The Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education continued building project discussion during their regular meeting Thursday, Feb. 22.
In April, the public will be presented with Proposition K.I.D.S. for the purpose of building a new high school in Broseley and help pay for improvements completed throughout the district over the summer.
The proposition will ask whether or not to increase the operating tax levy ceiling by $1.1500 from $3.0279, currently, to $4.1779 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation for the 2018 tax year and can be applied to the assessed valuation for each year thereafter through tax year 2037.
"Nothing is set in stone," Superintendent Jeremy Siebert said. "People want to know what are the possibilities with buildings that could be left so we have to throw some possibilities out there. Until (the board) votes on something, all is up for discussion."
At the recommendation of Siebert, he initially proposed having grades K-4 at Fisk and Qulin and 5-12 at Broseley. His vision was to then eventually add preschools at the Fisk and Qulin campuses.
Since meetings with staff and citizens of the district, Siebert said more feedback has been provided for possible options. The possibility of a preschool at the current head start/central office building was brought up since the building is already set up for a preschool if the head start were somewhere else.
"At some point I would like for us, before it comes to the vote, to figure out exactly what we are going to do so we don't feel like we portrayed it any way other than it needs to," board member Billy Watson said.
"There is no easy answer for all that, but we have to go through the process and see," Siebert said.
Since the initial proposed rendering of the high school from L.J. Hart, the board has expressed the need for a larger gym and five more classrooms. With the additions, Siebert believes the project will exceed the previous $9 million estimation.
"My guess is it will come in around $10 million," he said.
Siebert's recommendation for handling the project if it comes in over budget, if the proposition passes, would be to make half the payment from the tax revenue and half from the budget, which he added "could be handled either way."
To answer questions the public may have about the proposed project, weekly committee meetings are held at 4:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the high school.
A series of question and answer sessions will also be held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 12. through Thursday, March 15, at the high school.
L.J. Hart representatives are expected to be present at the meeting on Wednesday, March 14, to answer questions as well as provide food. If interested in attending the Wednesday meeting, an RSVP is due by Wednesday, Feb. 28, by calling the central office at 573-328-4321. Meetings the rest of the week are drop-in and no RSVP is required.
During executive session, the board accepted several resignations and new hires.
Resignations were accepted from Fisk custodian Jeff Shelton, 7-12 volleyball coach Whitney Stanford, 9-12 basketball coach Kelly Westerfield, assistant volleyball coach Jordan Mathews, assistant girls basketball coach Torrey Elder and bus driver Kathryn Puckett.
Stanford, Westerfield, Mathews and Elder resigned from coaching positions only and not teaching.
Tracie Austin was hired as special education director and Tonya Snider as federal programs.
New hires approved for the district included Dennis Kelly for maintenance, Dana Batton as superintendent secretary, Emily Long for high school special education and Melissa Wooten as Fisk custodian.
High School Principal Misti Lovelace, Fisk Principal Leean Mann and Qulin Principal Seth McBroom were each hired on an extra year contract by a vote of 5-1, with the no vote coming from board member David Dugger.
Also approved by the board was the decision to cover any sick days for the remainder of the school year for middle school science teacher Jessica Payne due to illness.
The next Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at the Central Office board room.