During the Seward Public School Board of Education’s Feb. 11 study session and regular meeting, the board:
• approved a purchase agreement with Coach Masters for a charter bus for $205,000.
Because the Bluejay Boosters raised $78,000 toward this bus, the school district will pay $127,000.
Superintendent Dr. Josh Fields said the school also traded in one of its old buses for $2,500.
• accepted a bid for $57,046 from Matheson for new ventilation, paint and welding bays for the industrial tech classes.
Fields said Tenneco and Hughes Brothers, manufacturing companies in Seward, agreed to pay $47,046 and $10,000 respectively toward the improvements.
• discussed potential facility improvement projects and began prioritizing them.
Some of these projects include updating science labs, improving the ventillation and welding stations, updating the high school’s fire panel, adding card access at the elementary and high schools, a new floor and new bleachers in the high school’s old gym and more.
Board member Paul Duer the cost of these project may affect their priorities.
• heard a presentation from Director of Curriculum and Staff Development Dr. Matt Dominy on the district’s safety audit.
Dominy said a representative from the Seward Police Department walked through each building and made suggestions on how the district can make the buildings safer.
• made committee assignments.
• heard an update from Special Services Director Connie Biaggio on the district’s high ability learner program.
This program outlines how students are identified as high ability learners and provides opportunities to challenge those students.
• approved the 2019-2020 academic calendar.
• extended offers of employment to Ben Rickert to teach music at Seward High School and to Aaron Blersch to teach high school math.
amanda@sewardindependent.com
