News
School Board holds meeting
Scott Wagar
08/27/2013
As the final week of summer break came to the Bottineau Public School, administrators, school board members and the teacher’s association concluded issues concerning the teacher’s contract and the master facility plan in a special school board meeting on Monday, Aug. 19.
TEACHERS’ NEGOTIATION
The Bottineau Education Association (BEA) and Bottineau School Board ratified and signed the teachers negotiation, officially ending the contract dispute which placed the two parties at an impasse this summer.
“The teachers’ negotiated agreement was ratified and signed by both the board and the teachers,” said Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau Public School system. “Contracts were given to staff on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The teacher will now have 30 days to sign their contract.”
MASTER FACILITY PLAN
When it came to the Master Facility Plan, the school board members voted in favor of Option 5, which calls for a new PK-5 elementary school building to be constructed on the east side of town at an estimated cost of $19,615,601.
“After much discussion, the board has chosen Option 5. The board’s decision was based on input from the surveys taken at the public forums and also individuals completing surveys from the website,” Kersten said. “If a referendum passes, this option gives the district the opportunity to start construction possibly in the spring before school is out and doesn’t disturb the education process. It allows for expansion and our practice fields stay in tact. Many of the other reasons were from the pros located on the school website."
ELECTION
The school board also made the decision to hold a special election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with two questions being asked on the ballot.
“The first question will be the resolution for a bond to build a PK-5 school building,” Kersten said. “The second question will be to raise the debt limit of the school from five percent to 10 percent.”
Local residents are encouraged to vote.