Board of Education

The following are highlights of the discussion and action from the regular board meeting on September 12, 2024. For a more detailed account of the meeting, please access the meeting agenda in BoardDocs. 

To view the live stream of the Board Meeting, please visit the "Live" page of our YouTube Channel. 

Consent Items 

All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion. 

District Spotlight

• New Staff Introductions

  • Early Learning Center: Olivia Phelps and Amanda Debettignies.

  • Elementary School: Sarah Miller, Annie Bartee, Jamie White, Allison Massey, Adrianne O’Grady, Kyla Garvin, Kate Washburn, Emily Schoenfeld, and Adam Brickner.

  • Middle School: Carie Beth Russell and Mandy Shockley.

  • High School: Tommie Cassen, Lillian Richards, and Jeremy Schoen.

Communications and Administrative Reports

• Transportation

  • Director of Transportation, Machaela Beshears, gave a few updates. 

    • She mentioned that the department got three Ford Escapes and are being used for the SPED department. 

    • Transportation staff will be giving a presentation at the elementary school on Tuesday, where they will talk about how to properly sit on a bus, have a few skits, and other learning activities. 

    • Beshears suggested that they work on a plan to obtain a camera system for buses in the future. 

    • Transportation department is working with IT to finetune the enrollment section for transportation and get more specific, which will help drivers with student control. 

Superintendent’s Report

• Eudora High School Expansion of Opportunities  

  • The High School currently offers two pathways: industry credentials through CTE pathways and in-person college credit. However, not all CTE pathways offer credentials afterwards. The goal is for the high school to provide the opportunity to also obtain industry credentials through Peaslee Technical and College CTE online courses and have AP courses and online dual credit by Spring 2025. This would be part of the Cardinal U Experience that pairs with our strategic plan goals about having students prepared for the future they choose. 

• Engagement Survey Timeline

  • Mr. Moeckel talked about the engagement survey that he hopes will be out by October. He’ll want to discuss the results at the November meeting and start working on that as an academic team and then with BLT’s/DLT’s. One major goal he has is making sure we are communicating what we hear from that survey and figuring out how we will put it into action. 

• USD 491 Bond Construction update

  • Mr. Moeckel stated that new lighting will be added in the Performing Arts Center at the high school and the middle school auditorium. New HVAC has been installed at the central office and at the middle school. They’re still working on the control systems for the buildings, but the goal is to have new and fully operational systems soon.  

  • The high school has added a parking lot area that can be used for teacher parking. It was added by code because fire trucks need to be able to drive there and have access to that side of the buildings.  

Board Reports 

• Eudora Schools Foundation Report

  • The foundation was awarded a $20,000 grant from the United Way of Kaw Valley and funds will provide family support and ensure student success over the next two years. Some important dates include: Oct. 4th-Foundation Grant Extravaganza where the foundation will award district staff for their creative and innovative ideas. Oct. 18th is the Charitable Golf Tournament.

• Special Education interlocal board meeting report

  • Claire Harding provided the following updates:

    • They had a meeting on Tuesday where they talked about challenges and set significant goals that aligned with their strategic plan.

    • Out of the 3 districts that the Interlocal serves, Eudora has significant paraprofessional shortages and most spots to fill.  

    • Harding highlighted the Virtual provisions of Speech services are going great and students are responding well. 

    • Assistant Director Sarah, has created a new classification of paraprofessionals where there will be a pay raise after some more training and paras. will be assigned to classrooms where there is a student need.

    • Budget related: They’re asking districts to send second quarter assessment payments early to help Interlocals pay bills on time.

• City of Eudora Commission Report

  • Joe Hurla stated that the city commission approved changes to the zoning requirements for residential development allowing for development throughout the city. He also mentioned that the city is evaluating proposals and will be conducting interviews in the coming weeks and selecting a consultant for the project that entails widening Church street from 20th to 28th street. 

New Business

• LOB Percentage Resolution 

  • Motion passed 7-0:  Resolution 24-11 authorized USD 491 Eudora to make a local option percentage of 33% for the 2024-2025 school year. 

• Adoption of the New budget 24-25 

  • Motion passed 7-0 to adopt the USD 491 2024-2025 budget as presented, noting the building needs assessments and state assessments were provided to the board during the June 13, 2024 regular board meeting, and evaluated during the July 11, 2024, regular board meeting and were used in the budget approval process. 

• Strategic plan adoption 

  • Motion passed 7-0 to adopt the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan as presented. 

 

• Motion passed to approve a request from Lori Foos, Early Childhood aide, for a defined stipend period to begin in Jan. 2025, repeating each Jan. until Jan. 2028. Lori has chosen option one: a four year longevity stipend. 

• Motioned passed 7-0: Approve a 2.5 % raise for all classified and administrative staff retroactive to the beginning of the 2024-2025 fiscal school year.

The following are highlights of the discussion and action from the regular board meeting on August 8, 2024. For a more detailed account of the meeting, please access the meeting agenda in BoardDocs.

To view the live stream of the Board Meeting, please visit the "Live" page of our YouTube Channel.

Consent Items

All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion.

District Spotlight

• Summer Academy
  • Jamie Grado, EES Assistant Principal, shared some highlights and challenges about the summer program. Ms. Grado also recognized three staff members who went above and beyond: Katie Eckelberry, Garrett Shoemaker, and Samuel Giffen, and gave a special thanks to the food service team for their help in serving 2400 breakfasts and 3769 lunches. 

Communications and Administrative Reports

• HR Presentation
  • Amy Shanks, Director of Human Resources, presented information on recruiting in 2024, how we can retain staff members, and what changes can be implemented in the future. The topics shared were about the importance of empowerment, attracting and retaining high quality staff through strong relationships and ongoing professional development, and making sure we listen and provide staff with the right tools.

Superintendent’s Report

• Strategic Plan Discussion
  • Mr. Moeckel presented an overview of the strategic plan that was created and will be implemented in September across the district to ensure that we have communicated our goals effectively to all individuals that are part of the Eudora Schools.
• USD 491 Construction Update
  • Mr. Moeckel spoke about the construction updates such as the EES playground, EMS new entrance, and the EHS new roofing which is expected to be finished in three weeks. A highlight from these updates was that we are under-budget in the technology area.
• Eudora School District Funding for National Competitions
  • Mr. Moeckel shared that a system has been adopted where individuals can see what is funded through the district and what will require fundraising from the individual group’s. This system will help coaches understand as they look through to know how much they should raise individually.
• Transportation
  • Mr. Moeckel stated that the transportation inspection passed with flying colors and gave thanks to Transportation Director, Machaela Beshears, and her team.

Board Reports

• Special Education Interlocal Board Meeting Report
  • Mr. Brooks shared updates that occurred in July such as a new strategic plan for interlocals and that a new website had been created. He also mentioned that there was an increase in pay by 56 cents for para’s. Lastly, all certified staff will return the 9th and para’s the 13th of August.
• City of Eudora Commision Report
  • Mr. Hurla mentioned that 23rd street has officially been vacated and the tax credit for one of the developments has been approved.
• Curriculum Coordinating Council Report
  • Mrs. Whalen announced that the new English Language Arts curriculum has been implemented for this year and all professional development will begin August 13.

New Business

• The 2024-2025 preliminary budget was approved and the report will be available in September.
• The 2024-2025 employee benefit plan provider changes were approved.

The following are highlights of the discussion and action from the regular board meeting on June 13, 2024. For a more detailed account of the meeting, please access the meeting agenda in BoardDocs. 

To view the live stream of the Board Meeting, please visit the "Live" page of our YouTube Channel. 

Consent Items 

All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion. 

District Spotlight

• EHS State Qualifiers 

  • Boys Golf 

    • Coach Scott Keltner and Susan Devoe highlighted Ty Deterding's successes during his golf season despite the challenges he faced. Ty placed 11th at State, 5th at Regionals and 5th in the Frontier League.

  • Softball 

    • Coach Bill Finucane shared memorable games and plays from this season and notable statistics, including 24 wins, the most in Eudora Softball history! The softball team placed 3rd at state. 

  • Boys and Girls Track 

    • Head Coach MaryJo Swann and the assistant track coaches announced that 28 athletes qualified for state! Swann reviewed the performance of each qualifier at the state competition. Notably, Cole Manley became the first boys' state champion since 1961 and placed in the top 8 at the national level, earning All-American Athlete status. Despite ups and downs at the state meet, the athletes supported each other, resulting in the girls' team winning Eudora's first ever track and field state championship. This year also there were three individual state champions as well! 

Communications and Administrative Reports

• State Assessment Data Report 

  • Heather Hundley, the Director of School Improvement Services, presented the State Assessment Data, which included the district scoreboard with FastBridge Results, Assessment Results, and Post-Secondary Effective Rate. She explained Performance Level Descriptors and discussed Levels 3 and 4 of the State Assessment Data, along with ELA and Math District Totals and Cohort Longitudinal Data. She also covered percentages by grade for Levels 2, 3, and 4, as well as State Assessment and FastBridge Screening Results. She concluded by highlighting the focus areas for 2024-2025 in Math, ELA, and MTSS, emphasizing the importance of improving instructional coherence.

  • BOE June State Assessment 2024 

Superintendent’s Report 

• Strategic Plan Discussion

  • Mr. Moeckel presented a summary of the Listening Tours he conducted over 9 sessions. The summary includes common themes and action items.  

  • Eudora Schools Listening Tour Report Summary 

• USD 491 Building Needs Assessment Report 

  • Every year, each school is required to complete a Building Needs Assessment. The assessment includes Student Needs, State Board of Education Outcomes, Curriculum Needs, Educational Capacities, Staff Needs, Facility Needs, Family Needs/Community Relations, School Data, and Other Data (e.g., non-assessment related issues). 

  • EES Building Needs Assessment 2024-2025

  • EMS Building Needs Assessment 2024-2025

  • EHS Building Needs Assessment 2024-2025 

• Universal Free Breakfast Discussion 

  • Mr. Moeckel shared the Universal Free Breakfast program. He began by reviewing statistics related to food insecurity in our district compared to county and state data. Eudora Schools households qualifying for free/reduced lunch are 34.7% compared to 9.7% at the state level. Universal Free Breakfast would provide breakfast for free to all students in a school district regardless of their socioeconomic background. 

  • Universal Breakfast BOE Slides 

• USD 491 Bond Construction Update 

  • Mr. Moeckel dove into a financial standing overview of the bond projects. All projects are currently within budget! He then went through updates on what the projects look like with photos courtesy of Nate Robinson and Cardinal Productions. 

  • June 2024 BOE Construction Update Slides 

• June 2024 KASB Policy Updates (1st Read) 

  • The Board will visit these policies and forms in July.

  • June 2024 Updated KASB Policies and Forms 

Special Education Interlocal Board Meeting Report 

Mr. Brooks shared that the staff changes for the ECKCE are going well! The interlocal is continuing to work on its strategic plan, and it will have a meeting next week to discuss it further.

New Business

• ELA Curriculum Adoption and Purchase 

  • The Board approved the purchase ELA curriculum from Amplify as presented and approved the destruction of the old curriculum. 

  • CKLA-ELA Materials 7 yr Boost 3 yr (1 yr free)

  • KS - Eudora USD 491 - CKLA ELA School Leader PD - 240509

  • KS - Eudora USD 491 (District) - CKLA NS - ELS K-8 PD 240604  

• Enrollment of Non-Resident Students Update 

  • The Board adopted the updated JBCC policy - Enrollment of nonresident students, as presented. 

  • USD 491 BOE Draft - Policy Enrollment of Nonresident Students Considerations  

• Transportation - Fleet Update 

  • The purchase of the 2024 Ford Transit for $55,311.00 after July 1, 2024 was approved. 

  • Laird Noller Purchase Order 0002400024 2024 Ford Transit

  • Transit Invoice  

• 2023-2024 Budget Republication Adoption 

  • The republication of the 2023-2024 budget was approved as presented.

  • DO491 Republish

  • Column Affidavit 

The following are highlights of the discussion and action from the regular board meeting on May 9, 2024. For a more detailed account of the meeting, please access the meeting agenda in BoardDocs. 

To view the live stream of the Board Meeting, please visit the "Live" page of our YouTube Channel. 

Consent Items 

All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion. 

District Spotlight

• State Qualifiers 
  The coaches/instructors of the following activities were recognized for their accomplishments at state: Powerlifting, Girls’ Wrestling, State Band, State Choir, Science Olympiad, and Scholars Bowl. Highlights include: 

  • Scholars Bowl: This is the first Scholars Bowl state championship in school history.

  • Science Olympiad: They received their fourth state championship in a row this year and 6 students were on the team for each of those years.

  • State Choir: Both of the select ensembles (Prime Voci and Cantori) attended the KSHAA State Large Group festival and received straight 1 ratings, including one perfect score. A number of smaller ensembles also received 1 ratings. 

  • State Band: The saxophone and Trumpet groups both received a 1 rating, and 5 soloists received a 1 rating. The EHS received a 1 rating in marching band, concert band, and jazz ensemble, which has never happened in school history. 

  • Girls' Wrestling: Two went to state, and one received 4th place, the first state placer Eudora Schools has had in Girls’ Wrestling. 

  • Powerlifting: 18 went to state and, as a whole, received 3rd place. They also set a number of records. 

• FFA Animal Science Project Presentation 

  • Allyson Rietcheck and Blake LaPean proposed to build an FFA Chapter chicken production coop that will work alongside many other programs within CTE to grow and raise chickens and use their products for classroom assignments. They shared who it will benefit, the pros and cons of the coop, special requirements, the design of the coop, future plans, and more. 

    • Sustainable Agriculture Chicken Proposal Presentation  

• EMS Eagle Scout Project 

  • Abigail Aronhalt presented her Eagle Scout Project she did for the Eudora Middle School Outdoor Learning Center. Her addition to the Outdoor Learning Center was the checkerboard where families and students can play chess and checkers. 

• EHS Capstone Presentation by Georgia Martin

  • Georgia Martin, an EHS Senior, presented her senior capstone project related to 3D Arts. She proposes that EHS add a secondary art curriculum for 3D arts, such as ceramics, jewelry making, or others. Georgia shared the benefits, her survey results, student interests, the equipment needed, and fundraising ideas.  

    • 3D Arts Capstone Presentation 

Communications and Administrative Reports

• Eudora Elementary School 

  • Principal Seth Heide, Assistant Principal Jamie Grado, and a few teachers shared an update on EES and how things have been going during the spring semester.

    • Mr. Heide started with an update on Building Goals and Ms. Grado continued an update on the Areas of Challenge they shared they faced during the first semester.

    • Jamee Mason and Beth Swanson, EES Reading Teachers, shared their successes and challenges. Successes include staff being trained in LETRS and a decrease in tier 3 in both second and third grade. 

    • Ms. Grado shared the huge benefits that having instructional coaches has provided for EES. 

    • Ashli Olivera, EES technology teacher, represented the Specials team. Each member of the Specials Team has seen student success amidst the challenge of time they spend with the students. 

    • Mr. Heide shared the iReady Math score improvement. 

    • Corinne Dunn and Jasmine Crame, fourth grade teachers at EES, presented on iReady and the increase in students who are on grade level. They are experiencing challenges in providing assistance and guidance to students who are struggling with significant behavioral challenges.

    • Jennifer Decker, EES fifth grade teacher shared that students are closing the gap in their reading skills but have struggled with having a smaller team along with long term subs this year.

  • EES May Board Presentation

• Continuous Improvement Update

  • Heather Hundley, Director of School Improvement, started her presentation with an overview and update of our district goals. Following that she shared the ongoing feedback loops, instructional coherence, and the zones of impact and how they build on each other. Heather also shared how the resource adoption process works along with the ELA resource adoption timeline. 

  • Continuous Improvement BOE Presentation 

Superintendent’s Report 

• 2025 Budget Priority Planning 

  • Mr. Moeckel shared the 2025 Budget Priority Planning so the Board could see where the school district could potentially be in funding and what project expenditures it has.  

  • Budget Priority Planning Slides 

• USD 491 Bond Construction Update

  • Mr. Moeckel shared a line item breakdown of general projects and costs along with the soft costs. Most bids have been coming in under budget. Next, he shared photo updates on each building’s bond progress.

  • May 24 BOE Con Update Slides

• Building Handbook (1st Draft)

  • Each building provided a draft handbook for the Board to review with the hope of them to be approved in the June Board of Education meeting. The Board will also review the 5 year PD plan and 2024-2025 Student Fees Schedule Draft, and the ELC Calendar. 

  • EES Student Handbook 2024-25

  • EMS Student Handbook Draft Copy 24-25

  • Working Copy - EHS Student Handbook 24-25

  • 2024-25 EHS Activities Handbook 

  • ELC Handbook 2425 Draft

  • Draft ESVL24-25 handbook 

  • Eudora Schools 5 Year PD Plan 2024-2029

  • 2024-2025 Student Fees Schedule Draft

  • ELC 2024-2025 School Calendar - Calendar #1  

Eudora Schools Foundation Report

Mrs. Woods shared that Principal for a Half Day was incredibly successful! A Priority Survey went out that will help guide the Foundation's priorities for the next few years. The Foundation is also hosting Old School Coffee and Conversations on May 22nd. 

Special Education Interlocal Board Meeting Report 

Mrs. Harding and Mr. Brooks shared that the next meeting will be in May. However, in between meetings, they interviewed for an assistant director position. The current assistant director will be moving to a coordinator position. They are also anticipating many changes in terms of funding for special education.   

City of Eudora Planning Commission Meeting Report

Mr. Hurla shared that the City had a hearing on the Pascal’s Landing Industrial Revenue Bond and are proceeding with that process. Also, the Tiff District at Nottingham process has begun. Mr. Moeckel, Mr. Chrislip, and Mr. Hurla all met with representatives from the City to discuss the traffic study. 

Curriculum Coordinating Council Report

Mrs. Whalen shared that RealityU was a huge success and the 8th and 10th graders were greatly impacted by the simulation. The state challenged all school districts to reach 70% enrollment in FASFA and Eudora is currently at 44%, which is in third place for all 4A schools. 

New Business

• RFP ITS - 2324-017 Structured Cabling Bid 

  • The Board accepted the bid proposal from Smart Cabling Solutions in the amount of $85,107.00 as presented.

  • RFP ITS-2324-017 Bid Packet Opening Log

• Cardinal Academy Curriculum Adoption 

  • The SchoolsPLP 1-year quote for the curriculum for Cardinal Academy Virtual was adopted. 

  • QT_Eudora pricing for 100 Enrolled User Licenses for one

  • QT_100 enrolled user licenses for 3 years with 10_ discount 

The following are highlights of the discussion and action from the regular board meeting on April 11, 2024. For a more detailed account of the meeting, please access the meeting agenda in BoardDocs. 

To view the live stream of the Board Meeting, please visit the "Live" page of our YouTube Channel. 

Consent Items 

All items on the consent agenda were approved without discussion. 

Communications and Administrative Reports

• City of Eudora 

  • Zach Daniel, Eudora Assistant City Manager, shared updates about Nottingham TIFF District 1, the City’s RHID, and a potential apartment complex. The City will hold a Public Hearing on Project Plan for Project Area 1 in the Nottingham Redevelopment District. Relating to the RHID, there is a traffic study on the west side of the high school that they are waiting on to determine the next steps for this project. Essentially the project will restart A few weeks ago, the City was approached by local developers interested in building a 116 unit apartment complex at the corner of 10th and Peach. The company is seeking federal tax credits, local participation in the project, a sales tax exemption while the project is taking place, and a property tax abatement. 

• Eudora High School 

  •  Eudora High School Head Principal, Dr. Justin Bogart, and Eudoara High School Assistant Principal, Sean Hayden, presented to the Board about where EHS is now and where they are going. The pair covered managing student behavior, growth areas, and successes. EHS has defined the process for managing behavior, emphasized positive relationships between adults and students, and empowered administrators to build trust with teachers regarding how misbehavior is addressed. Dr. Bogart shared areas of need include: increased use of Individual Plan of Study (IPS) with the use of Xello, growth of social emotional (SEL) supports, and more effective communication with parents regarding their student’s learning. The successes that EHS has experienced include redesigning the course programming guide, increasing course elective offerings, and establishing an additional CTE pathway called FAID (Fashion, Apparel, and Interior Design). 

  • EHS BOE Slides 

Superintendent’s Report 

• USD 491 Bond Construction Update

  • Mr. Moeckel shared an update on the bond construction at the high school, middle school, and Early Learning Center.

    • The high school footprint for the new classrooms connecting the main building to the EDTEC and the auxiliary gym and fitness center are currently being laid. The roofing project has also been started at EHS. 

    • The middle school will have the telephone, intercom, and HVAC systems replaced, and the front office will be expanded to include a secure entrance. The construction team is currently working on the office. Interior construction will happen when school is not in session. 

    • At West Resource Center, where the Early Learning Center will be located, you can see the outline of the parking lot and playground area. The construction team has also been able to demo some of the classrooms and tear out the old gym. 

    • Lighting upgrades will also take place over the summer. 

      • Bond Construction Update 

    • The CTE teachers, design team, and administrators have collaborated to create the look of the EDTEC Corridor. 

      • EDTEC Corridor Graphics 

• USD 491/Eudora Fire Department Training 

  • Chief Mindy from the Eudora Fire Department reached out to utilize the space behind the transportation building where the Fire Department can conduct their training. A permanent structure will not be built. 

    • Fire Department Training 

Eudora Schools Foundation Report

Mrs. Woods shared that on April 26th, The Foundation will host around 30 community and business leaders for Principal for a Half Day. The Foundation loves this program and the opportunity to engage with the community. 

Special Education Interlocal Board Meeting Report 

Mrs. Harding and Mr. Brooks shared that there were two meetings, one in March and one in April. At the March meeting, they discussed the capacities of early childhood programming, and the assistant director wrote a survey that will be sent to students to ask them how they feel about the program and staffing needs. Mr. Brooks shared that there is a new WEBS administrator, Dan Wray’s retirement, and transition planning regarding retention and recruitment. 

City of Eudora Planning Commission Meeting Report

Mr. Hurla shared that the City is seeking grant funding to move firefighters to more full time coverage. 

New Business

• Special Education Transportation 

  • The Board approved the purchase of three 2024 Ford Escape SUVs at $29,619.00 each for a total price of $88,857.00 from Laird Noller Ford of Lawrence. 
     

• ITS - 22324-016 RFP Chromebooks 

  • The Archangel Chromebook and Accessories bid proposal was accepted, as presented in the amount of $73,879.00.

  • ITS-2324-016 Bid Packet Opening Log 
     

• ITS - 2324 -012 Intercom/Building Mass Communication Bid

  • The Bid from Convergint, as presented for $583,306.18, with the addition of (1) InformaCast Fusion server appliance for $1,167.28, totaling $584,470.62, was accepted.

  • ITS-2324-012 Bid Packet Opening Log Rev.1 
     

• ITS - 2324 -013 Classroom Audio- Visual Upgrade Bid

  • The proposal from KCAV for classroom audio-visual upgrades for $227,604.89 was accepted as presented

  • RFP ITS-2324-013 Bid Packet Opening Log
     

• District Nonresident Enrollment Report

  • The Board adopted the student enrollment projection in Table 1.5 and the nonresident enrollment seats in the grades and schools identified in Table 1.6 in the report below.

  • District Nonresident Enrollment Report BOE draft-5

  • 2425 Web Post_ Enrollment Projections & Nonresident  
     

• District Health Insurance Broker

  • It was approved to continue the relationship with Bukaty Companies as the Eudora School District Benefit Broker as a result of the Request for Proposal.

  • Approve the recommendation of the Eudora School District Benefits Committee to continue the relationship with Bukaty Companies as the Eudora School District Benefit Broker as a result of the Request for Proposal.  
     

• Draft District-Wide Volunteer Handbook

  • The District-Wide Volunteer Handbook was approved as presented.

  • Draft District Wide Volunteer Handbook