GENTRY — Following an award presented to Randy Barrett, superintendent of Gentry Public Schools, and a 30-minute executive session to discuss personnel items, the Gentry School Board, on Feb. 27, approved a number of personnel items but declined to approve a series of policy changes which would have increased stipends and pay for some school employees. The board also postponed a decision on a proposed tractor and front-end loader purchase.
Terrie Metz, who will take over the reins as Gentry's superintendent in July when Randy Barrett retires, presented Barrett with a Capitol Citation from Mike Martin, Arkansas Secretary of State. The citation was for 25 years of distinguished service at the head of the Gentry School District.
Barrett passed the honors along to the school staff and board members, saying, if he provided distinguished service in the Gentry School District, it was because of the many teachers, staff and board members who served with him over the past 25 years.
The board approved a leave (up to 12 weeks) under the Family Medical Leave Act for Carmen Tromp, beginning in January; a one-semester leave of absence for the second semester for Donnie Millsap; and the hiring of Amy Sherry as a Kindergarten Aide on Feb. 13 to meet state requirements due to increased numbers in the kindergarten classes.
The board individually adopted on a first reading a list of policy changes -- most to reflect in school policy the procedures already in practice -- but declined to approve an increase to the night custodian supervisor's base salary, adding school nurses to the APSCN stipend and increasing the stipend for senior-high track coaches to make it the same as received by other spring-sport coaches.
The board approved on their first reading two school calendars for the 2017-2018 school year, one proposed by the Personnel Policy Committee and the other by Superintendent Barrett. Barrett recommended they both be approved on a first reading with his amended to reflect the earlier conference dates of the PPC calendar so that the board could study both and approve a final calendar for the next school year on a second reading next month.
Tractor, vehicle purchase recommendation
Jason Barrett, transportation and maintenance supervisor for the district, brought a recommendation to the board for the purchase of a tractor and front-end loader for the district. He said the equipment would enable the district to do much work on school grounds and athletic fields for which they now have to borrow a tractor from a school employee. He also said the district could use the tractor in the many agriculture projects at the high school and for snow removal on the school parking lots (relieving the district of the need to contract out snow removal services). He suggested that students who might not otherwise have access to a tractor might be taught the safe operation of a tractor in their agriculture classes.
Jason Barrett also suggested the district purchase a 3/4-ton pickup truck for use in the agriculture department so that it could haul items and pull a stock trailer to haul animals which are a part of the agriculture program.
Finally, Jason Barrett suggested purchasing a second minivan to be used to transport teachers and smaller groups of students to meetings and activities. He said the first minivan, purchased two years ago, was being used all the time and a second minivan would be helpful.
Jason Barrett shared state-bid prices for the vehicles with the board and told the board it could obtain a John Deere tractor with an enclosed cab, front-end loader, 6-foot box blade, 6-foot brush hog and forks at less than the National Joint Powers Alliance cooperative purchasing price of approximately $50,000 if it acted immediately and purchased by Feb. 28.
To offset the cost of the three purchases -- just over $100,000 for all three items -- Barrett suggested foregoing the purchase of a new school bus for one year and said he and the bus mechanic thought the delay in purchasing a new bus -- usually for about $93,000 -- was feasible for the district.
Coye Cripps, chairman of the school board, expressed his reluctance to rush into the purchases and suggested that other tractor brands might be less expensive and just as good. He asked for more price comparisons and for more time to review the minivan usage. No further action was taken on the recommendation at the Feb. 27 meeting, but the matter will likely be brought back to the regular meeting on March 13.
Other Business
In other business, Randy Barrett reported that the district is in good financial shape and on course to finish the fiscal year with the needed $1.5 million to carry over into the new year.
It was reported to the board that six of the seven Odyssey of the Mind teams had qualified to go on to state-level competition.
Four board-to-board student transfer requests were approved, with two students transferring from Gentry to Siloam Springs and another two transferring from Siloam Springs to Gentry.
Due to spring break, the regular March meeting was moved up to 7 p.m., Monday, March 13, in the Pioneer Activities Complex meeting room.
Materials and documents connected to the board meeting are available in the DropBox folder on the school district's website.
General News on 03/08/2017