Humboldt on track for online-only

HUMBOLDT — The One-to-One Initiative to do away with textbooks and teach classes online is making progress, said K.B. Criss, superintendent of Humboldt schools, at Monday night’s board meeting.
“A couple of tech tools are being evaluated,” Criss said, as to which would be the best for students. Criteria include the devices — either a laptop or a tablet — have a keyboard, have easy storage, good battery life and come with a USB hookup.
Criss said he hopes to be ready by next fall to go with the online curriculum for grades sixth through senior year in the subjects of math, social studies and English.

THE DISTRICT’S building trades house is on schedule to be completed by April 1, Criss said. “We plan on a tour at our next board meeting,” he said. The house is at 318 S. Ninth St.
After an hour-long executive session, board members said they would take bids for design and labor for the construction of a new parking lot south of the field house.
Members approved the retirement of Mary Dunn, food service director, and Mark Warren, technical services director.
“These are both valuable employees who we are going to miss,” said Curt Mueller, board president.
Members approved the senior class trip, March 11-14, to Kansas City, Mo. Activities will include touring Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, the Steamboat Arabia museum, Science City in Union Station, attending two NCAA basketball games at the Big 12 Tournament, as well as “down time” for shopping.
Middle school basketball wraps up the season with a tournament Saturday, said Kay Bolt, principal at the elementary and middle schools. Fresh on the heels of sports is a Quiz Bowl on Feb. 21 in Eureka.
It’s also that time of year for state assessment tests. Feb. 26-28 eighth-graders will be tested on math.
A bingo night fundraiser for the elementary school is from 6 to 8 p.m. March 7 in the old gym, Bolt said.

DAVE WELLS of the Humboldt Recreation Department said it’s the intention of the department to host a league swim meet at Humboldt Municipal Pool, despite objections from other towns.
“It’s our year, and we’ll do everything in our power to make it happen,” Wells said.
Complaints are that the Humboldt pool does not have eight lanes, resulting in the necessity to schedule more heats for each event, as well as Humboldt not having as many eating establishments as neighboring cities.
Wells said he was contacting concession owners in Chanute to see if they could work at the meet as well as get a big tent to shelter participants from the sun.
The league meet is in late July.
In other recreation news, soccer forms will be distributed to Humboldt households next week, said Wells. Games are played on Iola fields.
Women’s three-on-three recreational basketball teams begin play Sunday. Four teams have been formed, Wells said.
Three applicants were being interviewed Monday night for the position of supervising the weight room, Wells said.
Lighting at Manion Field ballparks is still an issue, Wells said. “We’re going to see if the City of Iola will help out. We didn’t have any luck with KG&E,” he said.

LORETTA JULICH, a resident, asked board members to publish their meeting agendas in local newspapers ahead of meetings and also wanted clarification as to the board’s meeting times.
For the last two years the board has been meeting at 7 p.m. from October to March, and otherwise at 7:30 p.m.