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Board Reports Include Summer School Information, Bullying Prevention

May 4, 2012 ~ Summer learning opportunities and bullying prevention were two major topics of the Olathe Board of Education's regular meeting on May 3.

Summer Learning

Assistant Director of Special Services Deb Chappell and Deputy Superintendent Alison Banikowski provided an overview of the district's summer learning programs. Last year more than 1,600 students attended one of the summer programs which includes elementary Summer Adventures in Learning, Summer Trails middle school classes, senior high credit recovery/enhancement classes, special education extended school year programs for ages 3-21, summer Head Start, and driver's education.

Elementary programs are located at four sites across the district and Indian Trail Middle School hosts the middle school programs. Frontier Trail Middle School is the site of the high school programs.

In addition to educational programs in the summer, the district provides food service at no charge to low-income students enrolled in programs at the summer school sites and three schools serving as community sites. The district receives federal and state reimbursement to provide breakfast and lunch to all students enrolled at eligible summer school sites. An eligible site is where 50 percent of the students attending during the school year or 50 percent of those attending during summer school qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.

Bullying Prevention

Assistant Superintendent Erin Dugan shared information about the issue of bullying and discussed the variety of prevention programs the district has in place.

Awareness of bullying is heightened for several reasons including the increased impact of cyber-bulling, national media coverage, and federal bullying guidelines. Dugan reported some national statistics which show that 160,000 students stay home from school every day because of bullying, and one in five students admit to being a bully. On the positive side, bullying prevention programs tend to reduce the problem in schools by 50 percent.

Olathe's 2010-11 Communities that Care survey showed that 16 percent of students in sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades reported being bullied at school once or twice a month. Forty-one percent of students surveyed in those grades said they see bullying once or twice a month. Some positive local trends are a decrease in students ignoring bullying in the past five years, and an increase in the number of students reporting a bullying incident to adults in the past two years.

The Olathe School District has a comprehensive approach to bullying, which includes a Board of Education policy, Student Code of Conduct, support and intervention, student and staff training, and family education.

Recognitions and Awards

  • Midwest Professional Golfers Association was recognized as a business partner because of its grant to fund Starting New At Golf in the schools.
  • Kiewit Power Engineers Company was recognized as a business partner that supports the Aerospace and Engineering 21st Century High School Program.
  • Jay Novacek, athletic director at Olathe Northwest High School, received the Dr. Art Newcomer Promising Athletic Director Award.
  • The Olathe North High School boys bowling team was honored as the 6A state champion.
  • Aaron Yuratovich of Olathe East High School is the individual 6A state boys bowling champion.
  • Clark Thomas, Olathe Northwest, is the 6A state one-meter, boys diving champion.
  • Connor Middleton of Olathe Northwest is the 6A state wrestling champion in the 160-lb. weight class.
  • Rory Haug, Olathe North, is the 6A state wrestling champion in the 152-lb. weight class.
  • Theresa Puhr of Olathe North won the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship scholarship essay contest.

In other business, the board:

  • Approved a consent agenda of routine matters.
  • Approved bids, contracts or agreements for white copy paper and digital projectors.
  • Approved appointments to the Kansas Association of School Boards' nominating and legislative committees. Rick Schier was appointed to the nominating committee. Amy Martin was appointed to the legislative committee.
  • Approved the employee appraisal process.Approved a student trip for the Olathe North Science Olympiad team.
  • Received information about future action items including an electrical easement at the College Boulevard Activity Center, Head Start self-assessment and transportation work plan, fees to the Kansas Association of School Boards and National School Boards Association, textbooks, renewal of the district's general and workers compensation insurance policies, an architectural/engineering request for proposal on the future Technology Support Center, agreements with KidsTLC and the School Resource Officers, student trips, and revision of board policies relating to the homeless liaison.
  • Received the Head Start director's written monthly report.
  • Held an executive session to discuss personnel matters, employer/employee negotiations, and the possibility of acquiring real estate. The board returned from executive session to approve architecture and engineering services for future elementary #35.

The complete agenda and supporting files are available at http://www.boarddocs.com/ks/olathe/Board.nsf/Public.