Brewster USD 314 board hires staff, approves security upgrades and adopts 2025–26 calendar

Brewster Unified School District No. 314’s Board of Education on May 19 approved a slate of personnel moves, campus security and facilities purchases, and the district’s 2025–26 school calendar after routine consent business and multiple executive sessions.

Board President Sarah Starns called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. and the board approved the agenda, moving one discussion item to the June regular meeting. The board then approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from April meetings, April financial reports, an interfund transfer of $29,515 (General to Special Education — State Aid payment), and payroll and bills as presented.

Superintendent Jessica McCoy reported on recent school activities — field trips to McCarty Dairy and the Garden City Zoo, a well-attended field day, graduation, upcoming track regionals and summer camps — and noted an upcoming STEM class funded through a Kansas State grant.

The board heard a presentation from Isabel Bange and Kendra Glassman of the local health district about proposed changes to the district’s nursing services contract, which the presenters said would increase costs by $4,000; the board deferred action on that contract to the June meeting.

In separate, approved motions the board: - Renewed workers’ compensation coverage with ICI for a proposed premium of $6,417 (a $315 increase). - Approved a $13,000 quote to install window blinds on new west-side classroom windows to match the south rooms (the kitchen was excluded). - Approved security equipment from Verkada — a door reader and two cameras — with installation by Curt Beringer (installation quoted at $924) and a three-year license for $3,274; the board said the camera and door-reader costs will be paid from shop and technology grant funds for the 2025–26 fiscal year. - Approved use of a district bus by Brewster Recreation for summer swimming lessons, to be driven by Susan Gilley. - Accepted a $384 donation from Farmers Bank & Trust for the school gardening project.

After executive sessions held under the Kansas Open Meetings Act to discuss negotiations and personnel matters, the board returned to open session and approved several personnel actions: hiring Logan Lampe as a Special Education paraprofessional for 2025–26; appointing Brenda Paintin as athletic director effective July 1, and separately appointing Paintin as maintenance director with part-time technology support beginning July 1 (including summer work in June); and accepting the resignation of Driver’s Education teacher Laura Fellhoelter for the 2024–25 school year. All recorded motions on these items carried on voice votes of 4–0.

The board also moved to adopt Calendar C for the 2025–26 school year, setting a start date of Aug. 18 and 155 duty days; that motion passed 4–0.

The board announced filing and election dates for the 2025 board election — filing deadline June 2 at noon, primary Aug. 5 and general election Nov. 4 — and listed future agenda items including the 2025–26 schedule, the 2025–26 handbook, and a republished 2024–25 budget hearing scheduled before the June meeting. The meeting record notes adjournment later that evening; the transcript’s adjournment time is truncated in the minutes.

Copies of routine reports from the Northwest Kansas Educational Service Center and Fort Hays Technical School were included in the board packet.

Votes at a glance: all motions recorded in the minutes (agenda approval, consent agenda, workers’ comp renewal, facility/security purchases, bus use, donation acceptance, personnel hires/resignation, calendar adoption) passed by recorded tallies of 4 in favor and 0 opposed.