The Houston Board of Education sold its building trades class house and approved a reduced levy for patrons during a meeting Monday.
Buck and Jane Wade of Houston were the successful bidders on the home, which is situated in the south part of the community. They paid $237,000. The minimum bid was $174,900. Other registered bidders were James Powell, Willie Johnson, Carl Phillips and Steve Hutcheson. Bidding started at $175,000.
In other matters, board members set the tax levy for statements that will arrive this fall. The operating levy will decrease about two cents to $2.8437. The debt-service tax will drop about nine cents to 80 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Clinton Waters, superintendent, said the goal of the school board is to stabilize the levy so that it does not change much from year to year. The total levy is $3.6437 per $100 assessed valuation.
In other matters, members:
– Approved a substitute teacher list that includes Ann Bruening, Danny Koch, Stephen Foster, Daphne McCormick, Peggy Holder, Mike Moore, Caleb Arthur, Sam Yarnall, Jena Gentry, Linda Lewis, Idalee Beasley, Coleman Lee, Wayne Jones, Darrell Colborn, Randee Cary, Loretta Smith, Amber Robertson, Pat Waters, Amber Williams, Karen Moore and Kent Swearingin.
-Accepted the resignation of Stephanie Rust as secondary art teacher. She will become a regional employee with the Missouri Department of Conservation. The search for a replacement was posted Aug. 10.
-Heard that a regional teachers’ meeting Monday at Cabool drew praise. Ron Clark, a former national teacher of the year, was the speaker. His life was the basis for a movie, “The Ron Clark Story,” which started Matthew Perry last year. It appeared on TNT.
-Heard presentations on library and media centers on campus. The high school and middle school are deemed deficient. A building proposal slated for next year would result in a new one.