LINDEN &8212; During the Marengo Board of Education&8217;s meeting yesterday the board approved the salary schedule for the system&8217;s upcoming 2007-2008 school year.

System superintendent Luke Hallmark presented the Board with the salary schedule as a part of new business on action items on the agenda. Hallmark said the new schedule for employee salaries would largely have an affect on three groups currently employed by the school: support personnel, substitute teachers and the registered nurse for the system.

Hallmark said he went to other systems and looked at how they pay support personnel (bus drives, janitorial staff, ect.), which lead to the new schedule. He said it appeared that in other systems a step rate for employees that have spent certain amounts of time in the system seemed beneficial.

Hallmark said the new salary schedules will also influence the current rate of pay of substitutes in the system. Previously, substitutes made a flat rate of $48 a day. Under the new scale, non-certified substitutes will make $58 a day and certified substitutes will make $62.

Hallmark explained that this was due to the experience the nurse has attained since entering the field, which influences the pay level under the new system.

In other action items, the board:

Approved financial reports for May.

Approved the bank statements for reconciliations of May.

Approved automobile

insurance coverage.

Approved property insurance coverage.

Approved 2007-2008 eligibility guidelines.

Approved 2007-2008 meal prices.

Approved application for federal funds.

Approved solicitation bids for 2007-2008.

Approved bids for bleachers.

Approved bids for surplus buses.

Approved 2006-2007 contract revisions.

Approved 2007-2008 salary schedules.

Approved issuance of 2007-2008 contracts.