A new policy update passed by the USD 253 Board of Education will now provide additional protections for individuals seeking employment within the district.
During their regular meeting Wednesday evening the board unanimously approved an update to the district’s GAAA hiring policy providing protections from discrimination for LGBTQ individuals who seek employment within USD 253. The previous policy provided protections on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, disability and national origin.
Conversations began late last year to include sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. USD 253 Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Kelly Bolin says the policy change is important because students “need to have someone who looks like them” in the classroom.
Bolin says the catalyst for the conversations was an update recommended by the Kansas Association of School Boards last year to add the words “genetic information” to the GAAA policy. Bolin and Board of Education member Melissa Ogelby both express hope the update will help to bring more aspiring teachers to the district in the future.
In other business, board members approved the establishment of the Building for the Future Executive Committee for the $78 million district facility improvement project. The committee will be responsible for providing input related to the programming and design, assisting with presentations to the Board of Education and community as needed and recommending when major additions outside of the original scope of the project should have full board approval.
USD 253 Superintendent Kevin Case says it is vital to have the committee in place and for it to operate efficiently to ensure the multitude of improvement projects do as well.
Along with approving the committee’s establishment the board also approved the appointment of board members Mike Crouch and Doug Epp to serve on the committee. Board President Art Guttierez recommended the possibility of rotating board members on a yearly basis, however, no official decision was reached on that topic.
Following the approval of the committee, the board also approved a contract amendment with HTK Architects, the architecture firm handling the project. While listed as an amendment, Case explains the item is actually just a formality for clarifying the cost of HTK’s involvement in the project with the funds already factored into the original project scope meaning there will be no additional costs to the district as a result.
Also during the meeting, the board recognized the district’s Kansas Teacher of the Year nominees Lori Bishop and Amanda Ballard as well as the Kansas Master Teacher nominee Erica Huggard.
The USD 253 Board of Education will next meet Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 7 pm inside the Emporia High School Library.
