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Hays USD 489 board to vote on teacher, classified pay

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A teacher votes on her contract on Nov. 14 at Hays High School.

By CRISTINA JANNEY 
Hays Post 

The Hays USD 489 school board is set to vote on a contract with teachers as well as pay for classified staff and administrators at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockwell Administration Center.

The teachers and board reached impasse, met with a mediator on Nov. 8 and were able to come to an agreement. Teachers voted on the contract on Nov. 14.

The contract will add $1,250 to the teacher base pay and a one-time $200 bonus toward district insurance for certified staff. The teachers were also offered horizontal and vertical movement on their pay scale.

The raise amounts to about an 3.7 percent increase in pay for teachers.

The classified and administrative staff were given a 4.6 percent pay increase in error in June without board approve. The board voted Nov. 1 to step that raise, but did not require those who had receive the raise to pay back any of the funds paid in error.

The board members said in the past, pay increases for administrators and classified staff had been equal to those for teachers. However, legally the teachers can’t negotiate for those groups.

The district had budgeted a 4.6 percent pay increase for all staff. Board President Mandy Fox asked the administration to provide a financial review of how the teachers’ contract would affect the budget.

The teachers’ contract freed up $115,000 from the 2018-19 budget by paying $1,250 on the base for teachers instead of $1,665. $15,000 would be freed up from the 2018-19 budget by paying 3.7 percent as an increase for administrators instead of 4.6 percent.

There is a $20,000 total difference in pay for the classified staff when comparing a 4.6 percent raise to a 3.7 percent raise. Eighteen of the 141 staff (around 12 percent) work less than 30 hours.

Fox also requested an analysis of how classified staff pay compares to pay for similar positions in the community. The pay was compared for starting hourly wage.

Classified staff pay comparison. Click to expand.

Those positions that stood out as being much lower than comparable positions were administrative assistants and IT staff.

Principal’s secretaries and administrative assistants for USD 489 are being paid $11.42 to $12.18, but those in Ellis County are being paid $13.74 to $16.43. IT certified technicians for USD 489 are being paid $10.95 per hour, but their counterparts are being paid $18.70 plus benefits. Network/server certified technicians for USD 489 are paid $12.95 per hour compared to $17.91 per hour plus benefits.

No recommendations were included in the board packet on changes to classified pay.

Oak Park Plaza project 

The protest period for the financing for the renovation of the Oak Park Medical Plaza ends Sunday, Nov. 25.

On Monday, the school board will vote on the final financing for the project as well as the purchase contracts.

The complex will be renovated for the Early Childhood Connections program.

The district preliminarily 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.

ECC expansion

The board will hear from Donna Hudson-Hamilton, ECC director, about a grant that would allow the district to expand its full-time Head Start slots. The $324,000 grant would also require the hiring of an additional teacher and two additional teacher assistants.

Slots that are currently half-day slots would be converted to full-day slots. The slots would be opened for enrollment in spring for the fall 2019 semester.

Superintendent search

The Hays USD 489 school board is set to vote on a firm to help it conduct a search for a new superintendent.

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.

In other business, the board will hear a report from special education director Chris Hipp.

 

Defense leads Panthers to 2A title

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The Phillipsburg Panthers forced five turnovers, held Riley County to under 125 yards of offense and Senior quarterback Trey Sides threw for a pair of touchdowns as the Panthers claim their second state title with a 27-0 win over the Falcons.

The Panthers got the football to open the game but fumbled early in the drive setting up Riley County in great field position. Sides would come up with and interception putting an end to the drive. That interception was the first of three thrown by Falcons quarterback Garrett Harmison.

Three plays later Sides found his brother Ty Sides for a 25 yard touchdown to put Phillipsburg up 7-0.

Midway through the second quarter Sides threw his second touchdown pass of the game, a 26 yard strike to Nathan Moon to put Phillipsburg up 14-0 and they would take that lead into halftime.

In the second half the Panthers got a pair of Jonathan Hunnacutt field goals to put Phillipsburg up 20-0 midway through the fourth quarter.

The final points came from Phillipsburg’s Tanner Ragsdale on a two-yard run, following a Riley County fumble and securing the 27-0 Panthers win.

Trey Sides finished 10-for-15 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He brother Ty Sides hauled in six passes for 104 yards and one touchdown.

In all the Panthers racked up 262 yards of offense while holding Riley County to just 123 total yards. It’s the eighth time this season Phillipsburg has held their opponent under 200 total yards.

With the win Phillipsburg finished the season 13-0 and they have won 36 out of their last 38 games.

Russell teen hospitalized after four-wheeler accident

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RUSSELL COUNTY — A 15-year-old was injured in an ATV accident at approximately 5:30 p.m. Friday, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported.

The KHP said a 1998 Kawasaki four-wheeler driven by a Russell teen was eastbound in the north ditch of Homer Road, 1 mile east of U.S. 281.

The four-wheeler jumped a sewer entrance and became airborne, ejecting the rider.

The teen, who the KHP said was not wearing a helmet, was transported to Russell Regional Hospital for treatment.

Fort Hays State alum named to Red Cross board of directors

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Brandon Taylor

The Central and Western Kansas Chapter of the American Red Cross announced this week the appointment of Brandon Taylor to its board of directors.

“I am excited to join the Red Cross board. I find the most joy assisting others in Kansas and around the world and the Red Cross humanitarian mission will allow me to do just that, said Brandon Taylor, an Admissions Counselor at Fort Hays State University. “My family has never forgotten the kind individuals who were there to help us in our time of need and now it is time to pay that kindness forward.”

Brandon was born in Western Nebraska but raised in Kansas and graduated from Kiowa County High School in Greensburg. His family’s home was destroyed by the tornado that struck Greensburg in 2007. He witnessed firsthand American Red Cross disaster response and recovery operations in his community. For over a hundred years, Red Cross volunteers across Kansas have answered the call to help those affected by disasters large and small. From single-family house fires to severe weather like tornadoes, flooding, ice storms and wildfires, the Red Cross provides for the immediate needs of families like Brandon’s, who may have lost everything.

Serving others is not new to Brandon. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, a Master of Business Administration, and a leadership and grant-writing certificate from Fort Hays State University. While a student, Brandon interned for Senator Jerry Moran in Washington, DC and was the lead organizer that brought TEDxFHSU to campus, the university’s first TED conference that focused on worldwide issues. He also had the opportunity to work with numerous service organizations around the country including Habitat for Humanity in Santa Fe, New Mexico; United Saints of New Orleans in Louisiana and the Global Leadership Project in Costa Rica.

Central and Western Kansas Executive Director, Becky LaPolice is excited to welcome Brandon to the board team. “With a 60-county chapter territory, I am thrilled to have a board member from Hays,” said LaPolice. “Today’s technology allows us to connect with our communities across Central and Western Kansas to deliver Red Cross services more efficiently. Brandon will be joining a board with representatives from Garden City, Clay Center and Salina. Our goal is to recruit dedicated board members from other areas of Central and Western Kansas.” For more information on the American Red Cross mission or how to get involved, go to www.redcross.org or email [email protected].

Rep. Marshall serves Thanksgiving meals to troops overseas

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WASHINGTON D.C.- This Thanksgiving Congressman Marshall traveled overseas to visit with our troops. On his trip he met with Kansas soldiers and served them Thanksgiving dinner.

“Our troops are doing an outstanding job. I was so honored to spend Thanksgiving with our men and women in uniform,” Rep. Marshall said. “I got to meet individually with these soldiers and learn about their journey to the military. I cannot thank them enough for the sacrifices they consistently make for our great nation.”

In Kuwait, Rep. Marshall met with over 700 Kansas Guardsman from the 2-137 Combined Arms Battalion and Battery C, 161st Field Artillery. The Guardsmen were deployed in April as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Spartan Shield (OEF-SS).

“They are spending the holidays far from their families, it was a privilege for me to be able to serve them a Thanksgiving meal and sit down with them to discuss their mission and their time abroad,” Rep. Marshall said. “Some of these soldiers were newly married or had young children back at home, but they explained to me how grateful they are to serve our country and for all the continued support they get back at home.”

On his trip, Rep. Marshall was briefed by military leaders on the current posture, readiness, and security concerns of our U.S. forces.

“We have the strongest military in the world, I saw that first hand this week. The holidays are especially hard to be away from home, and I enjoyed hearing each soldier tell me about their families’ Thanksgiving traditions. I learned a lot from these brave men and women in the past few days, and their love for our country will inspire me for days to come.”

The soldiers on this mission are expected to return to the states in March of 2019.

Mostly sunny, breezy Saturday, chance of snow late

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Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. West southwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon.

Tonight
Rain likely before 4am, then rain and snow likely between 4am and 5am, then snow likely after 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Very windy, with a south southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north 21 to 31 mph. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday
Snow likely, mainly before 10am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 34. Very windy, with a north northwest wind 27 to 32 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 21. North northwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming west after midnight.

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 46. West wind around 8 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 21.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 45.

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 44.

Ellis High inducts nine into National Honor Society

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From left: Logan Shaw, Cassandra Waldschmidt, August Sinclair, Cameryn Kinderknecht, Lane Fischer, Rylee Werth, Clara Crawford, Cheyenne Born and Dylan Brown.

ELLIS — On Monday, Ellis High School inducted three juniors and six seniors into the local chapter of the National Honor Society.

Requirements to get into NHS are a 3.5 GPA, leadership in seven organizations within the school or community, accumulation of 40 hours of community service, and a positive character evaluation by teachers.

The following students were inducted into the National Honor Society:

Logan Shaw, son of Doug & Jill Shaw
Cassandra Waldschmidt, daughter of Pete & Sandy Waldschmidt
August Sinclair, daughter of Mark Sinclair and Katie Armstrong
Cameryn Kinderknecht, daughter of Tim & Rhonda Kinderknecht
Lane Fischer, son of Brian & Melanie Fischer.
Rylee Werth, daughter of Rodney & Cristi Werth
Clara Crawford, daughter of Kim Andries and the late George Crawford III
Cheyenne Born, daughter of Brock & Coleen Born
Dylan Brown, son of Heidi Schmidt

Two hospitalized after Phillips County rollover accident

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LONG ISLAND — Two people from Nebraska were injured in an accident at approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Phillips County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Dodge pickup driven by Jeffery Arthur Hester, 34, Harvard, Neb., was westbound on Kansas 383 just west of Long Island when the passenger-side wheels entered the north ditch.

The pickup then traveled across the roadway and entered into a broadside skid, continuing into the southbound ditch and rolling. Hester was ejected from the vehicle, which came to rest on its wheels.

Hester, who the KHP said was not wearing a seat belt, was transported to Norton County Hospital for treatment.

A passenger in the truck, a 15-year-old male, also was transported to the hospital for treatment. The teen was wearing a seat belt, the KHP said.

With winter storm on the way, FHSU residence halls will open early

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Due to impending wintry weather, Fort Hays State University will open residence halls earlier than planned.

Residence halls will be open to students returning from Thanksgiving break at 3 p.m. Saturday.

“As we are opening early, please note that limited desk and dining services will be available,” the university said in a social media post Friday.

The winter storm is expected to create hazardous driving conditions. Click HERE for more.

Several from FHSU inducted into Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

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BATON ROUGE, La. — The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Brooks Barber of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Amanda Buday of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Kimberly Chappell of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Rick Edgeman of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Babu George of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Tamari Kartlelishvili of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Jacqueline Lubin of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Mary Martin of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Michael Martin of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Adam Schibi of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Jay Steinmetz of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University
Ashley Templeton of Hays; initiated at Fort Hays State University

These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

INSIGHT KANSAS: How school choice works in Kansas

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Mix, match, customize — the modern world is an array of choices that permeate many aspects of our daily lives.  Take for example public, PreK-12 school choices approved by the Kansas State Board of Education.  While not all options are listed here and not all are found in every school district, the choices include:

School systems.  Families may choose traditional neighborhood schools, the KSDE on-line school, experimental schools approved by KSDE, charter schools that report to a local school district or home schooling.

Dr. Sharon Hartin Iorio is Professor & Dean Emeritus at Wichita State University College of Education.

Programs within traditional schools. These include the high-rigor International Baccalaureate programs, advanced placement, programs for high-risk students, magnet schools that center on a specific content area such as engineering or the arts and technical, career-preparation programs.   

Public school partnerships. In this design school personnel work alongside university faculty and/or corporate employees.  These programs include dual (concurrent) enrollment where students’ classes count for both high school and college credit. In other programs students learn skills needed by future employers and participate in corporate-sponsored internships.

Public support of private schools. Kansas tax structure allows for individuals to donate up to $500,000 in any one year and be reimbursed with a 70 percent tax credit.  Low-income families, whose students are in low performing schools, may apply to a scholarship granting organization for a private school tuition state scholarship of around $2,300 per year.  About seven percent of Kansas students are eligible.  Currently 292 students are receiving scholarships and 78 percent of them attend religious schools.  Additionally, individual donors may draw up to $10,000 per year from their Kansas Learning Quest savings accounts for private school tuition for each of their K-12 students. 

Given the opportunities above, Kansas appears to enjoy a remarkably holistic approach to school choice. 

The term, school choice, carried a specific definition when it first appeared in the 1950s  once Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Friedman proposed vouchers totaling the sum of state funding for any individual student should be allowed for tuition at a private school of choice. 

Thus, public schools would be led to improve learning and, at the same time, become more efficient with finance.  Within a few years, the U.S. Supreme Court declared voucher systems in six Southern states unconstitutional thus effectively curtailing the voucher movement.

A resurgence in vouchers as part of school reform arose in the 1990s and currently 26 states allow some form of government-funded vouchers, often through tax credits, for specific groups such as foster-care, special needs or low income children.  However, since 2000, voucher referendums have been voted down in seven states. 

Some Kansas school reformers say vouchers or tax credits that go beyond the low income restrictions imposed for state scholarships would represent the best of Friedman’s intentions and fulfill Constitutional requirements.  They wish to increase the size and scope of tax credits.

Kansans must be careful not to conflate economics and education.  Milton Friedman’s ideas no longer influence America’s policies.  If substantially expanded, tax credits would divert public school funds to private schools, reduce public school funding and result in fewer Kansas tax dollars collected. 

More importantly, a sizable swing to tax credits could lead to extensive school privatization with governance by non-elected boards.  That result could fragment universal public education and the bond that holds together our society of diverse cultures, races and religions.  Kansas currently offers an abundance of school choice.  Reform and efficiency can happen without jeopardizing the public school system that embraces all Kansans.

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Professor and Dean Emerita of Wichita State University College of Education.

NWS: Winter storm will bring high winds, whiteout conditions

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The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for central Kansas, including Ellis County.

Forecasters are calling for gusting winds up to 50 mph accompanied by snowfall of up to 2 inches. Locally higher amounts could be possible.

The blowing snow could cause areas of whiteout conditions, as well.

The storm is expected to arrive Saturday night and last into Sunday morning.

Check Eagle Radio of Hays and Hays Post for the latest weather updates and cancelations.

BELL: It pays to shop small in your community

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Bell

By WAYNE BELL
U.S. Small Business Administration

The 2018 Holiday Season is rapidly approaching or already begun depending on your perspective. As we are finalizing menus and guest lists for Thanksgiving Day meals, maybe you are already thinking ahead about the friends and family you will be shopping with or for on that notorious biggest shopping weekend of the year. You might already be scouting Black Friday deals, making your plans to be efficient and get the most bang for your buck. But have you thought about how your local community can get the most bang for your buck?

Your community gets more return on your dollar when you shop small and local. Small businesses are the glue that holds our communities together. They create jobs and boost the economy. In fact two of every three new jobs are created by small business. How does that add up? In Kansas that amounts to 99.1 percent of all businesses are small and 51 percent of Kansans either own or are employed by small businesses.

During this holiday season, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) hopes you will celebrate the more than 250,000 small businesses in Kansas that ignite our local economies and enrich our communities throughout the year by shopping and dining local and small on Small Business Saturday this November 24. What is Small Business Saturday? It is a day for each of us to acknowledge those businesses that deliver essential goods and services to our communities 365 days a year by shopping or dining with them while we are out and about in our communities, shopping, dining, or just enjoying a visit over a cup of coffee with family and friends.

Last year, Small Business Saturday generated approximately $12 billion in spending and four in ten American adults reporting having shopped or dined small on that day. Why did shoppers and diners make that kind of commitment last year? In Kansas 64 percent of survey respondents shared they enjoyed supporting their local communities and 48 percent said that staff and owners at independently-owned businesses often provide better customer service – and we all know how critical that can be to keep our spirits up and the holiday mood joyous during busy shopping days!

I encourage you to join me and more than 100 million Americans that will shop and dine small this Small Business Saturday, November 24. Show your support for the Kansas small businesses that keep us all going not only throughout the Holiday Season, but all year long. Be sure to share your great stories and where you’re shopping via social media using #ShopSmall. And from our whole SBA team in Wichita, we hope you have a safe and prosperous Holiday Season.

Wayne Bell is District Director of the Wichita District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration.

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