Board appoints new officers

Board members did some housecleaning during the first USD 234 Board of Education meeting since the beginning of the fiscal year on Monday night.

With Diane Gross in the superintendent's seat, board members reappointed Janet Braun as school board president, voted Jordan Witt to replace Steve Floyd as the vice president and named Ken Reinbolt as the hearing officer for suspensions and expulsions.

Members also approved officers for the coming school year and agreed to grant an extension of district residency for Business Manager Tiffany Forester.

Board members tabled an action item on a staff-student relations policy so district officials could clarify some language in the Kansas Association of School Boards policy.

One of the policy's guidelines prohibits "staff-sponsored parties at which students are in attendance, unless they are part of the school's extracurricular program and are properly supervised."

Another item stated staff "shall not fraternize, written or verbally, with students except on matters that pertain to school-related issues."

Concerned that the language within some of the guidelines was too restrictive, perhaps inadvertently forbidding cast parties or post-game celebrations, board members agreed to reconsider the item at a later date.

"Our concern is we are not making a blanket statement," Witt said.

The majority of the policy refers to inappropriate relations between a student and staff, which board members agreed is necessary.

"We want to make sure nothing inappropriate happens, but we don't want to exclude appropriate," Braun said.

In other business, the board:

* Approved the following officers for the 2012-2013 school year: Tiffany Forester as the Clerk/KPERS (Kansas Public Employee Retirement System) representative; Braun as the KASB governmental relations network representative; Diane Gross as the 504 coordinator and food service hearing officer and the representative for approved federal programs; Phil Hammons as treasurer; Connie Billionis as deputy clerk; Mike Wunderly as transportation director; Robin Button as food service director; and Charles Gentry as the school board attorney.

Also, Dave Elliot as coordinator for homeless children and Eugene Ware Elementary School attendance officer; Jeff DeLaTorre as Fort Scott High School attendance officer; B.J. Pruitt as Fort Scott Middle School attendance officer; and Zach Lemert as Winfield Scott Elementary School attendance officer.

* Approved the district's participation in the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, spearheaded by the city of Fort Scott.

* Designated City State Bank for FSHS activity funds; Union State Bank for Fort Scott Middle School activity funds; UMB for Winfield Scott and Eugene Ware activity funds; and Citizens Bank for the district account.

* A special USD 234 Board of Education meeting is scheduled for noon, July 17, to review the 2012-12 budget.

* Approved Fort Scott Recreation Commission board members for three- or four-year terms: Tammy Hill; Pam Knopp; Randy Phillips; Melvin Lane; and another position yet to be filled.

* Approved the district's social networking policy, which discourages district staff from "socializing with students on social networking websites, including but not limited to MySpace, Twitter and Facebook with the exception of Edmodo."

* Approved a five-year bid with Fort Scott Sanitation; and approved a one-year bid with Reliable Pest Control.

The next regular board meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 13.