WAPELLO, Iowa — More than $700,000 in grants and other federal stimulus funding assistance might be coming to the Wapello School District over the next two years, school board members learned during the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday.

Although Superintendent John Weidner gave the good news to the Board, he warned the program was still evolving and some details were still in the dark.

“It’s so new there are a lot of people wondering what’s going on,” he said.

According to Weidner, the District should receive around $68,700 in this fiscal year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and nearly $337,000 for the District in 2009-10. Another $158,700 should come to the District under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

The District will also receive additional funding support for Title I programs, but Weidner said he was unsure of the amounts because two different figures were provided. He said one list indicated the District would receive around $87,000 while a second list showed about $150,000.

Weidner said he would be attending a meeting this week that hopefully would provide some additional information. Whatever the final figures turn out to be, Weidner said school officials would be hard pressed to keep up with all the reporting requirements.

“(School board secretary) Eric (Small) will be seeing numbers crossways,” he joked.

One set of numbers that are known, however, is the final 2009-10 salary and benefit package reached between the Wapello Education Association and the District.

Weidner said the proposed package would include a $635 increase in the base salary, which would boost it to around $27,314. The total package, including increases in insurance costs and salary steps for veteran teachers, would cost around $140,450 and represent about 3.5 percent more than the current package.

Resignations

The Board also accepted the resignations of several staff members, including three long-time district employees. 

-  Gary Pickering, who teachers social studies and also coaches cross-country and other track teams, announced his resignation after spending 39 years with the District. Pickering also taught for four years before coming to Wapello. 

-  Title 1 teacher Kathleen Hagele, who has taught for approximately 30 years in the District, also submitted her resignation. 

-  Elementary principal LaDonna Underwood will also retire. Underwood began serving as principal in 2004 after working as an elementary teacher in the district for about 25 years.

-  Vocal music teacher Michala Martin will retire. She had worked for the district for three years.

In other action

-  The Board approved a contract between the Wapello FFA chapter and Barnes PRCA Rodeo. The FFA decided earlier this year to upgrade its annual rodeo from an Iowa Rodeo Cowboy Association (IRCA) to the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. The rodeo will be held July 17-18.

- The Board approved the 2009 graduating list.