Ark Valley News - Staff grows with enrollment

Staff grows with enrollment
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: December 14, 2017

If all goes as planned, the Valley Center school district will have at least five new staff positions in 2018-19.

The school board Dec. 11 approved a proposal to begin advertising for the new jobs. They include a science teacher at the high school, a second-grade teacher at Wheatland, an ESOL teacher for the district and a physical education teacher and a possible Spanish teacher at the middle school.

The group made up what the district classified as top priority staffing needs for next year.

“It is very difficult when we talk about what is more important than the other," Superintendent Cory Gibson said. “They're all important."

Estimated cost of the new jobs is $275,000. Gibson said that based on enrollment this year, the district is expected to receive at least that much in additional state aid next year.

The district grew by more than 80 students this year, up 40 to more than 2,950.

The science teaching job was previously approved but went unfilled this school year. The Wheatland position will be necessary because of a large enrollment in this year's first-grade section. The district has seen a dramatic increase in the number of students needing English as a second language services. The middle school jobs are in response to next year's planned grade reconfiguration, where sixth-graders will be moved to the middle school and fourth-graders to the intermediate school.

Gibson said the second priority level included an activities director and two language arts teachers at the middle school, a language arts or social studies teacher and an art teacher at the high school and additions to the supplemental contract list to possibly include bowling, swimming, audio/visual and honor choir.

Gibson said he may propose moving forward with the second list next month when he makes a mid-year budget evaluation. Cost was estimated between $300,000 and $355,000.

Priority 3 positions, which may be proposed later next year, depending on state funding, include a specials teacher at the intermediate school, a math teacher and an interventionist at the middle school, a music or band teacher district wide and a language arts teacher or social studies teacher at the high school. Cost was estimated at $385,000.

In other business Dec. 11, the board:

•Learned that the new entrance to Wheatland Elementary will open Jan. 2.

•Approved the disposal and sale of athletic equipment.

•Accepted a gift of $215.85 to The Learning Center from New Hope Community Church; a gift of $150 from an anonymous donor to help pay for lunch balances for students in need; and accepted gifts of $1,250 for the Abilene library, $650 for Abilene music and $650 for Abilene physical education from the Abilene PTO.

•Heard a report on substitute teachers. The district has used an average of 13 substitute teachers per day, which is lower than the national average of over 14, assistant superintendent Mike Bonner said. “We are very fortunate to have a very, very strong substitute pool," Bonner said. “… We're very appreciative of what they do for our kids and for our district."

•Met in executive session to discuss an employee contract and an employee evaluation for 20 minutes.

•Accepted the supplemental contract resignation of Caleb Smith (high school football head coach, Nov. 21).

•Approved a supplemental contract with Jill Wiechman (Tier I mentor, $1,000, Aug. 11).

•Approved the hiring of Terry Jones (at-risk aide at Wheatland, $10.35 per hour, Dec. 6), Melissa Schwindt (at-risk aide at West, $9.55 per hour, Jan. 2) and Tempa Huffman (vocal music teacher at Wheatland, $24,812, Nov. 27).

•Approved transfers for Brad Morgan (from custodian at the high school to custodian at the middle school, Nov. 27), Delta Dunfee (from custodian at the middle school to lead night custodian at the middle school, $12 per hour, Dec. 4), Pat Brashers (resigned two-hour lunch aide position, added two hours to custodial hours at Wheatland, Nov. 27) and Mason Peach (reduced two hours custodial time, added two hours lunch aide at Wheatland, Nov. 27).

•Voted to extend the contract of Mike Bonner and Cory Gibson for a year. Both are on two-year contracts.

•Approved a calendar for 2018-19. It's similar to the 2017-18 calendar, but with small changes to parent-teacher conference schedules. The school year will start Aug. 16 and 17 (Aug. 21 for kindergarten) and end May 17. It will include three days for Thanksgiving break, eight for winter break and five for spring break (March 11 through 15). The board had discussed the possibility of adding two days to the Thanksgiving break and extending the school year to May 21, but opted instead to keep the break a three days.

•Approved a contract with the Kansas Association of School Boards to perform a partial audit of board policies at a cost of $7,500.