By Nick Frazier

Staff Writer

There was much to be happy about at the meeting of the Tecumseh Board of Education, held Wednesday night.  The district celebrated the news of its third consecutive rating of “Excellent” from the state which covered the 2009-10 school year.

  Board member Gary Cochran said the result was even better, given the demographics of the student population.   The board members praised teamwork on the part of students, parents, teachers and administrators.
 Superintendant Jim Gay also revealed that the district will receive grant funding from the federal Race to the Top program.  Tecumseh’s share will be somewhere between $275,000 and $400,000 over the four year grant period. Although the final amount will be included in the district’s five year financial projections, the money is to be used specifically to “reduce performance gaps between subgroups and to raise graduation rates.” It will not affect the upcoming budget shortfall, although Gay says it will definitely help.
 The district also agreed on a new contract with the Tecumseh Education Association.  The teachers agreed to exchange a retirement incentive for base salary increase of ¾ of 1 percent and also accepted a less generous insurance program with a higher deductible and having the option to “buy up” into the previous plan.
 The stage is now set for the 1.5 percent earned income levy, to be decided upon in November.  A meeting was held Tuesday night at the middle school to begin work to promote passage of the issue. 

In other items:
The board accepted the resignations of yearbook advisors Deborah Casson and Jennifer Riffel.
Offered the chance for public comment on the proposed rehire of Russ Steele to teach physics at Tecumseh.
 
Discussed participation in the city’s Parade of Planes in October.

The next board meeting will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.