Two ending CCS tenures; new playground equipment coming

    Two longtime staff members with a combined 32 years at Chase County Schools will be leaving the district at the end of the school year.
    At the Feb. 8 meeting, school board members accepted resignations from junior high social studies teacher Monte Burrell and 7-12 guidance counselor Trent Herbert.
    Burrell will retire at the end of the 2021-22 school year with 22 years at CCS. Until this school year, he also coached junior high football several seasons.
    Herbert will complete his 10th year at CCS as guidance counselor. He said he’ll be seeking other employment, and plans to stay in the community, noting son Zachary, a sophomore, would like to graduate from CCS.
    Herbert has also served as senior class sponsor, National Honor Society sponsor and was head junior high boys’ basketball coach, as well as a TeamMates co-coordinator until recently.
    It was a busy meeting last week with other agenda items.
    The school board approved $375,000 worth of new playground equipment, purchased 100 chromebooks, bought two new 14-passenger busses and a maintenance truck, while approving three stipends for staff who met the early resignation program deadline.
    In addition, three students were approved for early graduation and there was initial discussion on the 2022-23 school calendar.
New playground
    CCS received three proposals for new playground equipment, and selected the one from Burke Playground of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
    Burke’s $275,387 proposal was submitted by Creative Sites, LLC of Omaha.
    Other proposals considered came from American Playgrounds of Sioux Falls, South Dakota for $326,500 and Park Planet Playground of Red Bluff, California at $246,438.
    The Burke proposal will provide two large playground units, said Supt. Adam Lambert, to replace the equipment on the west playground. The newer swings at that location will stay.
    Lambert said the goal is to get the new equipment installed before the 2022-23 school year, but it will depend on the installer’s schedule.
    “We should have all of the equipment delivered in May and ready to install once the installer has an opening,” he said.
    While not the low bid, Lambert said Burke’s proposal was  recommended by the building and grounds committee, the teacher playground committee and him.  
    “It had more of the options that we were looking for—fun factor, safety, colors and a good mixture of play options for all age groups,” he said.
    The equipment from Burke is also American made, he added, which played a role in the decision-making.          “There are other playground companies in the state who are a year or more behind because of supply chain issues as their equipment is made overseas.  We liked the fact that this equipment shouldn’t have those hurdles since it is made in the USA,” he said.
    Lambert said the board has been planning to replace the playground equipment so had shuffled funds from the general to the depreciation fund to pay for it.
    In other business, the board approved purchase of 100 chromebooks, half of them for the incoming freshman class next year.
    Based on last week’s action, Lambert noted the board will also begin transitioning chromebooks for grade 5-8 students with 50 of the units purchased for that group.
    The cost for the 50 HP 14” chromebooks for the freshman class is $15,503. Junior high students will have a slightly smaller unit, an HP 11.6”chromebook. Those will cost $8,824.50.
    Lambert said the school’s REAP funds will be used for the chromebooks’ purchase. Those are federal funds received every year, he said, and CCS earmarks that money for technology.
    In other action, the board formally approved the staff members who’ll receive a $1,000 stipend for submitting resignations before the Jan. 31 deadline. They include Sheryl Curtis, Burrell and Herbert.
    Two Chevy Mini Tour 14-passenger busses were purchased from Thomas Bus Sales at a cost of $62,450 each or a total of $124,900.
    Lambert said the purchase came after discussion with the transportation committee. They will be used for routes, but also for activities if needed, he said.
    Lambert said rules on CDLs are changing, which no longer require that commercial drivers license for busses with 14 or fewer passengers. CCS plans to utilize the busses with new drivers in training, and they have a couple of routes that have only 12-14 students, he said.
    “The sole purpose for the new busses is for the routes, as well as helping transition and train our bus drivers,” he said.
    A 2022 Ford F-150 pickup was purchased from Imperial Country Ford for the CCS maintenance department at a cost of $38,305.
    Also bidding a 2022 Chevy Silverado was Harchelroad Motors for $40,585.
    The new truck replaces a 1996 pickup.
    Three current juniors were approved for early graduation in December, and the board help preliminary discussion on the 2022-23 calendar.
    One calendar change the board requested was to have the last day of classes on May 19, 2023. The calendar discussed last week had a May 24 final day, which along with other calendar dates, came after staff meetings, Lambert said.
    The requested change might mean modifying the Christmas break next year, which had a Dec. 21, 2022 to Jan. 4, 2023 break for students. Teachers would return on Jan. 3 for in-service.
    Calendar approval is expected next month.
    The board met in closed session 20 minutes on personnel and another 38 minutes on litigation issues.