Staff writer
USD 408 Board of Education members approved the district’s insurance renewal for the 2009-10 school year.
EMC Insurance representative, Casey Case, of Marion, showed the board numbers for the coming year. The annual premium for 2009-10 is $99,777, which is an increase of $6,076 over last year.
The main reason for the price increase is workers’ compensation insurance went up $6,410 for a total of $37,700. USD 408 Superintendent Lee Leiker said a district employee slipped and fell on ice two years ago.
The property insurance for the district actually went down — $1,995 to $43,176.
The board unanimously approved work release requests for Marion High School students Kristin Geis, Mason Kukuk, and Symba Steele.
The school district will join Race To The Top — a federal program that will dispense funds to the top 10 states for education in the United States. Race To The Top officials decide which states qualify based on applications. Kansas is applying, and if Kansas is rewarded as a Race To The Top winner, only schools that apply to the state will receive compensation. USD 408 joined at no cost to the district, Leiker said.
Tod Gordon talked about the Marion Classic. Two schools that participated in the tournament this year — Oxford and Leon-Bluestem — will not participate next year. Oxford is starting its own tournament.