Prairie View board welcomes new members, learns about BIG Time math and reading program

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

LA CYGNE – The Prairie View USD 362 Board of Education began its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, by electing a new board president and vice president, honoring the current members and welcoming new board members David Houston and Heather Schull.

Russell Pope retained his post as board president and Brad Heide was elected vice president, both by unanimous votes. For their service all of the sitting board members – including Wade Teagarden, Brian Uphoff, and Brian Lueker – received a goody bag.

Pope also recognized staff that was named in the Best of Linn County advertising section in the Pleasanton newspaper.

La Cygne Elementary principal Cindy Noel and four members of the school’s staff presented a progress report on the BIG Time (Buffalo Intervention Group) program that began last September. The program, which focuses on improving math and reading scores, has taken a novel approach in using shorter interval groups to improve learning.

The BIG Time approach uses current assessment methods to determine students’ needs in both reading and math, and then uses 20- to 30-minute time blocks throughout the day to work on skills.

For reading students, those skills include phonics, fluency, comprehension and finally enrichment.

For the math students, BIG Time focuses on state standards, including procedural methods used in solving problems, and developing conceptual knowledge. The math course is designed to be fluid enough to allow for going back to reinforce skills or allowing enrichment activities.

Food service close to self-sufficiency

In a report from food service director Todd Wollard, the board learned that strides were being made in making the school lunch and breakfast program sustainable. Wollard said that the program is paying for itself by food sales and federal reimbursements. He also said that by the end of the school year, food service would not need to be supplemented by the district’s general fund.

“We presently have more student, and adult, participation than in the previous 10 years,” Wollard wrote in his monthly report to the board. “We are very close to being totally self-sustaining as a department, without the need for supplementing through other district funds.”

He said that his department is chipping away at student lunch debt.

“Some progress has been made with the exception of those previously reported,” his report said. “Compared to other districts I have spoken with, our district has much less of an issue

with negative balances relatively.

At the board meeting he said his main concern for the foodservice in going forward was the inflation in beef prices. The district purchases beef from local producers.

Internet, connectivity contract approved

The board also voted unanimously to accept the agreement with Kansas City-based K12itc for more than $81,600 annually to provide broadband technology including switching, wireless connectivity and firewall maintenance. The contract with K12itc will run for five years.

Technology director Jeff McCright told the board that the company already provides those services for the district, and if the district did not decide to go with that company, it would remove all of the servers and access points across the district.

McCright said the district’s E-Rate discount of 70% comes through that company. The discount is based on the percentage of classroom use for the services as well as the number of  students who are qualified for free and reduced-cost lunches.

No action taken on directors’ contracts

The board also discussed the current policy of renewing the contracts of directors two years in advance, which is the practice used for administrators. At the December meeting, the contracts of most administrators were extended through the 2027-28 school year.

At least one board member has suggested renewing director contracts for only a year in advance. Directors include the food service director, the maintenance director, the student activities director, and others. Because of actions last year, all district directors are currently under contract for the 2026-27 school year, or just one year in advance.

Superintendent Chris Johnson encouraged the board to continue to approve directors’ contracts for two years. She said the extension would give those employees a sense of job security.

She also said that the board didn’t want the directors to take the failure to extend contracts personally and to appear that the board didn’t have confidence in them.

Some of those directors include Activities Director Mark Hough, Foodservice Director Todd Wollard, and Maintenance Director Aaron Rice.

Among the personnel changes made by the board was the hiring of Courtney Mosley as daycare director along with Abby May and Delanie Fox as part-time daycare workers. They also accepted the resignation of Charla Holt as a daycare worker. Mosley replaces Bonnie Hobson who resigned the post as of Dec. 31.

The resignation of Erin Deters, a first year agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor as well as assistant volleyball coach, was accepted by the board. Her resignation is effective at the end of the current school year.

The board voted to hire Tyler Clubine as high school social studies teacher for the 2026-27 school year. He will replace Tracy Konda, who is retiring at the end of the current school year. Clubine currently teaches at Chaparral High School in Anthony, Kan., where he is also the head baseball coach.

Hunter Boone was hired as an assistant high school boys wrestling coach, and Kathy Johnson and JoAnne Roman were hired as cooks.

In other business, the board:

• Received a report on year-to-date expenditures that revealed that, with seven months (58%) left in the fiscal year that ends June 30, about 35% of the total $26.6 million budgets for the year had been spent. Just over 38% of the $10.4 million general fund budget has been spent, and a third of $3.4 million local option budget had been spent. Just over $1 million remained in the contingency reserve with no funds used so far, and just over 42% of the $1 million food service budget had been spent.

• Accepted the Beagle/Parker/Fontana United Methodist Churches’ donation of $250 to the district’s school lunch program and the Good Samaritan Fund’s $250 donation to La Cygne Elementary School.

• Approved moving the March board meeting to March 24 because the current board schedule has the regular March 16 meeting falling during spring break. The board also discussed changing the meeting from the third Tuesday of the month to a different day, possibly the third Monday, but no decision was reached.