Alva Review-Courier -

The board handled a little business at its regular meeting July 11, but much of the meeting was spent listening to the superintendent's efforts to improve security at the schools, especially given recent events such as the shooting at Uvalde High School in Texas.

Security Issues Addressed

The first item Schanbacher mentioned was a new phone app being provided to schools by the state department (per an executive order by Gov. Kevin Stitt). This free app could make the school a safer place.

The app “gives any staff member in school direct access to 911 services in the event of an emergency,” said Schanbacher. “We can coordinate all of our fire drills, our intruder drills, all through that app.” He explained the school will identify buildings and areas within the school's campuses so that if a 911 call does go out, the exact spot the call is coming from will be identified to local first responders. “So, it kind of speeds that up,” he said. Schanbacher has held a zoom meeting with those running the program, and the next step is to identify the buildings and enter the school's staff information when everyone returns for in-service in August, he said.

All teachers and substitutes will then get a lesson on how to put the app on their phones and how to use the app. “Once you leave the building, the app doesn't recognize the building, so there's no chance of someone taking their phone home and a kid gets a-hold of it and activates the fire alarms and things like that,” he said, adding that he still needs to learn more about it. It will, however, be implemented and used, he said.

Another security measure will be updated security cameras inside the building. “There are several blind spots inside and out that the new system picks up,” Schanbacher said. “It also provides much more clarity. The elementary already has a very good security system in place, and this will be the same one.”

At the elementary, Schanbacher and staff are looking into positioning cameras on the main entrance to the school. “We already have kiosk stations at the main entrances, and I think that's very valuable. It's a good stopping point for visitors. At times it's inconvenient, but it is an added security measure.”

A further security issue is the inside doors of the schools, which are “pretty old,” Schanbacher said, and many need attention “whether the door needs its lock replaced, or whether it could use a barricade or something to hold them closed in an emergency – it can add up really quick,” he said.

Speaking of money, regular school expenses will change somewhat next year.

School Supplies Will Be Free, But Lunch Cost To Rise

Schanbacher said he'd been asked that very day about the cost of school supplies for parents this year, and he was happy to be able to say that “we will be providing school supplies again, as we have in the past. We have generous donations from the Ministerial Alliance and other organizations,” he said.

However, the price of lunch will rise at least 60 or 70 cents from what it was in 2016, Schanbacher told the board. He doesn't yet have the data he needs to determine the exact cost. “It's been almost six years since we've done an increase,” so the Superintendent's best guess at this point is that it will rise 60 cents or more.

“I know things are getting tight for everybody. Also, anybody who would like to donate or find out what is needed, call one of the offices,” he said.

OT, Inter-local Contracts Approved

The board approved a contract with Jana Hickman for occupational therapy services for the 2022-23 school year. It's the same contract the school has used previously with Hickman, who did a great job, Schanbacher said.

The board approved the district's transfer capacity numbers, which have not changed since the last review. They also approved the usual inter-local agreement with the City of Cherokee and with Alfalfa County. This allows the school to exchange in-kind services with the city and county, while keeping the insurance people happy.

Financial Discussion Mostly Upbeat

Because the principals were not there – their reports will be given in August – much of the meeting was taken up by financial issues.

During discussion of the financial components of the consent agenda (comprising past meeting minutes; general, building, and child nutrition fund encumbrances and warrants; and the activity fund and treasurer's reports) centered on the expectation of rising costs.

“The biggest expense was some science textbooks,” said Superintendent Bryce Schanbacher, who added the bill arrived very late. That bill – $37,733 for science textbooks – will be covered by money the school receives from the state every year, Schanbacher said.

However, other expenses will rise, he warned, particularly the co-op bill and fuel costs. “We're not seeing any relief in that regard,” Schanbacher said, “So we're already making adjustments for next year.”

Some of the summer projects the district is paying now included the cleaning of the gym floor, and various painting projects, he added.

Some expenses have not yet made it onto the reports. Because of some recent expenditures, Schanbacher said he believed the general fund actually contained about $768,000, rather than the $828,000 shown on the report.

The consent agenda was approved.

Later in the meeting, Schanbacher returned to the school's financial situation.

“We started this year at about $0. Now, in general fund this year we'll carryover $765,000, largely due to the cuts we made, federal funds, increase in gross production, and other things. Another good year, and I think we'll be very close to where we would like to be. It was a “much better year,” he said, “and I want to thank you all; I know those cuts were hard to make.

“I know we're headed back in the right direction. We still have a lot to do going forward. I want to thank our staff, our teachers especially. That was very tough on them, last year. We asked them to do a lot of new things. I appreciate everybody who had to take on some extra work to make things work.”