NEW LONDON -- The New London-Spicer School Board approved Monday a preliminary 2006 levy increase of 14.18 percent.
The levy amount was approved at $2,771,960. That amount includes the $130,126 that the school board might decide to levy if it goes through with a proposed health and safety project.
This is the maximum the board will be able to levy. The board will be discussing whether to go ahead with the health and safety project before approving the final levy amount in December.
A Minneapolis firm, Johnson Controls, has proposed a $3.45 million project to update heating, ventilation and cooling systems as well as other improvements related to health and safety.
The board has not approved that project, but wanted to put the $130,126 that would be needed for the project in 2006 in the levy in case it decides to go through with it.
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The levy will increase in several areas next year because most of the new state revenue approved for school districts comes from levy increases, business manager Barb Gjerde said.
The market value in the school district increased 15 percent over last year because of rising home values and new construction.
Also at the meeting, the board approved a three-year contract for Superintendent Paul Carlson.
He will be paid $92,700 starting this school year, a 3 percent increase from his 2004-05 salary of $90,000. In the 2006-07 school year, his salary will be $95,481 and will then increase to $98,345 in 2007-08.
He will also have a performance incentive stipend of up to $4,000 each year of the contract. The board approves his stipend percentage in June.
Board member Karen Nelson, a member of the labor committee that negotiated the contract, said the contract is mostly the same as the last one.
One of the main changes was increasing the amount the school district will pay toward the cost of a tax-sheltered annuity plan from $840 to $900.
Carlson is eligible to participate in a tax-sheltered annuity plan through payroll deduction that is established through Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, state statutes and district policy.
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Also Monday, the board heard a presentation from teacher Laura Molenaar about plans to create a school nature area near the middle school/high school.
The expansion she proposed would be in a wooded area behind the tennis courts.
The areas would be developed according to certain areas of study including seed germination, trees, wetlands and wood duck monitoring. Most of the projects would start this school year and develop over one to seven years.
The board also approved the Annual Report on Curriculum, Instruction and Student Achievement. The report will be sent to district residents by Oct. 15.
