School board approves demolition contract

Barrett, Winslett, Barnes thanked for their years of service

The Gentry School Board presented Randy Barrett, retiring superintendent of schools, a signed diploma on June 19 as a token of thanks for his 25 years of service to the Gentry School District. Board member Jim Barnes is clapping in the foreground, and board president Coye Cripps was the presenter.
The Gentry School Board presented Randy Barrett, retiring superintendent of schools, a signed diploma on June 19 as a token of thanks for his 25 years of service to the Gentry School District. Board member Jim Barnes is clapping in the foreground, and board president Coye Cripps was the presenter.

— Monday night was Randy Barrett’s last school board meeting as superintendent and Judy Winslett’s last as assistant superintendent, and the board recognized both at the close of the meeting, presenting Barrett a signed diploma for his 25 years of service as superintendent and giving both Barrett and Winslett a brick from the soon-to-be-demolished intermediate school classroom facility to remind them of their service in the school district and of its building programs.

The board unanimously approved a guaranteed maximum price document for the demolition work at the Gentry Intermediate School for a total of $474,837. The price includes some asbestos removal and the demolition of the current classroom facility in preparation for the construction of a new two-story classroom facility on the site. The price also includes the later demolition work on the wing buildings which will be used for classroom space while the new classroom facility is built, according to representatives of FLINTCO, construction manager for the project.

Barrett said the total construction cost for the new classroom facility at the intermediate school was estimated at a little over $11 million, although bid prices could cause that to be less. Original estimates were in the $9 million range but additional classroom space was added, raising the price tag.

Barrett said the district had received assistance funding for the classroom project from Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, making it possible for the district to complete the project with the funding it now has available. He said it was unknown if some of the other projects on the school board’s list would be able to be completed now or if they would have to be postponed until other funding is available.

With the board’s approval, demolition work was set to begin this week with asbestos removal. Once that is done, the building will be demolished and the site made ready for new construction which will, hopefully, begin later this summer, following the bid process. A ground breaking was suggested for late July.

The board approved financial reports for Period 11 (the month of May) with Barrett explaining to the board that the district currently has close to $1.4 million in its operational funds and that he anticipated the district would finish out the fiscal year which ends on June 30 with somewhere between $1.3 and $1.5 million. He said the board can move funds as needed between the operational funds and the building fund to achieve the desired ending balance for purposes of complying with state guidelines for a healthy ending balance to be carried over to start off the new school year.

Jason Barrett, the school district’s transportation and maintenance supervisor, reported that construction is moving along on the diesel mechanic and career classroom facility with the building enclosed and the roof on, except for the large roll-up doors in the shop area. He said it would now be easier for work crews to continue working even in inclement weather.

Winslett said a tentative date of August 8 had been set for the ribbon cutting, with an open house to show off the building, its classrooms, labs and equipment on August 28 or August 22. She says showing the building to business representatives and dignitaries across the state will show them that Gentry is serious about providing quality career education for its students.

Jason Barrett gave board members a handout suggesting that the building be called “Gentry Career and Technical Education Center.” If the board approves of the name, he suggested lettering similar to that on the Pioneer Activities Complex, but in a different color, be ordered for placement on the building so that area residents would know the purpose and use of the building.

Brae Harper, high school principal and the school district’s athletic director, spoke briefly on some proposed changes suggested by the Arkansas Activities Association to the classification of schools for sports. The changes, he said, were recommended, in part, to reduce travel distances and expenses for some schools. He said the changes, if approved, would affect the classification for high school sports with the exception of football. He said the proposed change would likely put Gentry in the same leagues as some schools with 200 to 300 more students, with Gentry being the fourth smallest school in the league for sports like basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer and track. Harper said he would recommend the board vote against the change, but he said he thought it would likely be adopted since it would be to the advantage of a lot of other schools’ athletic programs.

Coye Cripps, president of the Gentry School Board, presented Judy Winslett, assistant superintendent, a brick from Gentry's soon-to-be-demolished intermediate school building to remind her of her years of service in the Gentry School District. She is leaving at the end of June to take a full-time post at John Brown University in Siloam Springs.
Coye Cripps, president of the Gentry School Board, presented Judy Winslett, assistant superintendent, a brick from Gentry's soon-to-be-demolished intermediate school building to remind her of her years of service in the Gentry School District. She is leaving at the end of June to take a full-time post at John Brown University in Siloam Springs.

Barrett read a letter from Jim Barnes, stating his intention not to seek re-election in September. Barnes has served on the board for 16 years in various capacities, including being board chairman for a part of that time.

In the round-table discussion portion of the meeting, board members expressed their gratitude to Barrett, Winslett and to Barnes for their years of service and dedication to Gentry Public Schools. Barrett said he had served with 29 different school board members during his 25 years as Gentry superintendent, mentioning some who had since died. He said the board members may not always have been in agreement on how to accomplish things but they all had a common goal of providing the best education possible for students in the Gentry School District. He assured board members he would never forget any of them.