LOOGOOTEE — The Loogootee School Board gave itself a raise at Monday’s meeting, something it hadn’t done in many years.

School Superintendent Larry Weitkamp told the board they had to decide at this point in the year what the board’s compensation would be. They had been getting a straight $2,000 per year, and Weitkamp that was the lowest amount paid to school board members throughout the state. He told the board that most boards throughout the state were paid per meeting, with the average being $112 a meeting and $62 for special meetings.

The board voted 4-1 to go with the superintendent’s suggestion, with the stipulation they would only be paid for one meeting per day.

Board member David Lingenfelter cast the no vote.

Loogootee School Board members do not have health and life insurance through the schools or other benefits that many school boards offer.

The board also approved advertising the 2009 tax rate at $1.32 per $100 valuation, down from the $2.47 advertised last year. Weitkamp explained the state would shoulder a substantial part of the general fund. The board approved advertising the rate for the next two weeks and holding a public hearing Sept. 15. The board would then adopt the tax rate at the Oct. 20 meeting.

In other business

Bus escalation

Due to the high cost of gasoline and diesel fuel, the board approved increasing the reimbursement to bus drivers.

Diesel is up $1.12 a gallon, and gasoline up $.55 from the January price.

Personnel

The board accepted the immediate retirement of long-time school cook Doris Lindsey.

They also approved the retirement at the end of the 2008-2009 school year of Susan Eyler, Title I teacher at Elementary West, and Phil Eyler, English and social studies teacher at the junior-senior high school.

They approved Rick Graves as musical stage director; Marcia Crays as musical costume designer; and Alan Burch and Josh Jeffers as volunteer basketball coaches.

Driver’s Ed