Tanja Vass/Special at the Fort Leavenworth Lamp
The Unified School District 207 Board of Education met February 21 at the Bradley Elementary School Media Center.
Board members listened to a presentation on Bradley Elementary School’s updated goals and progress. They also heard an update on the district’s five-year strategic plan, approved new budget proposals, and approved the January 2023 financial reports.
Bradley Elementary School Report
The board heard a report on Bradley Elementary School by Bradley Elementary first-year principal Kristin Holland. In her presentation, she demonstrated the students’ reading and math proficiency, emphasizing their current academic proficiency and goals for the year.
Goals for the second semester included reducing the number of students with five or more absences by 50 percent and reducing the number of office deferments among their top offenders.
Holland showed how functioning as a professional learning community (PLC) would help Bradley Elementary achieve its goals.
Holland also showed ways Bradley Elementary has used sensory and movement-based activities to encourage more engaging learning. These include a sensory and movement laboratory, exergames and sensory pathways.
“They’re activities designed to wake up the brain and help maintain attention and focus for learning,” Holland said.
Report of the Superintendent
The US$207 superintendent, Dr. Keith Mipagel, provided a quick summary of the House bills that have been discussed in recent hearings. The bills included proposals on minimum class hours in Kansas schools, passage of a bill that would create a special education task force, and passage of a proposal that would create eight scholarships study program for teachers of the year.
Apply for professional development funding
Mipagel presented funding for teacher participation in professional development conferences.
“We have been hampered over the last few years due to COVID-19, travel, quarantine and all the requirements associated with it, so we have now been able to phase out ongoing staff at some conferences this year.”
Staff laptop, MacBook replacement
The board approved the replacement of more than 200 staff laptops and MacBooks, based on the recommended lifecycle of the devices. The approved proposal provides for the replacement and recycling of devices within the next five years.
Disposal of hazardous materials
Rich Holden, chief financial officer of the $207 Board of Education, has presented a proposal for the proper disposal of hazardous materials from school grounds, such as materials left over from old science labs, as well as older and no longer used cleaning chemicals throughout the district. Hazardous materials don’t include anything dangerous to students, just chemicals that require specific and careful disposal methods, he said.
Installation of metal awnings
The board has approved the installation of new metal awnings at the Patton Junior High School maintenance transportation facility. Holden said the previous awnings had suffered from weather erosion such as heavy rains and explained the benefits the new awnings would provide.
“This will allow both staff and visitors… to be there, not in the rain, while they wait.” The plan calls for the awnings to be installed as soon as possible.
Review of the financial report
The January 2023 budget review also approved by the board. This included a proposal to upgrade some lights in MacArthur Elementary School to LED and motion-activated lights.
The next $207 Board of Education meeting is at 4:30 pm on March 27 at the Eisenhower Elementary School Media Center. The meetings are open to the public.
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