Centre budget, contracts approved

Teacher salaries are headed up and taxes down after action taken by Centre school board at its Aug. 1 meeting.

The board approved a proposed budget of almost three mills less than the previous year. Proposed general fund spending authority is $2,922,191, about $269,000 less than last year’s actual expenditures.

The district paid off its bond debt in July. This eliminated the bond and interest levy and allowed an increase in capital outlay and local option budget levies while maintaining a tax cut.

A public hearing on the budget will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 22 in the school library.

The board approved a negotiated teacher contract that includes a prescription drug plan for the first time. The contract also provides a 2 percent pay increase across the board.

Two letters were received from unnamed volunteers for the board to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Clay Simons. No action was taken because member Anita Svoboda was absent.

Sherri Pankratz, who attended part of the meeting, said later that she had sent one of the letters and that Sabrina Shields also had volunteered.

Board member Mark Heiser said after the meeting that the board could opt not to fill the vacancy but probably would do so at some point.

The board hired James Beeson as bus driver and Stephanie Allen as English teacher. Cindy Wyatt was hired as a teacher consultant one hour a day for six weeks.

Haizea Diego of Spain was approved as a foreign exchange student. His host family will be the Tony Hett family.