School Board talks finances

The Pea Ridge School Board will accept bids for the district’s financial services.

Superintendent Rick Neal told board members that Brent Paul, president of Community First Bank, had requested an opportunity to bid for the school district’s financial services. Since that time, Neal said, Community First sold to Equity Bank from Wichita, Kan., but other bankers have asked to bid, too. Neal said he will prepare packets for the bidding process and present them to the board members at the August meeting.

“Transparency is a good thing,” Neal said.

The board heard presentations from administrators on preparations being made for the coming school year.

Assistant superintendent Keith Martin announced that the food service has ended the year with a balance of $91,390.22.

“It’s really phenomenal,” Ryan Heckman, board member said, “to have 78 percent growth and the food service to be in the black.”

“Julie (Ferguson, food services director) did a great job getting bids,” Martin said.

In other business, the School Board:

• Hired Tammy Landis, Intermediate SPED para pro; Sandra Guin, Primary instructional aide; Teresa Bradford, 1/2 time PRMBA health care instructor; Elisha Escajada, 1/2 time PRMBA health care instructor; Lauren LaDouce, PRHS English/journalism; Jacob Reut, PRHS instructional aide; and Cindy Main, food service.

• Accepted resignations from Roxanne Enix, ALE director; Lauren Taylor, Middle School SPED; and Randon Webb, ALE instructional aide.

• Accepted student transfers into the district of Eli Harris, 12; Riley Rush, 17; Hannah Stellpflug, 17;

• Approved the 2016-17 tuition agreement with Northwest Technical Institute (three to five kids every year); and

• Accepted the bid of $198,274.65 from Performance Food Group as the primary food vendor.