Amos honored as classified staff member of year in Gravette Schools
GRAVETTE — Julia Amos was introduced at the beginning of the May school board meeting and presented a plaque by board president Jay Oliphant honoring her as classified staff member of the year. Amos is the middle school registrar. She has been employed by the Gravette School District for 24 years.
Board member Hope Duke, whose son Seth is a 2017 graduate of Gravette High School, reported she thought the senior walk was a great tradition and the senior breakfast was very nice and thanked those responsible for these events.
Bill Hayford, business manager, presented the monthly financial report for April. He said it was a pretty average month with the expenses mostly for salaries.
Richard Page, superintendent of schools, reported board member John Edwards had worked with him on formulating superintendent’s goals. He said his main intent was to keep doing the same things and do them better. Specific goals included having more parent and community involvement in school functions, improving school operations and protocol and continuing with development of the Benton County Career Center.
Student handbooks were discussed and members were asked to bring proposed changes for approval at the June meeting. There was some concern that policies were not being enforced consistently. Hope Duke said she felt the policy on public displays of affection was very vague and asked that it be reconsidered. Superintendent Page reported that the policies reflected stepped up penalties for possession of a controlled substance.
Jim Singleton reported that the facilities committee met May 2 and discussed bookshelves for the upper elementary library. He said a field trip was planned to look at gyms. Representatives of Nabholz Construction Company gave a report on construction progress on the upper elementary addition with photos of projects completed. They reported interior framing complete and sheetrock progressing and said the exterior was ready for block veneer.
Patrick Hall, business director for the city, was present and displayed charts showing a proposed 1.38 mile section of bike trail on Second Avenue, S.E., and down El Paso Street. The trail will be eight feet wide and similar to the Razorback Greenway. Seventy percent of funding would be from a grant from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Part of the trail would be on school property. Board members gave their consent to continue with planning on the project.
Board members voted to approve an increase of 10 cents per meal for school lunches for all students at all schools.
Robin Leonard, technology director, presented a recommendation for a new wireless system at the middle school. The project would be completed this summer and provide access points so students using Chromebooks can have connectivity. The system will have filtering software to block social networking and filter avoidance apps. Board members voted to approve Leonard’s recommendation.
Approval was also given to student school choice applications for 19 students going out of the district and 14 coming in from Gentry, Pea Ridge and Bentonville. Two applicants were not approved because special education classes are already full.
Richard Carver, maintenance department supervisor, presented a bid for construction of a four-foot fence on three sides of the upper elementary school. He said three bid packets were taken out but only one was returned. Board members voted to accept the bid of $16,378 from Modern Fence and Supply Company. Carver noted that, if the layout changes, the price will go up.
Board members voted to approve a three-year agreement with Scott Beardsley with First Security Bank of Little Rock as the school district’s financial advisor. Beardsley has been the school’s financial advisor for about seven years, and superintendent Page reported that, in the previous relationship with the firm, it had always been quick to respond and very willing to work on all problems.
Page reported on the consortium agreement. He said that Decatur School District has agreed to be fiscal agent and has shown support for a project development supervisor funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Gentry and Bentonville have also expressed support for the arrangement.
Oliphant discussed the possibility of doing a demographic study to look at trends in population growth in the area. He said the opening of the new section of the bypass would likely bring more students into the area, but the district is probably three or four years away from needing new facilities. Board members approved conducting the study and asked that it be substantially completed by June 19.