USD 253 Emporia is planning to secure legal counsel as it continues to navigate the financial impacts of February’s historic winter storm.
During the USD 253 Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening, board members voted unanimously to allow the Kansas Association of School Boards and Smithyman and Zakoura law firm to represent the district in matters related to natural gas pricing following Winter Storm Uri. USD 253 Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Rob Scheib tells KVOE News the district’s natural gas bill from Symmetry Energy Providers of Houston Tx, the district’s normal energy provider, came in $100,000 higher than February of 2020.
He says the thinking behind securing the law firm is that the district will spend a little money to save a lot of money.
Scheib says this was one of three options for handling the situation available. If the district had decided against securing legal representation it would have either developed a payment plan with Symmetry or could pay the bill in a lump sum amount.
Separately during a COVID-19 update Wednesday, the board briefly discussed an upcoming vaccination clinic through the district. According to district Community Relations Director Lyndel Landgren, the district is planning to hold a clinic at Emporia High School on Friday, May 7. A time for the clinic has yet to set, however, there will be 350 doses of the Pfizer vaccine available.
The clinic will be open to all students 16 and older, staff and any household member of a student that wishes to receive a vaccine but has yet to do so.
Landgren says any students under the age of 18 will require a consent form to receive a vaccination.
Students and staff will have a chance to register for the clinic during lunch on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and prior to the start of the school day Wednesday morning.
Additional information is online at USD253.org.
During the consent agenda portion of the meeting, board members approved the retirement of current Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kelly Bolin. Bolin has served in her role since June of 2017.
KVOE will have comment from Bolin on her impending retirement at a later time.
The USD 253 Board of Education will next convene on Wednesday, May 12 at 7 pm inside the Mary Herbert Education Center.
