Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The Hayden School Board will consider the district's amended Retirement/Service Bonus Policy at a meeting tonight.

The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Hayden School District administrative offices at 495 W. Jefferson Avenue.

Currently, district employees with 15 to 19 years of service receive 35 percent of their final year's salary as a bonus. Employees with 20 years of service or more receive 70 percent of their final year's salary as a bonus.

Superintendent Mike Luppes said the district should be proactive in its preparation of future retirements.

"I can see a bundle of teachers coming up who will have 20 years of service," he said. "I added a line setting aside funding."

This is the second reading of the policy.

The board also will certify this year's mill levy, which is required by the state.

This year, district property taxes are expected to generate $2.3 million, which is an increase from 2005-06. The mills for this year will be 27.581, district business manager Jnl Linsacum said.

The Steamboat Springs School District recently passed a mill levy override to generate additional revenue from property taxes to help attract and retain quality staff, but school districts are limited in how much money they can ask for from district voters.

"We are at our max," Linsacum said, noting the passage of an override more than five years ago. "We can't go back to voters for any more mill levy overrides."

The board also will vote whether or not to approve capital expenditure items totaling approximately $7,200. Half of that total is for a new server for the district, Linsacum said.

The School Board also requested to hear updates on the proposed vocational building, a report from the Northwest Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services, an energy audit update and the School Accountability Reports.