By KATIE YANTIS
Staff Writer
MINSTER – Minster Board of Education members Monday approved a tax plan that could help pave the way for a new assisted living complex in Auglaize County.

During the meeting, the board members approved a tax abatement agreement with the Village of New Bremen. The agreement is for a 10-year term and calls for 50 percent of the funds to be distributed to the school system.
Developers are slated to build an assisted living facility in New Bremen, with the tax abatement providing financial assistance.  The village had to ask permission from the Minster School District to offer the plan.
“They had to get approval from the board, because the property for the facility is actually in the Minster School District, once they receive our approval they can go on with the project,” Board Member Mike Hoelscher said.
The 30-year recreational levy will be on the Nov. ballot as a renewal levy. The levy generates 0.2 mills and benefits the Melcher Street and Seventh street parks.
“It hasn’t gone up and it hasn’t gone down,” Hoelscher said.
Approval for a Tri-star purchase of a tire changer plus accessory kit was also on the agenda for the board.
“The changer will replace the current 1985 model,” Superintendent Gayl Ray said.
The board approved the purchase of the tire changer.
The price of diesel fuel has brought discussion of field trips to the agenda for the board.  Cost of fuel and pay for bus drivers are the concern for the discussion.  
Currently the Minster School District has a limit of one field trip per grade.  With two field trips already scheduled for September, the discussion was tabled at Monday night’s meeting until next month.  
The point of sale system in the lunch rooms has been installed for the start of the school year.  Treasurer Laura Klosterman said instead of the old system where it would take three days or longer to notify parents of balances, the system will be much more efficient.
After collecting e-mails, Klosterman said she will process a twice weekly to send to those parents who students balance is $5 or less.  It will assist in reducing the time it takes for the notification to go through.
In other news, the overall ACT scores continue to rise during the past five years from a 23.6 in 2004 to a 24.3 in 2008.  The computer lab upgrade in the high school is complete and will be ready for the students to take the five new technology courses.