ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
USD 480 administration will be seeing some new faces in its ranks thanks to some action taken by the USD 480 school board at its most recent meeting Monday evening.
Multiple positions were approved during the meeting, beginning with the board unanimously approving a Federal Programs compliance consultant.
“Vicki Ansley has more than 20 years of experience with federal programs and was the Director of Federal Programs at Region 16 which served 64 schools. Dr. Mauk has also advised that this would be a good program for compliance and is a great value,” Director of Business Services Nila Newton said. “Our intent is to give Kendra Haskell, our new director of federal programs support throughout the year. The consultant agrees to provide ongoing technical assistance to the district’s federal programs director to build her capacity to implement and support the district’s federal programs. Additionally, the consultant will support the federal programs director in managing the district’s eight Title I schoolwide campuses, ensuring compliance and effective program implementation.”
Also unanimously approved was the creation of a Director of Recruitment and Education position.
“After extensive study and feedback from directors and reviews conducted over the past year, we believe that creating a Director of Recruitment and Education position will reduce the loss of instructional and leadership time caused by principals and teachers attending recruitment events,” Newton said. “Per the agenda, strengthening our efforts in attracting certified teachers, dedicating one individual to this role will be highly effective in building and maintaining relationships. This initiative aligns with our needs assessment and KESA goals. Additionally, the director would oversee and track teacher pathway programs, including the apprentice program, mentoring initiatives, interim instructional coach support, and the high school young apprentice program.”
The board also unanimously approved special education staffing support for MacArthur Elementary School and Cottonwood Elementary School. Approved was one Special Education teacher position for MacArthur Elementary School and four paraprofessional positions for the Special Education Department.
“Per the agenda, projections indicate a special education enrollment of approximately 45 students, resulting in a significantly higher student-to-teacher ratio than is advisable for effective service delivery. In addition to this elevated enrollment, we are already aware of at least one incoming transfer student from out of district which will further increase the intensity of required supports. To ensure we can adequately meet IEP service requirements and provide appropriate academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support, I am requesting the addition of one special education teacher and two paraprofessionals at MacArthur Elementary School,” Special Education Director Dane Parcel said. “Due to a shortage of classroom teachers, we are considering the reassignment of one of our current SPED teachers to a general education classroom position. This shift will reduce our special education teaching capacity. To help maintain necessary support for students with IEPs during this transition, I am requesting two additional paraprofessionals at Cottonwood Elementary School. These additional staff members are essential to maintaining service quality, supporting our existing team, and ensuring all students receive the support they need to thrive. It should be noted that we will still be looking for a replacement for a SPED teacher at Cottonwood; however, we need the capacity to make decisions to meet the needs of students for the 2025-2026 school year.”
The board also unanimously approved multiple equipment purchases, including a bid from Contract Paper Group in the amount of $26,871.60 for copy paper, a new wrestling mat from AK Athletic for $10,638.87, a replacement door for one of the USD 480 activity buses from JJB Transportation in the amount of $10,410.75, and 38 new time clocks and software from TimeClock Plus in the amount of $129,636.12.
“The current Alio clocks have been around five or six years, and they are at the end of life,” Technology Director Rusty Tuman said. “This would be a 24-week project, at least that’s the estimate given the scope of the project, and we would get started on it probably over Christmas break. There are other school districts that use this system, and I believe this is also the system used at Seward County Community College.”
Also in new business, the board unanimously approved the renewal of Canvas (the learning management system used at the secondary level) for $65,240.18 and the renewal of the contract with LINQ ERP for the 2025-26 school year for $73,692.
