By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
It took some negotiating, but after a 45-minute discussion during Monday's USD 431 Board of Education Meeting, a robotics program was approved for fourth and fifth graders at Lincoln Elementary, and for sixth graders at Hoisington Middle School. Various parties in the discussion thought the program had already been approved, including Anne Selfridge, business teacher at Hoisington High School.
"We just were under the assumption the program was a go," she said. "We've spent a lot of time together planning and trying to put together how we're going to work all this with the numbers we have. As you guys all know, our robotics program, we've qualified five teams for Worlds in the past five years. That's literally on a world-wide scale, not just national."
The original ask of the Lincoln program was a few pennies shy of $6,100. Those funds would be used to purchase 10 VEX IQ kits. The plan included two fourth-grade and two fifth-grade teams, each with four students. An application process would help determine the teams if more than 16 students expressed interest.
"It's going to be a parent commitment for our students," Selfridge said. "Our buses don't run at 4, so they'll have to pick up their student and commit to Saturday tournaments. The students are very excited about robotics, so I don't think we'll have any trouble filling the spots."
But because the program had not been previously approved, the $6,100 meant more spending for the district and for new superintendent Trenton Horn, who said the district spent $69,000 more than it brought in last year. As he gets a feel for the budget in his first year, he was hesitant to approve any new programs.
"Is it going to make or break our district? No, it's not going to," he said. "But at some point, given the balances in our contingency and our capital outlay, we have to correct our deficit spending because we really need to recoup those accounts. We're going to have things in capital outlay that are going to come up."
Additional costs for the program include registration fees of approximately $800, which Lincoln Principal Karisa Cowan said would be covered via other funds. HMS Robotics and STEM instructor Jordan Hammack said the costs are relatively low for the experience provided to students by robotics competitions.
"They learn so much from just being in robotics for a year," she said. "I had kids last year who are just beyond thrilled about robotics. They have learned so much. Their interests in everything has changed substantially. Their technical advancement is beyond what you could even consider from a short 45-minute class five times a week."
Board Member Julia Debes suggested tabling the vote but Selfridge and Hammack said Hoisington students are already at a disadvantage with the program beginning in late May, and with competitions in November and February. Horn suggested, given those timelines, the board make a decision Monday night. Then the bartering began.
"I do think if you would be willing to meet us in the middle, where we've got some budget concerns, get you some supplies, do a mock competition if nothing else this year, then maybe you can bring in the fourth and fifth graders and start competitions next year," Debes said.
The instructors agreed a smaller start-up set with a price tag of $2,600 would at least allow students to get involved with the program. The board ultimately approved the Lincoln Elementary program and $4,000 to help start it. The robotics program will also host fundraisers. Hammack said 16 students raised $1,700 in a previous fundraiser. The creation of a program for grades 4-5 would leave a gap between the Lincoln program and the middle school program. The board also approved a sixth-grade program at no additional cost.