Gravette School Board hears about online learning program
GRAVETTE — Madeline Soper, a 12th-grade student in Gravette ONline school, was present at the Sept. 21 meeting of the Gravette school board and led the pledge of allegiance to open the meeting. Soper served as the student body representative at the meeting and spoke to the board briefly, giving her assessment of the virtual learning program and presenting some suggestions for improvement.
Lane Wilkins, another GHS senior, was also present at the meeting and was honored for being a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Seth Lewman, a second GHS National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, was unable to attend.
Sierra Fitts and Sue Cluck, representing the GHS ONline teachers, were honored on their successful launch of the K-12 online school. They reported that online learning is going well but both agreed that Lincoln Learning doesn’t work because it doesn’t follow the school’s curriculum. Teachers have had to take the Google classroom and create their own curriculum. Fitts noted the importance of having the parents’ help in making online learning successful.
Board member Hope Duke commended both Cluck and Fitts for their positive attitude and asked if educators at the state department know about the issues local teachers are facing. In answer to her question, “Are they well-informed about the problems?,” school superintendent Maribel Childress replied that they were and therefore they had not extended the Lincoln Learning contract for another year.
Sue Cluck, Jennifer Archer, Dusti Larsen and Kizzy Hill were honored for being recognized by their peers for going above and beyond in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year. Board president Heather Finley told Cluck and Archer, who were present, that “Gravette has the cream of the crop of teachers but you guys are the cream of the cream of the crop.” Archer acknowledged that she had turned down other job offers to come to Gravette because she realized the teachers here “have a strong work ethic and are here for the right reasons.”
Dennis Kurczek, business manager, gave the August financial report. He reported receiving $292,000 in property tax revenue for the month, $17,000 in enhanced transportation funds, a $75,000 Endeavor Foundation grant and a $5,000 DHS child care assistance grant to help provide funds for masks and sanitizing supplies. He said the district has received about $36,000 in CARES Act funds.
Board members voted to accept the resignation of Chris Jones, building tech support, and hire Michael Kelly as building tech support, James Stewart and Steven Hamilton as bus drivers, Wendy Sanders as kitchen manager at the Upper Elementary School and Amber Henderson as a cafeteria cook/cashier. They also approved the transfer of Kim Skaggs from front office receptionist to payroll clerk and the transfer of Robert Grider, special education teacher, from half-time middle school, half-time high school to a full-time high school position and voted to expel a high school student for a period of one year. The student may re-enroll in September 2021.
Becky Sears, assistant superintendent of curriculum, gave the 2020 annual report to the public. She said there was no change in student test scores since no testing was done in the spring because of the covid-19 pandemic. It was noted that the district requires that teachers have 60 hours of professional development annually, whereas the state requires only 36 PD hours. Hope Duke recommended that the district consider lowering its requirement to more closely align with the state requirement.
Superintendent Childress gave a preview of the Star 360 Data reports.
These consist of over 30 different reports but she focused particularly on only four, the state standards, Star screening, instructional planning and the Star longitudinal report.
First reading of covid leave options policy and school district goals for 2020-2021 were approved. Building principals will share the goals with the public through social media and newsletters and on the school district website.
In action items, board members voted to approve changes in the athletic handbook. Athletic director Norman Mitchell reported that new guidelines permit cheerleaders to travel to out-of-town football games and basketball guidelines have been released and require distancing of six feet between families and the wearing of masks at all times. Board member Hope Duke recommended that everyone email the governor and state legislators to protest the wearing of masks when in family groups.
Board members also approved the 2020-2021 minority report which profiles the racial composition of the student body. Becky Sears said there was not much change from last year.
Dennis Kurczek reported it is estimated that refinancing of one of the smaller bond issues would result in a savings of approximately $400,000. Board members voted to authorize Kurczek to seek refinancing options. Scott Beardsley, senior vicepresident of First Security Beardsley, will attend the October board meeting and present refinancing opportunities for two older bond issues.
Board members voted to approve the report of all staff members who received a 5% salary increase and reasons for the increase and to authorize transportation department supervisor Richard Carver to seek bids for an older handicapped bus. They also approved the construction of an awning at Glenn Duffy Elementary School. Carver explained that traffic patterns for bus loading and unloading have been changed and he wishes to make a portion of the sidewalk wider and build an awning up to the pre-K door to protect students while waiting for buses in inclement weather. Carver has secured bids of $14,000 for the sidewalk and $20,000 to $24,000 for the awning. Funding would come from declining growth funds.
Board members approved the transfer of two students into the district, one from Rogers and an eighth-grader from Bentonville, and the transfer out of two students (siblings) to Bentonville. Andy Giffin, father of the eighthgrader from Bentonville, was present at the meeting and thanked the board for its decision.
Discussion of a landuse agreement between the school district and the Hendren family was tabled since Hope Duke is a member of the Hendren family. Three board members were absent and there would not have been a quorum present after she excused herself from the discussion.
In new business, the board voted to appoint Hope Duke as its representative on the arena grand opening committee, superintendent Childress asked board members to submit any questions they had for the Arkansas School Board Association regional meeting within the next 48 hours and Heather Finley requested that the December board meeting be moved up a week. Consideration of the meeting time change will be on the agenda for the October meeting.