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Board revises policies, purchases buses

July 3, 2007 12:35 am

New yellow buses will be on the roads soon in Spotsylvania.

Last week, the School Board authorized the purchase of $2,852,863 worth of school buses. The division will trade in 43 older buses for 43 new buses. The total trade-in value is $69,500, more than the division usually gets at auction, according to transportation director Kermit Shaffer.

Funds from the November 2005 bond referendum will be used to purchase the buses.

The board approved an increased stipend for the members elected in November. The current $7,500 stipend hasn't been increased since 1997, Superintendent Jerry Hill said. The original proposal brought to the board called for a $10,500 stipend, but outgoing board member Charles Cowsert offered a substitute motion to raise it to $12,000. The increase was unanimously approved and will be effective in January.

Employees in Spotsylvania County schools now will have to work longer to be eligible for certain retirement benefits and sick-leave payouts.

Last week the board agreed to increase the number of years employees must work in the division to be eligible for retirement benefits. Currently, employees are required to have five consecutive years to receive continued health insurance after retirement. As of July 1, employees now need 15 consecutive years to be eligible.

The revised policy states that employees who defer retirement are not eligible for the continued health insurance.

The sick-leave policy also was changed. Previously, unused sick leave is paid out at retirement for employees with five consecutive years of service, but starting July 1, employees will need 15 consecutive years.