Dist. 300 to Sell $6 Million in Bonds for New Du Quoin HS
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Du Quoin Board of Education Thursday approved a resolution that will allow the district to sell bonds in an amount not to exceed $6 million for construction of a new Du Quoin High School.
Those funds will be combined with more than $10 million from the Illinois Capital Development board--the actual grant may ultimately be higher--to build the new $18 million complex.
A revenue stream to retire the $6 million in bonding indebtedness over the next 20 years already exists through a local half-cent sales tax approved by voters at the outset of this plan. That tax is already generating well over $300,000 a year and the revenue will be moved out of city budget back into District 300 budget in the coming weeks.
Part of the plan involves acquisition of the Big "S" Transport property south of VanMetre football field and Thursday the board said it is awaiting on final confirmation of information from the Capital Development Board prior to acting on a purchase agreement with Big S Transport Inc.
Jean Ann Mathis, co-President of the Du Quoin Education Association spoke to the board in appreciation of the work done by the administration regarding the district health insurance plan. The superintendent and district business manager were able to negotiate a reasonable increase with the district health insurance provider even though the district's health insurance claims nearly doubled during the past year.
The Board renewed the district's health insurance plan with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for2010-2011 school year. The increase in premiums for the coming year will be 13.5% from the current year.
The Board adopted the annual prevailing wage resolution in accordance with the Prevailing Wage Act.
The Board renewed the district's school resource agreement with the Perry County Sheriff's Department. The renewal would be an extension of the present agreement once it is received by the district from the sheriff's office.
The Board entered into a lease/purchase agreement with MV Student Transportation to provide two multi-function school activity buses. The multi-function buses will be used by the district since passenger vans are no longer to be used to transport students as of July 1, 2010.
The Board approved the request of the High School FBLA sponsor and two students to attend the national FBLA conference.
The Board accepted the resignation of Megan Schneider as an Elementary School Teacher effective prior to the 2010-2011 school year.
The Board adjourned at 8:06 p.m.