Board Briefs
SM
January 2016
An informal report from Eudora Board of Education regular meetings
The following are highlights of discussion and action
from the board meeting on Jan. 14, 2016.
CONSENT ITEMS. All items listed on the agenda were
approved without discussion.
PTO PROPOSAL. Representatives from the Eudora PTO
shared preliminary plans for an outdoor learning area at Eudora
Elementary School, to be paid for with a LiveWell grant and
proceeds from the annual Jog-a-Thon. Plans are being finalized
to create an ADA-compliant learning and play area with minimal
maintenance requirements; the group hopes construction will
begin in the spring. Board members thanked the PTO volunteers
for their hard work.
DISTRICT AUDIT. A representative from Mize Houser & Co.
presented the district’s financial audit for the year ending June
30, 2015. The auditors delivered the highest and cleanest opinion
allowed by state law. A full copy of the audit report is available
on BoardDocs.
CAP REPORT. Janell Barnow presented the CAP program
report. With plans to retire at the end of the year, Janell read a
letter to the board thanking them for support and encouraging
them to continue the tradition and philosophy of education in
Eudora. The board thanked her for her service.
MTSS REPORT. Brenda Wiley delivered the annual report on
the district’s MTSS systems. She explained the changes to the
CARDonline referral system, which crashed in late 2014 and
was rebuilt over the past year with a nearby company, Reflective
Group. The new system, Locus, has been implemented with
staff in each school and now includes bullying data, as well
as improved communication and reporting tools to enhance
the collaboration between teachers, administrators and student
support teams. Food service workers are now recording
lunchroom incidents in Locus, and eventually transportation
workers will be trained to do the same for behavior issues on the
bus.
Steve Splichal commented on the role that the customized
data reports will play in meeting students needs and addressing
environmental factors that are contributing to behavior
challenges. He also shared some of the safeguards in place to
ensure appropriate confidentiality of student data.
after retirement, as well as recommendations from consulting
firm hired by the legislature to study ways to close the state’s
budget gap, such as mandated changes to the health insurance
that districts offer to employees. It is not yet known which
recommendations the legislature will choose to act on.
Next, Steve asked the board to set a special meeting, likely
in late February, for a district facility tour in the morning and
planning session in the afternoon. He then reviewed a draft of
the 2016-2017 district calendar and shared the possibility of
using one of the existing teacher inservice days in January for
a joint professional development event with the Baldwin and
Wellsville districts.
He concluded with words of thanks to members of the board,
in conjunction with School Board Appreciation Month. Board
members were presented certificates, and he unveiled a piece
of student artwork, created by students from Quest and Zone,
that will be displayed in the board room, with additional pieces
added in future years.
SPECIAL EDUCATION CO-OP. Mike Kelso and Lynn Reazin
shared that director Patti Bishop will be retiring at the end of
the school year. They discussed efforts by the co-op board to
plan for the organization’s future leadership and staffing. Steve
Splichal commented on the high number of superintendent
openings in the state and encouraged the co-op board to move
as quickly as possible to have the best pool of candidates for the
director vacancy.
2016-2018 STRATEGIC PLAN. Following a brief discussion,
the board adopted the 2016-2018 Eudora Schools Strategic Plan.
A copy is posted to BoardDocs and will soon be available on
the district website. Steve commented that the collaboration and
input from elements of the plan position the district to make
positive progress over the next few years, and board members
reflected on the value of the process and community involvement
throughout.
SUPERINTENDENT REPORT. Steve Splichal began his report
with a legislative update, covering key themes that have emerged
in the first week of the 2016 session. Education concerns at
this point include merit pay for teachers and rules for working
Want to know more about board business?
•Attend a board meeting! Meetings are open to the public and usually take place at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of
each month at West Resource Center. Check the calendar on www.eudoraschools.org to see the date of the next meeting.
•Go online! A full, searchable record of minutes and agendas is available online through BoardDocs. The Eudora section
of BoardDocs can be accessed from the district website under School Board > Meetings.