The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening, approved the tentative, 2016-17 Non-Certified staff, contract agreement. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said non-certified staff include para-professionals, secretaries, bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, and anyone who is not required to be endorsed or licensed in the State.

Amstein says they settled on a total package of 3.162-percent, or, a 33-cent per hour wage increase, which amounts to about $86,000. He said the non-certified group ratified the agreement on Tuesday.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved the hiring of Justin Williams, as Head Freshman Baseball Coach. They also heard presentations with regard to the district’s Home/School Program and English Language Learner (ELL) Program. They also heard from Schuler Principal James Northwick and the Lindamood-Bell program coordinators, with regard to the Spring 2016 Iowa Assessments.

And, Amstein said the school board continued with discussions pertaining to the possibility of having a Special Election Sept. 13^th with regard to a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) income surtax. He says they’ve estimated that if the PPEL surtax had been approved last year, the property tax asking could have been reduced about 62-cents per thousand dollars valuation.