CCISD board to swear in reelected board members

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

During tonight’s meeting of the Copperas Cove Independent School District board of trustees meeting, the board will canvass the November 7 board of trustees election, and following the canvass of the votes, will swear in the reelected trustees, Jim Copeland, Bob Weiss, and Dr. Karen Harrison for places 5, 6, and 7. The board will also elect its officers for the upcoming year. 
The board will also consider and take action on a one-time retention incentive for CCISD staff, in the amount of a $1,000 bonus per full-time employee and a $500 bonus per part-time employee, “all individuals employed with the district as of December 15, 2017.” The total cost is estimated to be $1,215,624.63, which includes employer-paid Medicare. According to the proposed resolution, Superintendent Joe Burns would have the final authority determining which employees are eligible for the bonus. 
The employee retention initiative from CCISD administration came about when the district received $8 million of its “hold-harmless” Impact Aid funding on September 9—much earlier than the May or June 2018 time frame as originally anticipated by the district, which during the budget-planning process for the current school year, didn’t budget any pay increases for its employees, to limit the negative financial impact on the district’s fund balance. 
The one-time incentive is intended to help employees offset the increases in TRS health insurance premiums and increases in the cost of living expenses.
Two budgeted purchases exceeding $25,000 are also on the consent agenda for this evening, to include the annual Schoology subscription for $34,800 and the cost for the network infrastructure for the new administration building from CMC Network Solutions in the amount of $48,975.
Another class size waiver is up for approval this evening, with two kindergarten classes, two first grade classes, two second grade classes, two third grade classes, and one fourth grade class in the district that have an enrollment higher than 22.
The board will also cast its votes for candidates to the Coryell Central Appraisal District board of directors for 2018-2019, with administration recommending the board cast its votes for Bob Weiss and Jay Manning. CCISD is the largest taxing entity in the CCAD and consequently has 1,452 votes of the CCAD’s overall 5,000 votes, which must be cast by the board via a written resolution by December 15.  
Two facilities projects are on the agenda for this evening, one for the engineering and design for renovating the electrical system at Halstead Elementary School, and the other for engineering and design for the addition of a right turn lane at Williams-Ledger Elementary School    . 
The 6:30 p.m. meeting will take place at the CCISD administration building board room, located at 703 W. Ave. D.