Spoiled meat and a new bus top Hume School Board agenda

Nevada Daily Mail

In a regular, scheduled meeting Wednesday evening, Superintendent David Quick told the school board that the district needs to start looking for a replacement school bus, and the senior class has lost $400 of meat due to an electrical outage.

According to Quick, bus No. 2 is having frequent mechanical issues and needs to be replaced. He recommended that the board consider purchasing a 65-passenger school bus that would replace bus No. 2. The cost of maintaining bus No. 2 has become too high. There was discussion on whether or not gasoline powered busses could be purchased in order to avoid some of the mechanical problems being experienced by current users of diesel exhaust fluid equipped diesel vehicles.

Also discussed was a petition to the school board by the senior class asking for reimbursement of $400 of lost meat that spoiled when a breaker tripped that supplied power to the freezer the meat was in. There was discussion on whether the board should reimburse the senior class in part or in whole for the loss. A board member said, "I don't think they should have to eat the whole thing" in regards to the senior class covering at least part of the cost of the lost meat.

Quick noted that the district does not charge the senior class for substitute teachers that are required while the senior class is in Florida on their class trip. Substitute teachers are paid at a rate of $80 per day and the senior class will be gone for five school days. The district must hire two substitutes for each day the seniors are gone. Total costs for substitutes would be $800. Additionally, the district does not charge the senior class for the cost of the bus ride to and from the airport. Quick suggested that the district split the cost of the lost meat evenly with the senior class.

Quick told the board that a new paraprofessional has been appointed for a special needs student that enrolled before Christmas.

Quick has received comments on how dark the student parking lot is. In order for KCP&L to install a streetlight, a meter would also have to be installed and the district would be billed for the electricity used by the light or lights. Quick said that a solar powered light would cost $500-$700 plus installation. The board decided to ask the city about having a street light installed. The city would then be responsible for the electrical costs.

No Child Left Behind standards are being replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The ESSA returns a large amount of decision making back to the states and local school boards from the federal government. Federal regulations still require students be tested in math, science, language arts, and social studies. This program should be in place by 2017 or '18.

The shop building needs several windows either repaired or replaced. Several options were presented including repairing the large windows that are currently there, or replacing the large windows with smaller windows and closing in part of the opening in order to reduce utility costs. Quick said he would obtain estimates on both options.

A sealed bid for surplus equipment was opened and read. The board voted to accept the bid of $60 from Tyler Swarens for a surplus drill press.

Following a closed session, the board approved rehiring David Quick for one year with no change in pay. The board approved hiring an additional person as an assistant superintendent/principal.