Coaches hired in Eldorado

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Eldorado school board hired several coaches and assistant coaches during the regular meeting held Tuesday.

For middle school head girls basketball the board hired Cathy Hathaway as head coach and Taylor Wheeler Barr as assistant.

The board hired Robert Middleton as a teacher's aide and high school assistant boys basketball coach.

The board voted to hire Richard Ozment as high school head baseball coach, Charlie Stewart as an aide and assistant football coach as well as assistant baseball coach, Kyle Hall as middle school assistant baseball coach and John Kolar as middle school assistant baseball coach.

Superintendent Gary Siebert told the board the state is funding early childhood - a preschool program for 3- to 5-year-olds - $21,874 less than last year. The state paid $272,063 last year and this year will pay $250,189.

The state is behind paying early childhood from last year so Siebert said the loss will not hamper the program, but that loss that he became aware of only earlier that day will require an amendment to the district's budget.

The tentative 2012-2013 budget will go on display at the school noon Monday.

The board will hold a hearing 6:45 a.m. Sept. 20 prior to the regular September board meeting.

Eric Brannock, agent of COUNTRY Financial, had some good news for the district. The few number of insurance claims by the district has encouraged him and the underwriters to increase the amount of property covered by about $5 million to nearly $28 million with a premium slightly lower than before.

Brannock said there is only one outstanding insurance claim and that was due to vandalism at the Eldorado Sports Complex. Siebert said on April 26 boys tore down a section of fence at the complex and gained access to the lawnmower used to mow the baseball diamond. They took the mower on a joyride and destroyed it. Damages amounted to $300,000. The district pressed criminal charges against the two, but Siebert said he has no expectation the boys would be able to compensate the district for the damage.

In 2011 there were three claims paid. The fire in the shop cost $35,000. Insurance paid $5,000 to a woman to cover medical costs after she fell on the sidewalk at the football field.

The board had planned a prebid meeting for the middle school gymnasium upgrade in July, but because it was during the week of July 4 and many potential bidders had plans the district rescheduled the probed meeting for 3 p.m. Wednesday at the middle school cafeteria. The bid opening is 3 p.m. July 20 also at the middle school cafeteria.

The board discussed, but did not take action on, the tax levy for 2012-2013.

Siebert said it is his intention to prepare a full levy like the district typically does, but then to abate a portion of the levy later if the 1-percent sales tax to benefit schools pools a sufficient amount of money. Siebert said it is his hope to abate all property taxes later. The tax is expected to generate $500,000 for the district annually.

Siebert said he hopes the board will take action on the levy in October or November with the December meeting being the deadline for action.

The board voted to switch the November meeting to Nov. 13.

The board approved architect Ed Kerkhover conducting the 10-year health/life/safety survey on the high school, now in its 10th year.

Siebert said he knows the front steps are deteriorating and there is a stress crack in the brick on the west wall of the school near the south corner that he believes is due to the extreme heat. The crack is cosmetic, not structural, and the contractor who built it may be able to fix it at no cost to the district.