The Emporia Gazette

February 13, 2012

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District administrators were re-hired unanimously Wednesday night during a board of education meeting that lasted slightly less than 30 minutes.

One-year contracts were renewed for Superintendent John Heim, assistant and associate superintendents, director of instruction, director of data and assessment, director of Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative, and principals, associate and assistant principals in district schools, with the exception of Turning Point Learning Center. The center, which is the district’s charter school, is operated and staffed by employees of ESSDACK of Hutchinson.

The board also approved guidelines that prioritizes textbook purchases in coming years, as recommended by the district’s instructional council.

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning George Abel wrote in an explanatory memorandum that the council realized ranking would be necessary, because available funding is not likely to cover all of the textbook requests.

Abel anticipates that $135,000 will be available to purchase textbooks, with $41,450 already committed to annual purchases of “consumable materials” for previously adopted books and $93,550 to buy other needed texts.

In other actions, the board

approved:

• Early graduation for current sophomores Ariana Nas-Azadani, Maria Morales and Carlos Urgiles, who expect to have completed credits and course work to graduate from Emporia High School at the end of the 2009-10 school year.

• Using district transportation vehicles for the 2009 Summer S’Cape program, which will run approximately from May 26 through July 31.

• A request for district transportation for an educational excursion to Baldwin City for the Upward Bound -- Project Success programs at Emporia State University.

• Purchase of 55 computers for the Emporia High School business and technology education departments. The Dell computers will be bought through a state contract for a total cost of $62,345.

• Accepting a $500 grant from the Kansas Department of Education to help with events that encourage physical fitness and wellness in students and their families at Logan Avenue. The school is one of 17 statewide that were awarded the mini-grants for the spring semester. At least three events are planned.

The board also heard the first reading of board policy as part of its annual review. No action was taken.

The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 11 at Mary Herbert Education Center, 1700 W. Seventh Ave.