GENTRY -- The Gentry School Board on Jan. 15 voted to renew the superintendent's contract and approved a number of personnel changes.
After an executive session to evaluate the performance of Terrie Metz in her role as the school district superintendent, the board renewed her contract for five years -- through the 2025-2026 school year -- and kept the goals set for Metz the same for another year.
The board also accepted the resignations of Gail Quattlebaum as a cafeteria worker, Tyson Sontag as the diesel mechanic instructor and Sarah Philpott from the reach associate stipend. The board approved the hiring of Pamlia Cox as a custodian, Alecia Arnold as a cafeteria worker, the transfer of Sue Ann Chenault to library media specialist at the middle school, and the hiring of Mattison Eddy as a teacher in the primary school.
The board approved policy changes recommended by the district's personnel policy committee and its classified personnel policy committee to allow district personnel 10 workdays of covid-19-related leave with full pay in addition to the regular sick leave allowed because of the high risk of contracting covid-19 or being quarantined by close contact with someone who tests positive for the disease. The emergency leave policy extends from Jan. 1 through the end of the school year in June.
An employee would qualify for the leave if he or she is ordered by the district, a medical professional or the Arkansas Department of Health to quarantine or isolate due to covid-19 for testing positive for covid-19, experiencing covid-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis, is a probable close contact or close contact, or needs to care for a dependent who is subject to a quarantine or isolation order, and the employee's job duties are not able to be performed remotely.
A number of ethics disclosure resolutions relating to school employees and board members operating businesses that could potentially do business with the school district were presented and accepted.
It was reported to the board that the new STEM Lab at the primary school was up and running and that students are enjoying it.
Jason Barrett reported to the board that there had been 88 confirmed cases of covid-19 in the school district from the start of school in August through Jan. 11. That number has risen over the past week.
A state-required biennium budget for the 2022-2023 school year was approved by the board. The budget estimated expenditures of $10 million in salaries, $3.1 million in both instructional expenses and maintenance and operational expenses, $800,000 in pupil transportation expenses, and $1.45 million in bonded debt payment. The projected overall mill rate of 46.0 mills remains unchanged.