WESTPHALIA — At their May 21 meeting, the Fatima Board of Education handled routine business. Incoming Superintendent John Kitchens was in attendance, as the district prepared for Superintendent Chuck Woody’s retirement.

The contract for propane (excluding the preschool) went to Lock’s Mill Propane, for $1.08 per gallon. Bids from MFA Oil and Ferrellgas were $1.25 per gallon and $1.11, respectively. Those prices are based on anticipated usage of 30,000 gallons. The preschool propane tank is owned by Ferrellgas, which will supply propane to that tank for $1.25 per gallon.

Last year, the district paid Ferrellgas $1.625 per gallon for the preschool and $1.06 per gallon for other areas.

Woody advised Kitchens to pay attention to how much propane the district uses this year, as the addition will likely change consumption.

Board member Wayne Baumhoer suggested the district buy its own propane tank for the preschool so the district could accept competitive bids for that as well. “One year would pay for it,” he said.

“I suggest you discuss that in July,” Woody joked.

• The contract for paper, based on a purchase of 250 cases, was awarded to Contract Paper Group for $29.69 per case, down from $32.67 per case last year. Office Essentials bid $41 per case, and Schriefer’s Office Equipment bid $38.71 per case.

• Woody said the district had maxed out its credit card the previous month, largely due to construction items, and asked the board to consider raising the limit on the card from $15,000 to $20,000. The board approved his request.

“That doesn’t mean we have to spend it,” cautioned board member Darnell (DJ) Schroeder.

• Board members voted to hire Wade Orscheln (Ag teacher), Makayla Broeker (assistant JV softball coach), Kelley-Marie Wibberg (boys and girls head soccer coach), Kathryn (Katie) Hudspeth (assistant boys soccer coach), Sami Jo Freeman (assistant girls soccer coach), John Fick (girls head basketball coach), and Chris Ellis (assistant girls basketball coach and girls freshman basketball coach).

• Administrators discussed minor changes to the student handbook, including adding physical aggression as a violation, adding “AI used in an unapproved way” to the policy on academic dishonesty, and adding the dual sports policy.

Woody recommended adjusting the bell schedule to give students one extra minute to get to lunch and two extra minutes to get to class after lunch, because of the increased time necessary to traverse the addition. Woody said he timed how long it took him to walk from one of the farthest classrooms, through empty hallways.

“Guys, that four minutes is not enough,” he said. “They may get into this and, hey, 4:30 is plenty. I don’t want to set John and Summer up in a bad spot, that they’re dealing with 50 tardies every day in an hour, because we’re not coming back from lunch (on time). In essence, guys, it really won’t affect their overall schedule at all. It will shorten that fifth hour from 49 (minutes) to 47 (minutes), which is (still) one minute longer than all the other class periods.”

The changes were accepted as policy.

• The board voted to keep summer school bus routes the same (blacktop only).

• Surplus item bids were opened and the winning bidders were selected.

• Woody noted that construction is proceeding, with the classroom side very close to completion.

He asked the board to approve a bid from Verslues Construction for $127,105 to remodel the existing area, which they did.

Board President Suzanne Massman mentioned that the exterior lights were very bright.

“It was so bright that the light-up Comets sign would not light up,” Woody said. “They had to put duct tape on the sensor because it thought it was daylight 24/7.”

• Woody discussed several legislative items with the board, including HB 567, which he said does not exclude schools from minimum wage, and SB 68, which states that children of school employees can attend that school for free.

Woody also said the district’s contact warned him to be “extremely cautious in budgeting.”

• Elementary School Principal Renee Ellingsworth-Albert said the elementary school ended the year with 234 students with an attendance rate of 96.38%. They promoted 44 sixth-graders and have 27 incoming kindergartners. Ellingsworth-Albert said she anticipates starting the new school year with 219 elementary students.

High School/Middle School Principal Matt Verslues said grades 7-12 had 430 students prior to graduation with a 95.68% rate of attendance, and he anticipates starting the new school year with 412 students.

Verslues also noted that reading success plans will soon extend until ninth grade, and he has two teachers looking to fill those positions.

Special Education Director/Curriculum Director Janah Massman said changes to the ACT are forthcoming. The new test was available online in April, and the new written test will be available in September. The new test will feature fewer questions and a shorter time frame; the science portion will be optional.