USD 234 mill levy stays at 2011-12 level

USD 234 Board of Education members met on Monday night in what was considered a special meeting.

Board members spent the majority of the meeting in executive session to discuss issues relating to "personnel matters".

After the closed portion of the meeting concluded, business manager Tiffany Forester informed the board that she spoke with a representative at the Office of Labor Relations in Topeka about the teacher contract negotiations. Forester said she was told that "they will be assigning a case number and then sending the case on to federal mediators" soon.

"They gave no estimate on time for this," Forester said, referring to when talks will continue.

Forester also gave a review of the district's 2012-2013 budget to the board. One of her goals, she said, was to keep the mill levy the same at 43.972, which she was able to do.

According to the projected budget, the assessed valuation of all funds excluding the general fund has also increased about $1 million.

"So that is a good sign," Forester told the other board members.

School board president Janet Braun said it appears

to her that "things are in place" for the coming schoool year.

A budget hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. August 13 at the board office, 424 S. Main. The budget has to be submitted to the state before August 25.