By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

Bill Gasper was recognized with Hays USD 489’s Best of the Best award Monday night.

Gasper, the adviser for Hays High School’s student newspaper, yearbook and website, was nominated by students.

Gasper also directed the school’s annual spring play.

Gasper was honored with the Jackie Engel Award this spring, which is the highest honor for a journalism adviser in the state.

The HHS student journalism program took seconds in the Kansas Scholastic Press Association contest this year. The school’s news website received its first All-American ranking as well.

The Indian, the HHS yearbook, received All-Kanas and an All-American rating for the second year in a row.

Anniston Weber, Gasper’s student ,was named the Kansas 3A-4A Journalist of the Year this year.

Students described Gasper as an inspiration, who cared like a friend or a dad. One student said he was the most “outwardly grumpy but inwardly genuine people I have ever met.”

“So it is his drive and want to see students succeed and his personable, genuine style that makes him worthy of this month’s Best of the Best award,” said Madison Creese, co-editor in chief of The Guidon.

The student recipient of May’s Best of the Best Award was Kritin Sharma, fourth-grade student in the SPARK program, which is the district’ program for gifted students.

Kenda Leiker, SPARK teacher, nominated Sharma.

“Kritin Sharma’s dedication to learning, his drive for challenges and motivation to do his best always, puts him in the category, I believe, of Best of the Best,” she said. “He comes to SPARK every weak ready to work and improve himself.”

Leiker said Sharma began SPARK in second grade as a shy learner who was afraid he would not do his best. As he has grown in the program, he has become more willing to take risks.

“As a fourth grader he is one for the more creative thinkers who is willing to fail because he perceives failure as an avenue to growing and learning something new,” Leiker said.

She said Sharma thinks outside of the box and pursues problems in a variety of ways.

“Kritin never settles. He perseveres. He searches for understanding,” Leiker said. “Whether it be a small assignment or large in-depth project, Kritin pushes himself to complete neat, higher-quality work.

“Not only does Kritin have a strong work ethic, his social etiquette and superior behavior exceeds those of others.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The implementation of a safety committee is saving the district more than $100,000 per year in insurance costs.

The district renewed its Kansas Educational Risk Management Pool property/casualty insurance and worker’s compensation insurance at its meeting Monday night.

The quote for property/casualty
insurance for the 2017-2018 school year
was $124,752. The premium last year was $127,200, so the premium is $2,448 less for the upcoming year.

The district paid $143,862 for worker’s compensation insurance last year and will pay $132,674 to United Heartland this year.

The total including fees will for 2017-18 will be $277,426, which is down considerably from the $391,000 the district paid in 2014.

After years of increasing insurance costs, the district formed a safety committee in 2014. That committee has members from all the district’s buildings and departments.

The committee has issued a series of awareness campaigns, including one on slip, trip and fall hazards, said Tracy Kaiser, USD 489 executive director of finance and support services.

At the building level, schools have worked with staff and custodial services to make sure designated walkways are cleared during icy and snowy weather. The schools then encourage staff to use these clear walkways.

“We want our staff members to be aware of how accidents happen,” Kaiser said. “We want them to be aware of the shoes they are wearing and maybe that they need to hold a railing as the walk down stairs.”

Staff members are encouraged to take action quickly if they see unsafe situations to block off an area or clean an area that might have a hazard.

The district also is exploring an accident investigation process, which would help officials identify unsafe practices or areas that might need repair.

The actions of the safety committee are not just meant to make district facilities safer for staff member. Kaiser said officials hope schools are safer for children and visitors as well.

The district hopes to continue to see decreases in its insurance rate. The mod factor, which determines the amount of insurance the district pays, was 1.29 in 2013. It dropped to 1.04 in 2017. If it drops below 1, then the insurance company is paying less in claims than the district is paying in premium.

A drop below a 1 rating will drop insurance premiums significantly further, Kaiser said.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Free lunches will be available to children in Hays again this summer.

The meals will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at Early Childhood Connections, 305 Main St. starting on Tuesday.

Children ages 2 to 18 are eligible. No registration or income guidelines are required.

Adults who accompany children may also eat at the program for a cost of $3.85 per meal.

The federally funded program will run through July 28.

Last year the program fed between 100 and 200 children daily.

“Our summer food program is important for the kids of Hays because even when schools is not session, it is important for them to get a good, healthy meals. And some kids don’t necessarily get over the summer, so we welcome them to join us,” said Jessica Younker, director of nutrition services for USD 489.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Hays school district may not have a budget from the state until July or later, according to Superintendent John Thissen.

Thissen spoke to the USD 489 school board Monday night about the gridlock in the Kansas Legislature on the budget and school funding.

The state budget year runs from July 1 through June 30. However, the state legislature, which will hit its 100th day in session Wednesday, appears to be nowhere close to coming to an agreement on taxes and school funding.

Thissen said the district already has made arrangements to pay its bills through the summer months. However, delays in the Legislature approving a budget means the district will be unable to approve its own budget.

Dale Dennis, deputy commissioner of education, told Thissen the Legislature may not have a final budget until July or the first of August.

“It will be a mad race to get [the budget] done in less than two weeks before school starts. It is a pretty scary time line,” Thissen said.

The district could be required to only staff essential personnel in July while the state is in budget limbo, but Thissen said he was not sure if this would be the case.

“Dale Dennis said he was optimistic that something would get through the Legislature, but he didn’t know where the governor and the judges will be,” Thissen said.

Kansas faces projected budget shortfalls totaling $887 million through June 2019.

The Governor has opposed attempts by the Legislature to eliminate tax exemptions for LLCs, which he championed, in order to balance the budget.

The Kansas Supreme Court issued a decision in March that Kansas’ funding of schools is inadequate.

The Kansas House rejected a proposal Monday that would have raised $1.2 billion in income taxes over two years to fix the state budget and provide additional funds for public schools.

The House was scheduled to have debates Wednesday on the two biggest issues before the Legislature on the 100th day of its annual session. See more on  the latest by clicking here.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

The Ellis County Dolly Parton Imagination Library needs your help to continue an important program for young children and their families.

The program provides books for registered children from ages birth through 5 in Ellis County for free. The children receive a new age-appropriate book in the mail each month.

“The greatest indication of future academic success is exposure to early reading,” said Dana Stanton, Ellis County Imagination Library coordinator.

However, right now the program is putting new children on a waiting list due to lack of funding.

The program is completely funded through grants and donations. The program uses the resources of the Dolly Parton Foundation to order books at economical rates, about $2 per book, which includes mailing.

However, the Ellis County program currently has 743 children enrolled in the program, which costs about $1,500 per month.

When the program reaches a reserve of less than six month, it suspended new registrations until enough fundraising can be done to ensure the program can continue operating.

This is the third time since the program began in 2012 it has suspended registrations and created a waiting list. Stanton said the program has seen decreases in funding from state grants recently, which means it has had to look elsewhere for funding.

At this point, the program’s reserves are at five months.

CASA of the High Plains and Sunflower Electric recently made donations to the program, but more funding is still needed to reopen registrations. For a complete list of donors, visit the program’s website by clicking here.

Stanton said the program is especially important to families who struggle financially.

“It is so important to families who don’t have a lot of money,” Stanton said. “If you have to choose between paying the electric bill and buying a new book for child, which are you going to choose? It is doubly Important for families who struggle.”

Children whose parents read to them build social and emotional bonds with their parents, they learn how to hold a book and learn the importance of reading.

There are no income requirements to sign up for the program. Participants only need to live in Ellis County.

Since the program began, 37,335 books have been mailed to Ellis County children.

Donations to the program go through the USD 489 Foundation, so they are 100 percent tax-deductible, and 100 percent of donations go directly toward the purchase of books for the children.

To donate to the program or get on the program’s waiting list for books, contact Stanton at 623-2430.

You may also mail donations to the program. Donations should be made payable to USD 489 Foundation. Mail donations to:

Early Childhood Connections – Washington Site
Attn: Dana Stanton
305 Main St.
Hays, KS 67601
In the memo indicate: Ellis County Imagination Library

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The school district heard a report about a proposed expansion of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program at its meeting Monday.

The City of Hays is seeking to increase the area of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. The previous program encompassed about 200 acres.

The amended program would include 1,628, which is the boundary of the build out in Hays in 1965.

The appraised value of proposed
area is $644,777,390.

The proposed area reflects an area that encompasses buildings that are 50 years old and older.

The goals of the program are to improve commercial property and promote owner-occupied housing and purpose-built multi-family housing in an area where single family houses are already transitioning to single family rental housing.

The program would allow a residential or commercial owner to rebate 65 percent of the increased property tax from improvements.

The previous program resulted in about $500,000 increase in property value.

Wood said the program would not affect the current revenue the district is realizing from property tax. It is only rebating taxes on increases in property values in the program.

If a structure was assessed at $100,000, and $100,000 worth of improvements were made to project, the owner would save about $7,877 over 10 years under the new program.

The city is proposing a couple of changes to the program. They include simplifying the application process, establishing an appeals process and establishing a delinquency criteria.

It would also increase and standardize minimum investment from $5,000 residential/$15,000 commercial to $25,000 residential/$50,000 commercial projects.

Forty-five properties have benefitted from the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan since its establishment.

Some of the projects that have been done with the previous program include Gella’s Diner, Salon 1007, and the apartments at 100 E. Fifth.

The city has already approved the revitalization program. Because the program also will affect property tax collected by the school district and county, both entities must also approved the program.

The program will be on the district’s next meeting agenda for a vote on June 12.

Hays Post

The Hays Arts Council is looking for participants for the Summer Art Walk.

The walk will be 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 16. The deadline to be included on the official program is Tuesday, June 6.

Brenda Meder, executive director of the Hays Arts Council, encouraged both artists and businesses to seek out partners for this summer’s walk.

Fort Hays will unveil a new piece by Jerry Thomas called “One Perfect Day,” which depicts George and Elizabeth Custer. The models who were used for the image will dress in costume at the fort.

The Community Assistance Center will have art for sale that it has received through donations.

Artists do not have to be from Hays to participate in the event. Meder said new artists could give the community a broader exposure to new talents.

For more information about becoming a part of the 2017 summer art walk, contact Meder at 785-625-7522 or at [email protected].

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

An award-winning playwright will be among the teachers offering youth classes through the Hays Arts Council this summer.

Catherine Trieschmann of Hays will teach the Dramatic Arts Workshop for children ages 9-13.

Trieschmann’s plays include “The Bridegroom of Blowing Rock,” “Crooked,” “How the World Began,” “Hot Georgia Sunday,” and “The Most Deserving.”

Her work has been produced off-Broadway at the Women’s Project, in London and Sydney, as well as across the U.S.

She also wrote the screenplay for the film “Angel’s Crest,” which premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures, according to Trieschmann’s publishing company.

Students in this workshop will create their own play and perform it for their friends and family.

“She is the real deal,” Brenda Meder, executive director of the arts council said. “This opportunity is very unique to have a professional playwright teach.”

Two other theater classes titled “Acting and the Theater” for children ages 8-14 will be offered. Children in these classes will learn acting techniques, vocal exercises and improvisation techniques.

Meder said the drama courses have become popular perhaps because of the arts council’s promotion of the Famous Figures program, during which fifth graders give performances as characters from history.

Children from these classes also will give performances for friends and family at the conclusion of their classes.

Some of the visual arts offerings include mixed media, photography, ceramics, wheel-thrown pottery and stained glass.

Some classes are offered for children as young as 5. If space is available, the wheel-thrown pottery and stained glass courses are also open to adults.

Costs vary depending on the hours taught and materials needed. Locations also vary based on class needs. The theater courses will take place in the 12th Street Auditorium.

Classes are subject to closure once they have reached their maximum enrollment with enrollment varying depending on the activity. Classes could be canceled if enrollment is too small.

Meder said the theater classes are filling up, but no classes are full at this time. She urged families not to wait to register their children.

A complete list of classes can be found below.

Registrations and payment can be submitted in person at the arts center or mailed to 112 E. 11th St., Hays, KS 67601. You can also call the center at 785-625-7522 for more information.

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.

Downtown Hays Development Corporation announced the rescheduled date for the Downtown Pavilion Project ground breaking. The ceremony, which was scheduled for this afternoon, will now take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 24  at 10^th and Main streets.

Bloom said,”We once again apologize for any inconvenience, but hope you can join us at the new date and time.”