By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

Hays USD 489 has set a special meeting for 6:45 p.m. Monday to hear from candidates for a vacant board seat and vote on a proposed change in its health insurance provider.

Four candidates have submitted applications to fill a seat vacated by Sarah Rankin, who moved out of state. There is a little more than two years left on Rankin’s term.

The candidates include Tina Zimmerman, Greg Schwartz, Kevin Daniels and Lori Hertel.

Zimmerman is a patient financial representative at HaysMed. Schwartz is an attorney with Schwartz & Park. Daniels is a pastor at Hays Christian Church. Hertel is a mental health therapist with a contract with Community Corrections of Northwest Kansas.

Each candidate will be given five minutes to introduce themselves and explain why they want to be on the board. The board has allotted about 10 minutes for questions for each candidate. The meeting is open to the public.

The school board discussed a possible change to Aetna insurance at its meeting Monday.

The district has been studying a possible change from the state’s program, which is through Blue Cross Blue Shield, after two years of large premium increases. Last year the cost of the district’s insurance increased by $600,000, and this year the cost went up $400,000.

The district needs to move quickly if it wishes the change to go into effect for 2018. That is why the board added the agenda item to the special meeting.