<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0skvdU_0wBTCHmM00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0skvdU_0wBTCHmM00" width="400" height="300" ><figcaption>USD 333 Concordia</figcaption></figure>Monday evening's USD 333 Concordia Board of Education meeting began early and ran deep into the evening. It was full of facility updates, data reviews and option discussions for some legal counsel.The first thing Board of Education members Nancy Owen, Jenny Parker, Amber Lambertz, Lindsay Metcalf, President Brad Berk and Vice President Mike Cleveland discussed was a study session at 5 p.m. all about the Capital Improvement Plan and the progress of various projects across the elementary, junior high and high school facilities.Board member John Culley arrived after the study session at 6 p.m.USD 333 Concordia Superintendent Quentin Breese first updated the board on a small gas leak in some 1929 pipes installed at the High School building. Still, as contractors continued to dig to find and repair the leak, they found small gas leaks along the 95-year-old pipes.Audio fileUSD 333 Concordia Superintendent Quentin BreeseBreese reported that due to the electrical equipment replacements, contractors estimate power to return to the school by Thursday at the latest.During the study session, Metcalf, Parker and Lambertz expressed concern over the rising costs of the Capital Improvement Plan and suggested a new approach to this consistent challenge for the district.USD 333's Capital Improvement Plan consists of multiple items at each school; some pricier items include a new roof for the elementary school, a new gym floor in the junior varsity (JV) facility and upgraded playground equipment at the Middle School.Eventually, after reviewing the list of improvement plans, Metcalf proposed a new idea for tackling these school fixes.Audio fileUSD 333 Concordia Board of Education Member Lindsay MetcalfLong-standing board members like Berk chimed in on this idea, stating that the cost of the Capital Improvement Plan rises far above a reasonable bond plan. Still, Metcalf, Lambertz and Parker retorted that the board does not have to include the entire plan but rather the most significant purchases.According to Lambertz, the USD 333 Board of Education "nickel and dimes" their bank account to accomplish many of the older facilities' repairs and have to sideline improvements in the classrooms and other areas of the schools.Cleveland pointed out that it would be difficult to get a bond rolling in the district's current state, with an assessed district value of $70 million; the board would have to work within those parameters and consider small bond amounts.Board members continued discussing the idea of a bond until time ran out for the study session, leaving the topic on the table. Board member Culley arrived for the regular meeting at 6 p.m.<h2>The regular USD 333 BOE meeting</h2>Once the meeting began, the board moved through regular consent items, with only one question on curriculum costs in the Superintendent Report under encumbrances, which District Treasurer Rhonda Gumm explained as an increase in student enrollment.Next, Concordia Elementary, Middle and High School presented an update on their facilities, highlighting aspects like student engagement at the elementary and fall sports for middle and high school students.Concordia Police Department (CPD) Chief Brent Gering presented the first information item that was out of order from the original agenda. He explained to the board that CPD did not receive a grant for a possible school resource officer (SRO), but he devised a new plan to split costs between the city and the district.Gering said the approximate total cost of an SRO would be about $70,000.After some discussion, Breese agreed to sit down with City Manager Amy Lange sometime to discuss where to divide costs so that Concordia could have an SRO for safety and educational purposes.Facility updates were the next item on the list for informational points, but the board decided to keep the conversation brief due to the study session before the meeting.Next, members discussed curriculum updates and the recent Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) test scores to show students' progress from the beginning of the year to now.Concordia Elementary School Principal Ashley Blain presented the data to board members, showing some improvement highlights and a few challenges.The first portion of the data focused on reading, while the second portion focused on math, which showed positive growth in each grade level. The challenge that the data showed was the large number of students performing significantly below grade level, with both third and fourth grades recording about 15 to 20% underperforming.Blain said this underperformance traces back to when these students began school, during 2020 and 2021, the era of COVID restrictions. She added that research shows the importance of children watching mouths move to learn words and sounds, alongside learning challenges during that period.Breese added that Kansas schools had "raised the bar" for testing, allowing teachers to better understand students needing further assistance in or out of the classroom.The last two information items included a discussion of a new health insurance policy and a legislative update from Breese on what he plans to take to Topeka for the district.After a 30-minute executive session to discuss Breese's performance review, board members returned to the meeting room. They began tackling the action agenda, opening it with a discussion on possible future legal counsel with Fisher Patterson Sayler and Smith.During the last meeting, Cleveland proposed beginning a new connection with the local legal counsel instead of relying solely on the Kansas Association of School Boards' roster of attornies and legal experts for possible future litigations involving suits against the school board.Cleveland said that while visiting a conference in Wichita, an attorney from Minnesota advised him to bring outside legal counsel into the district.Parker asked for an example of what the district might need outside legal counsel for, and Cleveland provided one.Audio fileUSD 333 Concordia Board of Education Member Mike ClevelandBoard members discussed legal counsel further for a while, determining that a majority of the board would need to decide when to engage with Fisher Patterson Sayler and Smith due to the likely high cost of their service.A few board members, like Parker and Metcalf, said they would like to review the engagement letter more, so the topic was tabled again.The last two action items quickly wrapped up the meeting, with board members unanimously approving the staff's purchase of a new vehicle for the district and making another quick decision to purchase new risers.The meeting adjourned at about 8:15 p.m.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Facility Challenges and Legal Counsel Discussions Highlight USD 333 Board’s Latest Meeting

Monday evening's USD 333 Concordia Board of Education meeting began early and ran deep into the evening. It was full of facility updates, data reviews and option discussions for some legal counsel. The first thing Board of Education members Nancy Owen, Jenny Parker, Amber Lambertz, Lindsay Metcalf, President Brad Berk...