Board reviews district divisions and representation changes

By SUSAN MARSHALL

Staff Writer

Early in the regularly scheduled August meeting of USD 398 board of education, board members interviewed three applicants for the position recently vacated by Brian McDowell. Terril Eberhard, Jon Gard, and Roger O’Neal all had applied for the district #2 slot that has been empty since June.

Board members voted by naming the preferred candidate on a ballot. Following review of the ballots Duke Eldridge made a motion, seconded by Tony Zappone, to appoint Eberhard to the position.

A unanimous vote was cast for Eberhard, who then was sworn in by district clerk Sharlene Brooks.

On a related agenda item, Superintendent Rex Watson reviewed the current method of electing board members, the current voting plan, the current census population laws for district boundaries, and a resolution to change the method of electing members to the school board.

The board took no action on the issue.

The budget for the 2008-09 school year was approved at $6,368,748. The amount represents slightly more than a mill increase over last year’s budget.

In other business the board:

• entered into two 10-minute executive sessions for the purpose of discussing personnel. On return to open meeting a unanimous vote was cast to offer a contract to teach fifth grade to Debra Tyson. A last minute spike in enrollment numbers at the fifth grade level created the need for an additional class.
• heard from Watson about the After School Adventure program including current grant status, parent-student needs, proposed activities, and proposed fees. After discussion, the board approved the ASA program and agreed to offer Beth Peter the job as ASA aide for the 2008-09 school year.
• heard from a review by Watson about increased use of the central office copier to produce a district newsletter, outside printing costs if the newsletter is not done in-house, and the cost of a new copier. Board members approved the purchase of a new copier.
• approved revisions to the 2008-09 school calendar to accommodate parent-teacher conference schedules at the end of the first nine weeks. Conferences were moved to Oct. 27 and 28.
• heard from FFA president Christopher Brooks and adviser Glenn Bechtel about preliminary plans to attend the national convention in Indiana, Oct. 21-25.
• reviewed procedures and established a timeline for evaluating the superintendent and set 9 a.m. Oct 8 as the date of a special meeting to evaluate Watson.
• reviewed and approved a five-year interlocal agreement with ESSDACK beginning July 1, 2009.
• rejected all current bids for the sale of the 1994 Suburban and agreed to re-run the classified ads to sell the vehicle.
• approved supplemental assignment job offering to Sheri Lewis as assistant junior high volleyball coach, accepted the resignation, effective immediately, of Katie Phillips as assistant junior high girls’ basketball coach, approved emergency substitute certificates for the 2008-09 school year for Robin Mesecher, Connie Omstead, and Richard Wright, and emergency substitute licenses for Beth Eldridge, Mario Nava, Marjorie Richardson, and Jerold Smith.
• agreed to commit $100 to assist with the “Teacher Recruitment Statewide Image and Promotion” campaign.
• approved allowable moving expenses up to $1,500 with receipts for high school principal Tim Robertson, based on a review of Robertson’s 2007-08 contract.
• appointed Rhonda Loucks and Julia Ensminger to the 2009-10 negotiating team.
• agreed to support the Peabody Fire Cadet program.