USD 315 Board Reviews Academic Progress, Major Facility Challenges During November Meeting

The USD 315 Board of Education covered a full slate of academic updates, district programming, and significant facility concerns during its regular meeting Monday night, highlighted by a lengthy discussion on the future of Dennen Field and the district’s track.

The meeting opened with approval of a modified agenda and consent agenda. The November Eagle Eye newsletter was also released for public review.

The board then welcomed Colby Community College President Seth Carter, who delivered an extensive report on the college’s growth, partnerships, and scholarship opportunities for local students. Carter highlighted the college’s 60 for 60 initiative, which set out to establish 60 new endowed scholarships in celebration of the institution’s 60 years of operation. That goal has now been surpassed with 138 new endowments totaling roughly 1.4 million dollars. Carter also noted that the CCC endowment has grown from just over 3.4 million to more than 10 million dollars.

He reported that CCC maintains the highest graduation rate among Kansas community colleges seven out of the last ten years, along with leading retention numbers. The college recently provided 265,000 dollars in scholarship support to Thomas County high school students alone. Carter added that CCC remains the only community college in Kansas with positive long-term enrollment momentum over the last decade and has shown dramatic improvement in overall financial health.

The board then turned its attention to Diligent Community, the new board document platform promoted by the company that acquired BoardDocs. Administrators reported significant concerns with the software’s functionality following several trainings. While the company has pushed for districts to migrate, USD 315 will not transition until Diligent resolves widespread issues. BoardDocs will continue to operate in the meantime.

Each building principal delivered monthly updates. Elementary Principal Julie Ziegelmeier reviewed enrollment and shared that parent-teacher conferences reached a 96 percent turnout, closely matching last year’s numbers. She also reported on a study presented at a recent early childhood meeting, noting that children’s screen time has nearly doubled since the pandemic, a trend that is contributing to kindergarten students entering school behind expected developmental benchmarks. Ziegelmeier pointed to research showing significantly higher reading comprehension when students read from physical books instead of digital media.

Middle School Principal Aaron Dardis reported strong parent-teacher conference participation and positive feedback from the school’s pep rallies. Eighth graders recently traveled to Goodland for a hands-on career exploration event, which drew praise from students and staff.

High School Principal Matt Sims shared a busy schedule of college visits, FAFSA support sessions, and upcoming enrollment for spring CCC and Fort Hays Tech programs. Sims noted that behavior incentive programs are working well, particularly the Orange Card system that rewards good attendance and academics. The high school has reduced failing grades from 107 at this time last year to 65 this week after implementing targeted academic intervention.

Athletic and Activities Director Travis Betz reviewed fall sports honors, including several all-conference football and volleyball selections and a state golf medalist. Winter sports have begun with strong participation numbers, and scholars bowl has also launched its competition season.

Director of Teaching and Learning Heather Stapp provided an overview of ongoing grant writing and professional development. The district recently received the Food for Kids grant, which provides weekend food bags for students. Stapp also noted that the district is awaiting results on additional grant applications. She reported that the district is working to restart an afterschool program in January to preserve the remaining years of a five-year grant cycle.

Board members shared brief updates from the Kansas Association of School Boards conference last week.

The evening’s lengthiest discussion centered on unfinished business related to Dennen Field and the district track. Board members reviewed findings from the community feedback survey presented last month. Results showed the community was nearly evenly split on whether to renovate the current location or move the stadium to the high school campus, with a strong overall preference that the district avoid temporary fixes and instead invest in long-term, fiscally responsible repairs. Concerns about student transportation, parking, and restroom access were also highlighted.

Representatives from Pro Track and Tennis then presented troubling findings from early track repair efforts. As crews began removing the top surface on the front stretch of the track, they discovered that the asphalt base beneath had significantly deteriorated, crumbling into powder in multiple areas. The company warned that the deterioration could require a complete rebuild rather than resurfacing, depending on what lies under the remaining layers of asphalt. A full reconstruction could range from 600,000 to more than one million dollars.

The board discussed options, including milling the full track surface for approximately 18,000 dollars to assess the integrity of the remaining base. If the underlying foundation proves unstable, a full rebuild would be unavoidable. If the base is salvageable, resurfacing could still cost well over 300,000 dollars.

Administrators also reviewed the district’s current-year financial commitments, including roof repairs required for insurance compliance, playground equipment installation supported by grant funds, and the district’s previously earmarked contributions toward stadium improvements. Roughly 531,000 dollars may be available for project use this year, though a full track rebuild would exceed that amount and extend the timeline into future budget cycles.

Board members agreed that a full rebuild appears to be the most responsible long-term solution, but no final decision was made Monday night. Superintendent Katina Brenn will seek updated bids from specialized track construction firms and meet with Colby Community College leadership to discuss the updated situation. A special meeting may be scheduled once more detailed cost estimates are available.

New business included approval to seek bids for the intermediate school roof project and acceptance of recent gifts, donations and grants. The board authorized technology director Lucas Schnider to pursue longer-term internet contracts under E-Rate guidelines. Members approved a student early graduation request following executive session and later denied a licensed staff unpaid leave request by a vote of 4-2-1.

Additional actions included permission to seek banking service proposals, review of the Board Governance Handbook’s first reading, and approvals of resignations and supplemental contracts. The board entered multiple executive sessions throughout the evening, including ongoing work related to the superintendent search. Thirty-two superintendent openings currently exist statewide, a number expected to rise.

The meeting adjourned with a tentative list of December agenda items, including audit review, disposal of property, and administrative evaluations.