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Board approves Parents as Teachers contract, updates handbooks and substitute pay
Summary
The Hiawatha board approved continuing a Parents as Teachers early‑intervention contract (cost reported in discussion as $27,000) and adopted updates to district, classified and substitute handbooks including a substitute pay increase from $130 to $140 per day.
The Hiawatha USD board approved continuation of the Parents as Teachers early‑intervention program and adopted updates to multiple district handbooks during its August session.
Speaker 3 presented the Parents as Teachers materials, explained that the district contracts with Keystone (a consortium in Topeka) to provide the service and said the program serves pre‑K families with higher needs. During the discussion, board members asked for more frequent progress reporting; Speaker 3 offered to invite Tracy Hammond to present a fall update. Speaker 3 stated the program’s local cost figure in the discussion as $27,000. After a motion to approve the program, the board recorded a voice vote that passed (transcript: 'Motion passed 7 0').
In related business the board reviewed three handbooks (district, classified, substitute). The substitute handbook was updated to raise the substitute pay rate from $130 per day to $140 per day and to clarify administrative contacts and flexible responsibilities for partial‑day assignments. Speaker 3 described additional routine edits to leave clauses and the health handbook’s over‑the‑counter medication guidance. The board approved the handbook updates by voice vote (recorded as passed 7 0 in the transcript).
The board asked administration to provide a brief progress report on Parents as Teachers and requested Tracy Hammond be scheduled to present in the fall. The board also clarified that the handbook changes are now approved for publication and implementation.
