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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
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BRIEFS Chamber Event Is March 18
The Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the individuals, organization and businesses that will be honored at its 2022 Annual Meeting, which will include a casino night at the Ketcham Community Center on Friday, March 18. Pat Hauck McWilliams and Ed Holt will be honored as “Pillars of the Community” with the Green Hills Animal Shelter to be recognized as the Organization of the Year and BTC Bank and Mid-States Services being honored as the Businesses of the Year. Profiles of those being honored can be found on pages 6 and 7 of today’s R-T. The event will get under way at 5:30 p.m., with a social time including a photo booth. A buffet dinner will be served at 6 p.m., with the honorees to be recognized at 7:30 p.m. “Casino Night” will get under way at 8 p.m. and run through 10:30 p.m., with all guests receiving chips to play casino games including blackjack, craps, Texas Hold ‘em, roulette and Plinko (as seen on The Price is Right). Prizes will be awarded to winners. For more information about tickets, which are $40, contact the chamber office at 660-359-4324.
R-9 Candidate Forum
The Trenton Teachers Association, Trenton Hy-Vee Food Store and the Trenton Republican-Times will host a “Meet the Candidates” Night on Wednesday, March 30. The forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Trenton High School Commons and will feature the candidates for the Trenton R-9 Board of Education who will be on the April 5 Ballot. Those invited to attend include the four candidates for two three-year terms: incumbent Dorothy Taul, Jeff Spencer, Toby Havens and Joshua Shuler. Incumbent Marcie Cutsinger has chosen to not seek re-election and Jason Hostetler, who was earlier appointed to the board to serve until the election, was the only candidate who filed to fill an unexpired term. R-9 patrons are encouraged to send questions for the candidates to Charley Crimi at ccrimi@trentonr9.k12.mo.us. If time allows, questions will be taken from the audience during the forum.
Election Judges Sought
Grundy County Clerk Betty Spickard is seeking judges for the upcoming April 5 Municipal and School Election. Anyone interested in serving as a judge can call the clerk’s office at 660-359-4040, ext. 4.
Princeton Board Agenda
The Princeton R-5 Board of Education will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 14 in the high school activity room. Several important items are on the agenda, including setting the graduation and prom dates, an update on the grant for an electric school bus, brick work that needs to be done on the high school building, discussion of switching division in the GRC Conference, the 2022-23 salary schedules for certified and non-certified staff, a bid notice for bank depository services, reports, principal reports and a closed session to discuss legal matters, real estate and personnel.
Trenton R-9 Increases Base Pay Board Still Mulling Some Proposals From Committee Teachers and classified staff in the Trenton R-9 School District will see an increase in the base pay following action taken Tuesday night, however the R-9 Board of Education is still discussing some of the proposals made by the Salary and Welfare Committee. Charley Crimi, representing the Salary and Welfare Committee, made a presentation to the board that focused on four proposals from faculty and staff: Increasing the base for all employees, adding extra steps on the salary schedule past 30 years, continuing to have 100 percent boardpaid health insurance with the deductibles and co-pays remaining the same and converting sick and personal leave to paid time off. Following Mrs. Crimi’s presentation, the board heard from R-9 Superintendent Mike Stegman, who gave his recommendation to the board. Ultimately, the board went with Stegman’s recommendation, which was: • adding $2,000 to the base salary for teachers, raising it from $34,000 per year for a new teacher with no experience, to $36,000 per year. The committee had sought a $1,500 bump to the base and movement down the salary schedule. Stegman said the approved amount added to the base would cost the district an additional $208,380 and allowing the “move down” on the schedule would cost the district $73,677 (with $48,128 of that amount for certified staff). It was noted in Mrs. Crimi’s presentation that it would take a $2,200 increase to keep up with the current rate of in-
Submitted Photo
Members of the Trenton R-9 Board of Education were recognized at Tuesday night’s board meeting in observance of School Board Appreciation Week. Members include, from left, Andy Burress, Dorothy Taul, Bill Miller, Melissa King, Brandon Gibler and Jason Hostetler. Not pictured is Marcie Cutsinger.
flation. • increasing the minimum base pay for non-certified staff to $14 per hour, an amount that is currently $11.83. The committee had sought a $15 base for noncertified staff members, pointing out that the district is competing not just with other school districts but with all businesses for the employees who fill those positions and many can work for more money at other places. The non-certified staff portion of the $73,677 attributed to “moving down” the salary schedule would be $25,549. The committee had also sought a commitment of a 50-cent per hour raise each year for the first five years. Under the approved salary schedule, support staff will receive a 10-cent per hour wage increase each year for the first five years. The salary increases would result in a 4.88 percent increase, Stegman said, and cost the district a total of $439,527 in additional costs for next year. The vote on the salary schedule was 5-1, with Dorothy Taul, Melissa King,
Laredo Approves Personnel Matters Probationary Staff Gets Contract Renewals The Laredo R-7 Board of Education held a meeting Tuesday evening, approving multiple personnel matters following a closed session. According to information provided by Superintendent Misty Foster, the board approved renewing the contracts of probationary part-time teachers Japheth Busick, physical education and health;
WEATHER ALMANAC Day: High/Low Snow Monday 34/21 1” Tuesday 39/12 — Wednesday 38/27 — Barton Campus Wednesday 35/25 —
Phoebe Duff, art; and Penny Tolle, library. Sarah Young, a probationary full-time teacher, also had her contract renewed for the 2022-23 school year. Micah Burkeybile was offered tenure and all currently tenured teachers were offered contracts for next year. Robin Griswold was approved as the Parents as Teachers instructor. The board accepted the resignation of Cathie Lowrey as music instructor. Board members approved a health insurance plan through OSBA, with the board paying $540 plus
vision and life insurance. It was noted that the annual bus inspection was held March 2 and parent-teacher conferences will be held March 17 at 1:30 p.m. The board approved an ESCE cooperative agreement as well as an agreement, pending student participation, with Trenton Middle School for fall sports, including volleyball, softball and football. The track cooperative agreement with Pleasant View R-6 was also approved. Preliminary salary information was discussed as were certified contracts
and upcoming spring activities. Field trips that were given approval included the eighth grade trip to Branson, April 29; K-2 trip to Sea Life, April 21; and the third through eighth grade trip to Hannibal, May 5. Board members reviewed the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service Plan, revising it to accept new CDC guidelines that have no mask requirement. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BEGINS MARCH 13 It’s time once again to ‘Spring’ forward. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour. The time change happens officially at 2 a.m. on Sunday
Jason Hostetler, Brandon Gibler and Andy Burress voting yes, Bill Miller voting no and Marcie Cutsinger absent. Miller indicated he feels the base for non-certified staff should be $15. The new salary schedules can be found on the district website. The board agreed to continue paying $602 toward the cost of health insurance, which is hopefully 100 percent of the premium through the Missouri Educator’s Trust insurance consortium. Stegman will know in the coming weeks what the exact premium and options will be for next year. There were several areas of disagreement between
the two proposals, with Stegman referring to some of those issues brought up by staff as “fluffy stuff.” The committee had asked that all Masters Degree columns be extended downward to 30 years. Currently, a teacher with a master’s degree and less than eight additional hours would be “frozen” on the schedule after year. Stegman said the reason not to extend that salary downward is to encourage teachers to continue their education, however Mrs. Crimi said the cost of the additional education in both time and money isn’t justified by the additional compensation the teacher would receive. For exam[See R-9, Page 3]
Park Board Sets Budget For ’22-’23 $40,499.31 Deficit Budget Projected For Park Board The Trenton Park Board met Wednesday night at City Hall, approving the 2022-2023 budget. The budget shows projected revenues of $538,600 and estimated expenditures of $579,099.31. That gives the Park Board a projected deficit budget of $40,499.31 for the year. There was little concern for the deficit budget as the Parks financial balance as of Feb. 8 was shown to be $472,931.22 — a number reached through what board president Curtis Crawford called “being conservative with our expenses.” The deficit budget actually grew at the meeting after board members agreed to change the amount budgeted for petroleum products in light of current gas prices. Listed on the original budget as $6,500, that number grew by 50 percent as the board increased the total to $9,750, adding $3,250 to the expected expenses for the year. The budget, which goes into effect on May 1, listed labor as an $80,000 expense, up $3,000 from the
$77,000 budgeted last year. Part-time wages in the Park Department sat at $22,000, the same as they were on last year’s budget, and pool staff wages were listed at $60,000, also the same number it had attatched to it a year ago. No salaries or wages were discussed, however, the board will wait to see what the city does with its employees. Crawford said park salaries and wages will possibly be determined at the April meeting. If the added $3,000 doesn’t cover raises that may be issued, the board will look to amend the budget. In addition to labor, the Park Board budget included $59,400 for projects to be completed in the coming year. Those include new signs at Ray Van Meter Park and the Rock Barn, a new basketball hoop and shelter house post at Moberly Park, a new swingset at Gladys Grimes Park, walking trail repairs at Eastside Park and fall material at all playgrounds. Health insurance was budgeted at $17,520, up less than $100 from last year. Other large expenses on the budget included $18,000 for park supplies, $18,000 for equipment repairs and maintenence, [See Park, Page 8]