GRAVETTE -- Bill Hayford, business manager for the Gravette School District, gave a preliminary budget report at a special meeting of the board Thursday, Aug. 3. He reported that a telephone update had been done which was expensive but should result in substantial savings on future phone bills. Hayford said that 82 percent of the operating budget goes for employee salaries and benefits.
School board members voted to approve the recommendation of Sheila Roughton, food service director, and accept a bid from Springfield Grocers for food service for the 2017-2018 school year. Springfield Grocers has been the food vendor for Gravette schools in the past and has always provided good service, according to Roughton. They also provide food for the local Bright Futures program.
Members voted unanimously to approve seven student transfer requests. There were three transfers in, one from Decatur and two from Bentonville, and four transfers out. There will be a full report on student transfers after the Oct. 1 enrollment report.
Richard Page, the superintendent of schools, presented the Northwest Arkansas Education Report Card hand out and gave reminders of dates for a facilities committee meeting and board tour of the campus, Meet the Teacher nights and new teacher reception.He said the final demographic study document is ready and would be emailed out.
Jay Oliphant, school board president, asked about Proposition 9 and its effect on the Gravette School District's athletic schedule. Proposition 9, passed by the Arkansas Activities Association at its annual meeting July 31, will change conferences and classifications for the athletic teams beginning in the fall of 2018 and continue through spring 2020. Norman Mitchell, the school district's athletic director, shared his views on the ruling.
Board member Ty Russell presented information he had obtained after doing research on future building projects. He said that building a dome athletic facility would be energy efficient. It would also be tornado proof and might provide a FEMA emergency shelter for local citizens.
The board moved into executive session at 6:43. After an executive session of approximately one-half hour, members returned to open session and voted to hire Barrett Buck as a bus driver, Sandra Petty as an evening custodian, Jacquilyn Galyean as a middle-school math teacher, Daniel Rice as technology director, Cassie Duncan as a middle school/high school special education resource teacher and Jodi Pinter as high school in-school suspension supervisory aide for the 2017-2018 school year. Board members also voted to approve transferring Jill Kildow from middle-school math teacher to high-school math teacher.
The next regular meeting of the board will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, at the high school library.
General News on 08/16/2017