Hiawatha school board hears master-plan progress, reviews ELA curriculum recommendations and approves several facilities and personnel actions

The Hiawatha School Board on an evening meeting received a progress report on the district’s facilities master plan, reviewed a recommendation to adopt new English language arts instructional materials for K–12, and approved a set of facility and personnel actions, including a sewer repair contract and new security cameras for the district annex.

The master-plan presentation outlined a summer schedule for detailed building surveys and mechanical evaluations intended to be complete by mid‑August. Board members were told that architects and engineers will scan existing plans, meet with building teams and a steering committee made up of district leaders, board members and principals, and return in August with more detailed findings and next steps.

Why it matters: the master plan will guide multi‑year facilities work and influence larger capital decisions discussed later this year. Several immediate maintenance items discussed at the meeting — including sewer repair, concrete patching and parking‑lot work — are separate from the master‑plan timeline but may be influenced by its longer‑range recommendations.

Master plan and facilities details District staff and the contracted architects said the summer work will include detailed mechanical, plumbing and electrical assessments at the elementary, middle and high schools. The team reported difficulty locating a full set of high‑school plans but said plans for other buildings were found and will be digitized.

Separately, the board approved a $11,400 bid from Dawn’s Plumbing & Electrical for a sewer repair at the elementary school (HES), saying the repair was necessary and time‑sensitive. The board also approved smaller bids for annex flooring and cameras/intercom, and asked staff to return with more competitive options before proceeding on larger concrete projects.

Curriculum: English language arts recommendation District curriculum staff presented recommendations after a year‑long vetting and pilot process. Staff recommended the following: adopt Expeditionary Learning (EL) 2017 for grades K–5 (a five‑year license) with an option to move to the vendor’s updated edition when it is released and has been reviewed; adopt Amplify ELA for grades 6–8 (six‑year license); and adopt HMH’s Intro to Literature for grades 9–12 (five‑year license).

District staff stressed that a resource is not the same as the curriculum ( standards remain the curriculum ) and that the recommended resources were chosen to align with Kansas standards and the district’s phonics work (95% Group phonics). Staff said sample materials will be available for public and staff review for 30 days and that board action is planned for the June meeting if the board chooses to proceed.

Budget and finance steps Finance staff reported the district’s final calculations showed higher full‑time equivalency (FTE) than the preliminary budget, creating an increase in the general‑fund authority. Staff said the difference for the general fund was approximately $88,007.59 (rounded from figures presented during the meeting) and that state reconciliation after June 1 will provide final numbers. The board voted to republish the budget and will hold a short public hearing immediately before the June board meeting (staff said the notice must be published 10 days before that meeting).

Transportation and other operational items Transportation staff presented options to replace an aging 2014 vehicle: buy a 14‑passenger bus that does not require a CDL, buy one or two 10‑ or 11‑passenger vans, or do nothing. Board members discussed driver shortages and the relative cost and flexibility of vans versus the 14‑passenger bus; no formal purchase decision was taken at the meeting.

Security, annex and site work The board approved an $18,041.76 contract for cameras, an intercom and a server for the annex (vendor listed as INA Alert in the meeting materials). The board also approved a flooring bid for the annex (Ross Flooring, $3,081.44 total). Discussion continued about concrete repair bids, chip‑and‑seal work for parking areas and contractor availability; staff were asked to gather additional competitive quotes for larger or higher‑cost items and to split out any items that present immediate safety risks.

Woodshop dust collection and longer projects A planned dust‑collection upgrade for the woodshop returned bids substantially higher than the original estimate. Staff reported the low bid came in at about $222,000 (compared with an earlier estimate near $105,000), and staff advised the board that installation would not be feasible this summer if the district proceeded immediately. The board asked staff to prioritize short‑term mitigation options and to coordinate the project’s timing with the master plan before awarding a contract.

Personnel and programs The board accepted the retirement of Connie Hale (special‑education leadership) and reported the hiring of John West as director of the interlocal special education program; West’s start date was given as July 1. In executive session the board voted to hire multiple staff for the coming school year (votes recorded during the public reconvening): Sydney Johansen as a fourth‑grade teacher, Emily Banwert as a middle‑school paraeducator, and Christine Haight as a title interventionist; all motions passed unanimously.

The board also discussed a district expansion of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program (a social‑emotional culture program). Staff said implementation will require training and coach support and estimated district‑level costs in the range of roughly $30,000 spread over the coming years.

Votes at a glance - Approve agenda as presented — approved, recorded 6–0. - Approve consent agenda — approved, recorded 6–0. - Approve renewal of KSP membership (membership document presented) — approved, recorded 6–0. - Approve republishing the 2025–26 budget (hold 5‑minute hearing immediately before June meeting; publish notice 10 days prior) — approved (vote recorded during meeting). - Approve KSB (KBS) for employee benefits management — approved, recorded 6–0. - Approve Dawn’s Plumbing & Electrical bid for HES sewer repair ($11,400) — approved, recorded 7–0. - Approve Ross Flooring bid for annex flooring ($3,081.44) — approved, recorded 7–0. - Approve INA Alert (camera/intercom/server) for annex ($18,041.76) — approved (vote recorded during meeting). - Hiring approvals (recorded after executive session): Sydney Johansen, fourth‑grade teacher — approved, recorded 6–0; Emily Banwert, middle‑school para — approved, recorded 7–0; Christine Haight, title interventionist — approved, recorded 7–0. - Accept retirement of Lonnie Mosier (superintendent) effective June 30, 2026 — approved, recorded 7–0.

What the board asked staff to do next Staff were directed to: publish the budget notice and hold the required hearing ahead of the June meeting; bring a recommendation back to the June board meeting on ELA adoption after the 30‑day review period for sample materials; seek additional competitive bids or options for larger concrete and site‑work projects before committing district funds; and return with timing and cost information tying major shop and capital projects to the master plan.

No decisions were made at the meeting about purchasing school vehicles; that discussion will return to a future meeting if staff recommend a specific purchase.

Ending Board members thanked staff and the design team for the day’s master‑plan workshop; staff noted the summer will be busy with building assessments and that engineers and architects will be on site over several weeks. The board adjourned after final routine items and personnel motions.