By Alan Sorensen
by Alan Sorensen
The Havre Daily News
Tuesday, May 11
Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved a pair of local purchases during its regular May meeting at Havre Middle School Monday evening.
The board accepted a Tilleman Motor Company bid of $20,575 on a 1999 Chevrolet truck for use as the districts school food service delivery truck. Trustees also voted unanimously to buy computers and printers from Office Equipment Company.
Assistant Superintendent Dennis Parman said the four lowest bids on 24 or 50 computers and printers all came from Havre vendors. Radio Shack came in second, with McLain Electronics offering the third lowest bid, and Spectrum Sound offering the fourth best.
Parman said each of the Havre bids were lower than offers from national suppliers and provided better warranties and service opportunities.
The board also approved the purchase of a 72-passenger school bus for $58,000.
District administrators were given a 2 percent whole pot raise last night, and four qualifying administrators received a.4 percent base pay increase. Assistant Superintendent Dennis Parman was given a 6 percent raise over the next two years at 3 percent per year and Ric Floren, district director of operations, was given a 2.4 percent raise over two years, 1.2 percent per year.
The board also gave its unanimous approval to an expanded K-12 gifted and talented program. Highland Park School Principal Kelly Avants said the new program should provide better identification of students with a wider variety of talents that would include but not be limited to intellectual, physical, artistic, musical, performing, and leadership. The program would utilize facilitators throughout and begin identifying children from the moment they enter school.
The new program would also allow the students current and future teachers to confer on his placement at the next level.
The board approved rural and special education bus routes for next school year, a Tuesday night board meeting scheduled for 1999-2000, and a trustee calendar for 1999-00. The board meetings will be held the second Tuesday evening of each month, instead of the second Monday as they are now.
The trustees also approved a school board code of ethics Monday night and then attached their signatures to it.
Board Chairwoman Judy Bricker appointed Aileen Couch to the districts high school seat and Brian Morse to the districts elementary seat on the Hill County Transportation Committee.
Floren provided trustees with the districts summer construction and maintenance schedule for each of the districts buildings and properties.
The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 14, at Havre Middle School.
