BEATRICE – The Superintendent of Beatrice Public Schools says the district benefitted from the dedication of paraeducators and substitute teachers this past school year, and they’ve earned a reward under district policy.


Jason Alexander says school board policy has been aimed at retaining and attracting high quality instructors.
"We sent personal thank-yous and letters to 32 paraeducators this year, that met the salary stipend requirements for missing less than five days of work, as an absentee incentive. So, a few years ago the board made that decision to give a stipend to those people, those paraeducators that missed five or less days of work, in both the first semester and second semester. We're very fortunate to be blessed with plenty of good paraeducators."


Personalized thank-you notes were also sent to 15 substitute teachers who contributed 30-days or more of substitute service, this past school year. "It's not huge. It's not like they can go buy a new car, or something..but it's just a hundred dollar stipend to say thank you for substituting thirty days or more. We will be talking about these stipends coming up, in correlation with paid sick leave...because we also know that as a school, we're exempt from having to do that. But, the question is going to be, do we want to do that. We are reviewing those now...what other schools do."


Alexander says it would be difficult to complete a successful school year without the contributions of paraeducators and substitute teachers.


Alexander updated school board members on some projects that have been going on this summer break. The new field turf installation at the House of Orange has been completed and the district completed purchase of a house along East Scott Street to be used in the district’s alternative education program.


"The Hevelone (Center) carpet....they tore it out today, so that's being updated and is in process. The elementary playground additions, the middle school roofing fix...that's been fixed, so you'll be seeing the final payments on that."  Some concrete repairs are also being made at the elementary and high school.


A one-year warranty walk-through will be done Wednesday with the general contractor at the new elementary school, which completed its first year of use.