MOUNT VERNON — Members of the Transition Mission Bell Choir entertained Knox County Educational Service Center staff and the ESC school board at its meeting on Wednesday. Transition Mission students from Centerburg, Danville, East Knox, Fredericktown and Mount Vernon performed “Silent Night” and “Let There be Peace on Earth.”
During the business portion of the meeting, Treasurer Heather Darnold said for the first time ever the ESC ended a month, November, with a negative balance. Cost saving measures continue to be taken, including measures approved by the board on Wednesday: The board approved the relocation of ESC offices to another, much smaller space in the McLarnan Technology Center and also approved a mid-year change in the health insurance plan for employees, Effective Feb. 1, the ESC will switch to a high-end deductible health savings account. Superintendent Timm Mackley said the switch should result in savings in the premiums paid by the board, while the employee contribution percentage will remain the same.
Due to the large number of preschool students needing preschool scholarships, the board authorized the withdrawal of $5,000 in principal from the scholarship fund held by the Mount Vernon/Knox County Community trust. Darnold said 30 preschoolers would otherwise not be able to attend county preschool classes. The board also approved routine fiscal actions, accepted $500 from the Mount Vernon Rotary Foundation to help defray the costs of the 2012 Knox County Spelling Bee and entered into a lease agreement with the Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities for preschool classrooms and administration offices at the Early Childhood Education Center.
