New curricula purchased at CCS; Odens given a 5.4% salary bump

    Middle school students at Chase County Schools will be studying from new science and social studies textbooks in the 2022-23 year.
    At the March 8 board of education meeting, unanimous approval was given for new textbooks in the social studies and science areas after presentations from April Lambert, CCS curriculum coordinator.
    Students in grades 5-8 will see the new social studies curriculum, while grade 6-8 students will be using new science textbooks.
    Lambert said she and middle school teachers reviewed three social studies products, after which teachers voted to adopt the Savvas curriculum and 7th grade civics study materials from McGraw Hill.
    Cost to the district for the Savvas materials will be $36,947.31 which includes $500 for two hours of online teacher training. The civics materials from McGraw Hill cost $6,740.50 for a social studies total of $43,687.81.
    She noted 6th grade students will study world history, 7th grade world geography and civics, while 8th grade studies American history.
    Board member Josh Fries, who’s on the board’s curriculum/technology committee, said the new curricula was reviewed beforehand for any political red flags.
    Savvas will also provide the new science textbooks and supplements in grades 6-8,which will come with a $47,403.32 price tag including a $500 training fee.
    Lambert said the staff reviewed six different science curricula over the last two years, and preferred the Savvas Elevate series.
    She noted the school planned to purchase a new science program for grades 5-8 but found the K-5 material was so different from grades 6-8 that she had concerns with the transition.

Plans are to find a new science curricula for grades K-5 the following school year.
    It’s still their hope, she added, to find a new 9-12 science curriculum for next year, but with a big science staff changeover, it’s taking longer.
    Costs for both curricula include several textbook copies in Spanish. Lambert said those will be used for new students coming into CCS so they can keep up with the content while working on their English.
    Supt. Adam Lambert said the training of teachers will be done at the start of the school year this fall.
    New K-4 social studies textbook selection is also expected during 2022-23, she said.
K-6 Principal’s salary
upped to $106,500
    Becky Odens, K-6 Principal at CCS, will earn $106,500 in the 2022-23 school year after a new contract was approved last week.
    CCS board members approved the 5.4% increase on a 7-0 vote.
    Her 2022-23 salary will rise from her current pay of $101,000.
    Board President Karl Meeske said the board wanted to stay competitive in giving Odens a bigger increase this coming year compared to last, when she received a 3% raise.
    Salaries are going up for other administrators in the area, he said, adding, “We need to be competitive and keep good administrators at our school.”
    He also said in the education world where there are employee shortages, “We need to keep good principals in their jobs.”