LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — The construction on the new East Bernstadt Independent School is on schedule.

“Our building is progressing nicely and we are planning to have the kitchen and cafeteria up and running when school starts (next fall). It’s going to be wonderful,” Superintendent Homer Radford said.

The new elementary building will be ready for students in August 2013, he said.

The last phase, which includes the office area and renovation of the gymnasium, is scheduled to be completed in August 2014.

“When that is all completed, we will have a wonderful facility for our kids,” Radford said. “They deserve it. I’m so excited because our kids are going to have a good, modern facility. They can go anywhere throughout the entire facility without having to go outside.”

“We appreciate our Senator Tom Jensen so very much for helping us to be able to obtain that Category 5 funding for our school,” he added.

Business acted on at the May 10 monthly meeting included:

• Approved a contract with Cloyd & Associates to do an audit for the school year 2011-2012 for $10,776. Radford said the fee has been the same amount for the past three years.

• Approved to have the gifted and talented students participate in Laurel County’s camp by invitation. East Bernstadt provided one teacher to help with the camp.

• Approved 10 part-time positions for the summer for cleaning and maintenance at no more than 250 hours per worker.

• Approved property, general liability, educator’s legal liability, fleet, pollution, and worker’s compensation insurance through the Kentucky School Board Insurance Trust at a cost of $72,891.30.

“This cost has increased $20,279.30,” Radford said. “Worker’s compensation has gone up and property insurance has gone up some. We had a $4.42 pay out for every $1 we had paid in worker’s compensation premiums.”

• Approved the purchase of student insurance through Bob Roberts Insurance Agency at a cost of $11,538.82, up $1,166.82 from last year for July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Radford said there had been an overall increase in claims throughout the state.

• Approved the payroll calendar for the 2012 to 2013 school year. Employees are paid once a month on the first.

• Approved the certified salary schedule and it remains the same as last year.

“It’s been three years going on four now that our employees have not had an increase,” Radford said. “The only exceptions are rank and step increases.”

• Approved the classified salary, which will remain the same except for step increases.

• Approved a substitute teacher schedule with no increases, which starts at $83 per day and goes up to $129 per day depending on experience and rank.

• Informed the board of three retirements, two teachers Kathy Hampton and Dennis Gay, and instructional assistant Nancy Napier.

• Approved an agreement with the Laurel County Health Department to provide a school nurse and to help fund her salary for a stipend of $9,000.

“It’s good to have one on site,” Radford said. “We deal with a lot of issues now that years ago, you never heard about — children who are dealing with diabetic conditions and allergies.”

• Approved newly established district boundaries with the Laurel County School Administration.

“We have got these boundary lines established by roads now,” Radford said. “We’re able to tell our community, if you live within a certain area that’s bounded by this road, then you’re in the district. We have a map and that’s just better for everybody.”

Radford said since the insurance has gone up by about $22,000 and having to provide $9,000 toward a school nurse will be $31,000 in costs this year they will not have next year. General fund money was cut by the state in January by 2 percent. There was a growth factor of 17 students which would have meant an additional $68,000 that could have been used for operating costs. The school did not get that.

“We had a $100,000 turn around in revenue because of the 2 percent cut from SEEK and because there wasn’t any money to fund the growth factor, which we always got,” Radford explained.

“So, revenue is down, costs are up, but the new building is coming along nicely and were just hoping the economy will get better,” Radford said. “The state is struggling; everybody is struggling right now. I hope we’ve about weathered the storm and things will get better.”

There will be a special called meeting on May 24 to discuss a tentative budget and other business.    



cmills@sentinel-echo.com