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•The board held its annual truth-in-taxation public hearing, as required by law, with no public comment. The school district is proposing a tax levy of $1,575,394 for 2007, up 8.1 percent from 2006 ($1,456,764) but down slightly from its original 2007 levy proposal this fall of $1,578,693.

Once again, the school district is proposing the maximum tax levy. The question arose as to when the school district did not levy the maximum amount, but offhand no one knew when.

The proposed tax levy is up $118,630 from 2006 with the two main increases being $59,128 for a new deferred maintenance levy (to be used by the school district to repay a $440,000 bond for a roofing project this summer and fall) and $57,240 for debt service (whose levy was artificially reduced last year due to a fund balance in the district's debt service fund).

The school board should discuss and pass its 2007 property tax levy at its next meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

•The board approved a new contract for Maria Thompson as an interpreter/advocate for English as a second language (ESL) students.

•The board met for approximately 50 minutes in a closed session to talk with teacher Rick Houske, who had requested to speak during public comment but asked that the session be closed as it dealt with personnel matters.

•The school board will meet on the first and third Tuesdays in December due to the Christmas holiday. Their next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. in the middle school media center in order to meet with the student advisory councils from the high school and middle school.