The Nashville Community High School Board of Education met last night. First they heard from Nashville Mayor Raymond Kohlweier about support for the renewal of the Nashville – Washington County Enterprise Zone. They will discuss this and take action at the February meeting. Superintendent Wendy Davis told the board that the maintenance crews got caught up on some projects during the winter break. Four field trips were approved, including the concert band’s trip to perform this Saturday at the Illinois Music Education Association Convention in Peoria. The other trips include the English Honors going to the Holocaust Museum in Saint Louis in March, Math students to go to SIU Carbondale for a Math Field day on April 8th and then to the Illinois Math Team Competition on May 2nd and 3rd. Davis presented the Financial Report for the 1st six months of this school year. In the Education Fund, the school has received 82 percent of their money from taxes, 45 percent of the General State Aid and 53 percent of from other sources of revenue for an overall 65 percent of money budgeted to come in. Expenditures have gone out at nearly 49 percent of what is budgeted for the whole year. Operations Maintenance and Building Funds have come in at 94 percent of what is expected this year and expenditures are at 49.5 percent. The school has received over 68 percent of what they expect for Transportation and only had expenditures of 34 percent, but those bills will be coming in soon. Davis says the report looks good at this time. Snow days has become an issue and could get worse. NCHS builds in 5 snow days, but right now they have used 6 snow days. In the past years, they have allowed 1 or 2 days over that to be Act of God days that do not need to be made up. This winter has a lot left and the Board will have to meet to discuss what to do if there are more snow days used. Davis will submit for the one Act of God day at this time. The Transportation Committee met last week and discussed a snow route system. This would keep the buses from going on some of the back roads that are not cleared, which can cause school to be canceled. A snow route would have the bus meet somewhere and the students would be responsible to get to that meeting place. If they couldn’t get there, they would call in absent. The Board will discuss this further, very soon. Chromebooks or laptops for every student could be seen in the next 3 years, but right now Davis says the school is beginning discussions of some sort of a trial group. They might have grant money coming in next year to fund this with expansion afterwards. Parents should be thinking about the Parent – Teacher Conferences coming next month. They will be on a full day and evening, beginning at lunchtime and run until about 8:30 PM. The students will be off for this day. Last month there were curriculum changes brought before the Board and they were approved last night. This includes a computer maintenance tech course. Beginning band and choir students could be in a class called Music One all-together. This would help them all to learn to read music and perform better earlier. Also, the eighth credit that students receive in the Academic Enrichment Program will be done away with. Currently, students are in and out to receive special assistance on test taking or with classwork, but it isn’t a constant attendance for each student, instead of being in the class for the full semester or year. The science classes will have Physical Science at the entry level, Life & Earth Science in the 2nd year and add Environmental Science. This is all being done to meet with the Next Generation Science Standards. Last year the Board approved the Honors American History course and that will be offered next school year and they are trying to get it approved for dual credit. The Board also agreed to an amendment to the Section 125 Plan, which deals with the flexible benefit plan, which is a no cost benefit for the district. Up to $200 per month can be set aside for medical expenses, tax free. In the past, any money not used would be lost to the school district. They would give it back to the contributors though. Now, there is an option to use a carryover of up to $500 per year from one year to another. Davis feels that more employees might want to join the plan with this new amendment. Two items are due for renewal. One is for insurance on property casualty, legal liability and worker’s compensation. The Board approved Davis to seek bids. The other item deals with the transportation contracts. The Board has been very satisfied with Sherman and Schmale Bus Companies and their contracts were approved with a 2 percent increase for the next school year. There were 2 items included, which was allowing the school to possibly provide special education transportation and allowing the school the right to look at the bus routes and make changes or eliminate some. Finally, they approved Spanish instructor Haile Williamson to begin planning the European Trip for 2015. The next meeting will be on February 24, 2014.