GRAVETTE -- A reception for new teachers was held preceding the Aug. 15 meeting of the Gravette school board. Refreshments were served in the high school commons and each teacher introduced himself and told about how his first day of school went.
Bill Hayford, business manager, gave the financial report and commented it had been a pretty good year and the electric bill had been down.
Richard Page, superintendent of schools, gave his report. He said the administration had set four goals: 1) to increase career and tech school opportunities and try to establish a regional center for career classes, with much depending on state legislators to realize this goal; 2) to review and revise current policies on technology; 3) to establish a professional learning committee to develop learning opportunities and report every three or four weeks; and 4) to establish a Bright Futures organization in Gravette schools.
Sheila Roughton, food service manager, presented a three-year report. She said the summer program provided breakfast for 1,090 children. Profits were less because labor costs were up, she said. She reported students eligible for free and reduced price lunches were at 49 percent, down from 51 percent last year.
Bill Hayford presented the 2016-2017 budget for approval. He said property tax assessments were up a little under 2 percent but there was a little shortfall with state foundation dollars. The total proposed budget is down about $230,000 from last year.
Jim Singleton, board president, said he felt it was important to narrow down the budget and make it as tight as possible so the board could focus on improving teachers' salaries next year. Jay Oliphant, board member, said he would like to see budget items compared to last year's actual expenditures rather than to budgeted figures. He also expressed a desire to have specifics from the administration as to how they would spend the money. Hayford said he felt the budget was a good budget, reasonably balanced. Board members voted to refine the budget a bit more, possibly holding a special meeting, and tabled the vote for approval until the September meeting.
Board members voted to transfer $700,000 from general operating funds to the building fund. This amount includes a couple of one-time-only revenues from the sale of property.
Board members also voted to approve the Benton County hazard mitigation resolution.
Three student transfer requests were approved, two for students who are moving to Bentonville and want to transfer to the Pea Ridge school district and one for a student from Decatur who wants to transfer to Gravette.
Superintendent Page presented the 2016-2017 board calendar and board members approved the calendar after changing the date of the November meeting from Nov. 21 to Nov. 14.
Richard Carver, maintenance and transportation director, asked for permission to sell a 2003 school bus at a price of $3,200. The bus has 150,000 miles on it. Jack Skillett asked if adding two buses on the Maysville and Bella Vista routes would reduce student ride times. Carver agreed it would but said the issue was finding drivers for those buses.
Norman Mitchell, athletic director, presented the athletic department budget. He pointed out that the athletic budget includes revenue from playoff games and hosting district events here, not just gate revenues. He said the uniform budget was $19,000 last year and only $7,000 this year as new football uniforms were purchased last year. Mitchell reported that the tarp to cover the baseball field was ripped apart in a windstorm last year and he plans to use part of the money from the annual golf classic to buy a replacement.
Two options were presented for the proposed upper elementary classroom addition. Board member John Edwards recommended approving option B at a cost of $1,183,000, to which board member Tracy Moorman asked, "So you want to just get by?" Susan Santos replied, "Yes, to meet the needs at this time."
Board member Jay Oliphant recommended that, to be better stewards of the taxpayers' money, the board go with option A as architects agree the two additional classrooms will be cheaper to build now rather than later.
Option A will cost an extra $400,000, Santos said, and the board doesn't know what unfunded mandate will come from the state next. Board member Jack Skillett pointed out that a science lab is needed at the high school and the middle school needs renovation of the football field, including the clock and bleachers, within the next two or three years. Bryan Johnson, chairman of the facilities committee, pointed out that the committee recommended option A, a 773,000 square foot addition.
Jim Singleton made a motion to approve option A. The motion passed by a four-to-two vote.
General News on 08/31/2016