Ellsworth Jr./Sr. High School will receive security upgrades, thanks to a vote at Monday night’s USD 327 Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo Board of Education meeting.

“We wanted to improve our video surveillance and for it to be networked,” Superintendent Deena Hilbig said.

The current system at the school is a patchwork of technology with varying access points.

She recommended a contract with Ellinwood-based INAalert. The $70,263.98 project will provide more secured access at the school.

“Thinking long-term, I feel like the biggest need right now is tying the bell schedule in with the access control so we can secure the premises throughout the day,” Hilbig said.

Board member Gina McGowan inquired about the possibility of adding panic buttons. It added about $2,000 to the final installation cost.

While the contract would initially be for the junior-senior high school building, with a $135 monthly maintenance fee, the other buildings in the district can be added later.

“They take what we have and build upon it,” Hilbig said. “They’re only going to improve what we have.”

The board unanimously approved the expenditure, with payment from PILOT funds.

In other business:

• Grow Ellsworth County Executive Director Stacie Schmidt invited the board to the Second Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Feb. 20 from 10-11:30 a.m.

• The board accepted grants and gifts: $50 from the United Methodist Church, Ellsworth, for nurse supplies, $500 from Dr. Derril and Roberta Gwinner for streaming of events and $500 from the Ellsworth County Food Bank.

• Heard a report from auditor Timothy Bannwarth of Summers, Spencer & Company.

“We review your controls for our audit procedures,” Bannwarth said. “We did not find any material weaknesses and did not identify significant deficiencies in the design. There are no issues with compliance this year. We found no issues with controls. We have a clean opinion on that.”

No action was taken.

• The board approved a request from journalism teacher Dawnae Bunch and art teacher Maya Haggerty to take photography students on a field trip to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum of Art Kansas City, Mo. A total of 51 people will go on the trip. The school will provide a bus and substitute teachers for Bunch and Haggerty.

• Approved a request from Ellsworth Jr./Sr. High School principal John Cannon to attend professional development out of state. He will attend the National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Denver this summer.

• Approved a request from school nurse Bonnie Peterman to move forward with developing a Narcan policy. She will continue to develop a policy. The goal is for the policy to be in effect for the start of the 2023-24 school year.

• Approved technology purchases. Curriculum Coordinator Dan Magie requested approval to purchase 60 Chromebooks, 12 staff devices, update a computer lab and purchase 21 iPads for the kindergarten class at Ellsworth Elementary School and purchasing four smart boards. The $35,732 request was unanimously approved.

Magie said he submitted a $5,000 grant request to Oneok, which would bring the project cost to $16,420. He also said he will return later in the school year to discuss purchasing additional smart interactive panels.

“Exact needs are unknown; I anticipate it would not be in excess of $30,000 total,” Magie said.

Current and future money will come from PILOT funds.

• Discussed inviting Lyons to join the North Central Activities Association league.

“We unanimously voted to invite them — every principal and vice principal in our league voted,” Cannon said.

He said for Lyons to join the NCAA, its board has to agree. Once approved, Lyons would enter the current league in the 2024-25 school year for athletic and academic competitions.

• Discussed the local option budget. The district currently has three positions funded by federal COVID money, which concludes in September 2024.

Currently, the district is collecting 31 percent of the general fund for the LOB. This translates into $1.8 million for this school year.

The board could increase the LOB by 2 percent, which Hilbig said would have added an additional $120,000 this year.

“Increasing 2 percent would be $21 annually on a $150,000 house,” Hilbig said.

She pointed out the food cost for the district will likely increase next year, as well as utilities.

“Looking at increased wages and salary to stay competitive is very important,” Hilbig said. “We lost a custodian recently to another agency within our community.”

Board member Jake Svaty expressed concern over the numbers presented.

“I agree with all of those statements,” he said. “That is only a third of the equation. The ag sector will be hit a whole lot harder, and you hit every business up and down Main Street.”

Currently, the district funds a counselor at Kanopolis Middle School, part-time counselor at EJSHS and a technology assistant positions with COVID dollars. In addition to the current positions, the board discussed adding an interventionist at Ellsworth Elementary School next year.

The board agreed to discuss the topic at the March meeting.

• Approved the sale of three vehicles in the fleet: a truck, Suburban and bus.

• Approved a request for proposal to purchase an additional car for the district. Currently, administration utilizes a Suburban to attend out-oftown events. Hilbig recommended purchasing a vehicle with better gas mileage. The Suburban will remain in the district’s fleet and be utilized for school activities. The new car could also be used for driver’s education courses.

• Discussed the Kansas Educational Systems of Accreditation cycle. USD 327’s 5-year cycle recently concluded.

“We’re growing, we’re doing great things and we’re moving forward,” Hilbig said. “They gave us some suggestions for interventions our teams will be looking into.”

• Approved graduation for three students who meet the state’s 21-credit requirement for graduation, but not Ellsworth’s 26 credits, following a 15-minute executive session.

• Following a 20-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel, the board approved hires, transfers and resignations.

The board hired Trenton Dolezal as student custodian, Justin Lindsley as substitute teacher and Erica Howard Macek as EJSHS assistant spring tennis coach. The following hires will begin in August: Sabrina Bourbon, intervention teacher; Christine Slechta, art teacher; Mandy Berger, FACS; and Carrie Hammye, grades 7-8 English.

The following transfers were approved for the 2023-24 school year: Laura Barta, EES kindergarten teacher transferring to grade 4, KMS; Kendra Ploutz, transferring from 7-8 English to journalism; and Karl Dawn Stover, transferring from EJSHS Agriculture Teacher/ FFA to CTE Pathway Coordinator.

The board accepted the following resignations for May: Anne Knipe, band and choir teacher and Sylena Mulligan-Burns, grade 4.

• The board held multiple executive sessions, including: 10 minutes for teacher negotiations, 40 minutes for principal evaluations, 15 minutes for the superintendent evaluation and seven minutes to discuss additional non-elected personnel topics.

Following the final executive sessions, the board unanimously voted to add one year to all administrative contracts.