by Matt Hughes
J-E News Editor
For the first time in several years, the Webster County School District will soon be litigation free. At Monday night’s board meeting, board members voted unanimously to settle a law suite between former employee Polly Dunbar and the Webster County School District.
Dunbar filed suit against the district on September 20, 2010, and the district filed a counter suit on April 21, 2011. Dunbar and her attorney will be paid the sum of $10,000 to settle all claims. Both parties will then both execute Agreed Orders dismissing both law suits.
Finally the affects of the Affordable Healthcare Act have arrived at the Webster County School district.
At Monday night’s school board meeting, Administrator Kim Saalwaechter gave the board an update on the impact the district would feel if they failed to comply with the federal mandate.
“The whole point of the Affordable Care Act is documentation,” she said. “We have 336 full time employees. If six of these employees were not offered insurance, then went out and filed their 2014 tax returns we would be accessed a penalty.”
According to Saalwaechter the cost of not offering coverage to those six employees would be $50,000 per month, or $612,000 for the entire year.
Moving forward the district will be forced to track the hours worked by substitutes, Americorp workers and other part time employees very closely. If those employees are allowed to cross the threshold into “full time” hours, they will immediately have to be offered insurance coverage.
Under policy amendments proposed on Monday, substitute teachers will now be limited to 130 hours of service per month, unless preapproved by the Superintendent.
“There is also a breaking point,” she said. “If a substitute works 161 days, we would have to offer them benefits.”
The board approved the amendments, including one that limits benefit coverage for any part time worker who does qualify for medical insurance only.
In other business, district maintenance director Dennis Parrish presented the board with two proposals. The first was a request to buy a new snow plow.
“As all of you know from the recent snow storm, the county has no equipment,” said Dr. Kemp. “They have no salt. No gravel. If we are going to get into our schools, we are going to have to plow the lots and maybe even part of the road as well.”
The proposed snow plow was priced at $3,300 and would not require any additional equipment to attach to the district’s newest service truck.
“Dennis, do you have the money available in your maintenance budget to purchase this plow?” asked board vice chairman Mickey Dunbar.
“As Dr. Kemp says, there is always a way,” Parrish replied. “But I thought it would be appropriate to go ahead and bring it to the board so I could see what your pleasure was.”
“If you have the money in your budget, I see no reason for the board to have to approve it,” said Dunbar. “As a board member, I have confidence in you to do your job. I’d rather you spend the money you have in the best way that you know how.”
Dunbar made the motion to give the maintenance supervisor the authority to use the money in his budget as he sees appropriate. He also stressed that other departments already had this freedom. The motion passed 5-0.
The second proposal from Parrish was to purchase uniforms for the district’s maintenance employees. He said that they could get the uniforms for $8.50 per week. The uniforms would be rentals that would be cleaned and maintained by the uniform service, and if they were damaged they would be replaced.
Parrish pointed out that not only would the uniforms give the maintenance personnel a more professional look, they would also help with the security of the schools by allowing teachers, administrators and students to identify people that they might not otherwise know as district employees.
Once again Dunbar stressed that the money was available in the maintenance budget. He also added that if other departments such as food service or house keeping had the funds in their budgets, he hoped they would feel free to look into the service as well.
Once again the issue of student trips came up. Over the last several meetings the board has been looking at the policy that provides travel and food expenses for trips to state level competitions. More specifically the board has been concerned with “volunteer” coaches who often accompany the teams.
“I looked at the Kentucky School Board Association (KSBA) database, and nobody else has a written policy that addresses how volunteer staff is paid,” said board attorney Brandi Rogers.
The board decided to take no action on the policy, instead leaving the decision up to the board.
Other Business:
•The board approved payment of $3,379.44 to Associated Engineers for inspections relating to the middle school project.
•The board agreed to accept and escrow KETS First Offer of Assistance for $19,432 from the School Facilities Construction Commission.
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