Ellsworth Independent-Reporter

Ellsworth boys rescued from train car
Two five-year-old Ellsworth boys were rescued from the inside of a coal car July 28 on the rairoad tracks in Ellsworth. No injuries were reported.

Friday July 30

After Harvest Czech Festival

Wilson
Wilson celebrates its 50th annual festival this year. The festival continues Saturday, July 30, and include a large parade and many other activities.

USD 328 seeks candidates for vacant board seat
By Alan Rusch
Last Updated: August 11, 2009

No interest has been shown from patrons in filling the vacant seat on the Lorraine-based USD 328 Board of Education.

That was the news board members received at a meeting Monday at the district office.
Board president Alan Siemer suggested he and board members Ron Etchison and Renae Lumpkins try to gather names of potential candidates before the board's September meeting.
Newly-elected board member Howard Behnke of Bushton resigned shortly after taking office.

Superintendent Lenny Gales said patrons wishing to apply for the seat should write him a letter of interest.

In other business:

• Gales said the district should have 348 students this school year, based on last year's enrollment. This breaks down to 111 students in kindergarten through eighth grade at Wilson School, 50 high school students at Wilson, 128 students at Quivira Heights Elementary-Junior High School in Holyrood, and 74 students at Quivira Heights High School in Bushton.
“We're going to be close, but we could have more," Gales said.

• Gales reported the fire alarm at Wilson School has been going off. He said the company that installed the fire alarm said it was due to a lightning strike and would cost $9,800 to replace the whole system.

“The same thing happened in Holyrood last year," Gales said.

Gales said while the district's insurance company paid a portion of the bill last year, it is not paying anything this year because it investigated the matter and found there was no lightning damage.

The unit simply needed cleaning.

“We've got a $9,800 bill out there," Gales told the board. '

• The board approved opening a “Super Now" investment account at Wilson State Bank for the district's idle funds used to cover expenses and payroll. Accountant Amy Branda of Wilson said if the district opened the account, it would get a little better interest rate. The program ends in December.

• Work on a 2009-10 district-wide wellness policy was approved.

Lumpkins said the wellness committee had so far only met once.

“It was a pretty basic first meeting," she said.

• Etchison, Siemer and board member Dawn Dolezal were appointed to a committee that will seek nominations for 2009-10 inductees to the USD 328 Hall of Fame.

Siemer noted patrons can make nominations until Sept. 1. Nomination forms are available at the district office in Lorraine. Selection of the inductees will take place in October.

•No action was taken after discussing a request for early graduation from QHHS during a 10 minute executive session.

Quivira Heights senior Hattie Gustus made the request at the beginning of the board meeting. Gustus said since she has a newborn child, she won't be able to be a full-time student this first semester.

“This would help me out a lot," she said.

“There's always a first time for everything," added her mom, Sharla Gustus. “Hattie is very motivated to get her RN (registered nurse degree). She has a whole agenda in line for the fall of 2010.

• A 1.2 percent raise in salary for classified personnel was approved for the 2009-10 school year.
• In order to find ways to save district funds, board members reviewed the rates the district pays for electricity at its three attendance centers.

Siemer said if the board could get the rate codes used by electric companies, they could research why there is such a difference in the rates charged.

Also discussed were refuse collection fees and water rates.

Siemer suggested talking to the city councils in Wilson, Bushton and Holyrood as well as the refuge collection businesses in those communities to see if the district could get better rates for electricity, water and refuse collection.

• After a handbook for Lakeside Learning Center was reviewed, enrollment fees of $35 for new students and $25 for returning students were approved.

Approval of the handbook itself is expected after a public meeting on the 2009-2010 budget at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24 at the district office.

The next monthly meeting of the USD 328 Board of Education will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the district office.

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