By Jolene FarleyThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board approved employee contracts giving a 4.5-percent wage increase per year over the next three years for all non-certified employees except bus drivers at a Monday meeting. Superintendent Dave Deragisch recommended a three-year versus two-year contract, so that contract negotiations for non-certified staff are on alternating years from certified staff negotiations. Bus drivers receive a $2.50 increase per route, or $5 a day. Bus drivers also receive a 4.5-percent increase for all other driving. The position of business manager was added to the fifth step of the pay scale, up from the fourth step. All benefits for non-certified employees will be according to the Hills-Beaver Creek policy book. The change rectifies inconsistencies between the groups. Lockdown statusElementary Principal Todd Holthous updated the board on the lockdown at the elementary school. Lockdown status continued as of Monday with all exterior doors locked. Students aren’t allowed outdoors for recess or allowed to walk home alone after school is dismissed.School officials started the security precautions on Wednesday, Oct. 15, in response to notification from law enforcement that Jason Lee Heasley could be headed toward the Beaver Creek School looking for his child. Heasley, considered armed and dangerous and missing from the jail in Huron, S.D., is facing drug and burglary charges. "You let your guard down for 20 minutes and he could be in and out," Holthaus said. A doorbell was installed at the front entrance to the school, so visitors could ring the bell if they needed to enter the building. Special education billDeragisch recommended the board pay in full 2001-02 and 2002-03 special education bills to the Luverne School District. The bills stems from students that open enrolled to the Luverne district. The student’s home district is required to reimburse the district were the student open enrolls for special education and other costs. The total amount due for these years is $103,799. The H-BC district made a partial payment of $20,000 in June. This year’s school budget included $87,000 earmarked for these bills.The board discussed the remaining amount due of $55,864 for the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 school years. "There is still some dispute over what we should actually pay," Deragisch said.The billing system for those years wasn’t as clear as the undisputed years, according to Deragisch. Amounts are now billed by the state.The board decided to offer $30,000 to the Luverne district for payment in full of the disputed amounts.
