School staff additions approved
The School Board approved five additional staff positions for the 2024-25 school year. Superintendent Keith Martin said a review of enrollment data and staffing along with collaboration with the district and campus teams revealed the need for the additional staff to enable the district to meet state Division of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) standards for accreditation with the increases in enrollment.
The positions added are for a health/health science teacher at the Junior High School, a math/ science teacher at the High School, a counselor at the Junior High, an alternative learning teacher in the secondary ALE program, an ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) teacher for the kindergarten through 12th-grade ESOL program and a gifted and teacher for the kindergarten through 12thgrade G&T program.
The board approved Martin’s request to apply for a waiver to the state Department of Education to use the revised academic calendar and inclement weather calendar.
Martin explained the alternate calendar will allow the school to continue with the same end date for the 2023-24 school year by counting hours instead of days. He said the district has used five school days so far this year and by counting hours, it will allow seven days that do not have to be made up.
The board also approved Martin’s request to apply for a waiver for the start date of school for the 2024-25 school year. He asked to start Wednesday, Aug. 14.
“We’ve polled the teachers and the community,” Martin said. “The teachers are in favor. We’re just asking for permission to present the request to the state.”
Martin said the change will allow the district to balance out semesters and allows options not currently available.
Dana Tabor, director of teaching and learning, told the board the school had applied for and received the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education High Impact Tutoring Grant for grades 3 through 6 with funding through the 2024 spring semester. She said the Teaching and Learning team is requesting to purchase instructional resources with the grant at no cost to the school. The BookNook Virtual Tutor costs $43,600. The board approved her request.
The board approved expenditures for technology including $35,183.75 for E-rate firewall; $18,810.05 for E-rate UPS (backup); $48,425.53 for Aruba AC controller; $152,385.68 for Chromebook rotation 2024 (500 and cases); and $49,348 for high school computer science lab computers (26 machines) for a total of $304,143.01.
Contracts for administrators for 2024-25 were renewed. Contracts were for Anne Martfeld, assistant superintendent; Kevin Ramey, assistant superintendent; Dana Tabor, executive director of teaching and learning; Angela Bassett, special education director; Adam Hand, technology director; Julie Ferguson, food service director; Ed Vestal, maintenance director; Robert Hutcheson, transportation director; Nathalie Brunell, district treasurer, Leonard Ogden, High School principal; Beth Stein, Junior High principal; Rebecca Allen, Middle School principal; Mindy Bowlin, Intermediate School principal; Darah Bennett, Primary School principal; Kelsey Meeks, PRHS assistant principal;
Tony Travis, Jr. High assistant principal; Angie Day, Primary School assistant principal; Brandi Newsom, Intermediate/Middle School assistant principal; Heath Neal, Alternative Learning director; Alex Jackson, special projects director (School Based Health and Community) and Katie Rhine, Pre-Kindergarten director.
In other business, the board:
• Approved one fifthgrade student, Hazel Cruz, to transfer out of the district;
• Approved out-of-state travel for second-grade students to go to Roaring River State Park in Cassville, Mo., on May 10;
• Accepted the resignation of Ashtyn Mondy, teacher, Middle School, effective the end of the 2023-2024 school year, and Destiny Strickland, teacher, Middle School, effective Feb. 8, 2024; and
• Approved hiring Leon Laughlin, bus driver, transportation.