The USD 253 Board of Education delivered its first public statement on the alleged battery incident involving members of the Emporia High School football team Wednesday evening.
The prepared statement was delivered by Board President Leslie Seeley during the board’s regular meeting.
Following the statement, the board moved into a ten-minute executive session following which the board approved final action to uphold undisclosed suspension action at the recommendation of the district’s appellate hearing officer. Seeley could not comment on whether the action was related to the situation at EHS and the district declined further comment on the board’s issued statement.
The board’s statement comes nearly halfway through the football season. Emporia Police Capt. Ray Mattas says officers have been conducting follow-up interviews as requested by Lyon County Attorney Marc Goodman after an initial investigation was completed. Affidavits and reports are pending. Goodman will review those and then will decide whether to file formal charges.
The Emporia Police “pink sheet” released to local media shortly after the alleged incident indicated an alleged battery Aug. 21 involving a personal weapon, meaning a hand or a foot as opposed to other kinds of weaponry. However, with the investigation still active, officers will not confirm the scope of their work as per department policy.
In other business, the board received an update on staffing, class sizes and recruitment within the district. Dr. Jared Giffin led the presentation and says the district is in better shape than it was earlier this year when it comes to primary teaching positions with just three vacancies at EHS.
However; the district is seeing a large need for strategists in all of its elementary schools according to Giffin.
As for its recruitment efforts, Giffin says the district is struggling to attract new employees, much like other districts across the state and nation. He says the district is continuing previously noted efforts including coordinating with the Emporia State Teacher’s College, attending and holding job fairs and advertising diligently within the local community.
While it has not bore a large amount of fruit, the district is seeing some uptick thanks to these efforts and he says moderate improvement is far more favorable to setbacks of any degree.
The USD 253 Board of Education will next convene on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 pm inside of the Mary Herbert Education Center.
