GENTRY — Principals at Gentry’s four schools were rehired at the March 15 school board meeting.

The Gentry School Board renewed the administrative contracts of high school principal Judy Winslett, middle school principal Larry Cozens, intermediate school principal Denise Waters and primary school principal Gayla Wilmoth for the 2010-2011 school year.

After an executive session, the board also hired Brenda Coones as a lunchroom cook at the Gentry Primary School campus. Coones had served as a substitute cook, filling a position which was vacant since last fall.

Gentry School District superintendent Dr. Randy Barrett informed board members that he had lost a battle with the Arkansas Department of Education and several staff positions which were being paid out of federal funds would again have to be paid out of teacher salary funds. Among the disallowed positions were an art teacher, technology positions, and portions of Brian Little’s and Brea Harper’s salaries which had been paid out of federal money.

The school district is still in good financial standing Barrett said, reporting a balance of $3,707,037 at the end of period 8 of the fiscal year but reminding board members that a $447,000 bond payment will come out in period 9.The district had a balance of $1.9 million at the end of period 8 last year. He projected that the district would still meet its goal of finishing the current fiscal year on June 30 with a $1.5 million carry-over balance.

Five lawn-care bids were received for the 2010-2011 school year, ranging from $22,900 to $26,400. The apparent low bidder was Pioneer Lawn Service owned by Clark Morris. Pioneer Lawn Service will be awarded a contract should the bid meet all requirements of the district.

Board member Ted Dorn suggested the district check with Morris about the possibility of adding preparation of the ball diamonds since parents who have been volunteering to do the work will no longer have students in the district after this year.

One bid was received on library books to be purchased for the Primary School library. $50,000 had been allocated for the purchase of books to be used for the school’s accelerated reading program. The bid of $54,556 was accepted, with the amount above $50,000 coming from Title I money.

A policy which would change the way in which the high school’s valedictorian is chosen passed on its first reading at the March 15 school boardmeeting.

The revised policy would use a five-point rather than a four-point scale in determining the highest grade point average - something many area schools are already doing, according to Janie Eldridge, coordinator for the district’s gifted and talented program.

The proposed policy revision will be reviewed by the personnel policy committee and then come back to the board for a decision. If the change is made, the first class to which it would apply is next year’s ninth-grade class, Barrett said.

The board also approved on its first reading a school calendar proposed by Barrett. The proposed calendar, Barrett said, is “front loaded with staff development days,” beginning three days earlier for teachers than a second PPC proposal. The last day of school would be May 17, Barrett said, if there are no snow days.

Barrett said a goal indicated by the school board was to “get in as many instructional days as possible before the Benchmark exams.”

A second proposal offered by the PPC was not approved on a first reading. Its last day of classes would have been May 27.

School News, Pages 6 on 03/24/2010