WHITE CITY — Seven different options to deal with the low number of student athletes at Hope High School were discussed at the regular meeting of the Rural Vista 481 School Board meeting Jan. 14.
That issue will be on the agenda again Wednesday night for a special meeting of the Board of Education. That meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodbine Gym.
The following options were presented to the board:
Option 1: Combine high school girls’ athletics, junior high boys and girls’ athletics;
Option 2: Combine all of White City and Hope athletics except football. Combine in 2014-15 in football (This option would be much easier for scheduling and would allow us to only schedule one team’s athletics instead of two.);
Option 3: Combine high school girls’ athletics;
Option 4: Combine junior high football;
Option 5: Hope girls compete as White City for all high school activities;
Option 6: Hope school combines in all sports except football with Centre and combine in 2014-15 in football with Centre;
Option 7: Hope School combines in all sports with Herington;
Option 8: Hope school drops girls’ high school athletics temporarily.
After reviewing the options, the consensus of the board was to eliminate Option # 8. After further discussion, another Option 8
was added which was Hope girls’ co-op with White City girls and combine junior high athletics. Duane Blythe moved to have a special meeting on Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the old gym at Woodbine.
In other action at the Jan. 14 Rural Vista meeting Hope Principal Mike Teeter reviewed the Bullying Prevention Plan that was presented to the board. Larry Goracke moved to adopt the Bullying Prevention Plan as presented. Motion carried 7-0
During Citizen’s open forum, Pam Guimond addressed the board concerning the security of the children in the school.
For governmental relations, Duane Blythe updated the board on the three-panel judge ruling concerning the funding of education in Kansas, the funding of the LOB, and the date and time of the Governor’s State of the State address.
Superintendent Ralph Blevins recommended that Teeter’s contract be extended another year and that White City Principal Kate Robinson be given a 2-year contract. That motion carried 7-0.
A “letter of intent” for negotiations was reviewed by the board members. Larry Goracke moved to send the sample letter, as presented, to the teachers’ negotiating team. That motion carried 7-0.
Blevins informed the board that the $100 fee assessed last year for the driver’s education students was sufficient for the funding of the program and recommended that the fee remain the same for this year. The board moved to set the fee for Driver’s Ed at $100 per student district wide.
Robinson reported that 26 students were out sick in White City. She also updated the board on sports, state assessment preparation, the boiler, in-service and roof leaks. She also informed the board that White City had received the Governor’s Achievement Award for last year.
Teeter updated the board on the various leaks and repairs at Hope, writing assessments, the STUCO report for the state, sports, and DARE graduation.
Blevins also spoke about the boiler, in-service, assessments, and establishing a calendar committee.
