5 takeaways from Newton USD 373 school board meeting

District Moves Forward with Plans for November Bond Vote

Split Vote Ends Cooperative Sports Agreement with Hesston and Sedgwick

School Board Previews Budget, Shift of Costs to Local Taxpayers

Windfall Leads to Employee Retention Bonuses

Long-Delayed High School Mural Project Gets New Life

District Moves Forward With Plans for November Bond Vote

NEWTON – The school district is advancing plans for a bond issue to fund significant renovations, with the goal of placing the measure before voters in November. Architects have developed concepts for several key areas, including the culinary and science classrooms, pods at Chisholm Middle School, the swimming pool area, and the gymnasium. A bond development team comprised of community members and staff is scheduled to hold three meetings between late August and mid-September to refine the projects and priorities. The board expects the committee’s work will allow for a final recommendation and a decision to proceed with a November election.

Split Vote Ends Cooperative Sports Agreement With Hesston and Sedgwick

NEWTON – The USD 373 Board of Education allowed its cooperative sports agreement with the Hesston and Sedgwick school districts to expire after a motion to end the pact resulted in a 3-3 deadlock. The agreement allowed students from the neighboring districts to participate in swimming, diving, and bowling teams at Newton High School. Because the agreement was up for renewal and no motion to continue it could gain majority support, it effectively ended. The decision followed public comment from students and parents from Hesston who pleaded with the board to continue the arrangement, citing the importance for athletes who are already being recruited for college scholarships. Board members who favored ending the agreement argued that offering sports is an amenity of a large school and that if students from other districts want those opportunities, they should enroll in Newton schools, citing a legislative push to “compete for kids”.

School Board Previews Budget, Shift of Costs to Local Taxpayers

NEWTON – During a budget presentation, the school board learned that while state foundation aid per student is increasing, state aid for the local option budget and capital outlay is decreasing by 3.9% and 11% respectively. This, combined with a 5.2% increase in the district’s assessed property valuation, means a larger share of the financial burden for bond payments and other operational costs will shift to local taxpayers. The proposed budget will be published in the district’s required legal newspapers. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for the board’s September 8th meeting.

Windfall Leads to Employee Retention Bonuses

NEWTON – A one-time retention payment is heading to USD 373 employees after the district discovered approximately one million dollars in unexpected funds. The surplus resulted from a combination of lower-than-anticipated utility costs and a journal entry error that occurred during the transition to a new financial software system. The board approved a year-end transfer of these funds into a contingency account with the recommendation to use them for retention pay for all staff employed during the previous school year. District officials noted this would help offset rising insurance premiums for employees and was a better use of the funds than moving it to other accounts like capital outlay.

Long-Delayed High School Mural Project Gets New Life

NEWTON – After years of roadblocks, the board is reactivating efforts to create a large mural in the new high school gymnasium. The project has been largely dormant. Citing the workload on the single remaining board member from the original committee, the board president asked for volunteers to help move the project forward. Two board members volunteered to assist in finding a new artist to carry out the committee’s original vision, as the initial artist is no longer available.

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