School board grants waiver

DJS can perform at proms

The music can play on at DeSoto County proms this spring.

School board members Tuesday unanimously approved a request to waive a requirement that independent contractors with the school system have workers comp coverage so that DJs can perform at high school proms.

The waiver applies only to DJs and only for this prom season. Board attorney Keith Treadway said a new policy addressing the issue will be in place by next year.

Treadway warned board members of the possibility that a DJ could be injured and claim to be a school system employee. But board members agreed the risk was unlikely enough that they granted the onetime waiver.

In other action, board members approved purchasing five 2014 Blue Bird school buses at a cost of about $75,000 each.

“This was budgeted at the beginning of the year, so it’s nothing we’re adding,” said Thomas Spencer, associate superintendent of finance.

He said the new buses are part of a program of gradually replacing aging buses in the 42-school, countywide district’s fleet.

Also, at Spencer’s request, the board approved buying two used Ford Crown Victoria cars from the Missouri Highway Patrol to replace two aging vehicles used by school system employees. The cars will cost just under $15,000 each.