Budget, health insurance discussed during Davis' first B.O.E. meeting
The first Royal Valley Board of Education meeting with new Superintendent Aaric Davis at the helm was business as usual, as the board approved health insurance plans for employees and reviewed the final budget report for the 2015-2016 school year.
A teacher salary negotiations meeting with employee representatives was held last week to discuss health insurance plan options for the coming school year, Davis said, and the board of education agreed to offer four health insurance plans through Lifestyle Health Plans.
The four options include base deductibles ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 depending whether the employee has a single or family plan. The monthly premiums start at $534.18 and increase to $1,764.19 based on the type of plan selected, it was reported.
The plans also include some prescription coverage benefits.
The plans will still need to be ratified by the teachers to determine what costs the district will be covering, it was reported.
Davis also outlined the final 2015-2016 budget and noted that final transfers of funds were made to several accounts.
A total of $36,129 was transferred into capital outlay, $30,000 was transferred into special education and $15,000 into the contingency fund.
The board agreed to set a special board meeting for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 25, to discuss a proposed budget for the 2016-2017 school year and approve it for publication in The Holton Recorder.
In other business, the board:
* Elected Cindy Broxterman as board president, and Linda Hegemann as vice president.
* Approved consent items.
* Set meeting times and dates for 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of August, January, March, April and June at the district office in Mayetta.
The board will meet only on the second Monday during the months of September, October, November, December, May and July. The February meeting will be held on the third Monday of the month.
* Designated Denise Murray as clerk of the board, Susan Pfrang as deputy clerk and Sherri Schulte as treasurer and public information officer.
* Designated board member Boone Smith as governmental relations representative for the 2016-2017 school year.
* Reviewed the board of education agenda timeline. Davis said that during his first year as superintendent, he will need to be evaluated by the board twice, once in fall and once in the winter.
* Adopted the board of education goals for 2016-2017 school year, which are the same as the previous year.
* Approved a request with a 4-3 vote to allow the middle school cheerleaders to alter the school logo slightly for a cancer benefit in October.
When the new logo was trademarked in 2014, the board approved a set of guidelines for using the logo, and the cheerleaders’ request did not meet those guidelines.
* Learned from Davis that a steamer unit in the high school kitchen is in need of repair or replacement. The equipment has a steam generator underneath it that heats a double steamer oven. A kettle is also attached to the unit to heat liquids.
Davis said that the equipment was leaking water at the end of the school year, and it was determined that parts of the machine were corroded inside.
Davis and staff have looked at several options to fix the issue. One option would be to replace just the steam generator and install it in the high school basement next to the ice machine and then pump that steam into the existing piece of equipment. The estimate for that purchase is between $10,000 to $11,000. To replace the equipment entirely, Davis said the items would cost about $32,000.
Board member Jim O’Toole expressed his concern with fire codes and safety issues related to installing a steam generator in the basement.
Davis said the piece of equipment could be more than 40 years old. He said he will continue to research the matter and update the board at its next meeting.
* Designated Denison State Bank as the district’s official depository, The Holton Recorder as the official newspaper, Michael Unrein as the district’s official attorney, Davis as the authorized representative for federal and state programs, Denise Murray as the KPERS representative, the building principals as truancy officers, Susan Pfrang, Katie Petesch and Paula Henry as school lunch determining officers and Davis as the school lunch hearing officer.
KASB Legal Services was designated as the nondiscrimination compliance officer. The board also adopted the 1,116-hour calendar.
* Approved a motion to rescind policy actions of the previous year and to adopt all current written policies.
* Approved resolutions to establish petty cash funds for each school office with a $750 limit, as well as petty cash funds for the district office with a $1,500 limit.
* Approved a motion to pay the district’s bills before the first board meeting of the month to avoid late payment charges.
* Adopted a resolution to approve the GAAP Waiver of financial accounting practices for 2016-2017.
* Approved a resolution authorizing the destruction of certain district and school records as per state regulations.
* Approved a resolution to establish school activity funds accounts for each school.
* Met in executive session for 10 minute to discuss non-elected personnel and teacher salary negotiations with Davis and Susan Pfrang, director of curriculum and instruction.
Back in open session, the board approved an employment contract for Ken Geisler as the new district maintenance supervisor and to Mara Winter as the middle school assistant volleyball coach.
The board also agreed to withdraw the contract offered to Maycee Howe as the high school assistant volleyball coach.
Two resignations were also accepted from Jamie McKinsey as the middle school assistant volleyball coach, and Callie Hainline as a Early Childhood Center paraprofessional.
* Adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m. All board members were present except Linda Hegemann, who participated in the majority of the meeting via speakerphone.
