| Levy
request set at $209,000
The school board decided to try for a $209,000 override levy at their regular April meeting Monday, April 17. Superintendent Stan Kress said he tried to get it under $200,000 but the numbers just wouldn’t crunch that far. As it is he cut 10% off the already trimmed supplies budget. The override request is $30,000 less than last year and $54,000 less than it was two years ago. The levy election will be Tuesday, May 16. On that same date Kelli Bruner will be seeking election to represent Trustee Zone #5. She was appointed to that position to fill out the term of Steve Frei after he moved out of the district. As of yet she is unopposed. The filing deadline has passed but you can still file as a write-in until May 2. If no write-in candidates file, Bruner will be declared elected. The board will have a question and answer session prior to their next board meeting, which would be the day before the election. They will convene at 6:30 p.m. at the District office and answer any questions patrons would have on the levy. In other business and area of concern came up during the state’s transportation review. Apparently in busing Summit students the district may be violating a state statute on how much Summit is charged for the service. According to the person who conducted the transportation review the district must be reimbursed full cost in transporting any private school students. Currently the district assesses Summit $1 per year only because they knew they had to charge them something. Board chairman John Nida asked for some figures on what this would actually amount to. Kress said current costs are $1.88 per mile per bus but didn’t have a breakdown on actual per student costs. Currently the district has Summit students come to a current stop and only those buses that go by the Academy actually stop there to let students off. Others are picked up from the Middle School. Nida stated that they don’t want to make this difficult but “we have to follow state statutes.” A possible penalty of not following the statute is the loss of state funding for transportation. State funding covers 85% of all transportation costs – fuel, maintenance and cost of buses. Adeline Lustig put on a program for the board. She is Prairie High School’s Idaho County Intern. One representative from each of the 4 high schools in the county has an intern. County Commissioner Jim Rehder said one of his goals as commissioner was to get youth involvement in county government. The interns attend city council meetings and report back to the commissioners as well as work on projects. Projects they worked on the first semester were the county’s solid waste problems, a slide show and brochure about the county and a report on meth in the county. This semester Lustig said she is working on a voter pamphlet which would give information on where and how to register and what elections you can vote in. Rehder commented that the students did a great job. On the solid waste report he said they interviewed people from both sides of the issue and were able to compile the information into a report most anyone could understand. Contracts were approved for the three principals. The board decided to renew them for 2 years each. Report cards were presented from each building to the board. These show such information as test score results, parental involvement, the school’s mission and other information. Final versions for the year will be sent home with the students. In administrative reports Greg Diess reported there will be a science fair at the Elementary on May 3. The Elementary spring concert has been set for May 11. He reported the steelhead are doing well as they’ve lost only 2 of the 100 or so they started with. They will be released in Lawyer’s Creek sometime in May. Rene’ Forsmann reported attendance was lower at the parent-teacher conferences. She’s working on some ideas for next year. She reported the chocolate sale went well with about $4500 raised. They used some of the money for new track uniforms with basketball uniforms being eyed for next year. On April 7 U of I music students held a clinic with the middle school band. On April 11 they had Joan Renshaw in to talk about Myspace.com and she made the students be aware of the predators out there on the net. On April 12 the junior high band attended a festival in Moscow and will know soon how well they did. On the 25th the 8th graders will be visiting the fish hatchery at Orofino. There first track meet is scheduled for the 18th. Dave Snodgrass reported they had a Shakespearean production of “The Tempest” presented on April 12. They will be at a music festival in Lewiston on the 26th. Prom is the 29th and decoration work will start this weekend. The high school spring concert is set for May 16. Kress reported that a negotiations meeting has been set for May 10. He also reported the State Dept. of Education’s post legislative report will be April 27 at Lewiston. He also presented a first draft of a wellness policy to the board. This policy is required by federal law. Bids for new middle school gym bleachers will be opened on May 9. At least one board member will be in attendance at the opening with the board giving go-ahead to Kress to use his discretion on awarding the bid. They also discussed what to do with the old bleachers. Roy Schumacher suggested putting the boards into the Consignment Auction. It was also suggested to look into selling the boards to other schools that still use wooden bleachers. The board adjourned to an executive session at 8:45 p.m. The next board meeting will be Monday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. They will also meet the following night to canvass votes in the levy and trustee elections. |
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