New staff members hired for Worland schools; some familiar faces
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WORLAND – Five new certified staffers were hired and salaries and benefits were discussed at Mondays night’s Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees meeting.
Two of the five were familiar faces. Margo King, a previous middle school teacher, was hired at the West Side Elementary School Special Education teacher, contingent of a Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) completion and Mark Mortimer, the 2016 Girls Basketball State Champ Basketball coach was hired as the new Washakie County Athletic Director.
The other new certified staffers approved by the school board were Jonah Baker was approved by the school board for a Worland Middle School special education teacher, Amy Wright was approved as the Worland Middle School Music teacher based upon her completion of a PTSB certification and Benjamin Hofmann was approved as the Worland High School social studies and physical education teacher.
The summer school staffers were also approved as a block, instead of individually. Those summer school staffers were Jamie Snyder for first grade summer school teacher; Courtney Burky for third grade teacher, contingent upon PTSB completion; Kathy Hill, Amy Reid and Jan Hefenieder summer school paras and Tracy Myers as Worland High School para; Deb Winkler as a Migrant teacher and Carol McIntosh, Eliza Winters for Burlington Migrant summer school paras; and Judy Winters as a migrant summer school cook.
The Washakie County School District No. 1 certified and classified staffers will experience a difference in salaries and benefits in the upcoming 2017 fiscal year.
Health insurance increases
Business Manager Jack Stott informed the board insurance base plan D will have certified and classified employees experience four increases in premium costs.
Those areas will be employers for family enrollees with a 10 percent increase, costing an employee $219.44 a month; employers for single enrollee will experience a 10 percent increase costing certified and classified employees $89.15 a month; family enrollee where both spouses are employer will experience a 10 percent increase costing both certified and classified employees $212.69 a month; and employee WRS contribution will increase one-fourth percent and certified staffers will experience $9.40 a month increase and a $3.86 monthly increase for classified staffers.
“At my last Northwest superintendents meeting, there was an increase in insurance almost everywhere,” Superintendent David Nicholas said.
“To keep this where it is as recommended we also have reduced two staff positions, cut into capital project money and we are looking at several other places where we’ll reduce expenses those expenses represent another,” Stott said. Stott did not specify which positions at Monday’s meeting.
“Employees can still enroll in plan B or C and … choose to buy up and pay the net difference or sell down to plan C and have their premium is reduced,” Stott added.
The school board went into a closed executive session following the adjournment of the school board meeting.
