The second draft of the 2017-18 District budget and tax certification was approved by the Neenah Joint School District Board of Education at its Oct. 17 meeting.

The mill rate is already the lowest in the Fox Valley and will drop another 30 cents per $1,000 of property value from $8.05 to $7.75. The primary reason for the decrease is increased assessed property values within the District. The overall 2017-18 budget is $91.5 million.

The Board also discussed the proposed 2018 health insurance plan and wellness platform. The recommendation is to remain with Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) for the upcoming year for health insurance. The wellness platform proposal is to remain with Humana Go365. Employees will again need to complete a health questionnaire and biometric assessment and gain a specific number of points to pay lower rates, however, adult dependents will no longer be included. Employees also will not gain rewards for accumulating points, saving the District about $183,000. The insurance proposal will be voted upon at the next meeting on Nov. 7.

Director of Facilities/Engineer Adam Krieger provided the Board with an update of summer maintenance projects. Replacements of roofs, boilers and windows consumed most of the nearly $1.9 million spent over the summer.

In action items, the Board approved a payroll shift that will gradually change payroll dates to the 10th and 25th of each month while also decreasing payments over that span to 12-month employees in order to satisfy WRS reporting requirements and pay employees for hours worked rather than in advance.

Hires were approved for Cindy Keberlein as a one-year reading interventionist at Wilson and Rachel Derginer as an educational assistant at Hoover and Clayton. The retirement of high school teacher Sue Rogers, effective June 1, was also approved.