USD 234 reports slight enrollment decrease

Enrollment in USD 234 schools this year is down slightly from this time last year.

According to a district head count of students in four schools on Aug. 17, the first day of school, there are 1,948 K-12 students attending classes this year, down from last year's 1,997 student total.

The good news, USD 234 Superintendent Rick Werling said during the USD 234 Board of Education meeting Tuesday, is that the district has added seven students since the new school year began.

"We've added seven students since then so we're really only down 42 students," Werling said.

According to the enrollment report, there are 32 students enrolled this year in the district's 4-year-old at-risk program, up from last year's 27 students. There are 428 students enrolled at Winfield Scott Elementary School, down from last year's 459 students, 489 students enrolled at Eugene Ware Elementary School, up from last year's 474 students, 449 students enrolled at Fort Scott Middle School, down from last year's 459 students, and 569 students enrolled at Fort Scott High School, down from last year's 595 total student count.

There are 13 students enrolled in the district preschool program, up from 10 students last year, according to the report.

On Tuesday, the board also briefly discussed the possible sale of the York School property. The former York School building used to house the district's Headstart program before the program moved into the annex of the old middle school building. The building, which is owned by the district, is located south of Fort Scott on Ironwood Road. A recent drive-by appraisal of the building and one-acre of property conducted by a local realtor lists the value at $20,000, according to district documents.

The district is considering the possible sale of the building and property through sealed bids, USD 234 Business Manager Alan Drake said.

In other business Tuesday, the board:

* Briefly discussed a proposal from the City of Fort Scott to use school property to create a skate park. Drake updated the board on information the district recently received from district attorney Charles Gentry. The proposed park would be located on the district's bus lot property. Currently, no survey of the property has been performed, Drake said.

* Approved a Local Education Agency application for special education services for the current school year.

* Approved a recommendation to continue to participating with the City of Fort Scott in the School Resource Officer Program for the 2009-10 school year. The cost to the district for the program is $16,000.

* Approved a list of fundraisers and extended trip requests from Fort Scott High School.

* Approved a request from Winfield Scott Principal David Elliott to discontinue all after school tutoring due to budget constraints. There are no longer state funds available to fund the tutoring program, although funds from other sources could possibly be used to pay for the program in the future, Elliott said.

* Approved a request by Tracy Homan, the Tiger Times adviser at Fort Scott High School, to print the school newspaper a few months during the year -- September, October and May -- and test an online newspaper the remaining months of the school year. The online paper would save the school money, allow for the newspaper to be published more frequently so that students are provided with more current information, and keep up with the newspaper industry's recent online trend, according to Homan.

* Approved the transfer of Eugene Ware kindergarten teacher Maggie Kolbeck to the position of first grade teacher; the transfer of Eugene Ware first grade teacher Kelly Cox to the position of kindergarten teacher; the transfer of Eugene Ware first grade teacher Cristin Stark to the position of kindergarten teacher; the transfer of Winfield Scott and Eugene Ware special education teacher Julie Davish to the position of full-time special education teacher at Eugene Ware; a resignation request from Winfield Scott ARRA intervention teacher aide Sara Schnichels; a resignation request from Chuck Holmes, a custodian at Fort Scott Middle School and Eugene Ware; a request for a leave of absence from FSMS ticket clerk Veda Gulick, and a resignation request from Michelle Brittain as a spelling bee sponsor at FSMS.

* Hired Susan Weddle as Winfield Scott ARRA intervention teacher aide; Darcy Baldonado as a music teacher aide at FSHS; Polly Herman as the foreign language club sponsor at FSHS; Michael Johnson as assistant debate and forensics coach; Josh Gier as a mathematics coach at FSMS; and Jim Pruitt as part-time custodian at FSMS and Eugene Ware.

The board also conducted an executive session to discuss personnel matters concerning non-elected personnel and to discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations.