GENTRY -- The Gentry School Board offered new contracts to teachers and accepted athletic assignments for the 2018-2019 school year at its April 16 meeting. According to the listing provided to the school board, contracts were approved for 119 teachers in the district.
Athletic assignments remained mostly unchanged. Justin Ledbetter was removed from bowling, and Brent Hester was moved from track to assist with baseball.
The board recognized Chastery Fuamatu and Mason Clark for their records and accomplishment in the discus and shot put in Gentry's track program. Also recognized were the junior basketball girls' team for its 18-2 record, and the high school band for its accomplishments. A brass ensemble performed at the meeting.
Recognized later in the meeting were a group of middle school girls involved in a Heart and Soul running program, providing exercise and activity for each girl's health and wellbeing as well as providing an opportunity to discuss issues and concerns faced by the girls. Running is used by the group's adult sponsors to teach the girls life lessons and counsel them as they run together. The girls recently competed in the Bentonville marathon, with one finishing second in her age group.
Alexander Reyes, an intermediate school teacher, was honored by the superintendent for his work interpreting letters and materials for Spanish-speaking students and families. He also was commended for working with the school district's first non-speaking student.
Reports were given by Flintco and Hight Jackson on the progress of construction at the new intermediate school classroom facility, including a short video which included a 3D scan of the building and provided a 360-degree view which shows the building's wiring and plumbing for location purposes after the building is finished. Work is on schedule at the classroom facility. Flinto gave the school district an eagle award the construction contractors earned for the construction on the Gentry Career and Technical Center recently completed on the high school campus.
A complaint was voiced to the board regarding the sound system in the high school auditorium, saying students worked too hard on the recent production to have the sound system fail during parts of the production. The board asked that the sound system be included on the agenda for next month's meeting, which was rescheduled to May 14 rather than its usual third Monday date.
The district's audit report was good with the exception of the district not having enough staff to divide duties related to school finances -- a deficiency of most smaller school districts. According to Terrie Metz, the school district superintendent, she is having a second person (often herself) oversee disbursements to provide the extra degree of accountability the state auditor is seeking.
Metz told the board the school district was in sound financial shape with approximately $2.7 million in the operating funds and another $6 million in savings related to the construction project, some of which will have to be moved to pay for construction expenses.
Jason Barrett, the district's maintenance and transportation supervisor, told the board of a coordinated planned test of the RAVE Panic Button at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2. RAVE Panic Button is a cell phone app used by teachers to alert the district and emergency services of emergency situations at the school, including fires and active shooter situations.
General News on 04/25/2018