Board Brief

Board Briefs are informal reports from the regular meetings of the USD 495 Board of Education and intended as a communications service for district staff and patrons.

These are not the official minutes.

All consent agenda items were approved.

Staff of the Month: Rocio Wagner was recognized as the Orange Spot District Staff Member of the Month. Congratulations, Rocio! Thank you for all that you do.

Student/Staff Presentation: Mason Miller from the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council introduced Kayden LaPointe and Owen Gore, who both earned perfect scores on their state assessments last spring. Owen earned a perfect math score as an 8th grader, and Kayden earned a perfect ELA score as a 10th grader. Such an impressive accomplishment for both of them!

Board Member Monthly Highlight: Brent Hemken gave a shoutout to Hannah Smith and the LHS cheerleaders for keeping the energy up year after year. He shared how fun it was to watch the big group of younger cheerleaders at Friday night’s game and said the program continues to be strong, consistent, and something to be proud of. Way to go, girls!

Elizabeth Herrera: Asst Basketball - LMS, Cody Ratliff: E-Sports Sponsor

City of Larned Safe Routes to School Project: The City of Larned’s Safe Routes to School project will extend sidewalks from Fort Larned Elementary down Broadway Street to create a safer walking route for students and families. While USD 495 was involved in Phase 1, this new phase is entirely a city-led, grant-funded project, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

Human Fetal Development Video:Mrs. McGurk shared new state requirements for showing a human fetal development video in certain courses. The legislation outlines specific criteria but does not provide a required video, so USD 495 plans to use a five-minute option that meets all standards, featuring clear computer-generated animation showing the development of the brain, heart, and other organs.

The video will be shown in classes that already cover human growth and development topics, such as Health, Family Studies, Human Growth and Development, and Life Span Development. It may also apply to fifth grade’s “Growing Up Talk.” Parents can review materials and opt their student out under existing board policy. Each board member will view the video before the next meeting, and final approval will be considered at the November BOE meeting.

Capital Improvement Proposals: Mr. Wachs shared that USD 495 will work with Alloy Architecture on design and bid services for the District Office roof replacement at a cost of $12,500.

For gym bleacher replacement, Alloy recommended not using their architectural services. They believe that the design fees would be unnecessary because bleacher companies can provide their own specifications. The district plans to work through the Greenbush Consortium for the bleacher project to ensure cost efficiency and flexibility in scheduling work around summer maintenance.

Neighborhood Revitalization Plan Pawnee Co: The board approved continuing in the Pawnee County Neighborhood Revitalization Plan for 2026–2033. The agreement stays the same, with a small fee increase from the county to cover internal costs.

Mr. Wachs shared that the current federal government shutdown has little short-term impact on schools. Most K-12 federal funds, such as Title programs, were already allocated for the year in July.

Districts that receive Impact Aid, typically those near military bases or on federal land, could see temporary delays, but USD 495 does not receive that funding. School meal reimbursements are also not immediately affected, as state agencies maintain reserve funds.

The USD 495 Board of Education will meet again on Monday, August 11 at 6:00 PM at the District Office.