IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – State data shows that more than 3,200 license plates have been issued to local, state and federal agencies with a designation that allows them to avoid tickets from Iowa traffic cameras.  A recent speeding incident involving Gov. Terry Branstad’s state SUV has revealed how cities give a break to some government vehicles caught on red light and speed cameras.  Several cities said they do not issue tickets to drivers whose plates are not included in police databases because they’re conducting undercover or sensitive work.

Iowa Department of Transportation data requested by The Associated Press shows that 350 agencies have been issued at least one license plate with that designation, ranging from small police departments to the Transportation Security Administration. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources leads the way with 210.

In area school board news from Monday’s evening’s meetings, the CAM Board approved an increase in the price students will pay for their school lunch. Superintendent Steve Pelzer said the costs will go up a dime for the coming school year. Pelzer says Pre-k through 5^th grade lunches will be $2.45, 6^th through 8^th grade students will pay $2.50, and 9^th through 12^th grade students lunches’ will cost $2.60.

The CAM Board also approved a three-percent increase in salary/benefits for Pelzer. Tami Jacobsen, Secretary/Treasurer for the Elk Horn-Kimballton Board, says they approved contracts Monday evening with Tony Santisteban and Kelly Juhl. Santisteban will be the junior high boy’s basketball coach and assistant high school boy’s basketball coach, while Juhl will be the assistant girl’s high school basketball coach.

The Griswold School Board had a case of what might be described as “sticker shock” Monday evening, with regard to the high school locker rooms and bathroom renovation projects. Griswold Superintendent Dana Kunze says they’re going to have to make some changes in their plans because of the huge costs involved.

He said Estes Construction Company came back with some “harder numbers” on the projects, than had previously been determined. Kunze said the board had a hard time wrapping their heads around the $1.7-million price tag. He said they simply don’t have the money right now to complete the projects with the costs being so high.

Kunze says they’ve got to take a look at scaling-back the projects and making them more affordable for the district, and prioritizing again. The restrooms have to be redesigned to make them ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant for both students and patrons. As for the school’s boiler system, that’s another area where the costs are inflated due to the work that’s necessary to incorporate a new system into the buildings structure.

He says the plan is to try and switch from partial steam and hot water heat, to all hot water heat. That would mean the boilers would be scrapped, but the plumbing that runs through the ceiling would also have to be replaced, and that requires tearing out the dropped ceilings. The result is that the costs start piling up pretty fast, according to Kunze.

Dana says the bottom line is that the designers and engineers associated with the projects will be asked to come up with ways to shave some of the dollars off the costs of those projects or provide a better plan to serve the needs of the district and its facilities. And he says they’ve been willing to accommodate the district the same way with other projects in the past, and saved a good chunk of money in the process.