Board mulls spring referendum for HHS work

Insurance problems related to the Affordable Health Care Act and the possibility of putting forward a referendum for funding renovation of the high school building were the main topics of discussion at a long Harrisburg school board meeting on Tuesday night.

The board heard a presentation from Dr. Nick Osborne, Chairman of Education Administration at Eastern Illinois University. Osborne outlined for the board the steps and goals involved in presenting and passing a referendum on the ballot for bond sales for major renovation or partial rebuild of a portion of Harrisburg High School. This is an interesting process, which involves targeting the influential opinion groups in Saline County and making sure that the message of the need for funding for work at the high school is clearly explained and the citizens fully informed on the need.

The process ranges from obvious things like forming a committee to run the campaign to such small details as providing transportation for voters to the polling place. Osborne stated that if the board hoped to put the referendum before the public by April 7, 2015, the board would have to move quickly to fully utilize the five months left before April 7.

"One of the most important things is to make very sure that you identify the major opinion groups and get your message to them," Osborne told the board.

Superintendent Mike Gauch then asked Osborne if he would be available on a consultant basis to assist the board and what the nature of his assistant would be. Osborne replied that he served as a policy and strategy consultant and thought he would be available. The board announced that they would continue to consider the matter and finalize advice from architectural consultants on what will be required.

Affordable Healthcare Act

The board then heard from Whitney Dyson of American Fidelity on the topic of impact of the Affordable Healthcare Act on substitute teachers and teachers aides. Dyson explained that when the act goes fully into effect, aides and substitutes would either have to work less then 30 hours a week or be offered the same insurance package that full-time staff receive.

Dyson cautioned the board that if part-time employees went over the 30 hour limit without health coverage from the district, the federal government could impose a fine of $2,000 for each of the districts 310 full time employees. This would amount to $620,000. Dyson further informed the board that a "Look Back" period was required to review part-time workers past history of work time since the passage of the act to review the workers hour usage since the act passed.

The board was clearly dismayed by this news and discussed options for tracking worker time in the future and possible ways to remedy the situation. Dyson offered a software package to the board which would greatly automate the tracking of part-time worker hours. Gauch, speaking to the Daily Register in a telephone interview on Wednesday morning stated that the board had voted to purchase the "Work Tracks" software package.

"I do not want to have a situation where principals inadvertently work a substitute or aide too much because of a failure to centralize worker hours records," Gauch stated.

Gauch further stated that he, the board and the Harrisburg Educators Association would continue to consult each other on possible solutions, but that the only viable resolution to the problem could be cutting back on part-time workers hours. This move would affect some 55 to 60 substitutes and teachers aides.

Harrisburg Mayor Dale Fowler also addressed the board. Fowler has agreed to serve as a co-chair of the referendum committee and then spoke about the need for funds for the school.

"As Mayor and a citizen I am excited at the upswing in our economic growth and development," Fowler said. "The school district is an important part of our economic engine."

Fowler told the board that he had planned to put forward a referendum on Home Rule powers for the city in April, but he felt that the funding for the high school should take priority and would withhold the Home Rule referendum if the board decided to seek funding this election cycle.