Meeker School Board presents token of appreciation to Laurel Mullens

MEEKER | The regular meeting of the MSD Board of Education started promptly at 7 p.m. and followed the agenda closely.  The first order of business was the recognition of Montey Franklin, a local spelling bee champ and participant in the District Spelling Bee.  Franklin explained how many students he competed against and how difficult the process was, particularly the written exam.  He also went on to say that he now knows what to expect next year.

The second agenda item was with regard to the retirement of Laurel Mullins. Superintendent Chris Selle and board members presented Mullins with a token of their appreciation for her years of hard work and service to the school district.

A number of other items were presented and approved, most of which were with regard to planned expenditures (text books, staff computers, personnel hires) as well as a second reading of a policy change involving staff hiring and transfers.  There was some discussion about the agenda item concerning “construction project change order authority.” The proposed approval process is as follows:

– Change orders up to $50,000 can be approved by the Superintendent

– Change orders up to $1,000,000 must be reviewed by the committee overseeing the project for approval

– Change orders exceeding $1,000,000 must be reviewed by the Board of Education for approval

The approval process will be subject to the same checks and balances that are currently in place.

A great deal of discussion took place concerning recently awarded grants from outside sources such as BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today).  Superintendent Selle was recognized for the extraordinary effort he and his staff put into applying for these grants. The BEST grant in particular awarded the Meeker School District $7,500,000.  A question arose concerning the disposition of the grant funds, specifically whether they were to be used in their entirety for the reduction of the construction project bond debt, or if part of the funds could be set aside in the event the construction project encountered any unexpected overages.  Superintendent Selle stated that this question has been raised with the bond committee and expected a decision on the matter before the next board meeting.

No update to the construction project progress was presented.

By Brett Dearman | [email protected]