JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD MAKES ADJUSTMENTS TO SEVERAL POLICIES

JACKSON -- Since its district seems to be keeping up with changing times, the Jackson Board of Education made some adjustments Tuesday that should bring its policies up-to-date as well.

The board approved changes in its mileage reimbursement, personnel sick leave and meeting location policies to bring them up to current standards. It also will begin studying policy recommendations from the Missouri School Boards Association.

Mileage reimbursements, which had been stagnant at 20 cents per mile for almost 10 years, are now current. Employees now will receive 30 cents per mile in reimbursement costs and receive two days as personal or sick leave.

However, some changes, like changing the meeting location, were just routine matters that had never been updated.

Although the board has been meeting at the Middle School Library for many months, the district policy reads that all meetings are held at the board office. Now the policy has been corrected.

Many of the MSBA policy changes also are just updates for current policies, Jones said. All 12 sections of the policy manual must be reviewed before the district's Missouri School Improvement Program visit in January.

"It needs to be updated and reprinted," Jones said. "It's crucial that we review all the policies in light of the statues."

The board also reviewed its 1996-97 school calendar and corrected some errors. The first calendar didn't account for days missed because of inclement weather and didn't list when those missed days would be made up.

"This allows us to take an exception if we have to because of weather," said Superintendent Dr. Howard Jones. "It cleans up the calendar and gives us the appropriate number of weather days."

The district calendar allows for 10 missed days but if all are taken, the school year will be extended by five days. Currently, the final day of school is tentatively set for May 20, 1997, but bad weather days could push it farther back. Jones also suggested building snow days into future calendars so the final days of school aren't continually adjusted.

In other business, the board set a public hearing for the 1996-97 tax rate. The tax rate hearing was set for Aug. 13 since the rate must be filed with the county clerk by Sept. 1.