USD 234’s health insurance carrier has proposed raising the district’s rates 53%, Assistant Superintendent Terry Mayfield told the Board of Education on Oct. 12. “That’s just not doable,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield said the proposed increase from Blue Cross Blue Shield follows a very bad claims year, with a 140% loss ratio. The district’s benefits committee met the week before the meeting. Early proposals from a couple of other carriers showed no real difference, Mayfield said, but more quotes are coming, and the district hopes a competitive one will lead Blue Cross to “sharpen their pencil up a little bit.”
Mayfield said the options include changing plan designs, such as raising deductibles, and using part of the district’s health insurance reserve to buy the increase down, though the district has to keep a comfortable amount in reserve. Having employees take on part of the increase was also raised. Asked during the discussion, a district official confirmed that most employee-only plans now cost employees nothing. “If we could get down to probably a 15 to 20% increase based on what our claims loss was last year, I’d feel pretty good about that, even though that’s pretty painful,” Mayfield said. Recommendations are expected at the board’s November meeting.
The district published its own recap of the meeting, including the personnel report, on Oct. 13. This story covers the discussion in more detail.
Preschool building: plans, then bids
The board heard an update on the long-running remodel of the district’s preschool building, which staff said will be a standing monthly agenda item. The presenter said the architects at Hyde-Jackson need about two more weeks to finish the plans. Bid packages, a walk-through for the board and bids would follow. Totaled up during the discussion, that is about six to seven weeks until bids are in, and the presenter said the timeline includes the playground.
Storage spaces the presenter tried to add would have meant going back to the state for review and risked a delay, so they were pulled from the plans and may come back later as a change order. The presenter called the most technical part of the job the shoring posts now holding up the building, which sit exactly where new footings have to go. The playground will likely have to be raised rather than dug down, because the equipment’s footings are at grade.
The presenter also plans to bid new steel siding for the building and recommended at least getting quotes to replace the worn south-facing roof slopes, with a possible standing-seam metal roof priced against asphalt. No decision was made. Photos showed granules gone from those shingles and at least one spot worn all the way through. “What’s the point in decking everything out on the inside?” one speaker asked, saying the roof seemed more important.
Special education aid, naming policy
Special Education Director Tonya Barnes said the special education categorical aid amount has declined since the 2022-23 school year, and Barnes is pressing the state to hold this year’s projection. Barnes said catastrophic aid and then transportation costs come out of the special education pool before categorical aid is figured, and fuel costs are up. “I’m polite and I’m professional, but I’m not quiet,” Barnes said.
The board also discussed Board Policy FC, last approved in 2015, under which a district facility cannot be named after a person until about 10 years after the person’s death. The discussion leaned toward amending it, and the superintendent will contact other districts and bring recommendations to a future meeting. No vote was taken.
Other business
- The board approved its agreement with the KASB Legal Assistance Fund, at an annual fee of $3,100.
- The board approved buying a 2023 Chrysler Voyager with about 55,000 miles from Bourbon County Cars. The van was priced at $24,000; the motion as read was for $24,001. It is the second of two vehicles the district set out to add, after a Chevrolet Malibu last month, and replaces old cars, some of them 30 years old or more.
- The board approved its annual memorandum of understanding with Head Start.
- Superintendent Zach Johnson said the last of four strategic planning sessions is Oct. 29, 5 to 8 p.m., in the high school commons, and asked people to take the district’s survey. The district is aiming for a comprehensive plan around January.
- Mayfield said demolition of the wrestling facility’s old bleachers was nearly finished, plumbing work had begun, and the facility is expected to be ready for the wrestling season. Mayfield’s operations report showed almost 32,000 meals served in September.
- Officer Garrett and Officer John Carpenter, the Fort Scott Police Department’s school resource officers for the district, described their work, including ALICE safety training for staff. New technology director Stephen Dunning was introduced on the first day of the job, and Kevin Flanner said the JAG-K program is full at 60 students.
The board met in executive session for legal and personnel matters, then approved the personnel report. The board’s November meeting is Nov. 9.