Bronaugh school board nixes Hawaii senior trip

Nevada Daily Mail

Ten teachers came to the Bronaugh school board meeting to request funds and give updates on their projects for their classrooms during Thursday's board meeting.

Sam Kruse, the head coach of the co-op football league at Liberal that Bronaugh has played with for the past five years, came with his coaching staff to ask the board to approve another season with Bronaugh.

"We're not about winning games first, we're more about addressing the character. As a first year head coach, we had a few character problems this year, and I think we corrected those at the end with our community service project and volunteer hours at the Ronald McDonald house," Kruse said. "I think [football] is the most relatable sport offered in high school to life. Sure, basketball and baseball you have to demonstrate teamwork. You have to show up on time. You're accountable for your actions, but I love football because there are 11 guys out there -- Lebron James can take over a game in basketball -- but if one of those 11 makes a mistake, everybody suffers from it. I love how that makes a team work together."

Kruse told the school board even though Liberal and Bronaugh are considered rivals in basketball; the two towns' athletes came together after his first year of his coaching.

"I know there is a pretty good rivalry between Liberal and Bronaugh during basketball, and they were pretty chippy at first when they came in. And now they are hugging each other. I hope that'll prove some sportsmanship things as well if we can get them involved."

Superintendent David Copeland had gone to a practice to speak with the team about character and watch the team play. Before the board made their unanimous decision to approve another season with the coop team, he told the board about the positive opportunity he sees from the team.

"We need a motion to make it official, but I think it's a good thing. I witnessed it first hand," Copeland said.

Susan Ricketts, a science teacher at Bronaugh and a sponsor for the seniors' trip came to the meeting because she said there had yet to be a final decision on where the students could go for their trip.

The class of 2016 gave Ricketts their top three destinations: Hawaii, Florida and lastly, Alabama. She needs to have the itinerary for the trip finished by the end of December.

She then told the board she was under the impression students could not leave the continental united states, but she was not sure and after speaking with Copeland, the two thought it would be best for the school board to decide on the matter.

The board discussed the Hawaii's affordability, distance of each trip and how much money the class of 2016 raised.

Ricketts told the board they had $6,000 and there are seven high school basketball home games left where students can raise money and then middle school games. Because they make about $750 a game, she said she expects to make about $22,000 to spend on the trip. Nine out of 10 of the senior class is planning to go on the senior trip, Ricketts said.

"I'm just not crazy about our kids going that far [to Hawaii]," board member Brent Banes said. "If one gets in trouble, daddy's not driving there to pick him up, you know what I mean?"

Ryan Lynn, the board president, agreed with Banes and asked the board how they would be able to get the students if they were outside the continental United States. He also wondered if there had been rules put in place for in case of that type of incident occurring.

After deliberating the topic, Saundra Bogart, the board secretary made the motion to keep the students in the continental United States. The motion passed 6-1 with board member Chris Baker voting "no."

"I just don't see why we need to restrict it," He said.

The board also discussed coming up with a policy to make future senior trips unable to go anywhere outside of the United States. If any policy is to be made, it will be made at a future school board meeting.

Later in the meeting, principal Jordan Dickey and the school board talked about the homework policy. Teachers, Dickey said, had been having trouble understanding the homework policy because of its wording in the teacher handbook for the school.

"The best way I can think to tell you is with a scenario," Dickey said. "So let's say, you go to your last class of the day on Wednesday, and it's science. And the teacher gives you a homework assignment for Thursday, But Thursday you're not going to be in class because you're leaving at 2:00 [p.m.] to go to the basketball game. Do you have to turn in your homework for science that is due that day before you go to the basketball game? Do we follow our missing assignment policy or do they have an extra day to turn it in?"

Dickey said she believed students should turn in the homework before they leave for an activity because the student was present for the assignment being given and attended school the next day.

"Since they were in class the day before and they were at school the day it was due, our thought on it is, when you are given a homework assignment, you do it at home and it should be completed when you get to school the next day. My expectations would be when the student got on the bus Thursday morning; they bring the assignment to the teacher before leaving for the activity.

"If they didn't leave after turning in their assignment, I want to make sure our teachers can enforce our policy of making the assignment an 85 percent. I just think when you, come into school Thursday you should have it done. We don't take time in school to do assignments"

The board asked Dickey to rewrite the policy so teachers understood homework is due the day of the due date, even if a student is missing from the class for an activity. The board will hear it at next meeting and vote to approve it or not.

"When they go into college, they aren't going to get an extra day. If they have an activity, they are going to have to deal with assignments no matter what," Dickey said. "We really want to prepare our students to be college and career ready and these exceptions aren't made for them in the real world and we have to hold them to a high standard, and expect them to turn their homework in on time.