The subject of money or lack of it dominated the Grayson County Board of Education meeting this past week

With the state failing to pass a budget the board is looking at ways to save money and new textbooks for the 2010-11 school year will be the first area to see the axe.

The board agreed not to purchase any new textbooks for next school year. Grayson County Superintendent Barry Anderson also suggested the board not purchase student accident insurance that has been purchased for the last two years.

“Due to the lack of money in the textbook funds all purchases are put on hold,” said Grayson County Superintendent Barry Anderson. “I am suggesting we take a hiatus from purchasing the student insurance we have been supplying for the last two years. That is $30,000 we can use in other places and we will still offer insurance to the parents to purchase.”

The insurance was with Roberts Insurance, and it provided basic coverage for 100 percent of the usual and customary charges up to $25,000 for a two-year period.

It provides automatic coverage for field trips, and camps, as well as summer athletics.

The cost of the insurance will be $7.35 per student, at a total cost to the board of about $28,000 a year. This policy will do away with the current scholastic insurance policy.

The third area the board made cutbacks was in the employer match to the 401k plan. The board agreed to cut the employer match funds from one-percent to .5 percent employer match to the 401k Plan with Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation for the 2010-2011 school year.

Finance Officer Kerry White did present the board with a budget but said it is very tentative because of the lack of a state budget.

“I have worked numerous hours on this budget and been very conservative with the figures,” said White. “It is more apparent than ever that the state will be able to do less and less. Times are tough but we will get through this.”

In other business the board granted:

• approval of Finance Officer Kerry White’s performance bond in the amount of $400,000.00.

• approval of the tentative budget for the 2010-2011 school year.

• approval of Wilson and Muir (main account) and The Cecilian Bank (investment account) as the banks of depository for the 2010-2011 school year.

• approval of the Salary Schedules for the 2010-2011 school year.

• approval of request from Beverly Weedman, Bus Driver, for a leave of absence beginning April 1for an undetermined length of time,.

• approval of request from Middle School Band Directors Gary Parker and Barry Duvall to take the seventh and eight grade band to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana on Tuesday, June 1. This trip is planned as an end-of-the-year reward trip for the band students for having worked diligently and accomplished much throughout the school year.

• approval of request from the senior class at Grayson County High School to add Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana to their list of choices for the senior class trip on May 28.

• approval for High School Administrators Doug Robinson, Tommy Hodges, Sonny Prunty and Michelle Tinsley to attend the KASSP Conference in Lexington on June 16-18 for an approximate total cost of $2,424.80.

• approval to enter into a 60-month lease agreement with IKON for a Ricoh MP2851 SP to be placed at the Leitchfield Family Resource Center at $148.00 per month plus .0076 per additional copy.

• approval to declare the obsolete computers at Caneyville Elementary School as surplus and to dispose of them.

• approval to renew the lease with Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).

• notification of intent to retire from the following personnel:

• Sanundra Kay Decker as Teacher at Lawler Elementary School, effective June 30,

• Peggy Priddy as Teacher at Lawler Elementary School, effective March 1,.

• James Jarboe as Bus Driver, effective May 31.

• Verna Haycraft as Bus Driver, effective June 30.

• Pamela Miller as gifted and talented teacher, effective June 30.

• notification of resignations from the following personnel:

• Sherrill Sims as Instructional Aide at the Grayson County Technology Center, effective April 8.

• Laura Paley as instructional aide at Grayson County High School, effective June 30