Budget, book fees, alternative school highlight school board meeting
Taxes take a slight hike
By SUSAN MARSHALL
News editor
Peabody-Burns USD #398 board of education members covered issues pertinent to the beginning of another school year July 9 at the regular meeting.
The budget (published elsewhere in this issue of the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin) was approved for publication on a unanimous vote. There will be slight increase in taxes by the school board with the mill levy going up "about one mill," according to new Peabody-Burns superintendent Rex Watson.
The budget hearing for the school district will be at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 13 in the central office.
A cost saving measure for parents also was approved unanimously. Each district family has received an application for free or reduced lunches.
The board is asking all parents to fill out the application whether or not they think they will qualify. The families filling out the form will then be exempt from student book fees, more than $30 per student, for the coming school year.
Watson said of this plan, "Students who qualify for free or reduced lunches are counted in a formula that means an additional $1,600 per student in state aid.
"The board thinks this plan to exempt families from book fees for simply filling out the form will pay off in the long run because additional qualifying students will be identified."
Only one form needs to be filled out per family and the information, returned to the central office, will be kept strictly confidential. Also, qualifying families may opt out of participating in the free or reduced lunch plan if they wish.
Peabody-Burns Success Center
Board members discussed the alternative program for "at risk" students and the district's plan to put the program in the house at 803 Sycamore. (The district purchased the structure from Nellie Schmidt this past spring for $22,000 for use as an alternative learning program.)
Watson shared structural concerns about the house with the board. He recommended utilities be disconnected and bids accepted to demolish the building at 803 Sycamore.
Following discussion of classroom sizes and room availability, Watson recommended the program be housed for 2007-08, in a classroom at the southwest corner of the junior/senior high school building.
Board members selected the name "Peabody-Burns Success Center" as the title for the alternative program. It will address academic issues rather than behavioral problems or special education designations. The success center will help students get back on track if their education has been interrupted or if they have problems which could derail their learning in the future.
In other business the board:
— re-elected Doe Ann Hague president of the board and elected Gary Jones vice president.
— handled resolutions, authorizations, and board appointments consistent with the beginning of the school year. Appointments include: Rex Watson, superintendent; Sharlene Brooks, clerk of the board; Patti Gaines, treasurer of the board; Marion County Special Education Cooperative representative, Doe Ann Hague; TEEN representative, Brian McDowell; board investment committee, Gary Jones; KASB policy manual review board, Rhonda Loucks, Watson, Ken Parry, and Tim Robertson.
Approved were the classified handbook and resolutions establishing meeting dates, times, and places, waiver of requirements for generally accepted accounting principles, the school calendar in terms of hours, Home Rule, and petty cash fund and debit card limits.
The board approved authorizing early payment of claims, rescinding policy statements from the 2006-07 minutes and adopting the policy manual or written statements, authorizing the destruction of records, and accepting a bid from Hiland Dairy Foods for milk products.
— approved for 2007-08 school year hiring Marjorie Morgan as part-time nurse, Cindy Sattler as math strategies teacher, and Beth Eldridge, Connie Omstead, Jim Pohlman, and Lorrie Reynolds as substitute teachers.
— tabled until the August meeting a decision on the criteria for national trips.
— was reminded to review and update their individual statements of substantial interest.
— voted to reject the McPherson/Marion County Head Start transportation agreement.
— agreed to provide lunch for all day substitute teachers in addition to salary.
— approved the physical education uniform proposal, increasing the district mileage reimbursement rate to $0.485 per mile, having the annual board/staff picnic catered, and declaring the old junior high athletic lockers declared surplus property to be sold by sealed bid.
— entered two executive sessions for a total of 15 minutes to discuss the acquisition of real property. The superintendent remained in the executive session. No action was taken on return to open session.
— entered four executive sessions for a total of 30 minutes for the purpose of discussing personnel matters. The superintendent remained in the executive sessions. On return to open meeting the board agreed 6-1 to offer the boys' head basketball coaching position to Roger O'Neal and the boys' assistant basketball coaching position to Brian Simmonds. Both positions are for the 2007-08 school year.
