STACY GOSS
Hutchinson USD 308
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting on July 8th at 6:00p.m. The first agenda item was to elect a President to serve for the 2024-2025 school year. Laura Corey was nominated and accepted as President. Her nomination passed in a 6-0 vote. Corey has served as Board President since February of 2024. She previously held the position of Vice President. Darcie Canfield-Riggs was voted in, 6-0, as Vice-President. She has served on the Board since June of 2023.
During the Superintendent’s Update, Dr. Johnson asked Deputy Superintendent Krystal Young to provide an update from Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, and Human Resources. Young shared that the District will begin an 18-month process to adopt a new math curriculum which aligns with new standards to be released this fall from the state of Kansas. The adoption process will begin January of 2025.
The District is preparing for a site visit by KSDE in November, followed by a data presentation in January 2025, where it will join Leavenworth and Kansas City, Kansas public schools to showcase its progress.
USD 308 is still hiring for multiple teaching positions. During the 23-24 school year, the District shifted educational aides to paraprofessionals. The District is looking to fill 35 paraprofessional positions for the upcoming school year. Information about these and other open positions can be found at www.usd308.com/hiring. The Board heard introductions from four new hires, Justin Vilmer, Abby Stockebrand, Steve Kappenman, and Keith Schroeder.
Board Policy Updates were approved 6-0. District Handbooks were presented to the Board at the last meeting for a first read. The elementary schools aligned their handbooks. The two middle schools will work to align their handbooks next year. The motion passed 6-0.
Textbook fees were discussed as item 7C. At the last meeting, Lance Patterson mentioned that he would like to discuss the fees. The current fees are $65. The Board committed to continuing the conversation at a future date and inviting finance and nutrition staff to provide them a better understanding of how a reduction of fees would impact the school’s At-Risk funding which is tied to Free and Reduced Lunch applications. Fees will remain unchanged for the 2024-2025 school year, which will begin enrollment on July 10th.
The Board approved new furniture for the Virtual School program which will move to the V building on the Hutchinson High School campus. The program was previously housed at Avenue A. The new furniture will provide desk space for three staff as well meeting space for when students are on-site for instructional support or testing. The furniture can also be repurposed and moved in the future. The ESSDACK MOU and Title IX policies were removed from the agenda before it was approved. Multiple MOU’s and agreements with community partners were approved.
The Board approved $450,000 increase in salaries in a 6-0 vote. The full agenda can be found at www.usd308.com/boe.
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