School district to receive $500,000 in stimulus funds

The Kennett Board of Education voted to approve three new teaching positions during its meeting on Tuesday, April 21. The positions will be paid for by the federal stimulus plan.

After receiving word that the district will receive $500,000 in special education stimulus funds from Gov. Jay Nixon's office, and an undetermined amount of Title I money, the board decided to use the funds to add the additional positions.

"We will not be able to use these funds on salary schedules," said Superintendent Jerry Noble, "but I have been advised that the state will allow a lot of flexibility with these funds.

Patrick Ratliff, left, and Meredith Combs, center, received board commendations for being elected to the Missouri-Arkansas District Key Club Board. Ratliff was elected to district governor and Combs was elected to secretary. The commendations were presented by Board President Matthew Shetley.

The first position approved was the addition of another full-time music position.

"We are actually only adding a half music position," Noble said. "Mrs. [Melanie] Timmons was a half-time music assistant and she is going to an [Intellectually Disabled (ID)] class. The choir classes at the high school are very large because they are only offered in the morning. With this position, the new high school choir director will remain at the high school all day and choir classes will be offered in the afternoons."

Noble said that with the additional classes, more students who wish to take choir but cannot due to their schedule would be allowed to. Another advantage is it will reduce the size of the classes which, according to Choir Instructor Donna Smith, have become too large.

Blake Watson, left, ninth-grade student at Kennett High School, received a board commendation for helping a sick staff member. The commendation was presented by Board President Matthew Shetley.

"Smith will return to her old position at Kennett Middle School, and Lauren Wright will assist the high school in the morning and the middle school choir and/or band in the afternoon," Noble said. "Because of the moving around of other personnel to positions that will be funded by stimulus funds, this will be at no additional cost to the district."

The second position approved was a full-time teaching position at the Kennett Alternative School (KAS).

Noble said the additional alternative school position was recommended because "During the MSIP [Missouri School Improvement Program] Review, it was noted that while we were providing the help of a certified teacher to the special education students, the non-special education students did not have a certified person to help them with their assignments. Students who are assigned to the KAS for 20 days do not go on the computer program. We get their assignments from the regular classroom teacher."

Another reason for the recommendation of the position was that the special education teacher is in a classroom adjacent to the actual detention area, leaving Phillip Greenway, instructor at KAS, in the room alone.

"We are going to use Title I stimulus funds to pay for this position," Noble said. "At the end of the two years, when the stimulus funds are no longer available, we will make adjustments to reduce the KAS staff if necessary."

The third position approved was the addition of an ID position at South Elementary School.

According to Noble, the special education classes at South Elementary are becoming too large.

"Once again, we can use stimulus funds to pay for this, plus we are getting some increase in regular IDEA (special education funding)," Noble said.

Noble made it very clear to the board that the funds used to pay for the new positions will come from the stimulus plan and will in no way be paid for by the district. Noble said the funding has guidelines that prevent it from being used to give raises.

Prior to the discussion of the new positions, the board was addressed by Lori Telgen, on behalf of the Kennett Community Teachers' Association (KCTA).

Telgen presented a proposal that would allow teachers to leave the campus during lunch on any day. Currently, teachers are only allowed to leave on Fridays.

Noble said he was against the idea because of concern for the safety of the students.

"What if we had a crisis situation during the lunch period?" Noble asked.

Other reasons Noble is against the idea relates to it being abused in the past when it was available, the public's perception of the district if teachers are seen around town during school hours, and criticism the board may receive if the teachers are allowed to leave for lunch.

"In the schools I've been in, this is the first board of education that I've worked with that has been considerate of teachers and their salary," Noble said. "Most of the time it's like pulling teeth. That is one thing I told the teachers about going home at lunch. 'You don't want to make it hard on the board. They have been real good about salaries and give you as much as they afford. You don't want to go out and cause the public to criticize the board'."

The decision was tabled until a later date, following the decision that Noble will meet with the KCTA in an attempt to reach a compromise.

Before the lunch issue was discussed, the board heard a report from Noble, saying that the district's air quality is not endangering the student's as was reported by USA Today this past fall.

Noble presented a report to the board from the Department of Natural Resources stating that the students are not exposed to dangerous levels of volatile organic compounds as reported by USA Today. The report does state that the levels that are present are probably due to the automobiles idling in the parking lot after school. More information will be provided on this subject at a later date.

In other matters, the board:

* Presented a board commendation to high school junior Patrick Ratliff for being elected as the Missouri-Arkansas Key Club Governor;

* Presented a board commendation to high school junior Meredith Combs for being elected as the Missouri-Arkansas Key Club Secretary;

* Presented a board commendation to high school freshman Blake Watson for helping a sick staff member;

* Presented a board commendation to middle school Principal Ward Billings for his service to the school and community during the recent ice storm.

* Presented board commendations to Kim Lowry, Lori Telgen, and Scottie Landess for their work with Dr. Swinger that resulted in legislation that reduced the number of make up days required for area schools that missed so much due to the ice storm;

* Presented a board commendation to Gayla Campbell for developing a power point presentation and scrapbook that was used at Jefferson City to describe the severity of the ice storm and the impact it had on our community;

* Approved a recommendation to count non-resident students as resident students during summer school;

* Approved the presentation of board commendations to Bethany Britt, Mindy Brown, Melanie Gamble, Sue Burns, Sarah Guite, Karen Edgington, Neysa Hodgson, Jean Mowrer, Holly Poole, Donna Smith, and Katie Porterfield for preparing food for the MSIP Team;

* Approved the presentation of board commendation to Mary Christensen for a superior rating on her solo at the District Choral Festival;

* Approved the presentation of board commendation to Rachel Henderson for winning first place at the 11th and 12th grade division of the Missouri Art Education Juried Art Exhibition for her 4X6 color entry;

* Approved the presentation of board commendation to Mrs. Susan Baker for winning first place in the Mixed Media/collage category at the Missouri Art Education Association Spring Conference;

* Accepted the bid of $81,262 from Central States Bus Sales for a new bus that was approved at the March meeting, and;

* Approved changes to the district's health insurance policy.

The board closed the meeting by adjourning to executive session, in which they:

* Approved Lynette Timmons as the business ed teacher at the Career Center;

* Approved Jim Tidd as the KAS instructor next year. Phillip Greenway will assist;

* Approved Vickie Ratliff as the IEP Coordinator/Instructor at the KAS next year;

* Approved Coach Riedenger to move to the weight room;

* Approved the recommendation to employ Aaron Bidewell as the KHS social studies teacher;

* Approved the recommendation to employ Bryan Hawk as the high vocal music teacher;

* Accepted the resignation of Deanna Sparks as the KMS cheerleading sponsor, and;

* Approved the recommendation to employ Julie Dunn as the KHS LD teacher for next year.