- Unified School District 232
- Schedule & Agendas
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Note: Meeting Memos on this webpage are unofficial summaries of the regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Education. The official minutes of a school board meeting are formally approved by the board at the following regularly scheduled meeting.
Schedule
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Regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Education
Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Board of Education, unless otherwise noted.
USD 232 Board of Education
35200 W. 91st Street
De Soto, KS 66018
Phone: 913-667-6200Meetings will be live streamed via the district's YouTube channel.
- February 6, 2023
- March 6 (this meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m.)
- April 3
- May 1
- June 5
- July 10
- August 7
- September 11
- October 2
- November 6
- December 4
- January 8, 2024
22-23 Agendas
22-23 Minutes
Meeting Memos
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March 6, 2023
Unofficial summary of the Board of Education meeting held March 6, 2023.
ACTION ITEMS:
Agenda/Consent Agenda
The Board approved the Agenda and Consent Agenda as presented.The Board spent the rest of the meeting in Executive Session for Non-Elected Personnel. They met with Dick Christie, Lane Plugge and Mark Evans from GR Recruiting to screen applications for superintendent and selected individuals for interviews.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be Monday, April 3, 2023, at 6:00 p.m., at the Board of Education / Administrative Office.# # # # #
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February 6, 2023
Unofficial summary of the Board of Education meeting held February 6, 2023.
ACTION ITEMS:
Agenda/Consent Agenda
The Board approved the Agenda and Consent Agenda as presented.Memorandum of Understanding with USD 232 Education Foundation
The Board approved an MOU with the USD 232 Education Foundation. Alvie Cater, Assistant Superintendent of Administration & Communications, shared background on the Foundation. It is a Kansas non-profit organization established in 2019 with the sole mission of seeking out community resources and creating strategic alliances to spark innovation and support educational excellence for students in USD 232. The Foundation is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code with oversight provided by its own board of directors consisting of eleven members. Mr. Cater said other school districts in the county have had education foundations supporting schools and teachers for many years and those relationships provided a framework for the USD 232 Education Foundation. Mr. Cater said that since 2019, the Foundation has donated more than $70,000 to schools and teachers through a series of school spotlight grants, innovative teacher grants, the employee Making a Difference recognition/award, and more. Donations to the Foundation come from individuals, businesses, and other not-for-profit organizations. The purpose of the MOU is to describe a general framework for the relationship between the district and the Foundation as it relates to private fundraising and private grants management, individual donors, corporate sponsors, and community engagement and partnership. Mr. Cater noted that the MOU recognizes the special status of the USD 232 Education Foundation and its relationship with the district, which is different when compared to other non-district organizations as its sole purpose is to support the students and teachers of USD 232. Since the launch of the USD 232 Education Foundation, the district provides in-kind support by making available employee Casey Rooman-Smith, who spends an average of 10 hours per week with administrative assistant duties, as well as serve as Executive Director of the Foundation – in addition to her regular duties with the school district. Mr. Cater said providing this level of in-kind support has allowed the Foundation to grow its efforts and increase community donations to support schools and students.DISCUSSION ITEMS:
Mill Valley Video Board
Mike Jay, a Mill Valley parent and member of JagPac (a separate not-for-profit organization), Joel Applebee, Head Football Coach at Mill Valley, and Bob Kernell, Daktronics Sports Marketing, presented the Board with an idea to raise funds for outdoor digital video boards installed at the Mill Valley athletic stadium. Mr. Jay said JagPac is already involved in fundraising for the football program. He said the group has taken on the initiative to get the video boards at Mill Valley to allow for the sale of advertising for fundraising. He said with the help of Daktronics the group will seek partnerships with area businesses to raise funds to pay for the project. They would like to seek four Anchor Partners ($10,000/year for 5 years), six Founding Partners ($5,000/year for 5 years) and ten Premier Partners ($2,000/year for 5 years). Mr. Kernell talked about an opportunity for Mill Valley students to work on the same game day production equipment utilized at Daktronics college and professional leagues such as Arrowhead Stadium, The University of Kansas and Sprint Center. Coach Applebee said discussions on Real World Learning opportunities for students with this equipment have already begun. Mr. Jay said once fundraising is complete, the JagPac would be able to donate the video board to the district. At that point, the school would be able to decide how to handle the revenue the video board generates. Coach Applebee said the goal is for the revenue to go back to the school’s activity account to be used for maintenance of the video board and the support of student activities. Board members requested additional information about the idea.
Alvie Cater reviewed the superintendent search stakeholder survey results that the board received from GR Recruiting during a special public meeting held on January 24. He then reviewed the ten traits identified by the board for the superintendent profile and a general timeline of the process.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be Monday, March 6, 2023, at 5:00 p.m., at the Board of Education / Administrative Office.
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January 9, 2023
Unofficial summary of the Board of Education meeting held January 9, 2023.
ACTION ITEMS:
Agenda/Consent Agenda
Board member Bill Fletcher declared a conflict of interest and asked that check number 60427 included in Consent Agenda item B “Approve payment of bills and transfer of funds” be pulled from the Consent Agenda for separate approval. The Board approved the Agenda and Consent Agenda as amended. They then approved payment to Kansas Land Management with check number 60427 in the amount of $1,250.00.BOE Organizational Items
K.S.A. 72-1133 requires boards of education to elect the board president and vice president at the first meeting on or after the second Monday in January of each year or a later meeting date during the calendar year if so determined by the board at that first meeting. With the adoption of a Resolution to Establish Election of School Board Officers, the Board will elect its school board president and vice-president at its first meeting of the Board of Education in July 2023. The Board also approved a Regular Meeting Schedule for February 2023 through January 2024.Secondary Student and Teacher Technology Refresh
Brandon Riffel, Director of Technology, and Dr. Joe Kelly, Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction/Title Programs, shared background on the district’s One Device per Learner initiative and talked about pricing compared to what the district paid for MacBook Air devices in 2019, as well as the residual value of existing devices. Following their report, the board approved the purchase of 5,300 MacBook Air devices, with protective cases and AppleCare+, for students and support staff at the secondary level and all teachers Pre-K–12, in the amount of $5,686,635, plus Apple professional learning services for educators for $119,215, for a total cost of $5,805,850 from Apple Computer Inc., (divided into four annual payments).
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
Student Achievement
The Board received a Student Achievement presentation from Michelle Hite, Director of Elementary Curriculum & Instruction/Accreditation, and Dr. Joe Kelly, Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction/Title Programs, that included Kansans Can Star Results, a District Overview of 2021-2022 (State Assessments, FastBridge, PreACT/ACT, Graduation Rates, Five Year Postsecondary Progress) and a Data Action Plan.Dr. Frank Harwood, Superintendent, presented the Board with a draft of legislative priorities for the board to discuss. These are topics that come before the legislature that may have a direct or indirect impact on public schools. The purpose of legislative priorities is for the board to communicate with legislators about issues that are of particular interest to the district.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be Monday, February 6, 2023, at 6:00 p.m., at the Board of Education / Administrative Office.# # # #
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December 5, 2022
Unofficial summary of the Board of Education meeting held December 5, 2022.
ACTION ITEMS:
Agenda/Consent Agenda
Board member Bill Fletcher declared a conflict of interest and asked that check number 60199 included in Consent Agenda item "B. Approve payment of bills and transfer of funds” be pulled from the Consent Agenda for separate approval. The Board approved the Agenda and Consent Agenda as amended.Ms. April Swartz of Varney & Associates, reviewed the district’s 2022 fiscal year audit with the board. She gave clean opinions on internal control and compliance and reported that there were no statutory violations. Following her report, the Board took action and approved the 2022 Fiscal Year Audit as presented.
City of Shawnee Hickock-Zarah Improvement District/TIFAlvie Cater, Assistant Superintendent of Administration & Communications, informed the Board that the Shawnee City Council voted on November 14, 2022, to move forward with plans to establish a redevelopment district, also known as a conservation tax increment financing district, in the Hickok-Zarah development area. The proposed area for the redevelopment district is bounded by K-7 Highway on the west, Shawnee Mission Parkway on the north, Martindale and Woodland on the east and 83rd Street on the south. It comprises 1,648 acres and contains the largest remaining tracts of undeveloped land dedicated to residential development in the community. Mr. Cater reminded the Board that representatives from the City of Shawnee attended the November 7 school board meeting and shared information about the redevelopment district. He said with action taken by the city to create the redevelopment district, the Board of Education has 30 days from November 14 to exercise its veto authority, should it decide to do so. No action was taken on this agenda item.
City of De Soto/Sunflower Redevelopment Expanded TIF
Alvie Cater informed the Board that the City of De Soto held a hearing on December 1, 2022, to consider an expansion of the already established Sunflower Redevelopment District. He said this expansion would include an additional 1,865 acres. The original redevelopment district was created earlier this calendar year that includes approximately 6,000 acres of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition site, located south of K-10 Highway. Mr. Cater reminded the Board that they did not exercise veto authority on this redevelopment district because the Board entered into a separate agreement with Sunflower Redevelopment, LLC, to address school district concerns with the proposed redevelopment district. The major concern being the potential inclusion of residential projects within the redevelopment district, which could increase student enrollment without providing an increased tax base to support any additional school capacity that may be needed. Mr. Cater said the agreement between USD 232 and Sunflower Redevelopment, LLC, gives the district the right to review any redevelopment projects that contain residential components and determine if there is an adverse impact on the district. An adverse impact is defined as an increase in student enrollment that would require additional school facilities. If there is an adverse impact, Sunflower Redevelopment, LLC, will withdraw the residential component from the redevelopment project unless both parties agree to a solution to mitigate the adverse impact on the district. The Board took action and approved the Addendum to Residential TIF Project Plan Agreement.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
The Board received a comprehensive overview of continuous efforts towards improving the safety of students and staff of the school district from Alvie Cater and Rob Moser, Coordinator of Safety & Transportation.
Brian Schwanz, Executive Director of Secondary Education, gave the board a preliminary report on implementing Orchestra in the district. He shared findings in conversations he’s had with area districts that have orchestra programs, KC Strings (a business out of Merriam, KS) and USD 232 Instrumental Music Teachers. He showed estimated orchestra start-up costs (instruments, curriculum, HVAC for humidity control and staffing) and talked about program considerations (elementary/middle school/high school or middle school/high school, rehearsal space/classroom/shared space, storage, building/class schedules and a music store partnership). Mr. Schwanz also shared ideas for staffing/scheduling of an orchestra program. In conclusion he shared next steps (visit additional programs, continue conversations with the Curriculum & Instruction Department and band teachers regarding scheduling, conversations with the Facilities Department regarding space needs, conduct an interest survey with parents of elementary and middle school students, and continued conversations with area school districts. Board President Ashley Spaulding suggested that Mr. Schwanz conduct the survey of parents to gauge interest before proceeding with the next steps.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be Monday, January 9, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at the Board of Education / Administrative Office.# # # # #
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November 7, 2022
Unofficial summary of the Board of Education meeting held November 7, 2022.
ACTION ITEMS:
Agenda/Consent Agenda
Board member Bill Fletcher declared a conflict of interest and asked that check number 59934 included in Consent Agenda item “B. Approve payment of bills” be pulled from the Consent Agenda for separate approval. The Board approved the Agenda and Consent Agenda as amended.Board members discussed results of reference checks made on the three executive search firms selected as finalists. Board members were reminded that each firm was interviewed by the Board at a special meeting on November 1. The firms interviewed were Ray & Associates, GR Recruiting and Kansas Association of School Boards. At the November 7 regular meeting, Board members shared their respective pros and cons for each firm. Following discussion, the Board took action and selected GR Recruiting to conduct the search process for identifying candidates for superintendent of USD 232. The next step is to finalize an agreement with GR Recruiting.
Mize Elementary Expansion Bids
Steve Deghand, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities & Operations, shared a spreadsheet showing all of the 39+ projects completed with 2018 bond funds. It shows estimated costs, bid-day results and the actual total for each project. Mr. Deghand said 39 projects were approved for the bond, all of which have been completed. He said the district was also able to complete additional projects that did not make the initial list of 39, but were placed into the “if funds were left category”. These included renovations of the original fieldhouses at both high schools and the transformation from tile flooring to resinous flooring throughout the district. Mr. Deghand said the balance of bond funds remaining is $3,700,000.00. He noted that some of these funds might be used to purchase additional land.
Mr. Deghand then said in June that the Board directed the district to proceed with design and competitive bids on a potential addition to Mize Elementary School. Mize houses one of three center-based programs to meet needs of elementary students with special needs. The school has accommodated this program with regular classrooms and has reached a point whereby an expansion would move the center-based program into the addition and free up classroom space. Mr. Deghand said several meetings with staff took place during the design phase that assisted architects with identifying needs for the addition. Specifications were written and a legal advertisement was published. He presented the Board with bid results showing two contractors submitting identical low bids (Combes Construction and Zimmerman Construction). Mr. Deghand said both contractors have completed many projects for the district in the past, always doing exceptional work. In order to choose a winning bid, the contractors agreed to flip a poker chip (one side with a “Z” on it and the other side with a “C”). Each contractor flipped the chip with different results and Mr. Deghand flipped the chip the third time resulting with Combes Construction being the winner. The Board approved the bid from Combes Construction in the amount of $2,121,000.00 for the Mize Elementary School addition. This project will also be paid for with remaining 2018 bond funds.
Pursuant to K.S.A. 72-1077, the Board adopted a Resolution to change the boundaries of board member districts in order to equalize the number of citizens residing in each district. Superintendent Harwood shared a map that was developed with the assistance of Johnson County AIMS showing new board member district boundaries. He explained that the map moves voting precinct Shawnee 3-08 from member district 2 and 5 to member district 3 and 6 and moves voting precinct Shawnee 1-08 from member district 3 and 6 to member district 2 and 5. He said this change better aligns board member district boundaries with elementary boundaries and keeps all current board members in their current district.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be Monday, December 5, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at the Board of Education / Administrative Office.# # # # #