School board approves formation of feminist club

Board approves student trip to England, Ireland and Wales; reports settlement on Department of Human Services reimbursement

Two months to the day after the first woman to run for president said all young women should feel empowered to pursue and achieve their own dreams, some Kennett students have a newly approved club to help achieve that goal.

The Kennett Consolidated School District School Board (KCSD) unanimously approved a request at its Monday night monthly meeting to create a Feminist Club. Its organizers say the extracurricular club would raise awareness about feminism, which they defined as an effort to ensure that men and women are treated as equals politically, socially and economically, and raise funds for organizations that support women.

In other business, the board approved a request to organize a student trip to England, Ireland, and Wales during the spring of 2018. Board member Joseph Meola urged the organizers, in light of recent terrorist incidents, to register with the American embassy to expedite assistance in an emergency.

The board accepted an agreement to reimburse the state Department of Human Services about 12.5 percent of the original amount requested for a 2012–2013 cost settlement calculation. Essentially, board members said, the state distributes federal health-care funds to help schools defray the cost of certain types of health-related services.

After the funds go out, a review is done and in some cases the DHS asks for a portion of the money to be returned. For the year in question the department changed the criteria, and scores of districts were hit with demands for reimbursement. KCSD would have owed $147,528 under the cost settlement formula DHS used.

But district officials negotiated a lower payment of $18,378, which they said represented a substantial concession from the DHS.

The board also approved an agreement to assign an easement to the New Garden Township sewer authority. The easement was acquired for the construction of the sewer force main for the new middle school, but by an oversight was never assigned to the authority.

Now New Garden is selling the authority to a third party,

Its organizers say the extracurricular club would raise awareness about feminism, which they defined as an effort to ensure that men and women are treated as equals politically, socially and economically, and raise funds for organizations that support women.

and the missing assignment was noticed in reviewing the sale.

The school district adopted a new textbook, titled “Math in Focus,” for use in grades K–5 beginning this school year.

The board members also adopted a number of revisions to the board policy manual relating to conduct and disciplinary procedures for employees, educator misconduct, outside activities for employees, freedom of speech for employees in non-school settings, political activities by employees and student activity funds.