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BELOIT -- The West Branch school board has approved a memorandum of understanding with the teachers union regarding pay for extended time and settling a grievance.
The board approved the MOU with the West Branch Education Association addressing how extended days are awarded. Extended days are those made available beyond a teacher's contract. The issue was raised during negotiations of the most recent collective bargaining agreement.
The MOU, effective June 2020, says all extended days will be awarded by the board in June prior to the start of a school year, with no extended days beyond those authorized by the board to be performed or paid.
Additionally, the MOU settles a grievance with teacher Greg Sharp, who will be paid for eight days in 2019-2020 at his daily rate in full and satisfying any outstanding pay due for extended days.
The board also approved an MOU replacing the middle school newspaper supplemental position with a middle school Environmental Club supplemental position for the 2020-2021 school year.
In other business, the board approved Kim Sabatine, Jennifer Granger, Tina Mull, Pamela Douglas and Tabitha Tayala on an as needed basis for the 2020-2021 latchkey program at a rate of $20 per hour.
Board member Karen Rice questioned why the employees approved for the program are all teachers and said previous years did not specify teacher wages.
Rice said the board originally approved the program as basically a babysitting service two years ago when the district changed to a single tier of busing and it was supposed to cover its own costs, with just two monitors and no coordinators. She said she is concerned because the program is not paying for itself and she does not believe the district should be paying for it with general fund money, questioning its legality.
Acting superintendent Micki Egli said employees sign up for the program and are used on an as needed basis, not every day. She said in 2019-2020 there were 12 employees with approximately 40 students. This year there are 18 students at the elementary and 25 to 30 at the middle school, with at least two employees at each school each day. She also noted teachers have always assisted in the program and there has always been coordinators.
Treasurer Julia Rozsnyai reported the program has generated $3,743 so far this year, but the program was not set up to determine the actual cost since it was intended to pay for itself. She said she can create a new line item to monitor the costs.
Rice said the general fund should not be putting money into the program since it was originally a convenience related to the busing change, which has since returned to normal. Fellow Boardmember Mikki Kanagy suggested the program is now a convenience for a change in start times at the different buildings after the closure of Knox Elementary and consolidation of the district into three buildings.
Rice responded she has a strong feeling the general fund is putting a lot of money into the program and asked that the board take a look at it for next year.
Also at the meeting, the board amended the Aug. 29 resolution appointing Egli as "temporary superintendent" while Schools Superintendent Timothy Saxton is on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) absence for three months. The amendment changes Egli's status to "temporary assistant to the superintendent," clarifying her role and responsibilities during Saxton's leave after the Ohio Department of Education did not release her temporary superintendent license.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 19 on Facebook Live.
skhowell@salemnews.net