CCR-1 Board Discusses Press Box Proposal

CCR-1 Board Discusses Press Box Proposal
By Mike Scott

The Clark County High School Athletic Field could have a new press box by this fall, thanks to a generous donor.  At the Thursday, June 11 meeting of the CCR-1 School Board, the board members heard about a proposal from Carol Alderton to build and donate a new 64×12 press box, with several rooms inside, in memory of her husband, David Alderton.  Tentatively named “David F. Alderton Memorial Press Box”, the building would provide more space for announcers, coaches, statistician, videotaping and media.
The board agreed to the proposal, pending a legal review and final approval of the design.
“Carol is not going to put her husband’s name on anything that’s not first-class,” said CCR-1 Superintendent Ritchie Kracht.
The board also voted to seek proposals from firms to review the district’s facilities.  The district wants a complete review of their facilities before seeking a no-tax increase bond issue.
“There are several companies that do this work,” said Kracht.  “They will come in and look and the roofs, walls, window, and everything else, and then help us formulate a list of needs.”
The district plans to form a community group to prioritize the needs of the district before seeking to place the no-tax increase bond issue before voters in April 2010.
The district could borrow $2-2.5 million dollars without increasing the current tax levy.
“It would not cost the taxpayers more per year,” said Kracht.  “It would extend the life of the bond, so they would be paying for it longer.
“We need to get the ball rolling on this if we want to do it next year,” Kracht said.  “It’s not something we want to rush through.”
“We’re going to need to do this if we want to maintain a balanced budget,” board member Brad Sprague said.  
“If we don’t do something, we’re going to be looking at larger class sizes,” Kracht said,
The board also reviewed employee health insurance options for the coming year.  The district is part of a larger school consortium, which is supposed to help reduce costs.
“No matter which plan we choose, it’s a significant cut in benefits for our staff,’ Kracht said.
The board agreed that the basic plan would be a health savings account with a $1500 deductible.  Staff members could “buy up” to a PPO plan, or take a higher deductible and have the difference in their health savings account.
“It’s the best choice among poor alternatives” Middle School Principal Jason Church commented.
In other business, the board heard a report that attendance finished the year up an average of 55.6 students per day versus last year. That will help increase state financial aid in the coming years.