Sports complex to be put before voters

Gentry School Board approves budget to pay for $3 million building project.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

— School Board members voted 5-1 - Dani Cypert opposing and Jim Barnes, Randall Bolinger, Coye Cripps, Clarence Kreger and David Williamson voting in favor; Gary Dunlap was absent - to let voters decide whether the school district should refinance 2002 public bonds and make available approximately $3 million to build a multi-purpose athletic facility at the high school.

The vote was to adopt a proposed budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2013; publish the proposed budget one time not later than 60 days prior to the election date in the newspaper; request the Benton County Board of Election Commissioners to prepare the ballot and submit the question of a total school tax as described inthe budget and to conduct and hold the annual school election as provided by law; retain Stephens, Inc., as fiscal agent for the district in connection with the sale and issuance of the proposed bonds; publish notice of the election and publish notice of the polling places for the election, as required by law; and offer the proposed bond issue described in the budget for public sale.

The adopted biennial budget calls for the issuance of $3,600,000 in bonded debt to retire the March 1 and August 1,2002, bonds, and to erect a new school facility. The bonds will mature in 25 years.

The biennial budget calls for no increase in the 42.9 state and local millage rate currently being paid for the maintenance and operation of Gentry Public Schools. That rate includes 28 mills for general maintenance and operation and 14.9 mills previously approved by the voters for debt service. That 14.9 mills would continue until the new bond amount is paid off over 25 years.

The adopted biennial budget includes the following amounts: Salary Fund Expenditures - $8,085,000; Instructional Expense - $2,000,000; Maintenance and Operation Expense - $4,900,000; Dedicated Maintenance and Operation Expenditures - $0; Pupil Transportation Expense - $800,000; Other Operating Expense - $0; Non-bonded Debt Payment - $0; Bonded Debt Payment - $1,290,000; and Building Fund Expense - $3,000,000.

Larry Perkin and Mark Haguewood, representing Hight-Jackson Associates, the school district’s architectural firm, spoke with board members about setting up a working session to begin formulating a plan for a new athletic multi-purpose facility. They said a building similar to the complex at Pea Ridge could be built for $55 to $60 a square foot, but material prices fluctuate.

Perkin explained that the company would design a building using quality materials to be serviceable for 50 years.It would also be a building to which additions and improvements could be made, they said.

“We want the building to last 50 years,” Perkin said. “We would use quality materials - not Cadillac it, but quality, durable materials.”

School board members suggested some items which could be improved over the Pea Ridge design, such as putting the weight room on the ground floor, having better ventilation and allowing additional space beyond the sidelines.

Board members, at the recommendation of district superintendent Randy Barrett, appointed Gentry High School’s athletic director and dean of students Brian Little as coordinator for the district in working with the architectural firm.

In other business, Barrett reported that the district continued to be in good financial shape at the close of Period 11 of the fiscal year. He reported an ending balance of $1.533 million in district operating funds.He said one more payroll was yet to be paid out of those funds but additional tax revenue would also be coming in before the close of the year.

Two teachers and a bus driver were hired for the new school year - Angela Bartels as the Western Benton County Special Education Consortium Supervisor, Malynda Guyll as the Gentry High School special education teacher, and Gene Bishop as bus driver. The board accepted the resignation of Kori Wilber as middle school math teacher and terminated the contract of Blake Rhein as middle school physical education teacher and high school soccer coach.Rhein is under investigation in a criminal case involving allegations of child abuse, but no determination as to whether criminal charges will be filed was yet made.

“My reasons for recommending Coach Rhein’s contract be terminated is not child abuse,” Barrett stated; “It’s unprofessional behavior. If we ever suspected child abuse, we would have been the first to call the police,” Barrett added.

In answer to boardconcerns about a possible lawsuit, Barrett said he had conferred with the school attorney and “there were no grounds for Mr. Rhein to come back and sue for wrongful termination.”

The board also approved authorizing Barrett to fill a vacant school maintenance helper position. According to Barrett, the workload is too much for one employee.

Barrett reported that the school district had received no bids on Bus No. 3, which it had offered for sale with a base bid of $2,000. Since the scrap price would be even less and the bus was still usable, Barrett recommended keeping the bus for another year in the event it was needed.

Two policy revisions were approved on their second reading, one to the stipend schedule of the certified salary schedule and the other to the GDBD renewal of classified contracts.

The board let stand its approval of entering into a contract with Sub-Teach to provide a pool of trained substitute teachers for the district. In materials provided to the board, Barrett estimated the service would cost the district an additional $4.20 per substitute placement. That additional amount, according to the SubTeach quote, would cover the cost of recruiting, training, scheduling, handling payroll and dealing with unemployment and workers' compensation issues.

Two bids were received for a summer painting project, one for $8,800 from Walls by Hulls and another for $39,600 from Larson Painting. Barrett suggested there may be a misunderstanding in the job description and asked for and received authorization to review the job specifications with the two bidding companies and then choose the low bidder for the project.

Barrett reported that the low bid of Colonial Roofing Co. for $332,000 was accepted for the middle school roofing project. The high bid for the project was $637,000, Barrett said.

Barrett informed the board of upcoming changes in the teacher evaluation systems and training related to the implementation of those evaluations. The new Arkansas teacher and administrator evaluation systems and the Common Core Standards will create uniformity from district to district in the way educators are evaluated and in material and methodology in teaching students.

The board approved a number of Public School Choice applications in the event the court ruling striking down Arkansas’ school choice law was stayed, pending an appeal. The court rulingwas stayed on Friday, making the board action valid for the upcoming school year. Additional applications may also be accepted if received by the district before the July 1 deadline.

News, Pages 1 on 06/27/2012