The USD 503 Board of Education received excellent news regarding student performance during its regular meeting Monday.
Second grade is still participating in the optional state assessments. Garfield Principal Barney Pontious said they got their scores back and 38% scored perfect on their foundational skills, another 39% missed three items or less on foundational skills.
“All in all, 77% of students missed 0 to 3 out of 19 items tested in foundational reading,” Pontious said. “My big take from that is we are building the blocks so they can move from learning to read to reading to learn. So we're pretty proud of our second grade.”
Pontious shared there was excellent improvement in Fastridge and KAP Assessment results, as well.
“Overall growth on our district assessment was 84% typical or aggressive growth in math and 74% in ELA, so the teachers and students really, really worked hard and we couldn’t be prouder of them,” Pontious said.
Guthridge Principal Kurt Friess said Garfield sending over great students has resulted in Guthridge seeing as good of test results as he can remember in all of his years.
Friess said on the state math assessment, Guthridge students were ahead of the state average by 21%. In ELA they were ahead of the state by 26%.
“I keep thinking there was a mistake. It’s unheard of. It’s amazing,” Friess said. “I’m happy for our teachers and I’m proud of our kids. Michell Piva, especially. She is probably the driving force behind our academic growth and focus. I’m really happy for her. Nobody works harder and nobody takes more pride in what every kid does and our scores are amazing.”
25-year certificates
Teachers Anthony Houk, John Womeldorff and Edward Workman were all three honored at the Board of Education meeting Monday, each being presented a 25 Year Certificate of Service from the University of Kansas. Superintendent Lori Perkins thanked each of them for dedicating so many years to education.
Cell phone ban
The USD 503 Board of Education will have to develop policy language by June to help its schools comply with the new state cell phone ban.
Under the new state statute, students will not be allowed to have cell phones, ear buds, smart watches or smart glasses in school from the start of the first bell to the last bell of the day.
From Topeka, they are telling students to just leave those items at home and do not bring them to school. Board member Julie Legler said parents, however, are already proclaiming they plan to violate the statute, and have no intent on having their children comply.
Parents would still be able to call the office or email their student if need be during the day, but for some parents that isn’t enough.
Board member Kala Green said she feels sorry for administrators, as this creates one more headache for them, as schools are required by the state to make students comply.
Superintendent Lori Perkins said 503 is certainly not going to be searching or patting down students to make sure they didn’t bring a cell phone, so it is likely the district will follow a similar model to what is already in place at Parsons Middle School now - See it. Hear it. Take it.
If school personnel see or hear any of the devices not allowed they will take them and an adult will have to come to the school to pick up the device. If a student refuses to give up their device, a parent will have to come pick up their child from school.
As for what penalties there will be, those remain to be discussed.
Individual Plans of Study
Parsons High School and Parsons Middle School both gave an update on things they are doing to guide students in their Individual Plans of Study.
At the middle school they do things to tie right into the high school.
“We do a lot of things where they are getting to know themselves, like personality choice. It tells them traits about themselves, how they get along with others, how they interact with other people,” Principal Olivia Nolting explained.
They talk with students about calculating GPA’s. Student led conferences were revamped adding more about goal setting and dialogue with students and parents. Students progress through the year exploring learning styles, interest inventories, and career exploration. They participate in Future Now Finance which exposes them to real life cost of living experiences. They participate in Career and Technical Education tours at the high school, and in a job fair, job shadowing, resume writing and college visits,
“So there are lots of things for middle schoolers to start exploring individually,” Nolting said.
In high school, Principal Rob Barcus said they build on those experiences. The fall is heavy with social emotional learning activities where spring is more the advisory time. In August, there is career exploration. In September, students start setting goals and doing college visits. Students go over professionalism and etiquette. October is the Apply Kansas Event where students apply to colleges and they also start business tours and take the ACT. In November, are the career fairs, students take the Work Keys test, and college students and graduates come to visit with students. January is the big FAFSA event, to help students apply for Pell grants. February they start working on student-led conferences for March, and April is busy with job shadowing, mock resumes, and resume cover letters. In May, students have mock interviews and senior exit interviews, as well as the Future Now Finance event.
Middle School Changes
Next year, the middle school is moving away from individually assigning one-to-one Chromebook to students.
Next year, Chromebooks will be in carts and available for student use when they need to access some online curriculum, or an assignment requires them, using them more as a tool and not a replacement. Otherwise students will be using paper workbooks and paper and pencil.
“We do think that technology is important, and we want our students to be able to use it and be effective with it, but what we see now is that it causes more issues than it is helpful," middle school Principal Olivia Nolting said.
Nolting said they are also making changes in the sixth grade where lockers and passing periods seem to cause those incoming sixth graders a lot of added stress. They will alter the way students move from class to class. There will be four teachers who will walk students from one class to another, and all student’s materials will be stored in the classroom so there is no need for lockers that first year.
“So we are going to take a little bit of that stress away from kids hopefully,” Nolting said.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the board:
Heard the last student day is May 19 and the last teacher day is May 20.
Heard the Retirement luncheon is at 11:30 a.m. May 20.
Heard the District Office will be closed for Memorial Day.
Heard middle school summer weights starts June 1.
Here there will be two Drivers Ed sessions this summer, one June 1 and the second July 6 in the high school cafeteria.
Heard many comments regarding the excellent manner in which schools and police responded to the recent school lockdown, which was found to have resulted from an automated AI call from out of country to various schools across different states in the U.S.
Waived textbook fees for the 2026-2027 school year.
Waived technology fees for the 2026-2027 school year.
Approved the 2026-2027 Middle School Course Description Handbook.
Approved a 2-year plan with SAVAA Learning for middle school science curriculum at a cost of $30,295.40.
Approved a 2-year plan with Imagine Learning for middle school English Language Arts Curriculum, for $29,969.02
Approved a 5-year plan with McGraw Hill for print and digital high school science curriculum.
Approved a 6-year plan for Preschool ELA Curriculum from Frogstreet for $19,953.92.
Approved re-employment of all classified staff listed, and reemployment of one Full-time substitute teacher for the 2026-2027 school year.
Approved summer supplemental and high school recovery assignments.
Hired Steven Cruz as part-time custodian at Guthridge; David Webb, as high school custodian; David Welsh as High school custodian; Baylee Pasquarelli, Guthridge fifth grade teacher; and Bert Smith, custodial trainer.
Approved transfers for Cody Holmes from fourth grade teacher to Garfield Instructional Coach; Avery Perez, from second grade teacher to Guthridge fourth grade teacher; Melissa Peak from middle school/Guthridge librarian to social studies teacher/librarian; Larissa Thompson Lincoln Title I Aide to full-time preschool substitute.
Accepted the resignations for retirement of Belinda Cornell, elementary technology assistant; Kristi Nelson, Lincoln Preschool Aide.
Approved resignations from employment of Amanda Haile, high school custodian; David Webb, high school custodian; Jon McDaniel, sub custodian; Skyller Hopper, Lincoln preschool aide; Raheeme Dumas, high school physical education teacher; Jim Gilpin high school construction teacher; Maleah Beaty, high school head custodian, and Gertrude Peak, St. Patrick’s Title I Aide.
Approved the termination of Paula Gudde, middle school nutrition staff.