The Staples Motley School Board completed two major tasks at their Dec. 21 meeting - setting the 2009 tax levy and approving a contract with the teachers.

Taxpayers in the district can expect a 6.51 percent increase in the school portion of their taxes in 2010.

Business Manager Bob Hamann originally presented two options to the board; one with a 9.54 percent increase and one with a 8.65 percent increase. The difference was in which of the discretionary levies were included.

The board opted for a third option which removed all but two of the discretionary levies. A discretionary levy is one that can be removed without jeopardizing other revenue sources. However, if the services paid for by the discretionary levy is still required or requested, the money will have to come out of the general fund.

The discretionary levies included:

o $60,835.63 for career and technical education,

o $89,074.71 for lease of facilities for programs, such as the Staples Community Center and The Vintage golf course,

o $35,810 for mandated health and safety projects,

o $170,270 for previous health and safety projects,

o $12,160.59 for tree growth on school-owned property.

The third option which raises the taxes 6.51 percent removed all but the career and technical levy and the tree growth levy.

“What we don’t levy for has to come out of the general fund,” Chad Longbella said. “We can’t do it for years and years, but maybe for one year.”

As the board discussed the options, Roy DiGiovanni asked if an item wasn’t included in this year’s levy, “could we levy next year?”

The career and technical education was grandfathered in, Hamann replied, and so that option would be lost if they didn’t levy for it this year.

“That percentage increase is really tough, not only on businesses but everywhere,” DiGiovanni said, referring to the 8.65 percent option.

Barb Schmitt commented on the valuation changes, that market values on property have increased.

Ken Swecker asked if the district receives more money with the higher valuations.

“No,” Hamann said. “What happens is that local

taxpayers pay a larger portion.” Because of equalization the state will pay a lower portion.

Mary Freeman noted that the health and safety money is needed to meet mandated codes and that special education costs keep rising. “Our graduating classes are larger than our entering classes.”

“Any other areas you recommend that we can cut?” asked Schmitt.

“What’s left here is pretty limited,” Hamann replied.

Schmitt noted that the district has a fund balance now, “so we can do this, but we’re looking at some future problems.”

Teacher contract

Teachers will see a raise of six-tenths of a percent during this first year, the 2009-10 school year. For the 2010-11 school year the raise is an additional 1.7 percent.

The school board’s approval is contingent on approval by the Staples Motley Education Association, the teacher’s union.

Schmitt reported that no changes were made to the health insurance benefit so any increase in health insurance costs over the $6,900 per year paid by the district will be paid by the staff member.

With the approval of this contract a first-year teacher with no additional credits over a bachelors degree started with a salary of $30,521 this year. Next year that salary will be $31,050.

A teacher at the top of the salary schedule with either a masters degree plus 45 credits or a bachelors with 120 credits and 11 years of experience makes $55,677 this year and $56,642 next year.

Longbella had a question about a language change dealing with severance packages. Superintendent Mark Schmitz said the intent was to clean up the language and he would look into the matter.

Schmitt noted that board members who have an interest in the contract, either personally or because of a family member, must abstain from the voting. DiGiovanni, Freeman and Paul Anderson abstained. Freeman is employed by the district and the wives of Anderson and DiGiovanni are teachers.

The other three board members voted in favor of the contract and so it passed.

In other business the board:

o APPROVED a retirement request from Dean Ogg, high school principal, effective Sept. 29, 2010, but with his last working day of June 30, 2010.

o ACCEPTED Cindy Zetah’s resignation as a special education paraprofessional at the middle school.

o APPROVED custodial contracts for Brian Miller at the Motley building and for Margaret Fisher and Mark Wonders at the high school.

o APPROVED a special education assistant contract for Amber Houselog at Staples Elementary.