USD 253 board approves fire-inspection contract, handbook and budget notices; after-school agreement passes 6-1

The USD 253 Board of Education approved a set of contracts, policy updates and budget publication notices at its recent regular meeting in Emporia. The board voted unanimously on several items including a one-year fire-prevention service agreement, second reads of student handbooks and multiple policy revisions; it approved publication of notices for the district's proposed 2025'26 budget and the notice to exceed the revenue neutral rate. The board also approved an after-school care agreement with the Emporia Recreation Commission by a 6-1 vote with one abstention and ratified an emergency electrical repair invoice.

The fire-prevention service agreement with Cruise Corporation (awarded through the TIPS Purchasing Cooperative) was approved 7-0. The contract's first-year cost was presented at $112,655 to bring district fire-safety systems, documentation and inspection records up to date. "We found we had a lot of deficiencies in our inspections in the fire prevention world," said Corey Nicollet, director of maintenance and grounds, explaining why the district pursued a comprehensive service package that includes hands-on verification of detectors and riser documentation and leverages Kansas Security for alarm monitoring.

Board members approved second readings of student handbooks for 2025'26 (7-0) after staff said the handbooks were updated to incorporate the district's new artificial-intelligence policy language at the middle- and high-school levels. The board also…