By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board discussed its search for a new superintendent at its meeting Monday night.
Superintendent John Thissen gave his letter of resignation to the board on Oct. 19. He will finish out his current contract, which runs through June 30.
Thissen cited personal reasons for his resignation.
The district has bids from three entities to aid in the search: Kansas Association for School Boards, $5,850; McPherson and Jacobson, $4,850; Ray and Associates, $24,250. Ray and Associates specializes in multi-state searches.
The board has worked with KASB on previous searches. Board member Luke Oborny and President Mandy Fox said they had been pleased with KASB’s past work. However, the board asked Assistant Superintendent Shanna Dinkel to contact other school districts that had worked with McPherson and Jacobson to learn more about the firm.
The board plans to vote on awarding a contract for the search at its next meeting on Nov. 26.
ECC project
The board reviewed its timeline for a renovation project of the Oak Park Medical Plaza. The complex will be renovated for the Early Childhood Connections program.
The district is currently in a protest period for the financing on the project. That period is set to end on Sunday, Nov. 25.
The board is set to vote on the contracts for the project at its Nov. 26 meeting.
The district approved $2 million in financing for the purchase of the building on Oct. 15. The district will pay back the lease-purchase agreement $216,000 per year for 10 years.
The district has received a $1.47 million federal grant for the renovation of the property.
Teachers’ contracts
The district reached an agreement with teachers last week. Dinkel said the teachers are set to vote on ratification of the contract on Wednesday. The details of the agreement will not made public until after the contact is ratified.
Approval of the contract will be on the agenda Nov. 26.
Fox asked staff to do a review of classified staff pay, comparing it to the pay of similar positions in the community. She also asked for a budget analysis of where the district will be financially if the teachers ratify their contract.
“We want to do what is right for them as well,” she said of classified staff.