Mitchell School District OK with shared equalization panel

• Joe Graves

Joe Graves

Talk about it

The Mitchell School District agrees with plans for a consolidated area Board of Equalization, said Superintendent Joe Graves — but not if it costs the district money or if meetings are held when school board members would be unable to participate.

That issue and a look at district goals for the school year will be among the topics up for consideration when the board meets at 5 p.m. today in the commons area at Longfellow Elementary School.

A consolidated equalization board would reduce the number of steps currently required of taxpayers to appeal annual property tax assessments. The program has received support from both the city and the county.

Given the district’s current cash pinch, extra expenses aren’t needed, Graves said.

“If moving to this new system means the district will have to pick up the costs, we’re not terribly interested,” he said.

Under the current equalization system, hearings are held during the day.

“If that remains the case, our board members will never get there,” Graves said. “We’re saying if you want board members there, you’re going to have the meetings in the evening when board members aren’t working — other than that, we’re fine with the resolution.”

As part of today’s meeting the board will also recognize students who won blue ribbons at the South Dakota State Fair.

Board members will also tour Longfellow Elementary School after the business portion of the meeting.

The agenda includes board consideration to:

• Approve the proposed equalization consolidation changes.

• Approve an engineering contract with Roby, Quintal and Everson Consulting Engineers of Mitchell for a new chiller and controlling unit at Mitchell Middle School.

• Approve a bond resolution for Mitchell Technical Institute, for the new Trades Center at the south campus

• Approve an agreement with Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit organization, for a biomedical program to be established next year at the new Mitchell Career and Technical Academy on the MTI North campus.

• Approve the district goals for the 2011-2012 school year.

• Approve several personnel items, including: New hires (extracurricular): Patrick Moller, head boys’ tennis coach, effective for the 2011-2012 school year. Transfer: Debra Hines, from the Middle School kitchen to Longfellow food service, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily, effective Sept. 14. New hires: Quinton Slykhuis, ag program instructor, MTI, $50,000 annually, prorated to $45,366, effective Sept. 28; Jerika Sorenson, Middle School food service, five hours daily at $9.49 an hour, effective Sept.14.

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