Judge Bullock shares experiences with school finance
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| Photo by Susan Arensman |
Retired Judge Terry Bullock shared his work on school finance with principals, district officials and area superintendents on April 16. Judge Bullock was the trial judge for the Montoy v. Kansas case, which argued the constitutionality of funding for public education.
Judge Bullock's main themes were that all children deserve a suitable education and school funding needs to equal the actual cost of providing that education. He said that it costs more to educate at-risk students and before the Montoy case, funds were not being equitably distributed among districts, especially to districts with more at-risk students.
When asked about the state's current financial situation and the talk of cuts to education funding, Judge Bullock stressed that the law states that school funding needs to cover the costs of an adequate education, adding that he didn't believe the cost of education has decreased.
Judge Bullock was in Wichita to speak at the University Club and accepted the invitation to speak to the district as well.
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Five schools will have turf fields
East, Heights, Northwest, South and Southeast will soon have multipurpose synthetic turf fields for students to use. The Board of Education approved the bond project during its April 13 meeting.
"I will be excited every time I watch our kids go onto a field that they are proud of," said Athletic Director Bill Faflick. "Our kids won't just play on a quality field during away games; they will have that opportunity at home."
Faflick said there are many studies that show turf fields are safer for students than grass fields. Other advantages include students play on a consistent playing surface, the field won't be damaged when it rains or snows, less maintenance, and the field can be used for more than football.
"I fully expect our field use will increase," said Faflick. "We will have soccer teams, PE classes, marching bands and community groups that will be able to use the facilities."
An eight-member team went through an extensive process to study how different turf systems were designed and built. The team visited 35 sites across the Midwest during their own time and met with superintendents, coaches, athletic directors and student athletes to find the best solution for the schools.
Construction is expected to begin in May.
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Meal prices will increase for next school year
School breakfast and lunch prices will increase for the next school year. The student meal prices will offset increases in costs of producing the meals. The price increases range 5 – 15 cents.
- Elementary school student lunch price from $1.85 to $1.90
- Elementary school student breakfast price from $1.10 to $1.15
- Middle school student lunch price from $2.00 to $2.05
- Middle school student breakfast price from $1.20 to $1.25
- High school student lunch price from $2.15 to $2.20
- High school student breakfast price from $1.30 to $1.35
- Adult lunch price from $2.85 to $2.95
- Adult breakfast price from $1.75 to $1.80
The meal price increases will take effect July 2.
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Enroll students in summer school programs
Parents can sign their children up for a variety of Wichita Public School summer school programs. Enrollment has begun for the school age (latchkey) program. Students will soon be able to sign up for summer elementary enrichment, high school and driver education programs.
- Elementary enrichment programs will be Wednesday, June 3 – Wednesday, July 1 at Gammon Elementary, 3240 N. Rushwood, and Peterson Elementary, 9710 W. Central. Enrollment is April 21, 5 – 7 p.m. at Gammon and Kensler Elementary, 1030 Wilbur Lane.
- High school programs will be Monday, June 8 – Friday, June 26 at North and Southeast High Schools. Enrollment is April 20 – June 5. Students enroll through their counselor. Enrollment after May 28 must be done at the summer school site.
- Driver education program is Monday, June 8 – Friday, July 17 at East and Northwest High Schools. Enrollment is May 2, 9 – 11 a.m., at East and Northwest on a first come, first served basis.
Students who have completed kindergarten up to age 12 may enroll in the summer school age program, located at several district elementary schools. Enrollment is going on now and is on a space-available basis.
More information about the programs offered is available on the Wichita Public Schools’ website.
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Seltzer student wins Tot Trot t-shirt contest
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| Pictured from left: Shawn Lancelot, Bank of America; Janet Wright, Wichita Festivals, Inc.; Andy Vu, Tot Trot winner; Dave Carter, Admiral Windwagon Smith; Marcia Sherfield, Seltzer art teacher and Sheri Frazier, kindergarten teacher. Photo by Susan Arensman |
Andy Vu, kindergarten student at Seltzer Elementary, had the winning t-shirt design for the Wichita River Festival's Tot Trot. His design was chosen from more than 2,500 entries. Wichita River Festival representatives and sponsors presented Vu with a framed shirt featuring his winning design and a gift certificate.
This year, three winners were chosen from each division: kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade, with Vu selected the overall winner of those nine. All the division winners were selected from Seltzer. Each winner received a gift certificate.
Besides Vu, winners in the kindergarten category were Jaylee Van and Riley Larson. Winners in the first-grade category are Preston Sales, Anna Degrado and Brylee Buchanan. Winners in the second-grade category are Sydney Le, Lauren Veach and Samuel Kiguru.
Seltzer art teacher, Marcia Scurfield, also received a $100 gift certificate to support her classes. Seltzer was awarded $400 for having the most entries. Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet received second place and Enterprise Elementary placed third for number of entries.
The Wichita River Festival's River Run and Tot Trot is May 9 at 10:30 a.m.
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Students participate in Digital Media Competition
Middle and high school students from fifteen schools competed in the Kansas Student Technology Leadership Digital Media Competition at Kansas State University on April 1. Teams from Brooks, Curtis, Gordon Parks, Hadley, Hamilton, Jardine, Mayberry, Pleasant Valley, Stucky, Truesdell, Wells, Wilbur, Heights, Southeast and West participated.
Students won awards in ten categories.
High School Multimedia
Matthew Shimkovitz and Tyler Springer, West, 5th place
Angela Antroy-Hankins and Allie Bays, Southeast, 6th place
Middle School Multimedia
Isaiah Yeubank-Murdock, Brooks, 1st place
Rebekah Haskins, Curtis, 3rd place
Taylor Harvey-Phillips, Stucky, 4th place
High School Video Public Service Announcement
Miles Kniep and Jayde Hargis, Heights, 5th place
Middle School Video Public Service Announcement
Angela Bell and Daniel Reffner, Stucky, 2nd place
Ashley Evans, Brooks, 3rd place
Isabel Medrano and Jennifer Cabrera, Curtis, 4th place
Deja DeLaRosa, Curtis, 5th place
Danielle Leonard, Truesdell, 6th place
High School Video
Robin Jacobs, Southeast, 5th place
Middle School Video
Kayla Kaul, Isaiah Yeubanks-Murdock, and Chance Callahan, Brooks, 2nd place
Tyas Martin, Curtis, 3rd place
Aric Moncada, Wells, 4th place
High School Webpage
Nic Wentling, Heights, 1st place
Middle School Webpage
Alyssa Cowless, Truesdell, 1st place
Jacab Conway, Wells, 3rd place
Kaylie Ines and Kasey Wells, Pleasant Valley, 4th place
Damien Gilbert, Hadley, 5th place
Samantha Waggoner, Truesdell, 6th place
High School Technology Integration
Robin Jacobs, Southeast, 1st place
Middle School Technology Integration
Isabel Medrano and Jennifer Cabrera, Curtis, 4th place
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Deadline for banquet reservations is April 22
The Wichita Public Schools will honor retiring and long-time employees at a special banquet on May 4. All those planning to attend should turn in their reservation cards by Wednesday, April 22 to Marketing and Communications.
For additional information about the banquet or the retirement/longevity recognition program, contact Susan Kelley-Linder, Marketing and Communications, 973-4645.
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Kindergarten orientation is April 30
Parents of children who will enter kindergarten in the fall are invited to participate in Kindergarten Roundup on Thursday, April 30, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. All elementary schools will be open to allow parents and students to meet teachers, administrators and support staff. Parents will receive information about enrollment requirements, what their child will learn, and how parents can be actively involved in their child's school.
For more information, contact your neighborhood school or call 973-4498 to get your school assignment.
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Sign up for district’s third-annual golf tournament
Employees can sign up for the third-annual USD 259 Masters Golf Tournament, which is on June 3 at 2 p.m. at WSU’s Braeburn Golf Course. The golf tournament allows employees to socialize and to celebrate the end of the school year.
The entry fee is $37 per person or $148 per four-person team. Each school and support center is invited to enter. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams and skill contests, along with other prize drawings. An entry form is available on the high school portal under announcements at the bottom of the page. Email completed entries to Vera Lang or fax entry to Vera at 973-6070. The tournament is open to the first 36 teams entered.
For more information, contact Jim McNiece or Vera Lang at Northwest High School, 973-6003.
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Garage sale at McCormick Museum
The Wichita Association of Retired School Personnel is having a garage sale April 23 - 24, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., and April 25, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the McCormick School Museum, 855 S. Martinson. The money raised will be used for scholarships to Wichita State University and Friends University for students majoring in education.
For more information, contact Donovan Moore at miridon@sbcglobal.net or 721-2206.
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Holt receives national honors
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| P.E. curriculum coaches Rhonda Holt, left, and Karla Stenzl. Holt was named National P.E. Coordinator. Photo courtesy Rick Pappas |
Rhonda Holt, P.E. curriculum coach, received two honors during the National Physical Education Convention in Tampa, FL. She was selected by her peers as the National Association for Sport and Physical Education Coordinator. Beginning this summer, she will provide PE curriculum support to schools across the U.S.
Also during the convention, Holt received the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Honor Award. The award is one of the highest honors for P.E. teachers. The Honor Award is given for her service to the students of Wichita and the P.E. profession.
"I have always just tried to do my job to the best of my ability and enjoy what I do," Holt said. "I certainly know that's what all of our P.E. teachers are doing each and every day."
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Northwest’s band and orchestra compete in Chicago
Northwest’s band and orchestra students performed at the Heritage Festival in Chicago on March 28. The orchestra earned a 1 rating and took first-place overall. The orchestra also received a plaque and trophies for outstanding orchestra and an adjudicator’s award. Northwest’s band earned a 1 rating and took second-place overall. Both groups combined received an award for the highest cumulative score.
Both groups were scored based on tone, intonation, technique, balance and interpretation. They competed against groups from across the country.
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