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Schools consider extending Ballard's contract

By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net

An extension of USD 470 Superintendent Ron Ballard's contract will be considered by the school board at tonight's regular board meeting.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln early childhood learning center. Staff at the center will present reports, and so will teachers from C-4 Elementary School.

The board will consider extending Ballard's contract through June 30, 2010.

Under his current contract approved by the board last October, Ballard receives $127,848 in annual salary and benefits.

At tonight's meeting, the board likely will focus only on extending the contract, not on considering any salary increase, said Alisha Call, school district spokeswoman. Administrators' salaries typically are considered at a later meeting.

The only other action item on tonight's school board agenda is consideration of a lease-purchase contract for computer and technology purchases. The administration will recommend that the board award Apple Education, a lease-purchase contract for $257,938 at a 1.36 annual percentage rate.

At a meeting earlier this month, the board authorized a revised call for lease-purchase proposals to finance the technology purchases. The administration had projected the amount would be well above $300,000, but later found that it would cost much less, said Assistant Superintendent J.K. Campbell.

Five lending institutions made bids for the lease-purchase agreement. Apple Education's bid came in lowest.