The Slater School District Board of Education received an update at their Tuesday, Aug. 26 meeting about the district’s expanded instructional coaching offerings.

Supt. Dr Terry Lorenz says the district is rolling out two new programs this year for faculty to improve their techniques and educational outcomes.

Board members reviewed the district’s proposed tax levy for the next year at a public hearing prior to the start of the regular meeting. Lorenz says Slater’s rate will total about $4.34 per $100 of assessed valuation, with $3.63 going toward the operating fund and $0.71 for debt service, with the latter a $0.21 reduction from last year. He adds that the net decrease for the tax rate was triggered in part by the state’s Hancock Amendment.

The Slater school board approved a pair of policy updates to bring the district in line with new state laws taking effect Thursday, including the prohibition on cell phone use during the school day. Lorenz notes that students have adjusted to the new law, with no significant hardships encountered. The board also continued their cover-to-cover review of policies, passing a final reading to those pertaining to instruction, while taking looks at the policies concerning students and school-community relations.