GENTRY - School board members, on May 28, approved the purchase and installation of security cameras on all four campuses in the Gentry School District.
The approved package includes the purchase and installation of three outdoor and nine indoor cameras at Gentry Primary School; one outdoor and 10 indoor cameras at the Gentry Middle School; 14 outdoor and 8 indoor at the Intermediate School; and nine outdoor and 16 indoor at the high school. Not yet included in the system are cameras at the multipurpose athletic facility which is currently under construction.
Total bid price for the camera security system is $116,006.65 from Fleming Network and Security Services, Bentonville. Since Fleming is a TIPS/TAPS vendor in the purchasing cooperative, no additional bid process is required.
The system's cost will be paid for out of one-time money in district accounts and not jeopardize money which could be used for staff raises, Randy Barrett, district superintendent, said.
The camera system will allow police and school administrators to monitor camera viewing areas live via the Internet.
Barrett said it had not yet been decided who would monitor the cameras but that the ability to monitor would likely be made available to the school resource officer and at least one administrator or administrative assistant on each campus.
Barrett called the camera system a "deterrent" rather than an investigative tool or means to monitor all student activity.
Though it will depend on the vendor, the camera security system is expected to be fully operational by the beginning of classes in August or soon thereafter.
In other business, the board also approved the low bid of Roberts-Mc-Nutt to replace the high school roof (less the auditorium which has a newer roof) for $519,387. The second bid received was from Franklin Roofing for $580,546.
Also approved were colors for the new multipurpose athletic facility, currently under construction on the high school campus. A combination of half-and-half medium gray and warm white front, with a warm white back and medium gray trim. The neutral colors were chosen because special ordering of colors to match the Pioneer colors would have added significantly to the cost of the project.
According to Mike Spaeth, architect from Hight-Jackson Associates in Rogers, all is on schedule with the multipurpose building construction project, with substantial completion expected in October. Spaeth said steel for the building should arrive in mid-June and panels in late June.
Mark Haguewood, of Hight-Jackson, presented information on building design and costs to build a new concession stand at the high school, pointing out that the plumbing costs for restrooms was a big factor in overall costs for the building.
The old concession stand had to be torn down to make room for the multipurpose facility.
Since it will not be possible to build a new concession stand before football season, the board decided to further research its options before making any decisions. Items on the table included the number of toilet fixtures to be included and the type of construction materials used.
The close proximity of water and sewer lines will help keep costs down, Haguewood said.
News, Pages 5 on 06/05/2013