The Waterloo School Board met Monday night for its regularly scheduled meeting with what Superintendent Brian Charron adequately dubbed a “heavy agenda” in tow. 

The board moved to hire many new personnel for the 2021-22 school year. Most notably, the board saw an unusually large number of former students stepping into vacancies. Colton Henry was hired as a Waterloo High School agriculture teacher, Savannah Brewer as a Waterloo Junior High School technology teacher, Taylor Nelson as an elementary school teacher and Elizabeth Laidley as a special education resource teacher. 

“It feels like part of a grow-your-own program here, (as we’re) bringing back students to come back and work for us,” Charron told the board. “That’s a compliment to them and I think it’s a compliment to our people and our town that they want to come back too.”

Continuing with discussions of switching health insurance providers, the board approved sending a letter of intent to withdraw from Egyptian Area Schools Benefit Trust. Charron anticipates the new company could save the district between 10 and 20 percent, and the board will now move on with the selection process. 

District employees may see changes take effect as early as Sept. 1, it was noted.

Charron also discussed bringing in a strategic planning group to offer feedback on current issues, aid in goal setting and completion, among other tasks. He estimated the cost to work with a group would be just under $1,000, but a representative could attend a board meeting to talk about their services for free. 

“I think it would be money well spent,” board member Gary Most weighed in. “I don’t like to reinvent the wheel with anything I do at work, and if this is what this guy does, then maybe he could give us some parameters and tell us how to start the process.” 

During the public participation section, a representative from Byrne & Jones Construction asked the board for monetary assistance in completing the track surface surrounding the WHS turf field. 

The field and track suffered flood damage in the summer of 2019 and is being replaced. While completing the project, the company ran into increased costs of oil-based products, as there is a shortage. 

The board moved to table this matter until it could see exact figures as well as consult its insurance company. 

Charron said the amount Byrne & Jones is asking for will be a very small amount relative to the total cost of the project and will not impact the time of completion. 

“That was one thing that was good to hear, that they were able to get the product on site, so they don’t expect any delays in this getting accomplished,” Charron said. 

The next school board meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Monday, July 19.