Gentry School Board reorganizes, hears reports
GENTRY — The school board in Gentry reorganized on March 16, following the school board election held on March 3 and the election of John Skaggs to represent Zone 3.
Skaggs replaces Nikki Rayburn-Still, whose term expired and who moved out of the zone.
David Williamson will continue as president and Randall Bolinger as vice-president. Melissa Holland was elected secretary. Bolinger will be the primary disbursement officer, with James Barnes as the alternate. The superintendent of schools, Terrie Metz, was appointed as the ex-officio financial secretary.
Jason Barrett, the district’s facilities and transportation supervisor, told the board his staff was taking all precautions by changing the air filters at the school buildings, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and then using a mist to further disinfect the classrooms before students return.
Metz told the board the school district was using AMI (alternative methods of instruction) packets to continue instructing students. She said the district had 10 days’ worth of the AMI packets. She said the teachers were making themselves available online to students via the Zoom video-conferencing application.
Metz also reported on a food pantry started for staff members as well as the school district’s meal delivery program with meals being delivered to numerous locations by bus drivers. Since the meals are a part of the seamless summer program, anyone ages birth to 18 can get free meals. More information about the meal program is available on the school district website: www.gentrypioneers.com.
Barrett said the school district entered into a contract with RAVE to continue to use its emergency panic-button application. The cost is $3,600 per year. He said there are other applications available but this is the only one supported by the Arkansas 911 system.
The board accepted the resignation, effective at the close of this school year, of Toni Sarratt. She has worked 34 years for the district. Also accepted were the resignations of middle school custodian Will Catron and food services worker Heather Teel.
After hearing reports of all the knowledge and expertise she has brought to the Gentry School District, the board extended the contract of Christi Toland, assistant superintendent, through the 2023 school year.
The board voted to move forward with a Stephens Inc. suggestion to pursue refinancing two of the school district’s bonds due to current lower interest rates. The move could possibly save the district $600,000 in payments. Should interest rates rise before the bond is finalized, the school district would be under no obligation to continue with the refinancing and would only be out the cost of advertising the bonds in the newspaper, estimated by Metz to be about $100.
Metz called the refinancing option a “winwin” for the school district.
The board was asked by the Classified Personnel Policy Committee to increase the pay of the technology technician from $10 per hour to $13.46 an hour, the pay rate in 2017 before the school district began, for a time, using students part-time in the position. The board asked Metz to run the numbers to increase the salary for a full-time employee to $15 per hour and report back next month.
Metz reported entering into a contract with PowerSchool because it allows applicants to apply for school employment and submit all accompanying documents online. She said the cost this year is $4,800 and includes the necessary software. The cost in future years is $3,500.
The board passed, on second reading, policies regarding facilities use, extra duty pay for certified employees, extra duty pay for classified employees and a new certified salary schedule.
Board member Melissa Holland asked Metz if she could supply cost figures for the use of substitute teachers and the reasons the substitutes were needed. Metz said she watches those numbers and could supply them next month.