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Marion-Florence USD 408 approves new classes for upcoming school year years ago

Marion-Florence USD 408 will have three new class additions to the 2006-07 school year.

USD 408 board of education unanimously approved a conceptual physics class, a technology lab upgrade, and a construction technology course for next year.

The board also passed the introduction to the FACS curriculum.

The conceptual physics class will not count toward Kansas Regents, but will help student fulfill the newly required three science courses to graduate.

At a cost of $16,135 of general fund money, the board allowed for three new tech lab modules: digital video editing, computer service and repair, and computer numeric control — Lathe.

It also approved updates each year of around $5,000 to the lab. The yearly updates are lower than a one-time update fee later on.

The construction technology course will be a vocational course taken by students in the afternoon. The course will teach them hands-on activities such as plumbing, wall framing, dry wall, and masonry work, as well as others.

The course would allow students to work with local contractors to build a storage shed. Superintendent Lee Leiker said the goal of the course down the road would be for students to construct a house.

Leiker noted the course would not provide competition for local contractors, but hopefully future jobs for students with the contractors.

Board vice president Chris Sprowls said students who have these interests need to be recognized.

"We need this course because we've missed some of these students in the past," he said.

The board will now look into sources such as Paxton Patterson which for a fee would provide tools and information for the class. It also will look to the local experience of Marion contractors for some of that information.

In other news:

— The board approved the 2006-07 school calendar with two minor revisions. Early release days on Feb. 2 and April 20 will be added as teacher work days. The days will count as two of the 182 "contact" days.

The first day of school will be Aug. 15.

— The board discussed both positive and negative comments about the proposed building project.

Leiker said the board will begin a final "push" in the next week to help the project pass on the April 4 election ballot.

— MHS art teacher Jim Versch will be trained at no cost as the district's "master teacher." He then will be able to train other teachers on new technology in the classroom through the Intel Tech to the Future program.

— The board unanimously voted to extend the one-year lease on the Marion County Special Education Cooperative building in Florence, starting on Dec. 15.

— The board accepted the resignation from Tina Kraus as Marion Middle School head basketball coach and MHS freshman volleyball coach, by a 4-3 vote. Jan Helmer, Kathy Meierhoff, and Rex Savage voted no to show their appreciation for the job Kraus had done.

— The board voted 7-0 in favor of Lana Fahey as new MHS cheer sponsor. Fahey will replace Sandy Vetter who resigned.

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