The Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan school board will hold three informational meetings in advance of the April 1 referendum.

Superintendent Bob Lambert said Monday night at the board's monthly meeting that the meetings will be March 6 in Humbird, March 10 in Merrillan and March 12 in Alma Center.

The school board will ask voters to exceed revenue limits by $300,000 for the next four years. The cost of the referendum on a home assessed at $75,000 will be about $13 per month in the first year and $2 per month for the remaining three years. The reduction would be due to a change in state funding.

Board president Sam Boynton said he will make a short statement at each meeting and other board members also are welcome to speak. Informational sheets including frequently asked questions will be distributed.

Lambert said Monday night he will review the questions prepared for last year, when similar meetings were held prior to the April vote which saw voters reject a measure calling for $380,000 annually for four years. Lambert said he will update that information and perhaps pare the list.

Support staff contract

The school board approved a contract with its support staff. The contract calls for a 2 percent increase for 2007-08 and a 3 percent increase for 2008-09. Board member Ray Ransom said the contract also has some language changes for funeral leave and provides for an additional benefit of up to $300 for staff that provides additional medical assistance to students.

"We think it's a very fair, negotiated settlement with the support staff," Ransom said.

New York trip proposed

Kathy Leis, advisor for the Future Business Leaders of America, said some of her students have approached her with the idea of taking a trip to New York City.

Leis said she did some preliminary checking on the trip costs through a tour agency and said a four-day trip would be about $700 per student and a three-day trip would be $630 to $650.

Leis said a possible date for the trip would be March 2009, which would give the students a year to raise the funds. Leis and high school principal Jeff Artz both said the trip would be a great experience for the students, who would see first-hand sites like the New York Stock Exchange, Ground Zero and Ellis Island.

Boynton said he doesn't think enough students could raise that money.

"I'm sure that's true, but I'm worried about the number of kids who would be able to go," Boynton said.

After further discussion, which included suggestions that perhaps the trip could be shared with another school to reduce costs, the board voted to have Leis and Artz continue to explore options and costs and return to the board with a final proposal.

Leis also was given permission to take students to the state competition April 3 and 4 in La Crosse.

Retirements

The board approved the resignations of elementary school s Joy Fossum and Bill Leis, who intend to retire at the end of the school year.

Lambert said both started with the district Sept. 13, 1974.