GENTRY — Annual contracts were renewed for 115 teachers and staff members of the Gentry School District on April 19 by unanimous vote of the school board, with board member Ted Dorn requesting an executive session to discuss personnel matters as the vote was taken.
“We just got this list two minutes ago and now we’re voting on it,” Dorn said when he asked for the closed session.
Dorn also raised his hand in favor of the motion to renew contracts on the list of those recommended for rehire as he requested the executive session.
No further votes or amendments to the initial vote were made following the closed session, so the first vote approving the rehiring is viewed to stand, according to administrative assistant Renee Bradshaw.
Not included on the list of contract renewals approved by the board were the contracts of Sandra Long, Del Duncan and Conlan Efurd.
Prior to the April 19 vote to renew contracts, resignations were accepted by the board from first-grade teacher Sandra Long and from intermediate school library specialist Del Duncan.
A resignation letter, dated April 23, was also received from Efurd on Friday. The letter, addressed to Barrett and the school board, said: “After more than a decade with Gentry Public Schools, it is time for me to broaden my horizons. I am writing to announce that I am resigning as coach and teacher at the end of the 2010 school year. I have made many relationships that will last a lifetime. I have enjoyed it here as a coach and teacher and will continue to work hard in those positions until the end of the school year.”
Efurd coached basketball, golf and track and taught driver’s education and health classes for the school district.
A special meeting of the school board was called for Monday night to begin the committee selection process for the appointment of a new head boys’ basketball coach.
Though it was not a paid position, Tahmara Coones also resigned as junior-high cheerleading coach due to personal time limitations.
Barrett also proposed under policies for a first reading an organizational chart which included three new staff positions to be paid for out of restricted funds rather than the school district’s operating funds.
He proposed filling the vacant special project coordinator position which oversees federal programs for the district. The position was left vacant when the previous federal programs coordinator resigned and the school district was in fiscal distress. The salary would be paid out of National School Lunch Act funding - federal funds which the district must spend but which cannot be used for general operating costs of the district.
Also proposed was the hiring of a network administrator for the school district and a maintenance worker. These positions would also be paid for with restricted funding the district has but cannot use for general operating costs.
The proposed organizational policy was adopted on its first reading but will need to be approved by vote of the board before becoming district policy and filling any of the new positions.
“I’m going to vote against this proposal because of the three new staff positions,” said board member Ted Dorn. “I’m not goingto support it on its second reading.”
Dorn said the school district already had too many administrators and that the cost of education per student was higher in the Gentry School District than in most other school districts.
Dorn also questioned whether the district should accept student transfers because of the cost to the taxpayers to educate the students. He said the taxpayers pay about $3,000 per student and the state another $3,000 while the cost per student is closer to $8,000.
Barrett explained that thestate guarantees the district just under $6,000 per student and makes up the difference between that and tax revenue collected. Each new student in the Gentry District means the district will receive an additional $6,000 from the state. With many of the costs fixed - facility costs and teacher salaries - it benefits the school to have more students as long as it does not have to hire more teachers and build more classrooms, Barrett explained. The perpupil cost of education in Gentry is higher because of having less students than larger districts like Gravette and Siloam Springs.
News, Pages 1 on 04/28/2010