Board seeks levy's fifth renewal

The board will consider a Reading Recovery program for first-graders.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
McDONALD -- The McDonald Board of Education approved seeking renewal of a 2-mill, five-year permanent improvement levy on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Schools treasurer Thomas Radabaugh explained at Monday's board meeting that the levy, which generates $61,728 a year, has been in existence since 1986 and has been renewed four times.
He said the levy had been wrapped into a larger levy request that failed in both November 2005 and this past May. The board was seeking a 4.5-mill continuous permanent improvement levy to finance a $2.4 million sports complex and provide for repairs to other school sports facilities. The 2-mill levy was wrapped into that amount.
Radabaugh emphasized the tax renewal will not be an increase in local taxes. He added that all the proceeds will be used for "our existing facilities and no new facilities." The renewal issue is expected to cost 20 cents for each $100 of valuation for five years and will be collected if renewed in 2007. The November ballot is the last chance the district has to renew the current levy before it expires.
Other business
In other business, the board approved an amended fiscal year 2006 annual appropriation of nearly $6.8 million, reflecting about a 1 percent increase over last year for labor and fuel costs.
The board approved a transfer of $6,000 to the lunchroom fund to cover a deficit in its $110,000 operating budget. Radabaugh noted that last year's deficit was $7,200.
The board hired Courtney Houck, a McDonald High School graduate who has been teaching in Grand Valley Schools for two years, to be an English teacher at the high school starting Aug. 23. She will earn $31,455 and replace Jerry Gamertsfelder, who retired this year.