GRAVETTE -- Several students were guests at the May meeting of the Gravette school board. Fifth graders Jonah Waits and Noah Tawny were recognized and gave video presentations of their literacy class projects on World War II, Jonah's on Hitler's attempts to exterminate the Jews and Noah's on four famous battles of World War II.
Members of the Gravette High School softball team were introduced and recognized for their successful season. They won the first conference championship for Gravette and the second district championship and went on to state. Two of the players were chosen for All-State, two were All-Star nominees and five were All-Conference players.
School board president Jay Oliphant presented a plaque to Jackie Riley honoring her as classified employee of the year. Riley has worked on the custodial staff for five years and is now head of the night custodian crew. Maintenance department director Richard Carver read a letter from Glenn Duffy principal Zane Vanderpool that said Riley "prepares students for achievement by maintaining a clean learning environment."
Jackie Galyean, PTO president, presented a proposal for updating the sound system in the upper elementary cafeteria. Cost of the project would be $6,571.46. Board members voted to pay for half the cost. The elementary PTO is doing other fundraising.
Superintendent of schools Richard Page gave the financial report for April. He said that revenue was coming in just about as expected and reported the budget was about $500,000 more than last year.
Page gave a vocational program update and reported on the success of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning program. Three of the graduates from this year's program have gone to work for a heating and air firm, one has been employed at Tyson's and one at Simmons. Thirteen students are enrolled in the program for next year. Remodeling is planned for the annex building to prepare for a certified nursing assistant program. Gravette is working with Decatur and Gentry to share some facilities.
Police chief Andy Bower and officers Chuck Skaggs and Scott Gillming gave a presentation on ALICE training. The ALICE program is designed to train school staff, teachers and students how to deal with a hostile intruder situation in the schools using the model: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Chief Bower hopes to implement the program in the next school year. The ALICE program prepares persons to take an active role by instructing them where to go and what to do. Bower said pre-planning and communication are keys to a successful outcome. Safety committee meetings are being held each month.
Will Pittman gave a report on the EAST Initiative program. He emphasized that the EAST program is student-led. Students pick the projects and implement them. EAST students Spencer Heald and Zoe Betz gave brief reports on their projects and Heald said EAST was his "reason for coming to school every day." Pittman presented a proposal for 11 students to attend the national convention being held this year in Arkansas. Board members voted to approve the trip and approved Pittman's pursuing a $5,000 matching grant for the EAST program.
Superintendent Page presented field trip requests for the HOSA and FBLA clubs. Thirty-four HOSA students won medals at state and 30 are planning to go to national competition. FBLA club members plan to make a trip to Chicago June 23 through July 3. Board members voted to approve both requests.
Page gave the school choice report and board members approved requests for three students to transfer out of the district. Eighteen students were approved to transfer into the district, from several pre-kindergarten students up through five juniors and two seniors. Transfers of three incoming special education students were denied because the program is already at capacity.
Maintenance department director Richard Carver presented a bid for installation of nine interior cameras at Glenn Duffy Elementary School and 12 at the Upper Elementary. Gravette Police Department can monitor the schools from the police station with these cameras. Board members approved the bid of $25,102.74 from Fleming Network & Security Services.
Board members also approved $1,600 for a summer school program for kindergarten through eighth grade students. The summer school will be held in two sessions, with the first focusing on academic subjects and the second incorporating some activities at the Boys and Girls Club. Twenty-four students from Sulphur Springs and some from Bella Vista will be bused in for the program.
Board members approved an increase of 25 cents for breakfasts in grades kindergarten through 12 and an increase of 10 cents for lunches in grades 6 through 12.
Sheila Roughton, food service director, reported on the summer feeding program. Serving of meals for the Gravette program will be moved from the middle school to the upper elementary school and the serving at Sulphur Springs will be moved from the Shiloh cafeteria to the old Sulphur Springs school.
Copies of school board policies and student handbooks for all schools were distributed to board members for the first reading.
General News on 06/03/2015