Preliminary number shows enrollment decrease
By SUSAN MARSHALL
News editor
When USD 398 school board members met Sept. 11, the day to "officially" count students enrolled in the district was still more than a week away. Elementary school principal Ken Parry noted in his report 166 students were enrolled at Peabody-Burns Elementary School.
However, that number slipped a bit by Sept. 20 when the official tally was made.
USD 398 central office staff has announced that 163 students were counted at the elementary school, 63 at the junior high, and 156 at the high school. The numbers indicate the total, 382 students, is down some from the 2005-06 school year when the district enrolled 396.
However, numbers are still a bit fluid as USD 398 will also count some special education students, some part-time students, and some students enrolled at the learning center in Hillsboro. The final report is not due to the state until Oct. 10.
In other business, the board:
- approved trips for FFA members to national convention at Indianapolis, Ind., for FCCLA members to a cluster meeting at St. Louis, Mo., and for board member to attend the Kansas Association of School Board convention in Wichita.
- approved an emergency substitute certificate for the 2006-07 school year to Leona Griffith and early graduation for Chelsea Mackey and Garret LaFoy.
- approved a three-year improvement plan for vocational business/office technology classes that include goals, requirements, time-lines, and strategies.
- discussed the McPherson/Marion County Head Start program with the possible goal of utilizing the local preschool program for Head Start or four-year-old At Risk program. More information was requested by board members.
- heard from building principals Mary Brown and Ken Parry that the 2006 Adequate Yearly Progress testing scores by Peabody-Burns students in reading and math was met at both attendance centers.
- tabled for more information and options, any decision on boundary issues that will affect the election of board members and a decision on a more advanced security system for the junior-senior high school building.
- entered an executive session of the purpose of discussing personnel. The superintendent and high school administrators were included in the session. Entered a second executive session for the purpose of discussing a student. The session included the superintendent and high school administrators. Entered two 10-minute executive sessions for the purpose of discussing the acquisition of property. Each session included Superintendent Alstrom.
On return to open meeting the board unanimously approved supplemental assignments to Krystal Bruce as freshman class sponsor and Ann Leppke as sophomore class sponsor. They also denied sixth grade students permission to participate in junior high sports on a 5-2 decision, with Duke Eldridge and Rhonda Louks opposing the motion.
