R-5 school board members begin new terms

Friday, April 14, 2006

During a regular meeting Wednesday night, the Nevada R-5 school board welcomed back two members re-elected to seats on the board on April 4.

Nevada R-5 Superintendent Dr. Ted Davis presided over reviewing the certified election results for the recent school board election. Dr. Warren C. Lovinger, and Chris Ellis, both veteran board members, were the victors in the race.

The certified tally for the election was: Sam DeLaney, 313; Norlene Hillier, 790; Warren C. Lovinger, 1,207; Chris Ellis, 1,210.

Lovinger and Ellis were administered the oath of office by board secretary Lori Atkinson. Scott Kennedy was elected board president and Joy Hawks was elected vice-president, both by acclimation. Lori Atkinson remains as board secretary and Rhonda Rowland as board treasurer.

A veteran of 32 years in the classroom, first grade teacher Mary Love Guthrie, was honored as Teacher of the Year. Davis lauded Guthrie's career and dedication and noted that she had spent all 32 of those years not only teaching the same grade but in the same classroom. Davis said Guthrie is a better teacher now than she had ever been, and she was a great teacher before.

"Mary Love is a wonder," Davis said. "She has been a life-changer and a model teacher for each of those years."

Davis also congratulated all of the teachers who had been nominated; Mary Culbertson, Erica Gayman, Marcy Pritchett, and Kim Rogers.

The board approved an amended 2005-'06 budget. Davis said he tried to make the budget as realistic as possible but there was no way to really know, until all of the figures were in, how accurate budget predictions had been.

"There is always a tendency to underestimate revenues and overestimate expenditures," Davis said. "We should end the year in the positive with a balance of just over 20 percent of our annual expenditures."

The board discussed the Lights on After School program with Davis and questioned whether it is accomplishing its goals.

"If attendance were the single indicator of the program we would say that we have had a tremendous success," Davis said. "The teachers and principals can cite many examples of student achievement and of student successes in this program."

Davis said the only problem, a minor one, is that with the change in the foundation formula the program might not be funded to the extent it currently is, since it would be funded under the new foundation formula and each year the percentage changes.

"Next year the program will be funded 15 percent under the new foundation formula and 85 percent under the old one," Davis said. "The year after that it will be 30 percent, and the next more and more as each year passes."

The board also approved the three-year technology plan presented by Assistant Superintendent Christi Peterson. The plan provides a way for the district to utilize technology wisely.

"We used to do this every five years," Peterson said. "

We would come in after four or four and a half years and look at the plan to update it and it was laughable. We'd look at some of the plans and we wouldn't even be using that technology any more."

The board evaluated bids for the districts health insurance from four different providers. Each provider gave at least two options with Blue Cross Blue Shield, the district's current insurer providing three.

Humana offered the best premium but each of its plans had a tiered prescription drug co-pay that featured a fourth tier the other plans didn't.

The first three were the same type as others with three specified amounts of co-pay with the fourth being defined as 25 percent of the cost of the prescription. Davis said that at least one employee had a prescription that cost $3,000 a month, with the employee paying the maximum co-pay of $60.

"It's a life-saving drug," Davis said. "Under this plan they would be paying $750 a month just for this one prescription. It would be a real hardship."

After evaluating all of the plans the board voted to accept one of the three Blue Cross Blue Shield plans that increased the deductible and the maximum out -of-pocket expense.

The plan includes an option for the employee to retain the old coverage by paying an additional $25 a month.

In other business the board:

* Accepted a bid from Blevins Asphalt Service to pave two unimproved parking lots, one near the high school and one near Bryan Elementary.

* Approved an agreement with the Osage Prairie YMCA to use their pool when it is built.

* Moved to send a letter of thanks to the district's bus mechanics for their work. Recently Rick Praisewater saved the district several thousand dollars by rebuilding a diesel engine that was leaking oil.

* Heard of two initiative petitions currently in the legislature that could negatively impact public school funding.

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