By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board will consider purchasing a bus for the early childhood program at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockwell Administration Center.

The new bus would cost $58,381. The school district was under budget with its other bus purchases this year by $35,000, and it would use that money toward the purchase of this bus.

An additional $15,000 would come from the early childhood program. The remaining funds would come from capital outlay.

Although the bus would be used to transport students for the preschool and Head Start programs, it also would be used at other times for busing small numbers of students in cases that a van would be too small and a large bus would be too large, said Superintendent John Thissen at the board’s last meeting.

The board also will vote on the lease agreement with Fort Hays State University on the use of the Lewis Field Stadium for Hays High football this fall.

The board was informed at its last meeting, game attendees would fall under the same rules as FHSU, which will include concealed carry beginning on July 1.

The district would pay FHSU $2,400 for each game played at the stadium under the agreement. The district has five home games and a scrimmage scheduled at Lewis Field during the 2017 season.

Also on the agenda for approval will be a $2,389 fire alarm testing contract, Kansas Educational Risk Management Pool property/casualty
insurance renewal and workers compensation bid.

In addition, the board will hear a presentation on the expansion of the Hays Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

The current revitalization area is about 200 acres; the revised plan would increase the area to 1,628 acres.