Board of Education: News Releases

A roof truss is lowered onto a pile of metal from the USD 382 cafeteria. Stone Sand Company is demolishing the building to make room for the new weight and wrestling room for the new high school building. Debris is sorted as the building is torn down. Demolition continued today.

USD #382 Shuffles Funds To Pay Contractor;

Two Board Members Object To 'Too Strict' Dress Code for PHS

by Dennis Gonzales & The Pratt Tribune

May 13, 2008

After two winters of construction-unfriendly conditions, weather has continued to plague the Pratt High building project. The central cafeteria, vacated by kitchen workers on May 2 and slated for demolition on May 6, did not come down until yesterday. Nearly 4 inches of rain during the last week blocked access at the Pratt County Landfill. Learning that trucks would be allowed on May 12, demolition crews moved in and had the building about halfway down by the end of the day, Superintendent Glen Davis reported to the USD 382 Board of Education Monday night.

Demolition of the cafeteria was necessary in order to complete the wrestling and weight facilities at the west end of the new building.

Davis also reported that the balance due to general contractor Key Construction, Inc., is nearly $2.8 million, but just over $2.1 million remains in the building fund. It will be necessary to take money from the capitol outlay fund to meet financial obligations, however Davis said the money could be replaced once the district receives new facility weighting from the state after Sept. 20. The original construction budget included $800,000 in state funds that have been delayed until the building is occupied.

The Board voted to join an insurance pool, a move that Davis said would provide long term stability for health insurance rates but would increase the premium for a portion of the school staff.

The board approved a motion to join with ESSDACK, a service provider made up of several schools that Davis recommended as "the right thing to do." Employees currently covered under the district's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan as employee plus dependent or employee plus spouse will pay about $100 to $200 more per month under ESSDACK's family plan. He acknowledged that those employees will need to make their own decisions about whether the school's policy is still the best option for them.

Approval was given to a negotiated agreement with the Pratt National Education Association that adds $775 to the base pay for teachers, bringing the salary for a beginning teacher to $29,500. A new feature of the agreement provides a one-time stipend of $1,200 for teachers who achieve National Board Certification, a year-long process that involves developing a portfolio of work and passing tests. A clause that prohibited teachers retiring from USD 382 from returning to work for the district was deleted from the agreement.

New student handbooks were approved for elementary and middle schools, but delayed for Pratt High, primarily over a revised dress code that BOE members Kenton Ladenburger and Kim Stivers argued was too strict.

PHS Principal Steve Blankenship defended the proposed changes as a means to clarify what is appropriate and inappropriate and "clean up our image a little bit."

Ladenburger and Stivers mentioned in particular the listing of bare-shoulder shirts as inappropriate and brought attention to student Ellie Eastes who was present at the meeting wearing a sleeveless dress that would be prohibited under the new rules.

Two area coaches who took their basketball teams to state tournaments in 2008 were hired to coach and teach math at USD 382 next year. Dean Rausch, whose St. John girls were state runners-up, will take the helm of the Greenback girls' program in 2008-09 and teach math at PHS. David White, Greensburg, will take charge of the boys' basketball program and teach math at Liberty Middle School.

Michael Shklar was hired as director of the Walden Center. Lindsay Cox, currently a PHS science teacher, will move to the charter school as a teacher. Randy Vandenhoek transferred from LMS science to Pratt High and counselor Misti Kuhn will change to .6 time at Haskins Elementary. Cheryl Couch and Laura Hemphill were hired for Parents As Teachers. Resignations were accepted from Bruce Kocher, PHS English, and Jeff McMillin, PHS social studies. Joan Gimpel retired from food service and Maggie Pennell was hired as a Beyond the Bell tutor.