At its meeting Tuesday evening, the Trenton R-9 Board of Education approved Superintendent Dan Wiebers’s request for approval of agreements made with Mullen Coughlin Law Firm and EPIQ Data Breach Services to assist those affected by the district’s W-2 data breach.
Wiebers reported that about 260 employees and previous employees were affected.He said internal changes have been made to better prevent something like the breach from happening again.
High school social studies teacher Vince Fender presented the Salary and Welfare Committee’s 2017-2018 salary proposal.
He said Trenton R-9’s base salary is $722 below average for the 16 schools in Missouri within 100 students of Trenton’s kindergarten through 12th-grade student population.
Fender proposed adding $250 to the base salary and $50 to each column to the right of a master’s degree, which would cost the district $25,750 as a whole.
This would make the starting salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree $31,250. Forty-four teachers would be affected by the adding of $50 to each column above a master’s degree. Fender also suggested $5,000 in salary for summer school teachers, which is an increase of $500. He said the summer school salary has not been increased for about 15 years.
Wiebers noted he anticipates an increase in the number of summer school students for this year because of incentives offered to students.
Other considerations from the Salary and Welfare Committee include additional one-time personal leave added for every five years of service, extra-duty schedule modifications, and planned deductions for faculty and staff on extended leave.
Fender said the planned deductions for things like maternity leave and illness would allow a portion of the money to be taken out of multiple paychecks rather than it be taken out all at once.
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education approved the 2017-2018 school calendar as presented by Rissler Elementary School Principal Jennie Boon for the Calendar Committee.
The first day for students next school year will be August 16th and the last day will be May 13th, 2018. The calendar includes makeup days.
The board approved the district receiving bids for tennis court resurfacing.Wiebers will present the bids at next month’s meeting.
The board also approved the renewal of the memorandum of understanding with the Grundy County Health Department for the use of school buildings in the event of public health emergencies.
Wiebers talked about Trenton R-9’s illness outbreak, which caused the district to let students out early from school January 18th and to close the school January 19th for disinfecting.
He said the schools only had 85% student attendance one day, and about half of the preschoolers were absent one day. More than 20 teachers were absent at one time as well. Wiebers said the canceled day of school will be made up May 18th.
Trenton High School Principal Ron Franklin presented information about agriculture, business, Family and Consumer Sciences, and vocational-technical students. He said high schoolers started businesses as part of one of their classes. All of the businesses made money.
Franklin also reported that there are more girls than boys in vocational-technical classes.
Wiebers presented the board an invitation from Trenton High School baseball coach Andy Hight to attend the Inaugural Trenton High School Varsity Baseball Game pre-game ceremonies the morning of Saturday, March 18th at 9:40.
Wiebers is expected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the team’s doubleheader that day.
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education will not need to hold an election April 4th because only Doug Franklin, Brandon Gibler, and Corey Leeper filed for the three position openings.
Board members will be sworn in at the school board meeting April 11th.
Middle school principal Daniel Gott recognized the February Honesty Students of the Month, Ron Franklin recognized Students of the Quarter, and Jennie Boon mentioned Lily Pyrtle received a $750 Walmart grant approved at last month’s board of education meeting.
Results of Executive Session
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education accepted resignations, approved contracts and salaries, and approved a modified proposal following its executive session Tuesday night.
The resignations accepted were for Rissler Elementary School Librarian Lily Pyrtle and Rissler Assistant Principal Whitney Olson.
The contracts for Director of Supportive Services Kris Ockenfels, High School Principal Ron Franklin, Middle and High School Assistant Principal Kasey Bailey, Middle School Principal Daniell Gott, and Rissler Principal Jennie Boon were approved for 2017-2018.
The board approved salaries for 2017-2018 for Kasey Bailey of $60,528, Jennie Boon of $73,944, Daniel Gott of $68,640, Ron Franklin of $77,688, Kris Ockenfels of $83,304, and Dan Wiebers of $104,520.
The school board also approved the modified proposal for submitting senior pictures for the yearbook.
