The Spickard R-2 Board of Education on August 16th set the tax rate and voted to deem school employees as essential.
The tax rate was set at $4.6604 per $100 of assessed valuation.
Deeming school employees essential means if an employee has a known COVID-19 exposure and does not exhibit symptoms, he or she may come to work wearing a mask for 14 days. The employee should get a PCR test at the three-to-five-day mark, and if the test is negative, he or she may resume normal activities. If the test is positive, or the employee begins exhibiting symptoms, he or she will be sent home for 10-day isolation.
If an employee is quarantined or becomes ill from a school exposure, sick days will not be deducted for him or her. If an employee is quarantined or becomes ill from an outside-of-school exposure, sick days must be used, and once they are exhausted, unpaid leave will be used.
Budget items were approved for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief 3. Twenty percent will address learning loss needs for students. There will also be a focus on improving technology in the building and implementing benchmark assessments to track student progress and plan remediations. Superintendent Erica Eakes reports Spickard R-2 is anticipated to receive $521,418 in ESSER 3 funds, but the money has not yet been released.
The board voted to keep substitute teacher pay at $85 per day, and Jasmine Allen was hired as a full-time paraprofessional.
The board approved student, faculty, and staff handbooks; the Positive Behavior Support Plan; a plan for an After School Specialized Tutoring Program to begin in October; and the Annual Secretary of the Board Report. School bus routes were approved and will remain the same as last year. The discipline policy will also remain the same.
The board adopted the model Special Education Local Compliance Plan from the state.
Building construction projects were reviewed. Carpet installation and epoxy floors have been completed. Half of the heating and cooling units have been installed. The playground fence has been repaired.
