Personnel transferred at special meeting

In a lengthy special meeting on Monday the Harrisburg school board approved two transfers of teachers.

The board unanimously voted to approve the involuntary transfer of Brandon Phillips from the position of sixth grade teacher at the Middle School to that of third grade teacher at the East Side School. The board also approved the voluntary transfer of Machelle Owen from third grade teacher at East Side School to the position of sixth grade teacher at the Middle School.

The board acknowledged the receipt of a petition containing 974 signatures contesting the proposed raise in the tax levy building referendum. The board will address this petition and decide its response and course of action at the Jan. 20 regular school board meeting.

The board intends on a $22 million reconstruction of the most deteriorated of the three buildings comprising Harrisburg High School. In November the board agreed on a resolution to issue general obligation alternate bonds of not more than $15 million. That amount would generate an annual payment of about $800,000 a year. The district receives $1 million a year in sales tax money which would leave about $200,000 left for maintenance of other schools. Health Life Safety bonds could be sold in the future to cover the remaining $2 million.