Ambulance, Inc. to provide athletic services to Laurel school district
By Brad Hicks / Staff Writer
At Monday’s regular meeting of the Laurel County Board of Education, the board approved an agreement allowing Ambulance, Inc. of Laurel County to provide athletic training services to the district for the 2008-09 school year.
Laurel County Athletic Director Randy Leger was present at the meeting to discuss the agreement. Previously, the district had a contract with PT Pros to provide the services, but the company was no longer able to fulfill the agreement due to lack of personnel.
Leger said members of Ambulance, Inc. actually began assisting the district prior to Monday’s approval of the agreement.
“They have already had some training on their own with a physical therapist in town,” Leger said. “We actually have more services now than we probably ever had.”
“It’s already been positive for us,” he added. “We’ve had nothing but positive comments from the coaches and parents.”
The board also set the vehicle and property tax rates for the 2008-09 school year. Board chairperson Lola Reed said she would recommend approval of the lowest rate permitted by law.
Last year, the rates set were 43.9 cents per $100 of assessed value for real estate, 45.2 cents per $100 for tangible property and 35 cents per $100 for vehicle.
The board selected the compensating tax rate, the lowest available. With this, the tax rates for the 2008-09 school year would be 42.2 per $100 for real estate, 43.1 cents per $100 for tangible property and 35 cents per $100 for vehicle.
The rates are set in August of each year. The Property Valuation Administrator reviews a fourth of the county’s properties in a four-year cycle. This information is submitted to the state, where it then goes through the Department of Education, who ultimately sets the allowable tax rate.
In other business, the board:
• Approved the re-creation of one special needs assistant at Colony Elementary School and one special needs assistant at Bush Elementary School due to employees resigning for positions at other schools. The board also approved the creation of one preschool special needs assistant at Colony Elementary.
• Approved the creation of two Title I assistant positions at Johnson Elementary School.
• Approved the creation of one reading teacher position at Colony Elementary for the 2008-09 school year. This position would be funded using Title I money allocated to the school.
• Approved the creation of one math teacher position at North Laurel High School for the 2008-09 school year to be funded through Title VI.
• Approved an agreement with Saint Joseph London/London Pediatrics to provide services for preschool and sixth grade students for the 2008-09 school year. In July, the board heard from London Pediatrics manager Ginger Waldorff, who sought the agreement to provide services educating these students on hygiene practices.
• Approved the Cold Hill Elementary School PRIDE Grant application for the 2008-09 school year. Last year, the school was able to institute a science lab using funding supplied by the grant.
• Approved the authorization to sell surplus school property, which includes cafeteria tables, televisions, copiers, furniture, equipment and vehicles, through auction. Laurel County School District Business Manager Jim Kennedy said he hopes to have the auction, which would be held at the district’s storage facility at Sublimity, sometime in September.
• Approved the Supplemental Education Services Contractual Services Agreement for the 2009-09 school year.
• Approved a contract for an assistant project manager for the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Grant. Recently, the district received a grant through REMS for approximately $220,000. Per the grant, $18,000 was to be used for the assistant project manager position. The position would be a temporary, 18-month position.
• Approved the North Laurel High School Tech Prep Grant with Eastern Kentucky University. This grant through EKU would be in the amount of $14,700.
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