By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
In the wake of another school shooting Monday, Hays USD 489 Superintendent Ron Wilson updated the school board members Monday night on security measures.
The district has hired an outside service to bring in dogs to search the high school for contraband. The district plans to have the dogs in once this spring and once per quarter next year.
The dogs used by the service are not aggressive. They are only trained to search, so students can be in class during the searches.
Wilson said the district also is in discussion with the Hays Police Department about bringing school resources officers into district schools. However, this may be dependent on school security funding pending in the Kansas Legislature.
The high school also has installed vape detection devices. Wilson said these devices already have been used with some success.
"Parents have been very appreciative," Wilson said. "It's another layer to help kids make better choices."
The school district also approved a revised special education co-op agreement that will bring the Russell school district into the co-op as of July 1, 2024.
This is the last step in what has been a multi-year project to phase Russell into the co-op. Hays, Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse are the other members of the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative.
Once Russell is fully admitted to the co-op, it will begin paying a portion of the co-op's operating expenses.
The Hays board also approved the purchase of new playground equipment for Wilson Elementary School with donation assistance from the Wilson Elementary Home and School Group and installation of new turf at the Early Childhood Complex at a cost of $36,000.
The turf at the Early Childhood Complex will be paid for with grant funds.
The board met briefly in an executive session to discuss teacher negotiations, which start Wednesday.