence USD 408 Board of Education agreed Monday night the district would "watch what's being advertised" when promotional materials or "flyers" are sent home with students promoting outside agencies or activities.
Recently, Marion-Florence USD 408 officials were asked to distribute a flyer to Marion Elementary School students promoting a volleyball camp sponsored by Hillsboro Recreation Commission.
For various reasons, district officials decided not to distribute the flyer. Subsequently, a patron expressed concern the flyer was not distributed. In turn, a board member was contacted regarding that decision. Consequently, the topic ended up on the agenda for discussion.
Superintendent Lee Leiker said district officials are careful when deciding what to promote, especially when it concerns activities or events which occur outside the school district or county.
"It's a tough decision. It puts pressure on students because some can go and others can't," Leiker said.
Leiker also said he didn't want the school district to be placed in the position where it's being used as a substitute for advertising in the local newspaper.
Marion High School principal Ken Arnhold said he receives numerous requests to distribute flyers promoting various activities.
One instance involved an individual from McPherson who was holding a dodge ball tournament. Upon inquiry, Arnhold discovered the individual was not associated with a sanctioned organization.
"The guy was doing it just to make some bucks," Arnhold said. "He had no insurance. No liability coverage. I was afraid if something happened to one of our kids over there it would come back on the school (MHS)."
Tod Gordon, Marion Middle School principal, said he is inundated with flyers for distribution — many from church-affiliated organizations.
"Sometimes we'll put these (flyers) in the announcements or hang them on the window in the office," Gordon said.
Stan Ploutz, MES principal, said the school usually will support local events or organizations by distributing their flyers.
"But we don't feel we want to be advertising for everybody," Ploutz said.
Board member Sarah Cope asked if churches sending items through the schools was a problem.
"We have to be cautious of motive," Leiker said.
"If it's supported by the ministerial alliance I don't hesitate," Gordon added.
Arnhold said the high school sometimes will distribute FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) materials.
"Usually what they do in the school setting is more motivational than religious," he explained.
Board member Keith Collett noted it took significant teacher and staff time to get flyers distributed to all the kids.
"I don't feel we need to distribute flyers for non-tax supported entities," Collett said. "Also, we're part of the Marion-Florence REC and I don't feel we need to be promoting other rec departments."
Gordon noted that if the incident which caused the issue — a volleyball camp — had been a basketball camp instead it wouldn't even have come through the schools.
"It would have gone to the coaches and they could have distributed it," Gordon said.
Board member Kathy Meierhoff said the Hillsboro Rec organization had talked to the Marion-Florence REC about the camp.
"It wasn't like our rec didn't know about it," Meierhoff said.
Board president Rex Savage asked if the volleyball camp was a co-sponsored activity between the Marion and Hillsboro rec groups.
Business manager Martin Tice said it was not and that Marion rec was passing the information on for the Hillsboro organization.
After discussion the board agreed by consensus the district would "watch what was being advertised," and would support the local Marion-Florence REC organization.
In other matters, the board:
— approved the resignation of Woody Crawhaw, bus driver.
— approved a trip allowing two sponsors and six students to attend the national FFA convention Oct. 26-30 in Louisville, Ky. Sponsor Mark Meyer said the FFA chapter was requiring the chapter to pay a portion of the sponsors' cost.
"We went every year when it was in Kansas City. Now that it's in Louisville we thought we'd go every other year. But our advisory committee said it was important we go every year," Meyer explained.
"Since we're looking at every year, the FFA chapter felt we should pay more of the cost," he added.
Board member Chris Sprowls said he felt the district should remain consistent when determining whether or not sponsors' costs would be paid.
He noted the board approved paying the cost for two FCCLA sponsors to attend an out-of-state trip after hearing a request in September from that organization.
"I feel we should be consistent and pay for both sponsors," Sprowls said.
The board agreed by a vote of 7-0.
— heard reports from Leiker regarding ACT scores and an energy analysis regarding district buildings. Information on these reports will be included in next week's Marion County Record.
— Reviewed KASB (Kansas Association of School Boards) district policy revisions in a first reading. The district policy book has not been updated in several years and Leiker asked board members to review the book and determine whether the policies agree with board policy.
Board members expressed concern with several KASB policies including those regarding classified leaves of absence, weapons policy, and the district's purchasing authority.
Leiker noted updated KASB policy allows district officials to make purchases less than $20,000 without board approval.
Savage asked members if they were comfortable with the $20,000 amount especially since the current policy is significantly less.
"Twenty-thousand dollars is a lot in a district this size," Collett said. "I'm uncomfortable with that as the legal limit."
Sprowls said he was more comfortable with a $10,000 limit.
He noted a situation where he was uncomfortable when learning of a large expenditure for computers that the board had not been informed of. "I felt like I was caught with my pants down," Sprowls said.
The policies will be discussed again during the November meeting for second reading prior to adoption.
— heard from Meierhoff and Leiker who said they had attended the open house at OASIS, the special education co-op school in Florence, and had been impressed.
— voted 7-0 approving Collett as District School Improvement Team alternate to temporarily serve in place of representative Sprowls. Due to a new job, Sprowls said it would be difficult for him to make DSIT meetings for the next few months.
— heard from members Meierhoff and Cope that some portions of the district's web site are not being updated and contain information which is several years old.
— heard from board member Roger Hannaford complimenting MHS instructor Roger Schwab on his work with the Key Club.
— heard from board member Gene Bowers who said he was pleased with the direction the district was taking.
— heard from Leiker who noted the bulletin boards in the school board meeting room were being used by teachers to display students' work. He asked those attending to examine work being done by students.
Leiker also informed board members the transportation department had missed a route pickup in Florence.
"We had some kindergarten students waiting at the bus stop in Florence and no bus was there," Leiker said. "We did miss a noon pickup."
Leiker said the incident was a result of miscommunication and indicated the problem would be resolved.
