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Tours given of Gordon Parks Academy and Earhart
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| Gordon Parks Academy will open for students on August 13. |
Board of Education members, district staff, and state lawmakers took tours of the new Gordon Parks Academy and Earhart Environmental Magnet to see the construction progress being made on both schools. They learned about the curriculum being used at Gordon Parks and the "green" construction that is being used with Earhart to go along with their environmental magnet focus.
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks Academy is putting on the finishing touches to be ready for the first day of school. Many families in the neighborhood are wanting to take a peek inside the new school, but it won't have occupancy for guests until August 13. Because of that, enrollment at Gordon Parks will be at Stranger’s Rest Baptist Church, 2521 N. Grove, which is located next to the school.
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| Principal Stephanie Stovall shows off the school's library. |
Gordon Parks Academy is a neighborhood magnet with half of the seats given to neighborhood children; the other half for students who live across the city. The school is beginning the process to become a primary years and middle years International Baccalaureate program. The curriculum will be delivered to all students who attend the school. They plan to send in their first application to be a candidate school in November. Every student will be required to learn a foreign language. This year, students will learn Spanish, but the school hopes to also offer Chinese in the near future.
Parents chose the school's mascot to be the Trailblazers. Gordon Parks' family requested that the mascot be a horse because their father loved horses. Principal Stephanie Stovall said Trailblazers was fitting because their school is starting on a new adventure, and it also described Parks' life and his work.
Gordon Parks Academy is being built next to the new Boys and Girls Club and the TOPS early childhood center. The school will also have a clinic privately-managed by GraceMed, which will provide medical and dental services to area children with needs. Stovall said that with all of the entities so close to the school, it really creates a community atmosphere.
"We are ready for kids to be here," said Stovall. "We can't wait."
Earhart
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| Earhart Environmental Magnet will open to students later in the fall. |
Earhart Environmental Magnet is being built with many “green” features to support its magnet theme. Earhart's classrooms have large windows for passive light, motion detectors for the heating and air conditioning systems, a recycling alcove in the school, a neighborhood recycling center, an environmental lab, courtyards and many outdoor learning sites and will retain rain water on site.
"When I first looked at this building, my brain started clicking and I was coming up with all sorts of new learning opportunities," said Jan McLaughlin, kindergarten teacher at Earhart.
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| Design and Construction Director Julie Hedrick and teacher Jan McLaughlin show visitors the school's environmental learning lab |
The school was built for growth, and will be able to house 450 students. The school will have a library with a computer room, and art room, two music rooms and a multipurpose room that is also a safe room. The school will be wired for technology and SmartBoards, that was purchased by the parents. The old school couldn't support that technology.
Because the wet spring has caused significant construction delays, the new school will not be ready at the beginning of the school year. Students will begin classes in the old school building and move into the new Earhart later in the fall. After the new school is complete, the original school will be demolished to make room for parking and more outdoor learning opportunities. The school arranged to demolish the building with little impact to the existing trees and plants surrounding the old building.
"This building will be absolutely phenomenal," McLaughlin said.
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Enrollment begins July 28 - information found online
Enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year begins July 28 and runs through August 1. Enrollment information and required forms for the 2008-2009 school year are available on the district's website. In order to streamline the enrollment process, parents are encouraged to fill out required forms before they go to their child's school to enroll. Certain forms are required to be signed by parents for all students and are available online to download and complete. Other forms may be required at certain grade levels and will be given to parents by the school.
Other useful enrollment information, including enrollment times at each school, enrollment fees and the elementary school supply list can be found by clicking here.
The first day of school for all students is August 14.
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Teachers and school board settle contract negotiations
The United Teachers of Wichita and the Wichita Board of Education announce a tentative one-year agreement on the teachers’ contract for the 2008 – 2009 school year. The total value of the compensation and benefit package increase is 5.06 percent.
“This agreement is the best the two sides could achieve this year. With rising health care costs and the pressure of gas and food prices, teachers need more help from the legislature”, commented Paul Babich, United Teachers of Wichita President.
Contract highlights include:
- 2.90 percent increase to the salary schedule;
- Raises for additional education and years of experience (“Steps and Tracks”); and
- The Board of Education will pay $590 per employee for health insurance.
Interim Superintendent Martin Libhart commented, “I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement with our certified teachers. This allows all of us to move ahead and look forward to the start of a new school year, and the opportunity to continue our work to increase student achievement.”
The ratification of the contract by teachers will begin when teachers return to work on August 7th. The Board of Education will ratify afterwards.
Negotiations are still underway with the district’s Service Employees International Union.
United Teachers of Wichita represent nearly 4,000 teachers in the Wichita Public Schools.
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District, Service Employees reach tentative contract agreement
The Wichita Public Schools and the Service Employees International Union Local 513 have reached a tentative two-year contract agreement for 2008-2010. The agreement was reached through an interest-based bargaining process that allowed the groups to address multiple employment issues of mutual concern. Prior to the 2009-2010 contract year, the IBB process will open for salary and benefit conversations only.
Highlights of the package include:
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2.9 percent salary increase;
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Movement on the step schedule (years of service); and
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Health and insurance benefits valued at $590 per employee per month
“This is the fifth year we have used interest-based bargaining to reach an agreement with SEIU, and it has proven to be a positive process for negotiating issues and collaborating to solve problems in a non-confrontational environment,” said Martin Libhart, superintendent.
“We are pleased with the outcome of this year’s negotiations,” said Julie Martin, SEIU spokesperson “Both health benefits and salary improvements were of great interest to the employees we represent, so it is significant that our health benefits will continue to remain strong in addition to the salary increase.”
SEIU Local 513 represents about 2,000 classified employees in the district, including custodians, clerical staff, paraprofessionals, food service and school service center employees.
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BOE establishes superintendent search timeline
The Wichita Board of Education plans to have a new superintendent approved by February 23, 2009. The BOE established a timeline for its search for superintendent during its July 14 meeting.
The implementation plan schedule includes:
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Community input at Board’s Night Out on September 29
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Potential Superintendent candidates identified in October and November
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Recommended list of candidates from search firm to BOE, December 1 – 15
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Community meeting(s) with Superintendent Candidates, February 2 – 6, 2009
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BOE approval of Superintendent candidate on February 23, 2009
A copy of the approved Superintendent Search implementation plan and timeline can be found here.
The BOE also finalized its Request for Proposal for consulting firms to assist the Board in conducting a superintendent search. The firm would be expected, but not limited, to
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Establish a profile of a desired candidate in conjunction of the Board
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Advertise the vacancy throughout the nation and locally
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Obtain all relevant background information on potential candidates
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Assist the Board in involving the community in the search and selection process
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Assist the Board with contract negotiations, if requested.
The RFP responses will be due on August 8 and after evaluation and interviews of candidate firms, the BOE will approve a search firm by September 8.
Updates on the superintendent search are posted on the Wichita Public Schools’ website, www.usd259.com/news/Superintendent+Search. Community members can sign up to receive email updates and additional information on the superintendent search. To subscribe, click here.
CARE to present report to BOE about bond issue
Citizens Alliance for Responsible Education (CARE), the citizen advocacy group dedicated to passage of the 2008 Bond Issue, will give a report to the Board of Education about the bond issue on July 28. During June and July, members of CARE held four community meetings to answer questions and to gather feedback about the bond issue. The group will share with the Board what common themes they heard from the community and their recommendations for the upcoming bond issue.
The $350 million bond issue would address many critical needs for Wichita and its students:
- Additional classrooms to accommodate growth in key areas of our community and to reduce class sizes
- Build 60 safe room storm shelters
- Support the end of busing for desegregation with renovations to schools in the AAA area to provide equitable facilities
- Renovates or rebuilds aging and unsafe physical education, athletic and fine arts facilities
More information about the bond issue can be found on the district's website.
It’s about Our Kids, Our Needs, and Our Future!
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Open enrollment for employee benefits begins July 30
Online open enrollment for employee benefits will be July 30 - August 15. Every benefited employee must enroll online or will not receive coverage for the 2008-2009 school year. Employees can enroll in the health plan or cash option, add or remove dependants, change beneficiaries, print KPERS change of beneficiary form for life insurance, and enroll in Flex Spending. Employees who choose the cash option must also enroll to continue receiving cash option payments.
To make online enrollment easier, employees will use their network user name and password to log in. Employees can enroll from work or at home by going to Risk Management's portal site or website.
Those who need help enrolling online can come to room 709 in the Alvin Morris Administrative Center, 201 N. Water, during the enrollment period.
More information about online Open Enrollment will be sent to all employees via an email from Human Resources on July 29.
Some highlights of the health plan includes:
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One health plan - there will no longer be a "buy up" plan
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$850 individual deductible and $1,700 family deductible will remain the same for in network services
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The 70/30 coinsurance for in network services will remain the same
- The office visit, pharmacy, ER, and high tech radiology co-pays for will remain the same
- The $600 annual premium for employees that are less than 1.0 FTE and the annual working spouse premium of $1,200 will remain the same
NEW THIS YEAR: $600 annual premium for tobacco users. For the first year only, the tobacco premium will be waived if current tobacco users:
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Sign an online pledge during open enrollment and submit it to Risk Management pledging that they will quit using tobacco products prior to September 1, 2008
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Enroll and successfully complete a fall district sponsored tobacco cessation class and sign and submit a 2nd pledge card in December 2008 pledging to remain tobacco free.
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If the tobacco user does not sign and submit the second pledge card; does not enroll and successfully complete the tobacco cessation class or does not remain tobacco free, they will be required to pay the full annual tobacco premium out of the remaining paychecks for the plan year.
For more information, contact Risk Management at riskmanagement@usd259.net.