By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
During Monday’s Hays USD 489 Board of Education meeting, the body voted 6-0 to allow Russell USD 407 to join the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative.
Russell will join, Hays, Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse in the co-op. The Hays board was the last of the group to approve the measure.
He said having a standalone special education co-op between the member schools is rare in Kansas, but all things considered allowing another member strengthens the co-op.
“We felt like it also gives us some additional stability,” Wilson said. “Russell would be the second largest — other than Hays in that cooperative once they join ours — so, it does give us some stability in terms of just kind of spreading the cost out across to everybody, and maybe reducing some risk for some of our smaller districts.”
While speaking at the Ellis USD 388 Board of Education meeting earlier this month Kyle Carlin, co-op director, acknowledged that risk, but said having Russell join was a “good move.”
“The risk involved with adding another district is certainly there,” he said. “But the risk all four of our districts carry right now will also be spread out over all of the districts, is also beneficial.”
Overall, the move is likely to lower costs in the Hays district.
With Russell’s inclusion, Carlin estimated Hays' contribution would have dropped from 77 percent to 65 percent this year, totaling $23,000, he told the board during a discussion in February.
The costs will be, in part, covered by the Russell district agreeing to pay a buy-in fee of $250 per staff member and $5 per student, cover additional costs incurred during the transition and provide a payment to the co-op equal to the average carryover from the special education department over the last five years.
“When we have more districts involved, it helps make sure that the cost is being shared by more districts, so one district doesn't have to take as long to have a high cost all of a sudden,” Carlin said. “It can be shared.”
The approved plan will see Russell fully move into the co-op over the next three years.
“We'll start adding pieces in every year,” Wilson said. “We've been working with them in providing gifted services for the last few years. So, we've already kind of started that those steps, but we'll continue to add pieces each year.”
During the next year, the plan calls for WCKSEC and Russell to enter a collaborative relationship where Russell continues to provide special education services themselves, according to documents provided to the board. Russell and WCKSEC staff will also participate in common professional development and professional learning communities.
Throughout 2023 -24, the plans call on the hiring and onboarding of staff. Then, in the 2024-25 academic year, Russell will fully join and begin assuming all responsibilities and rights as a member district.
Overall, he said the district is excited to add Russell and the move is good for the cooperative.
“I think it's also by just being able to provide those kinds of services that sometimes we don't necessarily need that one service in a particular district all the time, we can spread those services across all districts,” Wilson said.
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During Monday’s meeting the USD 489 Board of Education also voted 6-0 to approve new security cameras for entrances at Wilson, O’Loughlin and Lincoln elementary schools, along with Westside.
The Board also voted 6-0 to approved renewal to the Kansas Association of School Boards and Legal Assistance Fund.
