The following is a summary of the Sept. 24 SMSD Board of Education meeting.

• Adoption of agenda; approval of minutes from Sept. 12 special meeting and Sept. 12 regular meeting

• Report by Superintendent Michael Fulton
  • SM East journalism teacher Dow Tate is being honored with the S’Park Media Mentor Award
  • High schools across the district celebrated homecoming parades
  • Oct. 2 will be the 8th annual Culinary Homecoming Dinner at the Broadmoor Bistro
  • The city of Lenexa donated a firetruck to the SMSD Blue Eagle program
  • Arrowhead Day School teacher Cathy Sheridan and SM West science teacher Ryan Call were nominated for Kansas Teacher of the Year
  • Debbie Mercer, dean of K-State’s College of Education, awarded the 2018 UCEA Excellence in Leadership Awards to Assistant Superintendents Kenny Southwick and Christy Ziegler

• Reports from Board Members
  • Shawnee Mission Education Foundation is holding its 26th annual fall breakfast Oct. 11 at 7 a.m. at the Overland Park Convention Center
  • Laura Guy attended a meeting of the Shawnee Mission Area Council PTA
  • Oct. 22 is the first meeting of the social media council
  • Deb Zila discussed professional services and the process of selecting outside counsel

• Public Comment Section
  • Shawnee Mission NEA President Linda Sieck discussed an issue that arose with teachers’ first paychecks on Sept. 20. Several teachers who coach sports or sponsor activities contacted her and said that their paychecks did not include the extra amount they are supposed to receive for sponsoring activities. Sieck reached out to the district and is waiting on a resolution to be proposed.
  • SM East band director Alex Toepfer spoke about the same issue, saying that he lost 20% of his expected pay on Sept. 20 because of the paycheck mistake. Superintendent Fulton responded by apologizing for the mistake and assuring that it will be corrected.

• Director of Food Services Nancy Coughenour introduced a proposal to change policy regarding negative lunch account balances. Currently, elementary school students are allowed to buy three more school lunches after their account balances hits zero; after three, they are not allowed to receive a regular hot lunch, and are instead given a toasted cheese sandwich and milk. Middle and high school students are not allowed to go into the negative at all; once their account balances reaches zero, they are given a toasted cheese sandwich and milk. The new proposal would allow students to continue getting unlimited hot lunches after their account reaches zero, and the debt incurred would be sent to a collections agency at the end of the year, who would then try to make the parents pay. The board discussed this proposal and will revisit the issue at a later meeting.

• Approval of Routine Business by Consent passed 7-0

• Approval to hire Validity Screening Solutions to perform records checks of potential school volunteers passed 7-0

• Comments from Board
  • Mary Sinclair thanked food services employees for the work they do
  • Heather Ousley asked if the district can look into why some eligible schools are not participating in after school snacks/meals programs

• The board dismissed to executive session to discuss litigation