CELINA-A change in the way teachers assistants and cafeteria staff would be paid was among the business discussed at the February school board meeting.

Teacher assistants and cafeteria staff are currently paid an hourly wage, but board members and schools director Donnie Cherry discussed a proposal that would make them salaried employees.

Under the proposal, which will be considered at a future board meeting, those school personnel would be paid for 180 days of school, seven earned leave days and three staff development for a total of 190 days for each school year, the board minutes said. They would also receive nine equal checks from September through May under the proposal. 

The discussion was a part of Cherry’s director’s report. He also touched on the federal economic stimulus plan, which has since been passed by Congress. More information on what the package could mean to the local school system may be available by the March board meeting. 

In other business at the meeting, the board:

• reviewed several board policies and made no changes to them as part of an ongoing update,

• approved Richard Boswell as a volunteer softball coach at Clay County High School,

• approved trip requests by four CCHS groups,

• approved a request to submit a grant proposal for the Perkins IV Reserve Grant for the next school year, and 

• approved a contact for transportation services with Ashleigh Sbonek.