School Board hears about sports program
GRAVETTE — Norman Mitchell, the School District athletic director, told the School Board the status of spring sports at its March 15 meeting.
He said the school is permitted to have 50% attendance at baseball and softball games and moving extra bleachers from McAbee Field has allowed 253 spectators at baseball games and 230 at softball games.
Mitchell also spoke about a proposed wrestling program at Gravette schools. He answered some questions about how wrestling events are organized.
There are 15 weight classes, he said, and only two classifications, large schools and small schools, at the state tournament. He presented information about schools participating in wrestling and projected costs and said there would be no unusually high expenses.
He said he feels wrestling is probably the most feasible sport to add to the school’s schedule.
“There are some challenges, he said, “but they can be overcome.”
Board members Heather Finley and Tracy Moorman said it seemed like a sport that might attract some students who aren’t interested in participating in any other sport. Mitchell agreed he would like to recruit some new students into the sports program.
Superintendent Maribel Childress said the 2021 prom has been scheduled from 8 to 11 p.m. May 1 at the Ravington in Centerton. Heather Finley, board president, said a barbecue is planned for April 9 at the new volleyball gym to raise money for Project Prom.
In action items, board members approved Bild Architects as the architects and Crossland Construction as the construction manager for renovations at the Western Benton County Career Center. Clay McGill, with Bild Architects, and Robert Adams, with Crossland Construction, attended the meeting to answer questions about the project.
Bidding on the project will be in May and construction time will be about five weeks, with completion expected about mid-July before school starts.
Updates to the district’s Ready for Learning Plan were approved.
The school is taking data and recent adjustments in covid regulations to make six changes and allow more flexibility so more Glenn Duffy Elementary students can eat lunch in the cafeteria.
Some of the changes include: changing the wording to say students “may” wash their hands with hand sanitizer rather than “will” wash when changing locations; changing requirements for each student to have his own personal belongings to allow shared belongings if they wash hands or use hand sanitizer after use; changing requirements for smaller groups to allow two or three classrooms to gather together on the playground; the middle school fishing derby and end of school field trips, dances and rallies may be permitted; and parent-teacher conferences may be held in-person or online.
Childress said Gravette school staff and students will continue to wear masks through the April 19 board meeting.
Childress said she, online principal Taos Jones and assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction Becky Sears have been considering the options for online school in 2021-2022. They recommend providing onsite face-to-face instruction only for students in kindergarten through 10th grade and allowing full-time onsite instruction, hybrid onsite/online instruction or full-time online instruction through Virtual Arkansas for grades 11 and 12.
Board members voted to rehire certified staff members at all four schools.