SA board discusses ACA impact

BERNE — The Affordable Care Act could be costly for South Adams Schools. Just how costly is still not clear.
Superintendent Scott Litwiller explained his understanding of the ACA to the South Adams School Board on Tuesday, saying the cost of complying with the ACA could cost the school system up to $255,000 per year.
The board also discussed how the money from a safety grant will be spent and approved a new superintendent contract.
Litwiller laid out the details of the Affordable Care Act for the board, noting that large employers (those with 50 or more employees) will be required under the new law to offer affordable health insurance for all full-time employees (those who work 30 hours or more per week). An insurance plan is considered not affordable, Litwiller said, if the employee’s contribution exceeds 9.5 percent of his or her income.
“We still have some more time to hash this out and figure out how this is going to play out,” said Litwiller, noting that large employers have until January of 2015 in order to be in compliance with the ACA.
South Adams Schools has 160 full-time employees, of which 143 are currently offered health insurance. The majority of those not offered health insurance are teacher’s aides for special needs students and are employed through the Adams Wells Special Service Cooperative.
If all of those employees were to enroll in the most low-cost of the plans the school system offers, Litwiller estimated it would cost the school about $57,000. If they all chose to enroll in the highest-cost plan available, the cost to the school would be about $255,000.
Board members Ray Gill and John Mann expressed concern about the potential financial impact, suggesting an effort be made to narrow down the range of potential costs. The board agreed it would be a good idea for Litwiller to survey the employees involved.
Gill also expressed his concern that the ACA is difficult to grasp because the rules seem to be unclear and ever-changing.
“It’s like wet spaghetti,” he said.
Board members were also in agreement that they want South Adams to be in compliance with the law rather than risking the potential penalties.
“We want to stay in compliance, and yet we want to minimize financial impact,” added Litwiller. “We will continue to learn as much as we can and get good advice.”
The superintendent also told the board South Adams was approved for a $21,600 School Safety Grant for which the school will provide a 50-percent match.
“I was pleased to see that,” he said. “I was a little uncertain that we would see that.”
The grant will pay for maintenance and operation of the Adams County Fire Works program, which helps notify county dispatchers of emergencies, a fence around the auto mechanics building, a key-card door system for the agriculture shop, the renumbering of doors and classroom emergency kits.
South Adams will also use the grant money to help pay for a school resource officer for the second semester of the current school year.
Litwiller updated the board about the SRO position, noting that Adams County officers have been filling the role following Scott Dailey’s resignation last week. He noted that he hopes to have a permanent replacement for Dailey by Jan. 6, which is the beginning of the second semester.
Board members Arlene Amstutz, John Buckingham, Landon Patterson, Julie Mansfield, Amy Orr, Mann and Gill unanimously approved Litwiller’s contract, which calls for a base salary of $103,890.
“I just want to say thank you for the contract,” said Litwiller. “ South Adams is my home. … I appreciate the opportunity South Adams gave me to be a teacher, coach, principal and now superintendent. I look forward to working with South Adams school board, administrators, teachers and support staff. We’ve got a good thing going here, and I look forward to keeping it going.”
In other business, the board:
•Honored South Adams High School student Zach Parr, who finished in the top 5 percent of 1.5 million students nationwide who took the PSAT as part of the National Merit Scholarship Program. It also honored the boys cross country team, which won Allen County Athletic Conference and sectional titles this year and became just the third team in school history to advance to the state finals.
The board also accepted donations to the cross country and track programs of $1,300 from the Rainbow Lake 5K and $300 from an anonymous donor. The money from the anonymous donor is earmarked for tents.
•Reviewed the proposed calendar for the 2014-15 school year, which was put together in cooperation with Adams Central and North Adams schools. The first day for students would be Aug. 12, and the last would be May 22. Litwiller will present the calendar to the South Adams Classroom Teachers Association for its review before bringing it back to the school board for approval at its December meeting.
•Hired Migrant Education Regional Resource Office employees Susie Amstutz (director), Julie Baumer (assistant director) and Lori Rhoades (administrative assistant). Also hired Monica Smith as a Title I Aide and Josh Roby as freshman boys basketball coach, and discussed openings for a half-time Title I elementary school teacher, a half-time Title I middle school teacher and a part-time fire and rescue teacher.
•Learned the Migrant Education Mobile Learning Center was delivered Tuesday and had a chance to tour the facility. It will serve migrant workers in Adams County and the surrounding areas and was paid for through a 2013 Materials Refresh Grant.
•Set a work session for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 26 with a special meeting to follow. The board will discuss updates to school board policies as well as a request by Gill that the board should review extra-curricular activity and farmland financial reports on a monthly basis.
•Heard from Litwiller that the high school’s National Honor Society induction will be at 7 p.m. Thursday. Board members were invited to attend.
•Got a reminder from Litwiller that the school will hold a garage sale for surplus audio visual equipment from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 22. Items available will include televisions, overhead projectors and filmstrip projectors.
•Approved unpaid leave for Kathi Drake from Nov. 6 until Jan. 6.
•Accepted the resignations of girls soccer coach Pete Rupp and assistant girls soccer coach Patti Johnston.[[In-content Ad]]