By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
The Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center school boards held a joint meeting July 16. As part of the Consent Agenda, the Guthrie Center board approved the resignation of High School Principal Brian Sauser, and the contract recommendation for Bob Bolton as a route/activity driver.
Interviews will be held with four candidates for the principal vacancy, including internal and external candidates. Superintendent Josh Rasmussen said the districts are also looking to hire several special education paraprofessionals.
The boards discussed possibly changing the way senior trip fundraising is done. Rasmussen said some families are challenged in coming up with the required money.
“How do we get it so it’s not a mad rush at the end?” Rasmussen asked.
The boards discussed the possibility of spreading out the fundraising effort over several years, starting in a student’s sophomore or even freshman year. No formal action was taken on the issue.
Rasmussen shared information and led a discussion of each district’s “wants versus needs lists” of potential facility repairs/upgrades.
Adair-Casey Transportation Director Todd Batey described his list of the fleet of buses, which includes the age and mileage of each bus. Batey said many of the buses are 2015-2020 model year vehicles, which creates a challenge in making sure the district can plan to replace buses gradually rather than many in the same year, for budgeting reasons.
Batey also said for some of the rural bus routes, a smaller vehicle, such as a Suburban, might be more cost-effective than a full-size bus.
“We can drive 15 miles and pick up eight kids,” Batey said.
Batey said he will continue to work on determining the most cost-effective routes and vehicles to meet the district’s needs.
Rasmussen noted that Adair-Casey’s roofing project is nearing completion.
The boards discussed the student registration fees. Rasmussen said students who qualify for free or reduced prices for meals also qualify for a reduced rate on fees, and he suggested a 50% reduction. The boards approved this.
The ACGC Booster Club golf outing and dinner is set for Saturday, July 26. Board member Randy Carney said 24 teams are registered, and there is room for two more teams.
The next regular meeting of the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center school boards is set for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. at Adair-Casey Junior High. The public is welcome.