From assessment data to insurance fringe payments to COVID-19-related employee stipends, there was a lot to digest at Wednesday’s meeting of the USD 253 Emporia school board.
At the end of the meeting, the board approved $500 maximum stipends for all employees at the end of the second trimester and then again at the end of the third trimester. The money is part of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, also known as ESSER 2, and would follow $1,000 in stipends for employees paid out in two installments earlier this calendar year if the state approves.
The stipend was approved shortly after the board approved an increase in its fringe insurance payments to employees from $402 a month, regardless of insurance policy, to $450. Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Rob Scheib says this is a bit of good news for employees after the district approved a three-tier plan at its last meeting. Board members criticized the costs to employees at Wednesday’s meeting, and Scheib acknowledges the fact that insurance rates have climbed two years in a row. At the same time, most employees aren’t meeting deductible benchmarks.
Near the start of the meeting, the district discussed a range of assessment data on reading and math from FastBridge. The FastBridge information looks at data differently than other assessments, but to Interim Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, it shows some learning loss through the COVID-19 pandemic as evidenced by the number of students at “some” or “high” risk.
Stanley says the district will spend time evaluating its core instruction and making sure teachers have the resources they need to give students the best education. Click here to review the FastBridge assessment report.
In between, the board discussed whether to end the district’s COVID-19 protocols — an approach supported by Mike Crouch and Jeremy Dorsey, who say it’s time for the district to consider handling COVID as an endemic, where there is a more targeted approach towards those who have symptoms or are confirmed with the illness. However, Art Gutierrez, Doug Epp, Grant Riles and Leslie Seeley countered, saying vaccination rates aren’t high enough to consider that step. As of now, the board is not changing any mitigation measures.
