Board OKs Ready to Learn Plan, considers policy change
GRAVETTE — Nicole Vogt, a junior at Gravette High School and a member of the GHS volleyball team, was the student body representative at the Aug. 17 meeting of the Gravette school board and led the pledge of allegiance to the flag to open the meeting. Nicole told the board that she and her teammates are really thankful for the new competition gym and looked forward to playing in it. Her team played its first game, a benefit match with Heritage High, in the new structure Tuesday evening, Aug. 18.
Mariana Blessing, Spanish teacher and ELL (English Language Learner) coordinator at Gravette High School, also attended the meeting and told how she had worked with families
of ELL students to make sure they understood their options for returning to school and helped some fill out needed forms. She also helped prepare backpacks of supplies for ELL students. Blessing said she loved smalltown Gravette (small when compared with her hometown in her native Brazil) because “the people are there for you.”
Business director Dennis Kurczek gave the July financial report. He reported that the district has been awarded a $253,500 Arkansas Better Chance grant. Heather Finley, school board president, presented Kurczek a $3,000 check from a DEB Project donation received earlier in the day.
Maribel Childress, superintendent of schools, presented an update of the Ready for Learning Plan, with several pages of detailed plans for returning to school. She reported 1,384 Gravette students enrolled for on-campus instruction and 404 enrolled for online learning as of Monday, Aug. 17.
In action items at the meeting, board members voted unanimously to accept custodial department supervisor Richard Carver’s recommendation to hire an outside firm, UltraClean, to do additional custodial work at the schools. Four persons will work six hours each day (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Three bids were received for the work, with UltraClean’s bid at $93,680. The firm was recommended by Siloam Springs schools, by Arvest Bank and the city of Gravette, who have all used its services. Kurczek noted that FEMA may reimburse the majority of the cost of the services.
Board members also approved unanimously the request of four students to transfer out of the district, a seventh-grader, an eighth-grader, a ninthgrader and a senior who has already been enrolled in the Fayetteville virtual academy. Ten students were approved to transfer into the district, three from Decatur and seven from Bentonville. None of the transfers in will increase enrollment above the accepted class size.
Gravette’s Ready for Learning Plan was approved unanimously. Superintendent Childress said it must be posted on the school’s website by Sept. 1 but it can be amended later. She said the board has been thorough with its questions and helped work out a well-thought-out plan. The state is open to some flexibility and board member Hope Duke said she feels local control is important and local school administrators should be discerning and filter out policies that don’t fit local school needs.
A copy of school policies was distributed, with recommended changes outlined, and Childress asked board members to study them and be prepared for a first reading at the September school board meeting.
A lengthy discussion was held about possible changes in the licensed personnel dress policy. Current policy bans wearing jeans and some staff members have requested a change in the policy to allow more casual clothing because they are concerned about wearing good clothing while cleaning. Also, some elementary teachers spend time on the floor, sometimes with no carpet, during certain activities. Elementary principal Nikki Brecheen noted that many teachers are sometimes on the floor and wearing denim would be beneficial. Superintendent Childress agreed that administrators wanted the teachers to feel comfortable but said that, after their conversation about proper dress, they acknowledge that there were potential problems when different buildings had different expectations.
Most speakers seemed to prefer retaining the current policy. High school principal Shannon Mitchell said she thought it was written well, with a clause about “clothing appropriate for the particular assignment” and upper elementary principal Mandy Barrett said that, although the schools would not have as many visitors under present circumstances, she wanted to have her staff considered professionals and preferred to have them dress as such.
Board members too spoke in support of the current policy. Hope Duke said she hoped the issue wouldn’t be divisive and noted that “a vote against denim doesn’t mean a lack of support for staff.” Robyn Lovell said she supported the policy. She feels it is okay to wear jeans on Friday spirit days, with a Gravette shirt, but does not approve of it on other days.
Board members voted to retain the current policy. Childress noted any changes would have to go through the personnel policy committee.
Board members voted to authorize Superintendent Childress to sign the Arkansas Department of Education statement of assurances. This document simply assures the state that the district is willing to comply with all necessary guidelines.
They also voted to approve the 2020-2021 general fund operating budget, as presented by business manager Kurczek, and transfer $400,000 from the general operating fund to the building fund in line with the Arkansas Department of Education guidelines.
Following a short executive session, board members returned to the general session and voted to hire William Catron and Kim Sutherland as bus drivers and Stephanie Phillips as a custodian.