BUHLER, Kan. — In order to provide some headroom in the event additional snow days are needed, the Buhler USD 313 Board of Education Monday approved adding another ten minutes to the school day starting Monday, and if needed, change Friday, April 25 to a full student contact day.
Due to the number of snow days the district had to take in January due to hazardous travel conditions following winter storms, the district is out of snow days for the 2024-25 school year. Adding the 10 minutes to the day would give USD 313 one additional snow day.
While the district’s calendar does have a snow day provision for Monday, April 21, it’s also the day after Easter, and there was some concern among the board about availability of particularly classified staff on that day. The district already has a professional development day and teacher workday planned for April 25th, and the Board decided to make that a full contact day with students, with the 21st to be used if absolutely needed.
The Board approved an Artificial Intelligence Policy for the district. Director of Elementary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Kyle McClure told the board they have for the past year been working with AI, and the policy would set guidelines for its use, both for teachers and students.
The policy includes guidelines for both teacher and student use of AI and states the district will provide workshops and training for teachers and students on its effective and ethical use, access to vetted AI tools aligning with district goals and academic standards, and provide support teams to assist with its integration into the classroom.
A land lease agreement was approved with NexTech Wireless for a cell phone tower to be placed at Prairie Hills Middle School. The exact location of the tower hasn’t been determined, but it most likely would be placed either in the area near the tennis courts or on the north side of Wray Field. The contract is subject to approval of legal counsel.
Superintendent Cindy Couchman discussed with the board issues regarding continued enrollment declines at Buhler Grade School. Couchman said the number of students at BGS has declined from 245 four years ago to 216 this year, with projections it could be down to just over 200 students for the 2025-26 school year.
Enrollment at the other two elementary schools in USD 313 is double that of Buhler, with the cost of teachers and paraprofessionals there about a thousand dollars more than at Union Valley, the district’s other Title I school. Couchman said in discussions with BGS staff, while the school doesn’t have to get closer to what UV is spending, it needs to get closer, but that doesn’t have to happen immediately.
There are a lot of options that can be looked at in this regard. One thing that also factors into this is the current housing situation in Buhler, where there are not a lot of options for young families right now. Ideas brought up range from adjusting the number of teachers and paraprofessionals and how classes are set up to perhaps some boundary adjustments.
McClure and Secondary Director of Elementary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Paul Erickson gave presentations to the board on the KESA accreditation process and a recent school improvement day at ESSDACK and work that is ongoing on the 2025-26 action plan for the district, and screener data from the fall and winter as it relates to the multi-tiered systems of support for students at risk of falling behind grade level.
In other actions, the board approved a revised fee structure for the Shining Stars and Cares Club programs, approved out of state travel requests for Buhler High School football coaches and the BHS Cross Country team, revised job descriptions for two IT positions and the transportation director, and approved an updated Professional Development handbook and five-year plan along with a bed bug policy and flow chart.
Among several personnel items, the board accepted an early retirement request from Buhler High School business teacher and head golf coach Brennan Torgerson effective March 1, and the resignation of director of transportation Mandy Gantenbein effective at the end of the current school year.
