Marion-Florence district eliminates textbook fees
For the first time since they were implemented, Marion-Florence USD 408 school textbook fees have been eliminated.
USD 408 board of education voted 5-2 in favor of the elimination, with president Rex Savage and Chris Sprowls voting against the motion.
In the past, parents paid $14 for kindergarten fees at enrollment, and $30 for grades 1-12.
District superintendent Lee Leiker said the fees were a burden for some families.
"They get hit with a lot of expenses getting students back to school," he said. "For families with three or four kids it's quite an expense."
Board member Keith Collett expressed his concern with the fees, comparing them to tuition.
Leiker and most of the board agreed.
"We want to truly provide students with a free education," Leiker said.
Another factor in the decision was some families did not pay the fees and in the past there were no measures taken to acquire the money.
The district received roughly $18,000 per year from the fees, but Leiker said in a $5 million budget, that amount won't affect much.
"While every dollar counts, we can make up that money somewhere else."
The termination of the fees will begin this fall.
In other news:
— The board approved meeting times for the upcoming school year to stay at 7 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the district office, except for December when it will be a morning meeting.
— Representatives from the junior class at Marion High School asked for and had granted a request for their class and the senior class to have open lunch.
— The board approved Keith Collett to remain as district school improvement team representative and Jan Helmer to remain as TEEN representative. Lyle Leppke was approved to take Kathy Meieheroff's position as special education representative.
— The board unanimously adopted the accounting principles waiver.
— All new school policies were reviewed and adopted.
— A bus was requested by Margo Yates to be used during "Art in the Park." The board unanimously approved the request.
— The board unanimously approved the personal vehicle usage mileage rate for USD 408 employees to rise from 40 to 43 cents.
— Supplemental positions were approved for the upcoming school year by a vote of 5-2. Leppke and Savage voted against the motion.
New supplemental positions at the high school are: assistant boys' basketball coach, Phil Unruh; head volleyball coach, LeAnn Blaesi; head cross country coach, Bethany Carlson; cheerleader sponsor, Lana Fahey; junior class sponsor, Bruce Rhodes; National Honor Society sponsor, Lisa Johnson.
New supplemental positions at the middle school are: head football coach, Lucas King; assistant girls' basketball coach, Casson Schmidt.
Shannon Cooper and Michelle Adkins will be co-head volleyball coaches.
The structure of the track coaches will change this year as well. Six coaches will have responsibility for both the middle and high school teams: head coach, Grant Thierolf, and assistants, Carlson, Deanna Thierolf, Rex Wilson, Jill Hudson, and Kevin Moler.
