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Certain fees increasing for 2011-12 school year

By Shawn Linenberger - | May 17, 2011

Several fees for students in Tonganoxie schools will increase for the 2011-2012 school year.

Fees in some areas will be at the same rate as the previous school year, but there will be increases in kindergarten fees, driver’s education, pay-to-ride and meal and milk prices.

The Tonganoxie USD 464 school board approved the 2011-12 district fee schedule at its May 9 meeting.

The driver’s education cost will increase by $10, pay-to-ride will increase by $20 per semester and meals and milk prices will increase by a minimum of 10 cents per meal or carton.

All-day kindergarten will be $360, an increase of $180 for the year, or $120 for students eligible for free and reduced lunch. Districts receive 50 percent aid per student in kindergarten compared to all other students.

The state of Kansas does not require all-day kindergarten. Students can also be enrolled in half-day kindergarten, which is mornings only for $90 for the school year or $30 for students who receive reduced lunches.

Textbook fees for all students for the year will be $90 or $30 for students who are eligible for reduced lunch. Activity fees are $25 ($10 for reduced-lunch students) for students in grades 7-12 and $10 ($5 reduced) for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Pay-to-ride for students who live less than 2 1/2 miles from their school is $170 per semester.

Meal fees are as follows: Breakfast, $1.25 at TMS and TES and $1.30 at THS; lunch, $2.05 at TES, $2.30 at TMS and $2.35 at THS; extra entrée, $1.85, all schools; adult breakfast, $1.85, all schools; adult lunch, $3.35, all schools; adult small salad, $2.00, all schools; adult large salad, $2.75, all schools; extra milk, 60 cents, all schools.

The KSHSAA activity fee is $35 per activity at TMS and THS. The family activity pass is $60 annually at TMS and THS and the student activity pass is $25 annually at TMS and THS.

Driver’s education fees will be $190 for in-district students or $215 for out-of-district students per session at THS.

The board unanimously approved the fee schedule, 6-0, with Leana Leslie absent.

Longer days, shorter year

The school year will be reduced by six days in 2011-12, which means classes will be extended 15 minutes each day. It’s part of $565,000 in budget reductions approved for 2011-12 by the board. The change is expected to save the district $50,000.

Other reductions were in building and district department budgets, by 10 percent, or $210,000, and another 10 percent, or $180,000, in the classified support staff budget. There’s one retirement of a building secretary, a TMS para resignation, a TES para reduction in staff by one staff member and three positions eliminated in custodial/maintenance. In food service, there’s a reduction in staff and/or hours per day.

In food service, there’s a reduction in staff and/or hours per day and, in transportation maintenance, a reduction in staff of one person.

Certified staff will be reduced by 2.5 percent of that budget, or $125,000.

There will be retirements of two positions in the K-5 teaching staff and retire/rehire of two positions.

New revenue expected:

• $60,000 in kindergarten fees.

• $5,000 in transportation fees for unfunded students.

• $10,000 with the implementation of K-6 activity fees.

Anticipated increased costs:

• Fuel, $25,000

• Utilities, $25,000

• Property insurance, $10,000

• Other, $15,000

• Health insurance, $50,000

Teacher contract terminated

A Tonganoxie High School teacher will not have his contract renewed.

Ken Lott, who started teaching automotive mechanics in August 2005, had his contract terminated by a 6-0 school board vote.

His contract was terminated because he failed to achieve a professional license from the Kansas State Department of Education. Lott is afforded an appeal hearing before the school board within 10 days of the notice. As of Tuesday, he had not filed an appeal request, said Audra Boone, USD 464 board clerk.

The board also accepted resignations from Tammy Hedge, fifth-grade teacher; Nena Pierce, fourth-grade teacher; Elsa Robinson, TMS Spanish teacher and Micahel Allen, TMS technology teacher.

They also approved retirements of Beth Fritz, fourth-grade teacher; Terri McAlister, TES Title 1 reading specialist; and Donna Heffner, fifth-grade teacher.

Fritz and McAlister retired and then applied for the same position. If hired back, teachers receive retirement benefits while also continuing teaching at lower pay, a scenario several teachers have exercised recently.

Both Fritz and McAlister’s new contracts were approved.

In other business, the board:

• Heard a performance of two songs form the Tonganoxie Elementary School Choristers.

• Approved, 6-0, Parents as Teachers for 2011-12 at $17,300, with an additional $200 put toward resources for children.

• Approved, 6-0, the student accident insurance program with Student Assurance Services. It will be the third year with the group and will come as no increased cost to the district.

• Approved, 6-0, the Leavenworth County Special Education Cooperative agreement.

• Approved, 6-0, teacher contracts for 2011-12.

• Approved, 5-1, supplemental contracts, with Kathy Baragary voting against the measure. The board also voted, 5-1, for consent agenda items, with Baragary voting against. She said after the meeting that she could not discuss why she voted against because it involved personnel. However, she did say she voted against the consent agenda items because she initially thought the supplemental contracts were included.

• Approved, 6-0, the student handbook, with changes.

• Approved, 6-0, a revised 2011-12 school calendar. School will begin Aug. 23 and end May 18, 2012. This year, the last day of school is Wednesday, May 25, to make up for the most recent snow day.

• Approved, 6-0, audit services with Long CPA of Lawrence.

• Met in executive session for 50 minutes to discuss nonelected personnel matters. Superintendent Kyle Hayden met with the board for the duration, while THS principal Jamie Carlisle and TMS principal Jill Dickerson met at separate times with the board.