Emma Alderman | editor in chief
The USD 329 board made several staffing changes, approved a religious education program, discussed bond options and addressed sixth grade participation in athletics.
The board announced that Steve Oliver will take over as WHS principal next year, while also continuing to serve as junior high principal. Jeron Weisshaar will serve as assistant principal and athletic director for both schools.
Implementation of a new RESPECT project was passed. RESPECT stands for Religious Expression Supports Positive Equity-Centered Teaching.
In an email to the Charger, superintendent Brad Starnes described the project as an attempt to focus on improving student performance and teacher practice by increasing awareness of students’ freedom of religious expression and the appropriate ways to leverage it as a social, emotional and learning asset. “Amid all they are facing, we have an opportunity to support students’ religious faith as a learning and coping asset.”
“The respect project addresses, in the whole child piece, empirical evidence about how children’s religious studies upgrade behavioral and academic assets,” Starnes said.
The board members discussed the program at length.
“I’ve said it at other board meetings that if we don’t start putting God back in a place we took him out of then this mental health piece is going to get worse and worse,” board member Justin Frank said. Frank also asked Starnes whether the WHS library contained a bible. Starnes confirmed that it does.
Kelly Oliver was the only board member to veto the motion.
“I have concerns about this for our school district and the reality of it as a public school district,” Oliver said. Oliver also expressed concerns about the program’s focus on Christianity, according to the website, gogateways.org.
Starnes supported the legality of the program and noted endorsements for religious education from organizations including the NEA and ACLU. He also confirmed that no other public school in Kansas currently uses the program.
This motion passed with a 4-1 vote, with members Tony Conrad, Jerome Hess, Justin Frank and Don Frank all approving.
The board also passed a motion 5-0 to allow sixth graders to participate in sports.
“The sixth graders don’t really have anything to do in that building other than go to school and see all the other kids doing sports, but now they can be a part of this too,” athletic director Jeron Weisshaar said.
Weisshaar cited concerns about participation numbers as part of the reason to support the change. He also discussed the possibility of moving to varsity and JV teams at the junior high level rather than splitting teams by grade.
Due to the physical nature of the sports, football and wrestling will not be offered for sixth graders due to KSHSAA rules.
The board accepted the resignations of Garett Eck as WHS assistant softball coach, Jess Rutledge as WHS boys assistant basketball coach, Jamie Dunbar as WHS and WJH head wrestling coach, Miriam Barton as WHS English teacher, Chloe Smith as WJH math teacher and coach
The board accepted the employments of Cheryl Lewis as WHS and WJH head cheer coach and pep club sponsor and Kristin Berroth as WHS and WJH assistant cheer coach and pep club sponsor.
Jim Vopata resigned his position as at-large board member. After discussing options, the board elected not to fill the position until Vopata’s term is up.
The Charger 
Pretty sad the school has decided to take us back to 1961, before the religious indoctrination of public school children was outlawed. This I would expect from private schools, not from public TAX PAYER FUNDED schools. I would ask: what will the RESPECT program do for students that do not practice religion? What of the students that practice a religion other than christianity? Does the school library have a copy of the Quran? Would the school board be so eager to bring in an organization that promotes the faith of other religion?
In conclusion: bringing the RESPECT program to USD329 is nothing less than an endorsement of christianity on behalf of the school board. I pity the students that have the misfortune to attend USD329 after this is implemented.
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Agree 100% with the above comment. The kids who are at more risk of having mental health issues are the ones who are already marginalized and this will further that exclusion. The website that Emma mentions in this article is very clearly Christian centered. We are a Christian family and are supportive of the idea of students learning about various world religions. The site teaches districts to promote Christianity in the public school setting without getting sued. We need funds to fix our schools, but the board wants our tax money to pay for this?
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