Due to unsafe road conditions and blowing and drifting snow, USD 480 will be CLOSED tomorrow, January 9, 2024.
This includes all events and travel scheduled for Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
The USD 480 Board of Education Meeting scheduled for this evening is CANCELED. All agenda items will be moved to the next meeting on January 22, 2024. Read more here: https://www.usd480.net/article/1394786
Due to the probability of unsafe weather conditions, USD 480 will be closed tomorrow, January 8, 2024. There will be NO SCHOOL and District Office will be closed.
LHS Bowling at Great Bend and EMS Basketball at Hugoton are also CANCELED.
January is School Board Recognition Month and before our newly elected board members take office on Monday we wanted to acknowledge and appreciate all of the dedication and hard work our outgoing members put in during their tenure on the USD 480 Board of Education. We are so thankful for their service to USD 480 and the Liberal community and we will miss their insight and thoughtfulness while serving on the board. Join us in celebrating Naomi Vargas, Kathy Fitzgerald, and Stewart Cauble for all of their time and effort over the years.
As we begin the search for our next superintendent, we are conducting an online survey with KASB to find the characteristics our community is looking for in a superintendent. The survey takes 5 minutes and can be found using the QR code or this link: surveymonkey.com/r/USD480SS
REMINDER: School resumes tomorrow. Let's have a great second semester, USD 480!
USD 480 will be closed on Friday, December 22, 2023. Offices will return to normal business hours on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Classes resume for students on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. Have a wonderful holiday season, we will see you all in 2024!
USD 480 in partnership with the Kansas Superintendent Strategic Legislative Educational Campaign will be sharing statistics on a variety of topics that we believe are important for the public to know. The first one is on Special Education. #DYKKansasKids
USD 480 ended the first semester with only 18.88% of all students chronically absent. That is down from 34.15% at the end of the first semester in 2021! What's more is the nearly 20% increase in students with NO absence issues. Keep up the good work, 480 families!
We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to National Beef and Mr. Banuelos for their generous donation to our nine schools. National Beef is a tremendous asset to our community and to give back to our students in this way means a great deal. Thank you, National Beef!
Special Board Meeting - 12/14/23 - 11:30 am - USD 480 District Office - Thompson, Brack Absent
1.5 Approval of Agenda - Passed 5-0
2.1 Policy JBCC - Passed 5-0
4.1 Resolution - Passed 5-0
Adjournment @ 11:58 am
At approximately 9:40 this morning, Sunflower Elementary initiated an Emergency Alert when they became aware of a small electrical fire in the kitchen. Out of an abundance of caution all students were evacuated to Bright Start. At this time there is no immediate threat to staff or students and everyone has safely returned to their classrooms. We want to thank local law enforcement, EMS, and Fire Department for their quick and effective response.
The USD 480 Board of Education will be having a special meeting today at 11:30 a.m. at District Office. Read more here: https://www.usd480.net/article/1375051
There will be NO SCHOOL this Friday and all schools will be on Winter Break until January 3, 2024.
This year at EMS, their WIG (Wildly Important Goal) is to have 90% of all students have C's or better. This is a school-wide goal that has challenged the staff and students and inspired a large amount of collaboration among students. Right now they are at 86.31%! Keep it up, EMS!
At the BOE meeting tonight we were fortunate to recognize our USD 480 December Educator of the Month, Rebecca Parrish. She teaches 4th and 5th grade math at MacArthur and makes it fun! She has a love for learning that trickles down to her students. She is a hands-on, engaging, active, and fun-loving teacher. She is also the lead teacher for BLAST at MacArthur where she has the opportunity spread her excitement for learning to students outside of her own classroom. She holds her students to high expectations and knows these job responsibilities around the school with benefit them as well as our school community. We are so fortunate to have Ms. Parrish at MacArthur and USD 480! Join us in celebrating our December Educator of the Month, Ms. Parrish!
Board Meeting - 12/4/23 - 6:30 pm - LHS East Annex - Room C107
1.5 Approval of Minutes 11-6-23 - Passed 7-0
1.6 Approval of Minutes 11-14-23 - Passed 7-0
1.7 Approval of Minutes 11-17-23 - Passed 7-0
1.8 Approval of Minutes 11-29-23 - Passed 7-0
1.9 Approval of Agenda with the removal of 5.3 and 5.4 - Passed 7-0
3.1 Consent Agenda - Passed 6-0 (BROWN Abstains)
4.1 Monthly Bills minus Seward Co. Treasurer - Passed 7-0
5.1 Gym Floor Refinishing - Passed 7-0
5.2 Weed Control Services - Passed 7-0
5.5 High Jump and Pole Vault Pit - Passed 7-0
5.6 New Position - Passed 7-0
8.1 Settlement - Passed 7-0
8.2 Waiver of Liquidated Damages - Passed 7-0
Adjournment @ 8:33 pm
Tonight will be the only regularly scheduled USD 480 BOE meeting for the month of December. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of LHS East Campus. Read more here: https://www.usd480.net/article/1357348
Board Workshop - 11/29/23 - 12:00 pm - USD 480 District Office - Hatcher, Fitzgerald, Cauble Absent
1.5 Approval of Agenda - Passed 4-0
2.1 Superintendent Search Discussion
Fitzgerald Arrives @ 12:06 pm
Cauble Arrives @ 12:15 pm
Adjournment @ 1:10 pm
There will be a BOE Workshop today at noon at District Office. A representative from KASB will be there to discuss the upcoming superintendent search. Read more here: https://www.usd480.net/article/1352292
