During their regular meeting, the Chanute Public Schools Board of Education approved many items of annual business, as well as some board position changes.
Board members voted to name Cassie Cleaver as president of the board. Brianna Leroy was voted to remain vice president for the year.
Other restructuring business included naming delegates to various committees, making appointments, and designations. Heather Guernsey was appointed to be this year’s delegate to the ANW Special Education Cooperative Board, with Jennifer May Zywietz to be the alternate.
Heather Guernsey was also appointed as the governmental relations network representative for the Kansas Association of School Boards. Tamara Slane was appointed board clerk and the official custodian responsible for the maintenance of school records; deputy clerks are Taylor Hogue and Kelly Colter. Truancy officers will be the principals and assistant principals of each building.
Other appointments include: Kurt Kluin, attorney; Jared Gilmore and Phillips PA, auditor; Dr. Heather Burris, federal projects representative and Title IX compliance; Matt Koester, hearing officer for free and reduced price lunch application appeals and the Freedom of Information officer; Terri Markham, food service representative; Kelly Colter and Tamara Slane, district representatives for Kansas Public Employees Retirement System; Chanute Tribune, official newspaper for legal publications; and G. Mike Colay, asbestos coordinator. Bank of Commerce, Community National Bank, Emprise Bank, Commercial Bank, and Home Savings Bank were designated as official depositories of school funds.
In other business, the board adopted minor policy changes as required by state statute and approved a workers compensation and employers liability insurance policy with Accident Fund Insurance Company of America for the 2025-2026 budget year with an annual premium of $75,213. A fee for Open Records Requests was also established, which equated to the hourly rate of the employee obtaining information.
The previously discussed master equity lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management was approved, as well as the Greenbush Health Trust agreement.
The board had first readings of the updated 2025 KASB policies, the district’s student handbook, and the board’s norms and operating procedures.
Meeting dates for the year’s board meetings were set. Regular board meetings will continue to be held on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. Most meetings will be held at the district office at 321 E. Main St. in Chanute. However, the Sept. 3 meeting will be held at Chanute Elementary School.
During the superintendent’s report, Superintendent Matt Koester provided an estimated assessed valuation amount. The total estimate of assessed valuation funds is $100,510,430, with a general fund estimate of $73,158,015 and a capital outlay of $5,921,686. These numbers equate to a 4.5% increase over last year, according to Koester, with a flat mill rate.
The 2024 mill rate was set at 56.678, which was increased by the county after the budget estimate to 57.904 in 2025. For 2026, Koester hopes to see the mill rate decrease to the original 56.678.
“That’s the target as we sit here,” Koester said.
Koester also noted that this fall, community groups will meet to discuss long-range planning for the district, with a report to come from Gravity::Works in December on what input they have received.
“We need all sorts of opinions on this,” Koester said, noting that what the community finds important to prioritize might not be the same issues that the board would prioritize, and that feedback is needed.
School being out for summer does not mean that no students are recognized. Several students attended Wednesday’s meeting, and many more were recognized for their recent accomplishments.
Honorees are as follows.
Boy’s Golf: Anden Chance, Hunter Stokes, Hayes McKinney, Noah Luebbering, and Kobe Patterson.
Boys Tennis: All SEK honorable mention: Logan Bilby, Luke Becknell, Arthur Schmitt; All SEK second team: Ethan Burnett, Ayden Cummings; State Qualifiers: Arthur Schmitt, Ethan Burnett, and Ayden Cummings.
Baseball: All SEK first team, Kris Harding; second team, Lawrence Chaney, Alijah Christy, and Brady Alonzo; and All-State second team, Kris Harding.
Softball: All SEK first team: Avery Dean; second team: Brynna Peter, Alyson Splechter; honorable mention: Reece Norris, Mylee Miller, Ava Teichgraeber; and All State: Avery Dean.
Track: All SEK: Sarah Uhner, Laney Hillmon, Violet Stich, Macie Moore, Madi Decoster, Maddy Kepley, Kiya Brown, Layla Harbin, Averee Hicks, Kyli Baylor, Eliott Stephenson, Tyler Rowden, Eli Uhner, Jaron Powers, Tucker Applegate, Daniel Stanley, Easton Colborn, Jarvis Chatmon, Canton Fizmaurice, and Owen Luttrell. State Qualifiers: Tucker Applegate, Easton Colborn, Madison DeCoster, Chantel Dozier, Jalen Duncan, Canton Fitzmaurice, Mason Greve, Layla Harbin, Averee Hicks, Laney Hillmon, Jarynn Hockett, Madelyn Kepley, Evan Luebbering, Owen Luttrell, Macie Moore, Jordan Patterson, Jaron Powers, Tyler Rowden, Joshua Schoenhofer, Daniel Stanley, Eliott Stephenson, Wyatt Stephenson, Violet Stich, Elijah Uhner, and Sarah Uhner. State Placers: Tucker Applegate, Easton Colborn, Canton Fitzmaurice, Laney Hillmon, Owen Luttrell, Macie Moore, Jaron Powers, Tyler Rowden, Daniel Stanley, Eliott Stephenson, Violet Stich, Elijah Uhner, and Sarah Uhner.
Journalism: State Champions: Abby Fisher, Feature Writing; Jacqueline Smoot, Sports Photography, Review Writing; Kaanin Pontious, Sports Feature Photography; Paige Kueser, Editorial Writing, Headline Writing & Design; Eric Erbe, News Writing; and Abby Fisher, Taylor Lansdown, and Jack Fickle for Multimedia Storytelling. State runner- ups: Kaanin Pontious, Academics Photography; Kynleigh Oliver, Cutline Writing; Gracie Wheeler, Digital Illustration; Devon Kueser, Editorial Cartoon; Willow Vaughn, Infographic Design; Kai Woods and Gabriel Wolf, Multimedia Storytelling; and Gabriel Wolf, Video PSA. Third place: Abby Fisher, Copyediting, Headline Writing & Design, Yearbook Copy Writing; Devon Kueser, Digital Illustration; Gracie Wheeler, Infographic Design; and Jacqueline Smoot, Social Media. Fourth place: Brayden Baker, Academics Photography, Sports Feature Photography; Shamirra Rice, News Page Design; Artisan Wasson, Review Writing; and Kynleigh Oliver, Sports Action Photography. Fifth Place: Gabe Wolf, Editorial Writing. Sixth place: Gracie Wheeler, Editorial Cartoon; Brayden Baker, Student Life Photography; and Abby Blanchard, Yearbook Theme & Graphics. Other qualifiers included Logan Weilert, Anna Orton, Madison Lopez, Kyra Barriger, and Lillian Albin.
The next Chanute Public School Board of Education meeting will be held at 321 E. Main Street, Chanute, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6. Agendas and documents can be viewed at https://meetings.boardbook. org/ Public/ Organization/ 2345.
