A new health care plan will net Poplar Bluff schools $1.3 million in savings over the course of a year, according to information presented Thursday to the Board of Education. Family health insurance plan costs will also drop by more than $200 per month.
The school board approved joining the Ozarks Schools Benefits Association for the 2024-2025 school year, leaving behind a self-funded insurance program whose costs were growing greater than budget projections.
The new plan will offer employees four health savings account options along with four preferred provider organization options through the Anthem network at a cost to the district of $604 per employee per month, with deductibles of $500 and $1,000.
In contrast, the current self-funded plan costs $735 with $2,500/$3,500 deductibles.
Employees who choose to add their families to their district insurance plans will see a cost savings of around $226 per month, depending on their choice of coverage.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance Charles Kinsey said joining the OSBA consortium, which also includes local districts from Greenville, East Carter, Doniphan, Neelyville and Naylor, will cost 4% more than current members for the first year, followed by a 2% load in the second year.
Global costs for the OSBA plan have not increased over the past two years. Kinsey said the decision to join OSBA should have the district approximately $1.3 million in a year compared with the self-funded plan budget projections.
The board has also approved $300,000 for new buses. This came after extensive discussion with Transportation Director Jon McKinney about the costs of updating the bus fleet with new vehicles.
The district can choose among the options of new gas-powered 83-passenger buses and used buses with turbo diesel engines that are coming off of lease programs with other districts and still have factory warranties remaining.
The transportation department will have the flexibility to choose which combination of purchases best fits the district’s needs when they make their next recommendations to the board.
McKinney reported that the district currently serves about 2,300 students per day with bus service, which means they need to keep the fleet updated each year.
“We are a three-to-four bus per year school district,” he said.
The district is additionally considering changes to make the registration process easier.
Technology Director Aaron Badgley recommended the district create the position of registrar as a means of providing the ease and convenience of single-location registration throughout the district for families.
This action is in response to the new Infinite Campus student information software that was recently adopted.
Badgley said that 255 students were pre-registered at the kindergarten center with the new software, and families who used the new system were pleased with their experience.
He said that having a registrar to facilitate the process district-wide would “make the whole process easier for families.”
With the board approving the position, the district will now move to fill the new role, which will be classified as a full-time, 12-month Central Office administrative assistant.
The board approved a resolution to use Missouri Capital Asset Advantage Treasury (MOCAAT) as a financial management resource to help maximize interest-earning opportunities with the district’s fluid funds.
MOCAAT will provide advice to the district about the best possible earnings on investible funds, and their costs, if used, will be a percentage of the investment potential. Joining the service carries no other membership or service costs.
Director of Building and Grounds Alan Ursery reported that the district’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is almost complete, with three minor exceptions: upstairs at Oak Grove Elementary, the lower gymnasium at the junior high, and the need for a lift at the high school stage.
Ursery said that the district is working to resolve these remaining accessibility issues, and he highlighted seven recent projects completed in the past two years that meet ADA guidelines.
In financial business, the board approved payment 10 to Zoellner Construction for work on the new Culinary Arts Center at the technical career center.
Four ESSER III maintenance projects were approved, consisting of three HVAC projects that went to Buffington Brother Heating and Cooling, and window wall replacement at Oak Grove, awarded to Miller Drywall.
The cost of all four projects is $103,980, which will be covered by remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The board also approved the bid of $22,900.90 from Flooring Direct as the vendor for the Central Office Re-Carpet Project, which Kinsey described as “essential” due to the age and condition of the existing carpeting.
Superintendent Dr. Aaron Cornman informed the board that the district’s “Continuity of Services” policy regarding COVID-19 procedures was revised to reduce the required days of quarantine from 10 days to five days following onset of symptoms for those who test positive.
The next Board of Education meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 18.