By Margaret Hopper

The Silver District school board met Tuesday evening at 6:03 with four members present, Mike McMillan, Chris Arvidson, Frances Vasquez and Arnold Torres, board president.

First to speak was Mark Valenzuela of George K. Baum and Company, regarding the February effort to renew the mill bond issue. He called it an extension of the present House Bill 33 levy at one and a half mills; the amount would be for six years, not changing the local taxes. There was a need to authorize Gǣup toGǥ $20,000,000 in general obligation bonds for capital improvements," he said.

Vasquez asked about the advantages he had mentioned at an earlier meeting; he said by not letting the present bond issue expire, taxes would not go up, they would stay at the same rate for this. And, presently, interest rates were at a very low figure; he couldn't predict what they would be by February, but likely, they would still be at a very low figure.

McMillan asked about the preparation of the resolution documents. Valenzuela said the school attorneys at Cuddy & McCarthy would do that; if the board intended to do the bond issue, it should go ahead with it now. He stayed until the board members did in fact make that vote approving the elections and authorizing the elections procedures later in the meeting.

Katrina Bustillos, president of SCEA, the union, said there were deficiencies in special education rooms; some did not have teachers, and some teachers were on split schedules. This was not easy for any of those involved. The lack of social workers in the district was affecting other students; they did not get the services they needed. When the budget allows, she said she hoped another worker would be hired.

Another issue was the teacher evaluations. Some felt that they had done well and deserved a good rating, but if the PARRC testing didnG