The Italy School Board of Trustees approved two proposals Monday night in a called session to reduce personnel costs for the 2011/2012 budget.
 
The first proposal, unanimously approved by the trustees, is to freeze all salaries for the 2011/2012 school year.
 
The second approved motion is to offer an incentive of 20 percent of total salaries to teachers with 15 or more years of service who wish to resign. The window of opportunity for this option is 4 p.m. on March 21. The motion includes the clause that probationary teachers do not qualify for this incentive. Tommy Morrison voted against this motion.
 
The board met at 6 p.m. and went into executive session to discuss the superintendent search with Rick Cohagan. They plan to interview candidates March 22, 23 and 24.
 
They reconvened into open session at 10:15 p.m. and took the budgetary action.
 
The trustees also approved the Board of Trustees Certification Form.
 
Following the meeting, board members answered questions about rumors around the community.
 
Cheryl Owen, board president, said the board might not approve teacher contracts at the March meeting as they normally do. Larry Eubanks, board vice-president, said that is the cut-off-date for the teacher incentive offer. He said Charles Williams, superintendent, would not be able to get the financial figures together in a matter of hours.
 
Eubanks said they would approve teacher contracts at least 45 days before the end of the year, according to state law.
 
Owen said they have not decided to cut a certain number of staff nor have they laid off staff members.
 
Williams said this delay is something school boards across the state are doing due to the financial uncertainty with state funding.