Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Gravette board OKs bond issuance
GRAVETTE — Scott Beardsley, president of First Security Beardsley, presented information Feb. 22 during the School Board’s meeting on refunding two 2013 bonds with new issues, one a $1,510,000 issue dated March 1, 2021, and the other a $1,275,000 issue dated March 4, 2021.
CINCaP Investment Group submitted the lowest bid for both issues. Board members authorized the issuance and delivery of both bonds and other documents by the Friday, Eldredge & Clark Law Firm.
First National Bank of Lawrence County in Walnut Ridge will serve as trustee. Closing and transfer of funds was set for Thursday. The district will save $224,906 over the life of the bond issue on the first bond and $129,879 over the life of the bond issue on the second bond.
Greg Miller and Chuck Mayo spoke in favor of starting a wrestling program in Gravette schools. Miller said youth wrestling started about 13 years ago in Arkansas and has been growing rapidly. He believes there’s a lot of interest in a local program and said he would volunteer to coach. The Arkansas Wrestling Association has agreed to loan mats for the first year of the program.
Mayo said his son Jake is wrestling with a Bentonville club and the sport has taught him self-confidence, discipline, mental toughness and competitiveness. Mayo says Gentry has a good program and Bentonville has won four state titles.
Mayo said he would help raise funds for a program and would volunteer to help in any way to build it up. Board member Hope Duke said she thought the main problem would not be opposition to the program but how to balance the coach’s time coaching with time in the classroom.
Board members voted to approve buying an auto lift with alignment system for the automotive tech program at the career center. Purchase price will be $34,898 from Bumper to Bumper at Bentonville. They also approved the 2022-2023 expenditure budget for publication, the Boston Federal Reserve pledge statement and the salary efficiency recommendations and longevity stipends for certified and classified employees. Longevity stipends beginning at 15 years were approved.
Board members authorized negotiating an agreement with BiLD Architects for renovation on the annex. Two rooms are still unfinished at the career center and superintendent Childress recommends finishing them for use as a credit recovery classroom for students who are lagging behind. She suggests planning wisely so that the classrooms can be converted for other career course instruction in the future.
Board members adjourned the regular session and convened in executive session to discuss the renewal of administrative contracts for 2021-2022. Upon returning from executive session, a motion was made and passed to rehire all administrators for the 2021-2022 school year. The board also voted to extend Superintendent Maribel Childress’ contract through the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
Business manager Dennis Kurczek gave the January financial report and said the district recently received a $2,500 grant from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Board members voted to accept the recommendation of the foodservice department and hire Shana Erskin and Debbie Shields as food service workers. They also voted to expel two students for a period of 365 days. A hearing was held for the middle school student just before the board meeting. The second, a high school student, chose not to appeal the decision.
Childress said winter STAR test data has been received. Each building principal reported on data from their individual school. High school principal Shannon Mitchell said the data is very valuable in assessing how individual students are doing. She said high school students have been studying test-taking strategies, assessing what answers were wrong and why they were missed. They have been focusing on growth and she said she is excited about the growth as evidenced by the fact that GHS has two National Merit Scholarship finalists, Seth Lewman and Lane Wilkins.
Middle school principal Kelly Hankins said students at her school are focusing on learning target skills. She said they are working on individual skills in their daily RTI time and a science test on March 9 is planned as a dress rehearsal for the Aspire test. In comparing students’ proficiency to that of past years, it is almost the same and she feels that is pretty encouraging since significant numbers of students were quarantined and missed face-to-face instruction this year.
Mandy Barrett, upper elementary principal, said her goal is to close the gaps in her school’s student learning before sending them on to middle school. Math scores were especially hard hit, she said, because many students failed to get measurements down. Teachers are working with those students in their SOS (Saving Our Students) groups and, if a student has significant learning issues, they are trying to do all they can to help before bringing in other services and resources.
Nikki Brecheen, principal at Glenn Duffy Elementary, said that several kindergarten and first-grade students were in early literacy classes and had some reading proficiency but going from interactive to full-on learning is difficult for them. She said her staff is focusing on those students who are struggling. They are working in small groups and Title services are working with individual students on individual skills and she believes they are moving in the right direction. She said that reading is the main focus since students can’t do math, science or other subjects if they can’t read.
Childress also discussed end-of-year activities such as awards assemblies, field trips, kindergarten and high school graduation, prom and parties and said she hopes these activities can go on so families can make memories together. Jay Oliphant said he agreed that end-of-year activities should be as normal as possible.
Childress said board members would need to decide in March what virtual learning options would be offered in 2021-2022. Options are still being investigated. Jay Oliphant noted that onsite learning is far superior and recommended not offering online instruction if interest is low.
Board members scheduled a work session for March 30 from 3 to 8 p.m. and appointed Jay Oliphant as committee chairman to plan recognition for former superintendent Richard Page at the Western Benton County Career Center. They also discussed pending legislation affecting education and Oliphant sent a report to state legislators indicating their stand on each bill.
School Board members Jodi Moore and Jay Oliphant were presented plaques designating them as master board members at the meeting. This denotes that they have completed at least 50 hours of board member instruction.
All seven board members were presented with metal cutout owl sculptures created by FFA members in their shop classes. The accompanying letter related that, since the owl has long been a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, they felt it was representative of the board members’ service.