Members of the Houston board of education waded through a lengthy agenda Monday that saw members raise tuition, set a graduation date and discussed the possibility of using natural gas.
When the lights went out, the clock read 11:30 p.m.
The board set tuition for the 2007-’08 school year at $4,300, which is a jump of $300. The board also approved $100 annual increases for the next two years. The district wanted to set the time frame to allow neighboring districts the opportunity to budget for the increase.
The board also okayed billing the districts based on days of enrollment instead of days of attending starting with the 2008-’09 year. Currently, those districts pay for only the days the students are in the classroom even though the district still incurs the cost of teachers, explained Superintendent Clinton Waters.
Members also set graduation for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at the Houston High School football field.
The board also discussed the potential availability of natural gas to the region [See related story elsewhere]. It will study the option of using natural gas rather than propane when it becomes available through Southern Missouri Gas Co.
In other matters, members:
-Accepted a proposal by Aaron Griffin, head basketball coach, to drop Houston’s participation from the annual holiday classic, the Blue and Golf Tournament in Springfield. After a lengthy discussion, the board okayed the change and authorized a move to a Cabool tournament. It was explained that Houston has not fielded a competitive effort for many years because most of the schools involved are from bigger districts.
-Okayed a $1,000 contribution to use Oakwood Golf Course for the district’s golf team.
-Heard a discipline appeal by a student during a closed session. Due to the length of the meeting, the board will discuss employment at building administrators at its next meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 12, in the superintendent’s office.