By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Hays USD 489 will receive bids Thursday on the installation of secured entrances to Hays High School and Hays Middle School.

The frames on the Hays High School entrance are rusted and need to be replaced.

After school starts in the morning, the new entrances for both buildings will funnel visitors through the office.

The district has received $75,000 in grant funds toward the HHS project.

The rest of the funds for the HHS project would come from the 2018-19 budget, and funds for the HMS project would come from the 2019-20 budget, but both projects would likely be completed this summer, Rusty Lindsay, buildings and grounds director, said at the school board meeting Monday.

Clocks, phones, cameras at HHS

The district also will receive bids this week on improvements on HHS clock, phone and camera systems.

HHS’s heatings system and parking lot lights failed recently during a game night because a fuse blew in the system that times the systems turning on and off.

The clock system will cost about $150,000 to replace.

When the district replaces the wiring for the clock system, building and grounds would also like to pull wiring for new security cameras and a new Voice over Internet Protocol phone system.

Lindsay said once the wiring for the cameras and phone system is in place, the district can replace those systems as the budget allows.

Roof bids

The board also reviewed bids for replacing roofs at Hays Middle School and Roosevelt Elementary School.

Lindsay said replacement of a portion of roof at HMS has been moved up,

A leak has developed over the HMS kitchen, resulting in the kitchen being cited for a health violation by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The low bid for the HMS project came from Wray Roofing of North Newton for $46,120.

The low bid for the Roosevelt project came from High Plains Roofing of Hays for $241,298.

Both of the projects would be completed before the end of 2019 with the HMS roof being paid for out of the FY19 budget, and the Roosevelt project being paid for out of the FY20 budget.

Board policies

The board heard a report on Monday on possible changes in several board policies.

Staff has recommended a change in the district policy to allow groups of athletes to take district vehicles to travel to summer activities. Presently, parents are using private vehicles to transport students. This policy change would match new KSHSAA rules.

Board members said they wanted trips for all activities to have the same policy, and whether the district should pay for gas for the vehicles was also discussed.

The staff has also recommended changes in the student and staff tobacco policies.

The proposed change would prohibit staff from using any nicotine product in any district facility; in school vehicles; at school-sponsored activities, programs, or events; and on school owned or operated property.

The policy currently only prohibits nicotine use for staff in school buildings.

The proposed change for students would alert the consequences for students caught using nicotine products.

Student violations could result in parent/guardian notification, participating in tobacco education program, suspension and/or expulsion from school and/or extracurricular activities, community service, and/or notification of law enforcement.

Currently the policy states administrators may report students who are in violation of this policy to law enforcement as appropriate.

The policy changes are set to come back to the board for a vote in April.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the 2019-20 school calendar
• Heard a report on board goals.
• Heard a report on assessments and state accreditation