GENTRY -- A revised calendar was adopted by the Gentry School Board on Jan. 20 to adjust for the large number of snow days already this school year.
The new calendar, recommended by the Personnel Policy Committee and also approved by non-certified staff, has 10 built-in snow days rather than five and sets June 6 as the last day of student classes -- June 4 if no more snow days are needed.
To make up for lost classroom time and meet state requirements for student days, classes will be held on Good Friday and Memorial Day. Feb. 17 and 18 will become student class days with early dismissal to accommodate parent-teacher conferences.
If the number of snow days prior to spring break which need to be made up would push the last day of school beyond June 6, the number of makeup days beyond June 6 will be made up using days scheduled for spring break.
Should there be more makeup days needed after the use of days scheduled for spring break, they will be made up beginning on the week of June 9.
In order to put the revised calendar into place immediately, the board approved the calendar with two readings at its Jan. 20 meeting.
In other business, Randy Barrett, school district superintendent, reported the district to be in sound financial shape and on course for finishing the year with a $1.5 million carryover balance into the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Barrett also told board members that the district wouldn't hear if it will be eligible to receive partnership funding to build a new high school until May of 2015, meaning the matter of seeking voter approval for a millage increase would not be placed on the ballot until September of 2015. He said the board's action last month was necessary to apply for state partnership funding, but the decision will not be made in time for the September 2014 election.
Barrett said it would be "putting the cart before the horse" to ask the voters for a millage increase in September if there was a possibility it might have to come back and ask for more if state funding was not approved or was less than anticipated -- $5 to $6 million of the $20 million project.
He said the delay would provide added time to work with the city in regard to traffic issues and access if the school is built.
Barrett received consensus from the board to look into adding security at the intermediate school campus by means of a fence around the campus. The board agreed to allow Barrett to pursue a plan and to come back with a project which can be put out for bids.
Barrett commended the achievement of the Gentry Middle School and reported on the reward the district received and how the money would be used.
Gentry Middle School was among those in northwest Arkansas and throughout the state which were recognized recently by the Arkansas School Recognition and Reward Program. With the notification came award money, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.
An estimated $7 million of state General Improvement Funds were earmarked by Gov. Mike Beebe to reward schools which received high levels of academic performance.
Gentry placed in the top 20 percent for their scores on the 2013 Benchmark exams. Gentry's award was for $15,602.
The reward money can be spent in several ways, such as a one-time bonus for faculty and staff, for nonrecurring expenditures for educational equipment, or for material to assist in maintaining or improving student performance.
A committee, made up of the principal, a teacher elected by the faculty and a parent representative selected by the Parent Teacher Organization determined how the funds will be spent.
The Gentry committee was comprised of Principal Larry Cozens; Terri Swicegood, faculty member; and Carol Swinney, parent representative. Their decision was to purchase 28 "Chrome Books," similar to a laptop, a storage cabinet and charging equipment.
The program is an initiative of the Arkansas General Assembly to provide performance-based incentives such as high student performance, student academic growth and, in secondary schools, high graduation rates. This was the second time awards have been given, the first time being in 2010.
Judy Winslett, federal curriculum coordinator for the district, provided board members an update on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers Assessment.
According to the PARCC website, "the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is a consortium of 18 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers. These new K-12 assessments will build a pathway to college and career readiness by the end of high school, mark students' progress toward this goal from third grade up, and provide teachers with timely information to inform instruction and provide student support. The PARCC assessments will be ready for states to administer during the 2014-15 school year."
Winslett said the Gentry School District now has the computer hardware needed for students to participate in the PARCC assessment.
Barrett also reported he had received one Public School Choice application and would date and hold it until the end of the application period and bring them all to the board at the same time.
General News on 01/29/2014