School board approves budget, exceeds revenue neutral rate

Officials review virtual school graduation requirements amid enrollment drops

District anticipates state mandates on student screen time

High school pilots digital hall pass system aimed at unauthorized gatherings

Student journalism club launches at George Nettels Elementary

Lakeside Elementary finalizes preparations for centennial celebration

Prolonged heat wave forces schedule changes and stresses facilities

School board approves budget, exceeds revenue neutral rate

PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Unified School District 250 Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate and adopted the upcoming school year's budget. The overall mill rate will increase by a fraction of a mill—0.828—which will cost homeowners an additional $9.52 annually per $100,000 of appraised property value compared to the neutral rate. District officials attributed the slight increase to a drop in state aid for bond interest, which fell from 14 percent to 7 percent due to shifting property values and enrollment, creating a $200,000 local funding gap.

Officials review virtual school graduation requirements amid enrollment drops

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Facing a loss of enrollment to competing online programs, the district is reviewing its graduation requirements for virtual school students. Currently, Pittsburg requires 26 credits for virtual graduation—mirroring the traditional high school track—while many other virtual programs only require the state minimum of 21 credits. Administrators plan to examine the disparity over the next few months to determine if policy adjustments are needed to keep the USD 250 Virtual School competitive.

District anticipates state mandates on student screen time

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Anticipating upcoming directives from the Kansas State Department of Education, the district is preparing to implement new screen time guidelines for K-12 students. The move is expected to significantly limit digital device usage for early childhood classes like kindergarten and first grade. Officials noted that formulating the local policy will require balancing the intentional, educational use of technology with the district's prior financial investments in digital textbooks and software.

High school pilots digital hall pass system aimed at unauthorized gatherings

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Pittsburg High School is piloting a new digital hall pass system aimed at curbing unauthorized student gatherings, which administrators say is also intended to address vaping in restrooms. The system, called Minga, tracks student movements via technology and limits the number of passes issued simultaneously across the building. A select group of teachers is currently testing the system, with administrators planning a full, campus-wide rollout in January that will allow staff to track out-of-bounds students and run analytics on recurring behavioral issues.

Student journalism club launches at George Nettels Elementary

PITTSBURG, Kan. - George Nettels Elementary is partnering with The Morning Sun to pilot a new student journalism program. Twenty selected fifth-grade students will learn the fundamentals of newspaper production and publish a full page in the local paper three times this year. Organizers hope to eventually secure community sponsorships to expand the journalism program to all elementary schools in Pittsburg, which they noted would include St. Mary's Elementary, a private Catholic school.

Lakeside Elementary finalizes preparations for centennial celebration

PITTSBURG, Kan. - Lakeside Elementary is putting the finishing touches on its facility ahead of its 100th-year anniversary celebration scheduled for Oct. 25-26. The historic building, which originally opened in October 1926, recently received fresh paint, exterior masonry repairs and electrical updates to its auditorium in preparation for the centennial event. Students and staff will receive custom commemorative T-shirts, and the community is invited to tour the facility during the weekend celebration.

Prolonged heat wave forces schedule changes and stresses facilities

PITTSBURG, Kan. - An unseasonable heat wave, featuring what officials described as 66 days of above-average temperatures since June, is forcing the district to shift outdoor extracurricular activities like cross country to early mornings. The prolonged heat is also taxing district facilities and maintenance staff, who were publicly thanked by the administration for working overnight to resolve a major water leak before the Labor Day weekend.

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