Polson School Board approves PCEA contract
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POLSON — Aftaer spending approximately an hour on a grievance hearing, Polson School Board trustees approved the Polson Classified Education aAssociation contract at their July 8 meeting. PCEA employees received a three percent raise and some contract language changes, including the district paying $80 for bus driver physicals instead of $75, sending bus drivers to a defensive drivers class in Lewistown every five years, instead of every 10 and including interpreters in the special license category.
Continuing their slog through the policies and procedures manual, trustees approved some on second reading and sent others on through the system after first reading.
One policy, 7320, was regarding purchasing. Using state law as their template, the board changed the amount from$50,000 to $80,000, which means that department heads may purchase items within their area if the total price is $80,000 or less, and the money is in their budget.
Technology and Personnel Director Carl Elliott was on the agenda to ask the board to approve a wireless network proposal. After trustees okayed the $80,000 cap, he could go ahead and hire Digital Communication Systems, Kalispell, to design, install, configure and set up a new wireless network.
Elliott said, “The wireless upgrade will provide us enterprise grade features that were necessary and provide us a way to centrally manage the system ... and allow load balancing.”
During Superintendent Linda Reksten’s comments, she announced the boardsmanship workshop for school board trustees will be Aug. 2 and will focus on goal setting.
Trustee John Kelly resigned from the school board. He has 72 hours to consider his resignation. If he still wants to resign, then the district will go about advertising for another board member.
In other business, the school board approved one out-of-district high school student and one out-of district elementary student to attend Polson schools for the 2013-14 school year.
Trustee Michaeal Leadercharge asked what the criteria were for accepting a student.
The three things a recommendation is based on are attendance, behavior and academics, according to retiring Polson Middle School Brian Adams and Director of Special Service Tim Berg.
The trustees also passed a motion to continuing leasing a warehouse at Eight 10th Avenue W. The district originally put $10,000 down on the building and paid $1,000 per month. With another $10,000 down, they will continue the lease. All the money will go towards purchasing the building, if the trustees decide to buy it.
Cherry Valley Principal Elaine Meeks lobbied for paraprofessionals for the seven kindergarten classes. None of the paraprofessionals will be full time so they won’t receive benefits.
Polson Classified Education Association
Representative Lynn Witts commented that Polson’s youngest learners are only getting part-time help. She suggested getting full time paraprofessionals in the kindergarten classes full time, with benefits.
“Let’s do what’s right for our kids,” Witts said.
After much discussion, school lunch prices were raised by 40 cents for grades K-8.
Trustee John Triolo said it was quite jump for lunches to go up 40 cents per day and might be hard for people struggling to make ends meet.
The board voted to purchase of a new bus for route 6, “the dirt route,” which goes out to Valley View.
Unpaved roads “eat rear engine buses,” Polson Transportation Services Director Michael Anderson said. Since the department had money in it’s budget, he recommended buying a heavy duty bus for use on the Valley View route.
The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Aug. 12 at the district boardroom, 111 Fourth
Ave. E.
