Rumor Watch
Last updated Jan. 27, 2010
Eudora Schools is committed to open and honest communication with patrons, parents, students and staff. Truthful, reliable information is the foundation of this commitment.
We take rumors seriously. They can be damaging, they can make people nervous, they can create feelings of fear and dread. At best they waste time and make us less productive; at worst, they damage morale and chip away at the level confidence that community members have in their public schools.
Have you heard something that sounds too good to be true? Or does the word on the street make your blood boil? Send us what you've heard at rumorwatch@eudoraschools.org ... we'll track down the truth— good or bad — and post it on this page. (Keep in mind, submissions will be screened and/or edited prior to posting.)
For the latest Eudora Schools news, click here.
RUMORS AND FACTS....
Rumor: With district budget cuts, I have heard that prom will not be formal as in the past, and that it will only be held if the junior and senior classes can raise the money for it.
Fact: The Eudora High School prom always has been paid for with a combination of class dues and fund raisers. For this reason, the event is not affected by changes in the district budget. The prom is scheduled to take place as it has in years past.
Rumor: I've heard that we are so far over budget on all the combined projects from the 2007 bond that we will not be building the new athletics stadium. Is this true? (9/9/09)
Fact: District leaders and school board members are committed to following through on the bond package approved by voters, if at all possible, and it is still far too early to assume that the stadium project will be eliminated from the construction plans. Board meeting discussions will be ongoing over the next few months to identify how the stadium project might proceed, given the budgetary limitations that have come up on the state and local levels. The stadium project always has been scheduled to go out to bid in early 2010, so no final decisions have been made, and the timeline still is entirely on track for the stadium project to proceed if possible.
The financial reality that must be weighed by the board and by community members is that deep cuts at the state level and lower-than-predicted assessed valuation at the local level have had — and will continue to have — an impact on the bond budget. While the state still provides Eudora aid on bond and interest, cuts to district funding have forced some expenses for the outfitting of buildings to be paid for out of the bond, instead of capital outlay or new facilities weighting money as had originally been planned.
It’s also important to note that the bond timeline and schedule always has been planned to bid and construct the stadium last, as to allow the dollars to be used in the most responsible manner, focusing first and foremost on classrooms for students and teachers. The Bond 2007 Web site has always included this plan with the following explanation: “If a budget should come up short, this priority-setting process ensures that the impact will be with projects that are farthest from the classroom.” However, it is not yet time for the board to make these types of decisions, and board members will be working hard in the coming months to find a solution that balances district needs with the voters’ expectations.
Rumor: Will President Obama's address to students be shown in Eudora Schools on Sept. 8? (9/4/09)
Fact: Eudora teachers were given information about the president's speech last week, following an e-mail to the district by the U.S. Department of Education. Our district's teachers may choose to use this opportunity in the classroom to the extent that it fits with their other instructional activities objectives. Parents wishing to know if their child's teacher will be showing the address should contact their child's teacher directly. If a teacher is using the speech in class, parents with objections may choose to opt a child out of an activity by contacting the school office.
According to USDE officials, the president’s national address to students is slated to discuss the importance of education, challenging students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. He also is expected to call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators, to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens. The national address to students will be archived for viewing on www.whitehouse.gov later that day.
Rumor: I've heard that there are no plans to lower the speed limit on Peach Street to 20 mph when the new school opens. There is a lot of traffic on this street, and there will be a lot of young children walking to school. Also, what about a crossing guard? (6/1/09)
Fact: Eudora Schools is committed to the safety of our students and staff. While decisions about speed limits, crossing guards and neighborhood sidewalks are the responsibility of the city of Eudora, district leaders are working to ensure that proper steps are taken to provide a safe school community — including safe routes to school — when Eudora Elementary School opens in August. It should be noted, as well, that a walking path on the school property will connect the neighborhoods south of the new school (12th Street area), helping to keep many children completely away from Peach Street.
UPDATE: At their June 22 meeting, the Eudora City Council voted to add a crossing guard at 11th and Peach, as well as a school zone with a lowered speed limit in the same area.
Rumor: With cuts to what we are spending on the new Eudora Elementary to keep the costs within budget, I was surprised that Eudora just hired a new consultant for the bond projects. (3/27/09)
Fact: The school district has not hired any new positions for the bond projects. Given the financial challenges that all of the bond construction projects have had to face — such as the cost of construction when the elementary school went to bid and the difficulty selling bonds in an unprecedented market — district leaders are making every effort to spend bond dollars wisely, in ways that will provide the greatest benefit to students and teachers.
Rumor: Is art class offered to elementary students in Eudora? (2/10/09)
Fact: While there currently is no designated special class for art at the elementary level, we use an art curriculum that was written for the elementary grades by one of our district's secondary art teachers. It is specifically designed to be delivered by our regular classroom teachers.
The school board members and leaders of Eudora Schools are committed to educating the whole child, and exposure to the arts is part of this student learning experience. The new Eudora Elementary School was designed to include an art room for a special. While budget shortfalls at the state level will not allow us to hire this position in the immediate future, the board will again consider adding an art special when the funding is available.
Rumor: With all of the information coming out of Topeka about pending budget cuts, I have heard rumors that concern the fine arts in the district. Some rumors have certain, specific cuts. Other rumors say elimination of the band and choir programs entirely. I certainly hope that this is just that, a rumor. I can't imagine cutting the music department in our district. (1/27/09)
Fact: With no clear idea of how the state budget will affect our district, it is far too early for any discussions of cuts to staff or programs. At this time, the state is still trying to resolve FY09 and what the fiscal impact will be on public education and other state agencies. Only when FY09 is resolved will they begin work on FY10.
During this time of uncertainty, the Eudora Board of Education is examining the district's core values and is beginning the process of articulating a priority system that will allow them to make targeted reductions that minimize any impact on staffing or student learning. It has been made clear, both in communications from Superintendent Don Grosdidier and by board members during public meetings, that no specific cuts — of people or programs — are being considered at this time. If and when reductions need to be made because of state funding cuts, people and student learning will be given highest priority.
To learn more about the state issues affecting Eudora Schools, or for information on contacting our elected officials, go to www.eudoraschools.org/gov.
Rumor: I heard next year, West Elementary will have city-wide preschool and options for daycare. Is this true and how do children qualify? (11/17/08)
Fact:At this time, there is no plan to offer traditional preschool or day care programs at West.When Eudora West Early Childhood Family Center opens in the fall of 2009, it will include an expanded pre-kindergarten program, in addition to all-day kindergarten. At this time, this is expected to house a total of three PEP classrooms for the district's federally mandated special education preschool program. The demand for PEP slots still outpaces the number of available spaces, so the move to West will allow that program to grow.
PEP students are identified through monthly screenings, scheduled by appointment at Nottingham Elementary. The program also enrolls a small number of "peer models" each year, students who exhibit social and academic behaviors that are developmentally appropriate for their age. Read more about PEP.
Rumor: Is it true that some of the scholarships given to Eudora High School students are actually just given to relatives of that scholarship's family and other students outside of the family aren't even considered? (10/6/08)
Fact: There are a number of private, local scholarships that are awarded to our graduating seniors each spring. These awards are governed by private groups of citizens and not by the school district.
The district has no role in the selection of scholarship winners for the outside organizations, and district officials are not aware of any irregularities in the selection processes that take place. Furthermore, representatives of the local groups have assured district staff members a number of times that their groups take special care to ensure fairness for all applicants. For example, most of the groups choose to black out the names of the applicants before anyone on the selection committee even sees the applications being considered for an award.
Steps are being taken this year to further open the lines of communication between student applicants and the local, private scholarship organizations. Plans are in the works to include a list of contact numbers for each of the scholarship groups when applications are made available to graduating seniors next spring. District leaders hope this will give applicants and their families the information they need, should they have questions about the process or awards.
Rumor: Is it true that the Eudora High School alma mater song is going to be changed? (8/20/08)
Fact: The EHS alma mater is a time-honored tradition, and there are no official plans to change the original verse. Some people have expressed interest in adding a verse to the alma mater, and Ms. Yarnell, EHS choir director, may hold a student competition to solicit ideas for additions. It should be noted that any additions or changes to the alma mater would be adopted and performed only if they are approved by the Eudora Board of Education.
Rumor: I heard that Mr. Kobza started building the new elementary school, and now he's not going to see it finished as he's moving to Wyoming. Is this true? And if so, what's going to happen to the process of building the new school? (4/21/08)
Fact: It is true that Mr. Kobza will be leaving Eudora after this school year to serve in a new position in Wyoming. You can read more about that here. Mr. Kobza's departure in no way threatens the progress being made on the new Eudora Elementary School. This facility is still scheduled to open in 2009; all the bond issue projects that were authorized by voters in November 2007 are proceeding according to schedule. The district's construction consultant has been in place since February with the primary duty of overseeing the day-to-day construction and progress. This will allow the work of contractors to continue uninterrupted throughout the transition of leadership.
Other issues, such as teacher negotiations and the hiring of new employees, as well as the district's day-to-day operations, will continue on a normal basis, thanks to the staff members and procedures already in place.
Permanent leadership changes will be examined when the board meets on April 21. Board President Kenny Massey has assured employees and district patrons that the Board's vision and direction will not change as a result of this transition.
UPDATE:At their April 21 meeting, the Eudora Board of Education voted to appoint Don Grosdidier to serve as superintendent for the 2008-2009 school year. Grosdidier has worked in Eudora Schools for 22 years as a teacher, coach, building principal and most recently as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the district.
Rumor: With the opening of the new Eudora Elementary School in fall 2009, is it true that the Board still hasn't figured out who the principal will be? (4/15/08)
Fact: In its February meeting, the Eudora Board of Education adopted an administrative structure for the new elementary school, which includes a principal and an assistant principal. The principal will have responsibility for the overall operations of the school, as well as grades four and five. The assistant principal will collaborate with the principal, with oversight of the first through third grades.
When the structure was adopted, the Board also appointed current West Principal Jan Irby to the principal position at the new elementary school and to proceed with the process of hiring the assistant principal for the new building. The hiring process is currently underway and includes input from administrators, teachers and parents. When the new school opens, Nottingham Principal Jim Lauer will serve as principal of the preschool and kindergarten center, which will be located at what is now West Elementary.
Rumor: I heard that the district has decided to go paperless with the annual calendar. If this is true, won't this make it harder for organizations and parents to know what's going on in the district? (3/13/08)
Fact: District leaders made a decision last fall to move away from the traditional printed calendar that had historically been mailed to all district patrons. As the Web has grown in popularity and flexibility, our online district calendar has become a more effective resource than the printed calendar ever was. Spring printing deadlines for the following year's calendar made it difficult, if not impossible, to create an error-free printed calendar.
In the past two years, it has become clear that the Web calendar is a more useful and relevant resource for those interested in district activities. Not only does it offer the most updated information about student and family activities, it also allows users to print out activity schedules or sign up for e-mail alerts when events are added or changed.
For those individuals and families without regular access to the Internet, photocopied calendars (printed from the district Web calendar) will be made available in school offices beginning in the fall of 2008.
Rumor: I heard that the new auditorium that is going to be built with the bond money is not going to be much bigger than the one that the middle school already has. Is this true? (12/18/07)
Fact: The high school new auditorium will be paid for with bond funds and will be nearly double the size of the current auditorium at the middle school. The EMS auditorium has a seating for 450, and the new auditorium is programmed to seat between 750 and 1,000. The final capacity will depend on the overall budget and the bids that are submitted, but it will seat a minimum of 750 individuals.
Rumor: Is it true that the 4th grade children are going to be losing a recess because the teachers have decided they don't have enough time to teach kids everything they need to know for their testing? (11/16/07)
Fact:All students have a 20-minute scheduled supervised recess each day. A second recess/break time is at the discretion of the teacher. Teachers monitor their students closely to know when and if they need a recess or break. If a recess or break is needed they take one, no matter what time of day it is. Given this arrangement, it is possible that not all grade level classes would have the second recess/break at the same time. The intent is to allow the continuity of learning while providing some free time when the teacher identifies a need.
Rumor: I heard that lunch account balances were going to be available on PowerSchool this year...any news? (11/9/07)
Fact: The district is working to put the pieces in place to make this happen. Before a system like this can be launched and made accessible to the public, it must be verified that there will not be any security risks for either the users or for the district. As soon as a system is in place that fully protects sensitive information in a secure manner, parents will be notified by the schools with instructions to use the online lunch account system.
It is expected that a system like this will not only allow parents to monitor balances, but also add funds to accounts in an online transaction.
Rumor: The land acquired for the proposed new elementary school has no utilities or infrastructure and will cost the district millions to prepare for building. (10/30/07)
Fact: In fact, the board selected the site at 10th and Peach St. because of its ready access to this type of infrastructure. Water, sewage and utilities all are available to pull directly onto the site from the surrounding neighborhood development. Electrical will need to be upgraded, but that cost will be shared by the TIF district passed by the city. The district also will contribute to the needed upgrades to 10th St. to accommodate slow-down and turning lanes adjacent to the school site.
In the end, the cost for developing the 10th and Peach site is $1+ million LESS than other sites that were being considered, thanks to the neighboring residential development that is already in place.
Rumor: We should not count on getting 38% state aid. There is no guarantee that this funding is even available, and Eudora taxpayers will have to make up the difference. (10/24/07)
Fact: The state aid is approved by the Kansas legislature and has been in effect since 1992. This aid was used to help build both the current Eudora Middle School and Eudora High School. In fact, Eudora was the first community to take advantage of this funding when the bond was passed to pay for the current middle school in 1992. The funding program continues to be active and current at this time. Kansas Deputy Commissioner of Education Dale Dennis provided this information directly to the district on Oct. 22, 2007:
"The bond and interest state aid for USD 491 for the 2007-08 is 38 percent. This percentage is computed based upon the assessed valuation per pupil. ... This issue is outlined in KSA 75-2319 et seq."
The KSDE finance office may be reached at 785-296-3872 if further documentation is desired.
Rumor: I heard that at the new grade school proposed in the bond is going to have a principal and vice principal. Do we need both or can we be like other districts and run with one position? (8/29/07)
Fact: No final decisions have been made about the formal staff structure of the proposed elementary school, but it has been considered to have more than one principal role. It is actually very common across the state to have more than one principal (whether that is a principal and assistant principal, or some other structure) when a school houses as many as 700-1,000 students.
When the Eudora Board of Education begins to determine the administrative structure of the new school, it will be a priority to assure the continued employment of current district staff members. As a structure is developed, every effort will be made to put each person in a position where he or she can be the most successful and be of the greatest service to our students.
Rumor: I heard that Nottingham is going to be turned into a post office if the bond passes. (8/8/07)
Fact: If the bond issue passes in November, the school board will consider a different use for the Nottingham property, including a possible sale of the building and/or land. There are many different groups and companies that have expressed interest in the property, if it should be put up for sale by the district. While district officials have been contacted by a few retail companies interested in this plot of land, the district has no knowledge of plans for a post office in that location.
