SRO positions top Benton board meeting set Monday

The Benton School Board, during a regular meeting Monday, will discuss a memorandum of understanding between the Benton Police Department and the district involving school resource officers for the upcoming school year.

According to the proposed agreement, the two organizations will partner to provide seven SROs beginning July 1.

“These officers are a tremendous benefit to both parties,” according to the MOU.

Under this agreement, there will be a SRO stationed at each school in the district. The district will refund a total of

$311,000 to the department yearly to offset the cost to the department to provide officers for 191 days per year.

The board will also discuss the purchase of three buses and paying Benton Utilities to upgrade the district’s Metropolitan Area Network.

The estimated cost for the buses is $280,535 and the cost for the utilities’ upgrade is $73,428.

Included on the agenda are two change order requests.

The price for the junior high school project is being decreased from $3,469,275 to $3,434,363. The price of the northwest corner parking addition will be changed from $169,569 to $278,780.

Other items on the agenda include:

•Several Panther Pride awards.

•Department reports. •Policy changes. •Financial reports and a report of gifts and donations.

•Renewals for Aramark that handles food service for the district and Arch Ford, which provides alternative learning opportunities for students.

•A MOU between the district and UA-Pulaski Technical College for students to participate in career and technical classes.

•Two contract disclosures. Both disclosures involve district employees and family members who are also employed by companies working with the district.

•A request for 100 employees to attend training in Hot Springs. The training is scheduled for July 17 through 19 and is expected to cost $66,900.

All meetings of the board are open to public and attendance is encouraged.