The following is a summary of the Oct. 8 SMSD Board of Education meeting. Member Laura Guy was not able to be there, but attended the meeting via telephone.

• Adoption of agenda; approval of minutes from Sept. 24 regular meeting

• Report by Superintendent Michael Fulton
  • Grand opening of Lenexa Hills Elementary School happened in late September
  • The Broadmoor Bistro is now open to the public for the year
  • SMSD recently held its annual marching band festival
  • SM Northwest held their homecoming parade on Oct. 5
  • SMSD College Clinic will be held Oct. 10 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at SM East
  • The SMEF Fall Breakfast is coming up soon
  • Dr. Southwick gave a report on the facilities being constructed, including the new pool

• 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
  • Mary Sinclair attended the KASB regional meeting in Lawrence, where they reviewed the group’s legislative platform
  • 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
  • Christina Middleton, a member of the Kansas Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia, spoke to the importance of a structured learning approach and purchasing a phonics program to help students with dyslexia

• Superintendent 90-Day Update
  • Superintendent Fulton discussed progress on his three main goals (cultivating relationships and being transparent with the community, developing relationships with the board of education and beginning strategic planning) and mentioned the future creation of teacher and student advisory groups

• Approval of Routine Business by Consent passed 7-0

• The board continued their prior discussion about the proposal to revise the district lunch policy. Language was added that the board will review the policy by April 30, 2019 to determine whether it is working. The board voted 7-0 to pass the new policy.

• The board voted 7-0 to approve a new format for the bi-weekly meeting agenda

• Comments from Board
  • Mary Sinclair and Heather Ousley encouraged everyone to vote in the upcoming election
  • Patty Mach thanked SM Northwest for having the board members in their homecoming parade and discussed the Harvester’s lunch challenge that recently took place between board members and Bistro students. She also called to light some recent comments on social media, saying that every board member cares about children and to say otherwise is ridiculous.