NEW BLOOMFIELD - The New Bloomfield R-3 School District Board of Education on Thursday approved holding the district's 2021-22 tax rate hearing.
The hearing will be 6 p.m. Aug. 19, prior to the start of the board's regular meeting in the Central Office meeting room. It gives citizens the opportunity to address the board with any concerns regarding the proposed tax rate.
Board members also approved the district's agreement with Kelly Services for the 2021-22 school year, the classified salary schedule, the elementary librarian job description and the revised agreement with the Special Learning Center for occupational, physical and speech therapy.
The board was given a presentation on the Model School Conference. Nine faculty members attended the school's first national conference at the end of June. The conference was full of ideas, thoughts and programs other states have been using. Members who attended will be sharing the information and skills they learned with the rest of the staff.
Superintendent Sarah Wisdom gave an update on the budget and different conferences the school will be participating in.
"We have finished the '20-21 school year with a positive budget," said Wisdom, "putting us in a solid place financially for the '21-22 year."
The school district has been asked to present on Monday Academy at the DESE-Federal Programs Conference. The conference will take place Nov. 15-16.
"I will be taking a teacher this time to talk about their experience, as well as a building-level admin," Wisdom said.
District members also plan to attend the MARE Conference on Oct. 20-21.
Wisdom then showed the board the updates to the district's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan, where items have either been ordered or delivered. For technology improvements, the district ordered 250 new Chromebooks to replace some older models, and for instructional improvements, a full-time Parent as Teacher was chosen, welding jackets and safety glasses have been delivered and welding helmets have been ordered. The plan also mentions facilities updates such as concrete for the square behind home plate for softball and the outdoor classroom.
As far as summer projects, the roofing project is complete and a last walk-through will done Monday. The paving project has been delayed due to weather conditions. The work group the board created consisting of members Craig Abbott, Gina Clark and Josh Woods met with Wisdom and contractors, and decided that a new concession building for $521,208 would be the best option in the long term.
The Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service Plan that the board approved in June is posted on the school district's website.
"The CDC came out with brand-new guidelines last Friday for school districts," Wisdom said. "The overall changes are it went from 6 feet down to 3 feet being by an exposed person before you quarantine, no quarantine if vaccinated, and if both people were wearing masks they don't need to quarantine."