May 18, 2024
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Dixon school board agrees to lease activity bus

In other matters, district addresses health insurance plan, substitute teacher pay

By Troy E. Taylor
An activity bus in use by Dixon Public Schools, as seen on April 21, 2023.

An activity bus in use by Dixon Public Schools, as seen on April 21, 2023. (Troy Taylor)

DIXON – In a busy May 10 meeting, Dixon Public Schools board approved the lease of an activity bus and set meeting dates for the next school year.

The final meeting for the current school year will be June 21.

Here is a rundown of business items the board addressed.

2023-24 meeting schedule

Announced dates for board meetings will be Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15, Dec. 20, Jan. 17, Feb. 21, March 20, April 17, May 15 and June 19.

Insurance

An “employee plus one” category has been added for Tier II and Tier III participants in the district’s health insurance plan. A memorandum of understanding reflecting the addition was approved between the board and the Dixon Education Association and the Dixon Education Support Personnel Association. It allows Tier I participants to switch to the other tiers during a special enrollment period. Under the “employee plus one” premium structure, DEA members would pay $282.50 for Tier II or $112.50 For Tier III per pay period; for DESPA it would be $141.25 or $56.25, respectively; and for non-certified staff it would be $141.25 or $56.25, respectively.

Activity bus

The board agreed to a five year lease on a 14-passenger 2023 Chevy-Collins activity bus that would cost $18.992 per year in an agreement with Midwest Transit Equipment.

As an informational item, business manager Marc Campbell was recommending that the district consider adding a third bus to the fleet in 2025, preferably one refurbished as an electric vehicle.

Substitute teacher pay

The board agreed to new rates of pay for substitute teachers, to make the district more competitive within the region starting in 2023-24.

Long term subs who work 10 or more days consecutively would qualify for $208.72 per day. Retired teachers as substitutes would earn $138 per day. Non-retired subs would earn $125 per day.

For positions deemed “hard to fill” by the superintendent, the daily rate will be $205 per day. Tutors would earn $35 per hour.

Illinois State Scholars

The district announced that Natalie Davidson, Sara Hintz, Jack Johnson, Emma Jones, Abagail Knipple, Kaitlyn Knipple, Leah Kuehl, Hanna Lengquist, Mekhi McGlown, Quentin Seggebruch and Veronica Wade were Illinois State Scholars for 2023.

Graduations

Reagan Middle School promotions will be 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 26 at Dixon High School. The DHS graduation will be 1 p.m. Sunday, May 28. Ceremonies are scheduled for AC Bowers Field, but can move inside if weather requires it.

Other

The board approved an agreement to participate in a swim co-op at Byron for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. It revised the school calendar to include spring semester parent-teacher conferences if requested by either side.

Dixon Public SchoolsEducation
Troy Taylor

Troy E. Taylor

Was named editor for Saukvalley.com and the Gazette and Telegraph in 2021. An Illinois native, he has been a reporter or editor in daily newspapers since 1989.