BROSELEY, Mo. -- Twin Rivers students will be riding to school this fall on new buses after a unanimous vote Tuesday night by the district's board of education to approve their financing.
A couple of board meetings ago, the board approved the leasing of four buses, and "they got the financing taken care of at this board meeting," explained Superintendent Jeremy Siebert.
"We went with Commerce Bank; it had the lowest interest rate," Siebert said.
Commerce's rate was set at 2.14 percent fixed, making the district's annual payment at $74,548.69. The lease term is for five years.
"We always want to go with the lowest ones (bids) unless there is an issue," Siebert said.
Delivery of the buses, he said, should be between now and the start of school. The first annual payment will be in July 2018.
The district received four other bids -- U.S. Bank, 2.29 percent (bid didn't say fixed or variable), annual payment of $74,881.57; First Missouri State Bank, 3.25 percent variable, adjusted annually at .75 percent below WSJ Prime (currently 4 percent), annual payment, $76,828.28; First Missouri State Bank, 3.99 percent fixed, annual payment $78,453.05; and Southern Bank, 3.35 fixed, annual payment, $77,162.73. The lease terms all were for five years.
Siebert said the board also unanimously passed an employee breast feeding policy.
The Twin Rivers Health Advisory Committee, he said, worked with Butler County Health Department officials to develop the policy.
"It's one of those things you make a service for your employees and help them along the way; it's kind of a no-brainer," Siebert said.
The board took no action, but discussed recognition for all-state and all-district athletes, Siebert said.
The district's athletic director, Kelly Westerfield, according to Siebert, is going to start researching the school's archives for any athletes who received either of those designations since the district consolidated in 1969.
While in the beginning stages of the research, Siebert said, the plan is to have a plaque in the lobby to recognize those previous, present and future athletes.
"It's going to be a challenge to find some of the old records," Siebert said. "A lot of districts go back further than that; we just started in 1969-70."
Siebert said he also updated the board members on the progress of salary and steering committees.
At the board's June 27 meeting, Siebert said, he and the salary committee will be making salary recommendations for certified and non-certified personnel.
"We have a certified schedule and a non-certified schedule," he said.
The steering committee, Siebert said, had met Monday and discussed putting together surveys for the public regarding a future operating (tax) levy.
"We're hoping to go with an operating levy in April to pay for some of the upgrades we will be doing this summer," such as air conditioning and roof, and well as future projects, Siebert said.
The district's principals, he said, also updated the board on their attendance, enrollment and end-of-the-year activities.
In closed session, Siebert said, the board unanimously approved the resignations of Janice Eubanks, cook at Fisk; Nicole Benson, drama club sponsor at Qulin; and Roger Williams, bus driver.
In a 5-2 vote, with Lee Lewis and David Dugger casting the dissenting votes, the board hired Dalton Freshhour, Siebert said.
Freshhour's teaching duties, according to Siebert, will include physical education and in-school suspension, and he also will be the assistant high school basketball coach.