A public hearing will be held this evening on the 2012-2013 Budget for the Atlantic Community School District. The hearing takes place during the Board’s regular meeting at 7:30-p.m., in the Media Center at the Atlantic High School. Action on approving the certified 2012-2013 budget will following later in the evening.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will hear a mentoring report from Margo Magill, and a progress report on construction at the Middle School, from Jerry Purdy with Design Alliance. Action items (other than on the budget) include: approving bus bids; the awarding of a contract for banking services; approving Drivers Education fees for Summer 2012 & 2012-2013 school lunch prices; an adjustment to the 2011-12 District Calendar; and other matters.

Prior to concluding the meeting, the board will discuss Fall 2011 test data.

A growing number of Iowa business owners are confident about boosting their staffing levels in the coming months according to a new survey from Manpower, Incorporated. Karen Miller, Executive Vice-President at Manpower in Des Moines, says 22-percent of the Iowa employers surveyed plan to hire new employees in the second quarter of 2012. Four-percent plan decreases in staff levels, resulting in a “Net Employment Outlook” of 18-percent. “That’s significantly different than last year at this time – which was a 10-percent (outlook),” Miller said. The 18-percent Net Employment Outlook for Iowa remains much higher than the national figure of 10-percent.

“We seem to be in a bubble of prosperity here in the state of Iowa,” Miller said. “That’s good news for both employers and job seekers.” The top job prospects in Iowa, according to the survey, include positions in construction. Employers also plan to increase staffing levels in the areas of durable and non-durable goods manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, and financial and business services. More than 18,000 employers are surveyed in the U.S. as part of the quarterly Manpower report. A new report on Iowa’s unemployment rate is due later this morning (Tuesday) from the Iowa Workforce Development agency.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

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