GTAs, KU to resume mediation talks in May

Mediation that began Thursday between Kansas University and the Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition will continue in late spring.

University and coalition representatives met with a federal mediator for five hours Thursday before agreeing to resume mediation in May.

Although both sides participated in the mediation process, university spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said talks were postponed, in part, because consequences of the state’s fiscal crisis and its effect on the university’s budget will be clearer in May.

The Board of Regents is expected to set tuition for the state’s six regents universities then.

The university and the coalition in September 2000 began negotiating a new three-year contract. In December 2001, both sides agreed to declare an impasse on two articles regarding salary and benefits. The negotiations then moved to the mediation process under direction from the Public Employees Relations Board.

Transportation: Budget woes could derail Lawrence Amtrak service

Amtrak’s financial problems are causing staff cuts at its stations in Topeka and Newton and could completely derail service to Lawrence by next fall.

Continued service in Lawrence beyond Oct. 1 could depend on whether Amtrak gets a $1.2 billion federal appropriation, Amtrak officials said.

The subsidy is needed to keep unprofitable long-distance service from being eliminated, Amtrak President and CEO Jeff Warrington said.

Lawrence is considered to be on a long-distance service route, and all long-distance routes are unprofitable, said Kevin Johnson, Amtrak spokesman in Chicago.

If service is discontinued, a legal notification is required by March 29.

The Amtrak train Southwest Chief travels a route from Chicago to Kansas City, Mo., Lawrence and on to Los Angeles.

Amtrak is eliminating one staff member each at its Topeka and Newton stations, Johnson said. Lawrence’s station is unstaffed.

Education: German-language students to compete at KU events

More than 300 high school students will be at Kansas University Saturday to compete in German-language competitions.

“Schuelerkongress” Â which translates to “student congress” Â is sponsored by the Kansas Association of Teachers of German and will begin at 9 a.m. at Wescoe Hall.

Competitions include poetry recitations, prose reading, spelling, cultural tests and oral proficiency. An awards ceremony will follow the competitions at 1:30 p.m.

Introductions: Schools announce dates for Kindergarten Roundups

It’s time for Kindergarten Roundup, a program offering Lawrence parents and their children an introduction to elementary school.

Roundups begin Monday at East Heights School and end May 10 at Sunflower School.

Sessions are used to enroll kindergarten-age students  children who are 5 years old by Aug. 31, 2002  and give those youngsters a chance to visit a classroom.

Parents receive a briefing on details of academic life in the public school system and have an opportunity to have questions answered.

Here’s the schedule: East Heights, Monday; Cordley, March 13; Quail Run, April 4-5; New York, April 5; Broken Arrow and Langston Hughes, April 8; Sunset Hill and Woodlawn, April 9; Riverside, April 11; Schwegler, April 11-12; Pinckney, April 12; Prairie Park, April 16; Hillcrest, April 18; Deerfield, April 18-19; Kennedy, April 19; Wakarusa Valley and Centennial, April 25; Sunflower, May 9-10.

Contact neighborhood schools for roundup times.