USD 308
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting Monday, June 24th, at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum.
During the Superintendent remarks, Superintendent Dr. Johnson mentioned that the next meeting is the Organization Meeting during which the Board will elect President and Vice President. Current board president, Laura Corey has served in the role since Feb 2024.
There were three Board Action Items. The first item, 2024-2025 District Handbooks- FIRST LOOK. The District has worked to streamline handbooks over the past few years. The handbooks, when approved will allow for combined district policies and procedures to replace building level policies and procedures where available and reduce the number of future approvals required. The recommendation for approval will come during the Organization Meeting held in July.
The Board of Education has approved a motion to approve $862,285 from the Reno County Childcare Taskforce, a combination of Accelerator grant and ARPA funds, to expand the USD 308 Child Care program for children aged 0-3. This was the second agenda item and listed as Child Care Expansion.
Hutchinson Public Schools has a long-standing commitment to early childhood education, proudly being the first district in Reno County to establish a child care center. The USD 308 Child Care Center has been serving Hutchinson Public Schools and the community for nearly 25 years, since 1999. With decades of experience, families have entrusted our dedicated staff with the care and education of their young children, building a reputation of trust and excellence.
These grants, funded by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Kansas Office of Recovery, will substantially boost local child care capabilities. All projects are required to meet project readiness standards and at least a 25% matching funds for their respective projects. This is a crucial step toward reducing the child care deficit in Reno County, with around 1500 families wait-listed for childcare. The Task Force remains committed to advocating for high-quality, accessible, and affordable child care in the region. During the Board’s consideration of the grant, Heather Faulkner, Director of Abundant Life Childcare, and Consultant to the Reno County Childcare Taskforce, addressed the Board, “We are hopeful that you all are wanting to expand childcare. There is a current need of about 1500 slots for ages zero to three. The big need is for zero to three.”
The third action item, June 2024 Board Policy Updates. There were two policy updates being considered. The first document outlines recommended actions on various Board policies and is titled on the agenda documents as June 2024 Red Lined All in One. This was tabled. The second policy, JBC and JBCC was approved 6-0. JBC is the Enrollment (revised). This policy was revised to remove the language regarding nonresident students due to changes in state law. Provisions regarding nonresident students are now in Policy JBCC.
JBCC Reads: Prior to adopting this policy, the board of education shall call and hold a hearing on the proposed policy. The board of education shall provide notice of such hearing, which shall include the time, date and place of the public hearing to be held on the proposed policy. Such notice shall be published at least once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district and shall also be posted on the school district's website. This policy was created to outline the requirements for the enrollment of nonresident students, including required actions such as determining capacity, accepting applications, and admitting nonresident students. This change was necessitated by the passage of S Sub for HB 2567 and H Sub for SB 113. This law requires the board to adopt a policy.
Board Discussions- Lance Patterson mentioned that during contract negotiations today, enrollment fees were discussed. He questioned their necessity and benefit. The Board provided guidance to Dr. Johnson that they would like to reassess the District’s enrollment fees. The topic will be presented at a future Board meeting.
The Superintendent’s Consent Agenda was passed 6-0. Items within the Consent Agenda were: Treasurer’s Report – May 2024, Annual TMA License Renewal, Revised Copier Lease Agreement, C5 and C6 2021-2024 Final Head Start Grant Reports, Annual Milk Bid 2024-2025, Essdack Erate Services, Worker’s Compensation Renewal Proposal 2024-2025, Annual End-of-Year Fundraiser Report, End-of-Year Closeout and Transfers Authorization, Surplus Items, Grants, Gifts to Schools.
The Board went into Executive Session to discuss non-elected personnel matters, and negotiations. The personnel report was approved unanimously.
The full agenda can be found here: www.usd308.com/boe. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be July 8th, 6:00 p.m., at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.