*Staff Bulletin/Clipboard May 9, 2024

Staff Bulletin | May 9, 2024

On Monday morning, an assembly was held at Village Elementary to announce that Village was being recognized as a Capturing Kids Heart’s National Showcase School for the 7th year in a row. Congratulations to the staff and students!

District News:

Last Day of School Dismissal Times:

The last day of school will be a partial day on Friday, May 17th. A lunch will be available for students at each school and buses will run according to the dismissal times.

Emporia High School will dismiss at 11:52
Emporia Middle School will dismiss at 11:52
Elementary Schools will dismiss at 11:46
Jones students will complete their school year on Thursday, May 16

2024-2025 District Enrollment Information:

REMINDER All K - 11th grade students will automatically be enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year at Emporia Public Schools. Parents and caregivers will only need to provide the district with updates or changes from their student’s last enrollment. Please stay tuned for further communication regarding procedures, deadlines, and resources to assist you in navigating these changes. If you have any questions, please contact the Enrollment Office at 620-341-2396.

Transfer Students:

Use the link provided to review the district’s plans for transfer requests based on the legislation passed in the Spring of 2023.

Transfer Guideline Highlights

Kindergarten and Preschool Pre-Registration:

Pre-registration for Kindergarten and Preschool continues to be available through Google Form links on the district website https://www.usd253.org/services/enroll. Kindergarten students must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2024, and 3 and 4-year-old preschool students must meet eligibility requirements. All pre-registered students will receive information by email to enroll online. For more information, contact the Jones Early Childhood Development Center, the nearest elementary school, or the Student and Family Resource Office at 620-341-2396.

Employee Assistance Program:

As a USD 253 employee, you can utilize resources provided by New Directions through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Additionally, New Directions offers a variety of free online webinars for all employees. If you or a family member are experiencing any stress or heightened emotions due to events in our world, please contact the EAP support line at 833-848-1764 or log onto the New Directions website and use the code usd253. May Newsletter, read more here .

District Events:

Convocation Save the Date:

Convocation for the 2024-25 school year will be held on August 7, 2024, at Emporia High School. Stay tuned for more information.

May Events:

For the latest information on events Click on the USD253 Events Calendar

Flint Hills Learning Center Graduation:

Graduation for students graduating from the Flint Hills Learning Center will be held on Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Granada Theater at 10:00 AM.

Emporia High Graduation:

Graduation for Emporia High School seniors will be held on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at William L. White Auditorium at 3:00 PM.

Logan Avenue Lion Launch:

On May 18, 2024, Logan Avenue will be hosting the Logan Avenue Lion Launch disc golf tournament. Register online: https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Kansas

Appointments, Resignations, and Retirements:

View the employment recommendations here.

On Wednesday morning, at Tyson Fresh Meats, the district celebrated students from the Flint Hills Learning Center who have completed their graduation requirements. Community partner Tyson Fresh Meats in partnership with FHLC, offers an onsite classroom for employees to complete the requirements to earn their high school diploma. Congratulations to these students!

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Emporia High School students in Mrs. Amber Pankratz’s Entrepreneurship class opened their “pop-up” businesses during lunch. Students applied what they had been learning to their business experience.

Approvals:

close public hearing to amend the 2023-24 budget
minutes of April 24, 2024
fiscal payments for Pay 2024
long-distance travel to Bloomington, Indiana for the EHS Theatre/Thespian Troup 6688 students and sponsor to competitive events, educational workshops, attend plays, and obtain scholarship opportunities, trip dates are June 23 - June 29, 2024
LEA IDEA VI-B Application Assurances for 2024-25
dispose of district surplus technology items via internet auctions and/or AG Parts bulk buyback program
donation of $1,222.40 from Village PTO to Village Elementary for the 2nd grade field trip to the Tanganyika Zoo.
donation of $600 in gift cards from Casey’s Convenience Stores to Logan Avenue Elementary and Riverside Elementary to distribute to students
meal prices for the 2024-25 school year
bids for furniture, fixtures, and equipment for the bond project at William Allen White Elementary
amended 2023-24 budget
sewer repairs at Logan Avenue Elementary and Emporia High School through P1 Service LLC
quote from Cray Coatings to the Emporia High School main gym
quotes from APAC to replace the main, east front, front entrance area, and cage lots at Emporia High School for $1,454,432,79
quote from AAA Class for window repair/replacement at Emporia Middle School
table the 2025-26 calendar discussion for the June 12 Board of Education meeting
Requests for Proposals for realtors to be considered to represent the district and potentially broker the sale of the Kansas Avenue School Building

Board Information and Updates:

Student Handbooks:

Mr. Dathan Fischer, Principal at Emporia High School, Mr. Brad Jones, Assistant Principal at Emporia Middle School, and Mr. Tell Kirk, Principal at William Allen White Elementary, each presented the first reading of the proposed student handbook changes for the 2024-25 school year. The summary of changes can be found using the following links.

After hearing discussion and feedback from the Board, additional clarifications will be added and the handbooks will be brought back for a second reading.

Kansas Avenue School Building Next Steps:

Dr. Allison-Anderson Harder presented information to the Board regarding the next steps for the Kansas Avenue School building. Since the Legislature has taken no action on the sale of the building, the District is free to move forward with potentially selling it. After reviewing the possible options, the Board voted to solicit Requests for Proposals from local realtors so that they can be considered to represent the district and potentially broker the sale. The Elementary Connections program that is currently housed at Kansas Avenue will be moved to Logan Avenue Elementary beginning the 2024-25 school year.

2025-26 Calendar Recommendations:

Dr. Erica Mickelson, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Mrs. Judy Stanley, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Student Services shared the feedback received from staff, families, and the community regarding the 2025-26 academic calendar options. Option #1 is very similar to the current academic calendar whereas option #4, would remove Emporia High School and Emporia Middle School late start days and move the district to 9 early release days throughout the year. Upon hearing the calendar options the Board voted to table the calendar discussion to the June 12 Board meeting. During that time additional clarification will be addressed and more feedback will be sought from staff and district families. The Board will review the updated information and recommendations to decide at that time.

Option #1 Academic Calendar

Option #4 Academic Calendar

Future Board Calendar Dates:

Friday, May 10, 2024, 10:00 a.m., FHLC Graduation, Emporia Granada Theatre
Sunday, May 12, 2024, 3:00 p.m., EHS Graduation, W. L. White Auditorium
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center
Friday, June 14, 2024, 8:30 a.m., Board Retreat, Mary Herbert Education Center
Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center