District Newsletter

Dear USD 243 Parents, Guardians, and Patrons,

We are weeks away from being able to welcome students and staff back for another school year. I wanted to share a few important district updates that were approved/discussed at the July board meeting. Over the summer, our administration has worked to ensure our policies and procedures align with new state requirements while continuing to focus on providing the best possible learning environment for our students.

This update includes information on revisions to our student handbook resulting from House Bill 2299, including new expectations regarding student electronic devices for 6-12th graders. You'll also find an update on the progress being made on our Lebo daycare structure, the need to adjust daycare fees to help ensure the program remains financially sustainable while continuing to provide high-quality care for our families, and the district's bond project to be held during the March election.

Please take a few minutes to review the information below. These updates will help ensure that students, parents, and staff begin the school year with a clear understanding of our expectations and the important work taking place across the district.

Sincerely,

Dustin Wilson, Superintendent

The following is our new handbook language for 6-12th graders and personal device guidelines. No real changes are coming for preK-5. They were not allowed access to their devices during the school day.

In accordance with Kansas law and Board policy, students may not possess or access personal electronic communication devices during the school day.

Personal electronic communication devices include, but are not limited to:

• Cell phones and smart phones
• Smart watches
• Tablets
• Earbuds and headphones
• Bluetooth-enabled personal devices

School Day Expectations

From 7:55 a.m. (or upon arrival/return to school) until 3:20 p.m., students must either:

• Leave their personal electronic communication devices at home or in their vehicle, or
• Secure their devices in the designated storage location in the school office upon arrival.

Once a device has been secured, it must remain in the designated location for the entire school day and may not be accessed by the student.

Students who leave school early for an appointment or who are checked out before the end of the school day may retrieve their devices from the office upon checkout. Likewise, students participating in school-sponsored activities that require them to leave campus during the school day—such as field trips, athletic events, academic competitions, or work-study programs—may retrieve their devices as authorized by school personnel for the duration of the activity.

Exceptions to this policy may only be made as permitted by Kansas law or Board policy.

We understand that many families rely on cell phones to communicate with their children. If you need to reach your child during the school day, please contact the school office. Likewise, if your child needs to contact you, office staff will gladly assist them.

Students who do not follow the electronic device policy may be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the student handbook.

We appreciate your partnership and support in helping us create classrooms where students can focus, participate, and make the most of every learning opportunity. By minimizing distractions during the school day, we can better support academic success and meaningful interactions among students and staff.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, please don't hesitate to contact your school's office.

The Lebo Daycare project continues to move forward, although we have experienced a temporary setback. After reviewing the bids received for the project, it became clear that all proposals exceeded the available project budget. As a result, the bids were rejected. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program approved a 60-day extension of the contract award deadline, giving us until October 1 to award the project.

The project is now being prepared for rebidding, with revised bid documents designed to better align the project with the available funding. The invitation for bids will be published in the local newspaper, followed by a 30-day bidding period. Once bids are received, the proposals will be reviewed, and we anticipate awarding the project in September. While this process extends the original timeline, we remain committed to completing the project.

As we continue to operate the daycare program, we are reviewing our current fee structure to ensure the program remains sustainable for the future. Unlike some daycare programs, our operation does not receive ongoing grant funding to offset expenses, so tuition rates must be set at a level that supports the actual cost of providing care.

The Board will review daycare fees and make a decision on future rates in August. We will communicate any changes, along with the effective date, once a decision has been made.

Derek Vanocker, Director of Maintenance, and I met with our construction managers, DCS Services, to begin the initial big-picture planning process. As we gather more information and develop a clearer understanding of our needs and priorities, we will begin seeking input from our community and staff in the coming weeks/months.

Please be on the lookout for additional communication and opportunities to provide feedback. We set the bond election for March to allow adequate time to thoughtfully develop the scope of the project rather than feeling rushed through the process to get it on the ballot in November.

With input from our community, staff, and stakeholders, we will work together to identify the priorities that will best serve our students, staff, and district for years to come.