The Emporia school board voted 6-0 Wednesday evening to approve the 2007 K-6 summer-school calendar and format proposal.
Timmerman Principal Kim Kirk told the board that, under the proposal, summer school for children in kindergarten through grade six would begin on July 9 and end Aug. 2; teachers would receive two days’ training in mid-June and Aug. 3 would be a “teacher wrap-up day” with no students.
The costs were approximate, based on the rates of pay for teachers hired. The proposal recommended hiring 50 teachers, with an estimated 1:6 teacher-student ratio. Using an average of $40 per hour for 111 hours of pay per teacher, the total cost would be approximately $222,000. The figure includes 10 minutes of planning time for every hour of instruction per teacher.
“It would be paid to them and they could plan on-site or off-site,” Kirk said.
Approximately 300 students are expected to attend the summer school session.
The proposal does not include special education, migrant, or special ELL program considerations.
On other agenda items, the board:
• Welcomed Carol Schaefer back to the group as an interim board member until June 30, when new members elected in the general election will take office.
• Approved membership changes for the Performance Based Budgeting teams. Myrna Comstock will replace Bill Nienstedt on the Emporia High School team and Floyd Thomas will be added as a Logan Avenue community representative.
• Heard a request from EHS teacher Kay Neal and Emporia State University professor Connie Schrock to consider adjusting the 2008-09 calendar to accommodate a conference in Overland Park for mathematics and science teachers. The conference, held every 10 years, would be beneficial to Emporia teachers, who currently are trying to achieve proficiency on math and reading assessment tests and will be adding science assessment tests next year. The last conference was attended by 10,000 teachers, the women said.
• Took part in an interactive demonstration of the ways art also includes reading and mathematics concepts. The presentation was made by Kirk and art teachers Janie Eisenbarth, Jeana Hayes, Marck Drennan and Darla Flanagin.
• Heard brief reports about the Flint Hills Technical College, the Emporia Recreation Commission board, and Head Start from Jerry Fair, Kevin Nelson and Mike Crouch, respectively.
• Heard information from Theresa Davidson, assistant superintendent of personnel, about changes in policy and policy wording that were recommended by a Kansas Association of School Boards attorney. Posting of concealed weapons signs and criteria for taking college classes were among the policy topics. The latter woding would be expanded to include gifted children in grades nine through 12. The current text confines participation to 16- and 17-year-olds or eligible juniors and seniors.
• Met in closed session to discuss personnel.