By James Bell
Hays Post
It’s decision time for the USD 489 Board of Education as the group is set to vote on a resolution calling for a bond issue election at tonight’s Board meeting set for 6:30 p.m. in the Rockwell Administration Center, 323 W. 12th St.
That resolution, if adopted, would set the $94 bond issue election for June 7.
The Board pushed back the original timeline of an election in April or May in order to collect signatures that would allow for a sales tax question to be put on the ballot at the same time as the bond question.
If passed by voters a half-cent sales tax in Hays, would significantly reduced the amount of property taxes needed to fund the bond issue.
Board members have frequently said that a bond issue election with a sales tax question included would likely be more successful.
The Hays City Commission was presented with the required number of verified signatures last week that requires the City to put the sales tax question on a ballot.
The Commission, however, has the authority to schedule that election and will decide on a timetable at their regular meeting Thursday.
The Board hopes the sales tax question be presented with the bond issue, but the City Commission could potentially push the tax question onto ballots next year.
During tonight’s meeting the Board will also vote to approve summer school fees for the Summer 2016 term.
Anita Scheve, director of The Learning Center, spoke with the Board at their work-session two weeks ago about the best pricing structure for summer school, recommending students that qualify for the free lunch program be able to attend summer school without cost and a reduced tuition cost for reduced cost lunch program students.
Sixty-three percent of summer school students qualify for free lunch and frequently struggle to pay to tuition for the courses according to Scheve.
Further, she said, grades for summer school are left off of students’ transcripts until payment is made, causing issues for students that transfer or graduate.
The full pay schedule would require students that qualify for the reduced lunch program to pay $50 per half credit, $100 per half credit for USD 489 students and $200 for out-of-district students.
The cost to the district for summer school dropped significantly when The Learning Center took over the summer school program, so Scheve argues that the district could easily absorb the small cost that would allow for a staggered pay schedule.
The Board will also vote on the ratification of the HNEA contract for the 2015-2016 school year.
The district and Hays National Education Association negotiators successfully completed mediation after the Board declared impasse during contract negotiations. The contract agreed upon by both groups during mediation has already been approved by Hays teachers.
Tonight’s meeting will be streamed live on Hays Post and on Eagle Channel 14 by the USD 489 News team.