Staff writer
Depending on information Superintendent Ron Traxon receives at state budget meetings today, Peabody-Burns is hoping to drop its levy by a few mills this year.
“We have done a good job of sticking to our five-year plan for facility equipment upgrades, and it looks like we will be saving quite a bit on operation costs,” Traxson said. “Even the new high school building is now 20 years old, and technology has changed the way we heat and cool our buildings, light them, and secure them. The oldest heating and air unit is the original unit at PBES, and it was built in the 1970s.”
Traxson said the board was looking to offer significant pay increases for teachers once infrastructure upgrades are complete.
“We have given small increases the past few years, but we feel we will be at apoint where we can offer a substantial increase,” he said. “At least that is our intent. Our teachers haven’t had a decent raise in the five years I have been here. The state creates the formula for salaries, and we will have to wait and see how they structure it.”
In other business at Monday night’s board meeting,
- The board unanimously re-elected president Julia Ensminger and vice president Terry Eberhard. Traxson, clerk Lisa Hodges, and treasurer Stephanie Winter were reappointed.
- Meeting dates, early payment of claims, authorization of destruction of records, and other “housekeeping” issues were approved.
- The board reviewed a first reading of proposed charges to outside organizations renting space in Peabody-Burns.
- Board members went into two executive sessions to review Marion County Special Education Cooperative minutes and to discuss acquisition of property. No actions taken.