The Crookston School Board approved a new copier lease that will save them over $50,000 over the next five years at a special meeting at the Crookston School District Office conference room on Thursday evening.
The copier contract was the only item on the main agenda and the Crookston School Board approved the bid from Advanced Business Methods of Grand Forks for Canon copiers throughout the district. The bid came in at over $52,000 which was a little over $11,000 savings from their current contract and new bid from Liberty. Jeremy Olson, Crookston School Superintendent, said the bid was too good to pass up. “We went out for bids and three companies submitted bids and the board selected ABM basically because of the significant savings of $11,000 a year for the district copiers,” said Superintendent Olson. “We did some background checks to make sure the company was solid and they provide good service in that was the case.” The same company deals with the East Grand Forks school district and the University of Minnesota Crookston.
The personnel agenda included the hiring of Guy Reierson as a custodian at Crookston High School. The board approved the paraprofessional agreement for the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. The paraprofessionals will get a 2.5% increase in the first year, again in the second year and in the third year they will get a 3% raise. They will also get $1,000 per month towards individual health insurance or $1,300 per month for family health insurance. “We have a great, professional group of paraprofessionals and it is nice to have a three-year contract agreed to,” said Superintendent Olson. “The terms were fair, and they were good to work with. Health insurance was a little confusing with how it was broken down before and now we are going to a simpler $1,000 for individuals and $1,300 for family insurance.”
The last personnel item approved was the addition of a paraprofessional at 5.5 hours per day at Highland Elementary School to help with special ed students. “We added the position to meet the increased demand in our special ed department,” said Superintendent Olson. “When students need help, we want to help support them.”
The meeting was the last of the year 2018 and the last day of school before the Christmas break is Friday, December 21.
