My Experience at the West Elk USD#282 Special School Board Meeting

[Ross]

My experience at the West Elk USD#282 Special School Board Meeting
Monday 11/28/11

This special meeting was held for the board members to discuss Long Range Planning, so each member could provide ideas to act upon at  a later date. This was my understanding of the meeting.

I listened intently and also copied some notes off of the dry erase marker board that Mr. Reese was writing on the board at the request of the board members. I am trying to write them as accurately as possible. I doubt you will read anything anywhere else about what happened during the meeting, because I have never seen the minutes written to inform the public what takes place. I do feel that the public / taxpayers should be kept informed but that just doesn't happen.

I won't attribute the suggestions to the particular board member because I don't know the name of each one so I won't use any names. A few suggestions have been repeated because different members suggested the idea a second and third time.

My personal remarks/opinions are in blue.

The suggestions presented during the meeting:

1) Use the east side parking lot to drop kids off because of the rain.
2) Replace trailers with Morton Building.

*This was suggested when the school board was discussing what to put in before they settled on the trailers for class rooms. And the board was told they could not talk about things they could not complete by August. So it was shot down.*

3) Do cleanup, trim brush
4) Keep up school repairs, maintenance.
5) A lot of money is wasted on to many secretaries, para's, etc.
    Be more efficient.
6) Share teachers between districts.
7) Need a new Superintendent that can do the job better.

*What I saw was the President of the Board trying to shush this one up. In fact he did tell the speaker that was enough or something to that effect.*

8 ) Big school curriculum (French language, etc)

*The school Superintendent told the Board the problem with that is Teachers have to be highly qualified.*

9) Share teachers with Elk Valley, etc.
10) Cooperative Athletics.
11) Wise spending of Taxpayers money.
12) Online E-2020 / ITV

*Online E-2020 is on line training/classroom
http://www.e2020inc.com/ *


13) Buses to west side because of rain.
14) Auxiliary gym. (maybe a Morton building)
15) Have insurance grade the roof sections for future budgeting purposes.
16) Move grade school inside main building.
17) Go to half day kindergarten.

*It was mentioned that this could cause problems for parents that have to work and the fact that there was no day care for kids*

18) Adopt Core Standards.
19) Share Staff.
20) Maintain Technology.
21) Get someone to do grant writing.
22) Focus away from athletics.
23) Improve texts / curriculum
24) Might have ten years before we have to get away from the modular's.

*Now these are from the President of the Board, I know he is the guy that sits at the head of the table.*

1) More focus on sports for patron (taxpayers) cohesiveness.
2) Structure accounting so it is easier to see. With figures and charts.
3) Separate Special Education from the rest of the budget for easier comparison to other
      districts.
4) Get teachers input on the budget in without threat of  repercussions.
5) Need athletics to present ourselves better.
6) Examine student evaluations.
7) Look at transportation.
8 ) Look at compensation for administrators.
9) Get community involved.
10) Promote Ourselves.
11) Regional Notoriety.
12) Eliminate in town busing.
13) Food services, healthier foods, obesity.

*Now 9, 10 and 11 bother me a bit because it sounds to much like Elk Konnected, LLC talking. Mr. President of the school board you are still on the steering committee of Elk Konnected.,LLC aren't you? This is not a community school but a county school funded by the patrons / taxpayers spread out throughout the county. The school is not inside any towns city limits. Why do we need notoriety isn't our goal suppose to be concentrating on teaching and if the job is done well enough wouldn't the school become a blue ribbon school with statewide recognition. Promote ourselves, why? Are you going to take out TV advertisement, newspaper advertisements. Do you want to put up a large flashing marquee like the casinos and other business have? I don't understand this promotion thing. Is that like Elk Konnected, LLC's branding? What would it be? Will enhance teaching in the classroom?*

*I repeat these were all just suggestions at the special board meeting. But it gives us an idea what the School Board is thinking.*

[Wilma]

Promotion of the school is one good way of enticing new residents to Elk County.  A winning team in any sport draws attention.  So does our winning teams in scholastics.  We need more promotion of what we do have by more news coverage.  I wouldn't know about our grade school basketball if I didn't have a great granddaughter playing.

One thing the school is doing to promote itself is by the students dressing presentably when attending an away game.  I saw this recently when I attended a grade school game at Thayer.  The young people really looked nice.  No sagging pants, flopping shirt tails, outrageous hair styles.  I was proud of our West Elk young people, both in the way they were dressed and in the way they behaved.

[Ross]

Promotion of the school is one good way of enticing new residents to Elk County.  A winning team in any sport draws attention.  So does our winning teams in scholastics.  We need more promotion of what we do have by more news coverage.  I wouldn't know about our grade school basketball if I didn't have a great granddaughter playing.

When our school and all other schools across the nation are facing large budget cuts, how does it make sense. Have you thought perhaps the cap on property taxes might ge removed and your property taxes being raised.

Do you really believe spending money to promote the school will bring families to Elk County when there are no good paying jobs?  How much would you spend to bring just one or two families to Elk County?

Do not you think it's better to spend the money for education? Afterall isn't school suppose to be about education of the children not about promoting the County for Economic Development?

Besides didn't our governor just recently suggest that economic development is nill?

If our school has such great winning teams in scholastics why isn't our school a blue ribbion school. Now that would be real promotion without loss to the students education financing.

Is the school a tool for the growth of the county or a tool for educationg all the children.

The school superintendent said at the meeting that enrollment is declining at the rate of 14 students per year. And I bet if you check it is happening in all the rural districts across the state. Why? Because people are moving to the larger towns and cities where jobs are located.

Besides all that we the txpayers pay for an Economc Development Person who should probably be promoting the county. Don't you have any faith in that? If you do leave the school monies for educating the children.

I believe the idea of promoting the county school is for the purpose of promoting Howard not the county. Didn't Howard try to work with the county school trying to move the city limits out to bring the school into their fold. Don't they continue to list West Elk as Howard West Elk on out of town game bulletins? Doesn't Elk Konnected, LLC list  Howard West Elk Junior - Senior High as the school they attended on their facebook page? Just go take a look at Elk Konnected, LLC facebook page. Here it is--https://www.facebook.com/lwross1/posts/146721362099909?ref=notif&notif_t=share_comment#!/profile.php?id=1349522561

Just my opinion.

[frawin]

I think the West Elk Parents, teachers, students and administration are doing a great job in Educating the West Elk Students. $403,500 in student aid is fantastic. In looking back, 2010 and prior years had several NHS students and lots of scholarships.



Quote from: Arc fault on May 04, 2011, 06:18:55 pm
I had the great honor of attending and also presenting at the scholarship and NHS induction ceremony at West Elk.

This is a great event to top off the 13 years each senior has devoted to expanding their minds.  There were a wide spectrum of schools that sent representatives to present scholarships.  The staggering amount of money this senior class has earned is overwhelming.  Some of these are a one time scholarship but a few are given for the entire life of the post-secondary career.  College scholarship accounted for over$180,000 presented to this small class of 26. 

We have three Kansas state merit scholars and one national merit scholar. 

The number of scholarships both new and existing makes for a very daunting task of applying.  Many late nights and Sundays working filling out apps and getting well rounded education on paper was wrangled by a part time compensated but full time dedicated Debbie Zellner. 

The most impressive part, aside from the fact that none of the NHS inductee's candle blew out on the  long walk of ten feet to the candelabra,was the impressive amount of local scholarships that were awarded.   I think the tally to date was over $115,000. 

So to this I give a hearty pat on the back to the bright seniors and juniors that have worked so hard.  This financial help is going to help them get a leg up on continuing their post secondary education.  With student tuition and books at historic levels $403,500.00 makes a huge dent.

Congratulations!  Job well done.

[Ross]

And that somehow pays the bills.
We are probably talking very large cuts in the school budget.

And a few kids do not make a blue ribbon school now does it.

And I have read that a small school district has made that grade.

Even the board members suggested improving education.

And according to what the superintendent said, we don't have the class of teachers to have a big school curriculum.

But, oh well.

[Janet Harrington]

Promotion of the school is one good way of enticing new residents to Elk County.  A winning team in any sport draws attention.  So does our winning teams in scholastics.  We need more promotion of what we do have by more news coverage.  I wouldn't know about our grade school basketball if I didn't have a great granddaughter playing.

One thing the school is doing to promote itself is by the students dressing presentably when attending an away game.  I saw this recently when I attended a grade school game at Thayer.  The young people really looked nice.  No sagging pants, flopping shirt tails, outrageous hair styles.  I was proud of our West Elk young people, both in the way they were dressed and in the way they behaved.

Mother, I have to correct you on what grade your great-granddaughter is playing in. This is the junior high as she is a 7th grader. You may have thought it was grade school since the game we went to was played at the Thayer Grade School. Alas; my mother, your great-granddaughter is in junior high. Do you feel old, yet? I do.

[Wilma]

Janet, I don't think you were ever in Junior High, were you?

[Janet Harrington]

No. We didn't have junior high then. Woody was in junior high when it was at Severy.

[Ross]

I wonder what's happening now. 
We just had a Special School Board Meeting Monday 11/28/11
where someone mentions we need a new school superintendent
and right away there is another Special School Board Meeting
scheduled for Monday  12/05/11.

For the purpose review of Superintendent Job Description & Evaluation

Do you suppose it is happening because one of the board members did not like the suggestion of getting a new superintendent. After all they haven't had a Special School Board Meeting or immediate action on anything else that was suggested at the previous Special School Board Meeting.

I wonder what could be so urgent that this evaluation can't wait for the next regularly scheduled School Board Meeting?

Why are there so many Special School Board Meeting since the new members have been installed? Just wondering.

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Ross, I am pretty sure that all of the teachers at West Elk are highly Qualified. I am highly qualified based on my teaching certificate, also. What he should have said was that to find a french teacher highly qualified is really hard, I am guessing. I don't think there is anything wrong with West Elk Teachers. Ross, just wondering, do you have something against West Elk? I mean, I have been subbing in different districts around the surrounding counties. All small schools are suffering with budget cost. I know it is very tough times for everyone!