Gravette board reorganizes
GRAVETTE — Members of the Gravette School Board voted at their regular meeting Monday, May 18, to continue with the same officers for the 2018-2019 school year. Tracy Moorman will continue as board president, Ty Russell is vice-president, Heather Finley secretary, Jodi Moore primary disbursement officer and Jay Oliphant secondary disbursement officer.
Just after the meeting convened, Richard Page, superintendent of schools, recognized several persons who had helped the district in the recent millage increase campaign. Certificates were presented to Chuck Mayo, Paul Hively, John Edwards, Clay McGill, Jerry Foster and Tori Bognar. Daniel Rice, Jennifer Batie, Heidi Larson and Jim Singleton were not present to receive their certificates. Board member Jay Oliphant also recognized Taos Jones on his selection as All-NWADG Division II Softball Coach of the Year.
Scott Beardsley, senior vice president for FirstSecurity, was present and gave a brief update on the school bond issue. He presented a proposal to split the bond issue into two parts, selling some bonds and the remainder six months later, which would save the board on interest. Board members voted to accept
Beardsley’s recommendation. The first bonds will be issued near the end of the year.
Dennis Kurczek, business manager, gave the financial report for the month of May, with a detailed statement of assets, liabilities and fund balances. Board members voted to approve a $750,000 transfer from the general operating fund to the building fund.
Richard Page gave his superintendent’s report and gave a brief review of the board goals for 2017-2018. He asked if board members wanted to revise the goals for the 2018-2019 school years, and board member Hope Duke recommended that be done. Page will arrange to meet with one or two board members and the assistant superintendent to revise the goals soon.
Mandy Barrett, principal at Gravette Upper Elementary, reported on a workshop she had attended in regard to the school attendance report. She said the workshop showed the school report card now is based on much more than average daily attendance and administrators will have to carefully monitor absences for such activities as field trips, club competitions and athletic events.
Superintendent Page reported the school had received the deed to the piece of Bella Vista property being traded to the district by Northwest Arkansas Trailblazers. Board members voted to approve the deed transfer for their property to the Trailblazers. Both parcels are the same size.
Clay McGill, the principal architect for BiLD Architects, was present and spoke to the board about negotiating an agreement with the architects for the proposed school construction projects. He said it was a standard AIA document. Superintendent Page said the board should decide what firms they were interested in considering for the projects, ask those contractors to submit proposals and lists of qualifications and create a timeline for them to be submitted. Then they could meet and narrow them down. Board members agreed to approve a contract incorporating all four building projects rather than contracting each job individually.
School policies were considered. Superintendent Page reported that all administrators have examined the policies and approved them. Board members voted to approve the policies as presented and also allow homeschool students and private school students to come in and take core classes if the class size is not already at capacity. Homeschool students are already allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. The board did not approve a proposal to allow therapy animals in the classroom.
After a brief discussion, board members voted to approve the student handbooks as presented with an addition stating that any infraction of a student vaping will be treated the same as smoking regular cigarettes. Assistant principal Taos Jones recommended getting tougher on the vaping issue. He reported that he thinks the expulsions of students in the last school year have helped to eliminate troublemakers and put out the message that Gravette schools will not tolerate infractions. Thirteen students were expelled during the 20172018 school year. Eleven of those were for violations of the drug policy.
Board members voted to strictly enforce the policy that requires a student to have a 2.0-grade-point average before they can participate in extracurricular activities, field trips and competitions and to review the school attendance policy.
Board members voted to approve a proposal by Richard Carver, transportation director, to sell a 1999 school bus. Two new buses are expected to arrive in a couple of weeks and it will no longer be needed.
Sheila Roughton, food service director, reported the pickup formerly used to haul commodities and deliver food to Sulphur Springs for the summer meal program had been sold to the transportation department. She said it was unsanitary and inconvenient and she would like to purchase a van to replace it. Funds would come from her food service budget. Carver will assist her to investigate vehicles available from state procurement. Board members approved the purchase.
Board members also voted to approve the purchase of safety glass doors for the high school at a cost of $28,895 from Arkansas Glass and Mirror and for the middle school at a cost of $23,285 from Springfield Glass.
Board members adjourned to a short executive session. When they reconvened in regular session, they voted to approve the resignations of Sonja Conner as fifth-grade teacher, Janet Moreno as elementary and upper elementary music teacher, Rhonda Dunivant as food service worker and Andrew Vire as middle school math teacher and basketball coach.
Board members voted to approve employing Elizabeth Ozbun as gifted and talented teacher for upper elementary and Karen Mallard as first-grade teacher. Also approved was transferring Adam Vore from middle school A.L.E. lead teacher to middle school English tools/coach.