School boards fill invaluable role

Two members share thoughts on education

The Gravette Board of Education is an elected group of seven members. John Edwards (front, left) and board president Marion Harris, Jim Singleton (back, left), vice president Dan Yates, Jim Hendren, Jack Skillett and Danny Alsup.
The Gravette Board of Education is an elected group of seven members. John Edwards (front, left) and board president Marion Harris, Jim Singleton (back, left), vice president Dan Yates, Jim Hendren, Jack Skillett and Danny Alsup.

— Are you interested in being a “director” for a $15,000,000 business/operation? At least one vacancy opens every year on a seven-member local board and the position is yours for the seeking.

Did I mention? It’s strictly a volunteer position. No salary. No expense account. But almost all the extra “ perks”are there: ringing telephones, settling disagreements, complying with hundreds of federal and state regulations and findingmoney for a $10 million annual payroll.

January has been the month to recognize that board, one of some 300 in the state. They are boards of education - those governing bodies that oversee school districts, large and small, made up of men and women who voluntarily hold in their hands the decisionmaking power that affects the lives and futures of hundreds of thousands of children.

In Gravette the school board is made up of seven dedicated individuals who worry over the financial problems and shortfalls encountered in operating a school district. Sevenpeople who devote hours and months and sometimes years to guarantee children and grandchildren access to the best and safest learning environment that will help provide foundations for their futures.

Note: The following story is about the Gravette School District board and two of its members. A similar story could be written about the school boards for Decatur andGentry or any of the other districts in the state.

Two members of the Gravette board, Marion Harris and Jimmy Singleton,recently discussed how the seven-member board functions, how problems are faced and decisions made, and challenges they encounter.

Harris, Gravette veterinarian, is completing his third five-year term on the board. He is serving as its president for the third time.

Singleton, who is head of Gravette’s Arvest Bank, has one five-year term under his belt. One of his strengths is understanding the financial challenges that Gravette and every other school district face. He is a former boardpresident and presently serves as secretary.

The two men share common philosophies. Talking with each separately provides insight on how the board functions, how seven individuals with different backgrounds and life experiences come to agreement in finding solutions to problems.

“We’re a very diverse body,” Singleton said. All seven men have college educations and appreciate the importance of education, he related. (In past years, several women have served with dedication.)

Singleton emphasized there are often lengthy and differing discussions on issues.

“But once a decision is made, we come together and move on,” he said. “There are no personal agendas.”

Harris used almost the same words. “We don’t always agree, but there are no personal agendas,” he declared. “We really work together with the students’ interest and their success at heart.”

“Every one of the board members I’ve served with (over the five-year period) has put the students first,” Singleton emphasized.

Harris put it this way: “The school board is a basic cog of democracy.” It is a microcosm responding to local people’s needs at the local level, he said.

Singleton pointed out, “A school is the most important part of any community and we have a good school in Gravette.”

Singleton was elected to the board just a month after Gravette’s new $18,000,000 high school was built.

“Having parents and the community support our educational system and our students is most important,” he said.

During the past five years, additional projects have been completed: a new field house, a new elementary gymnasium and a middle school complex. New paved roads to serve the upper elementary school area, upgrading equipment and purchasing stage equipment for the drama department have also been completed.

Both men agree that to complete the high school complex will involve a new gymnasium and ball fields which will integrate the east hill campus.

Economy A Challenge

“The economy is a challenge,” Harris said. The greatest unknown is the three-year real estate appraisal cycle being completed this year. How lowering property values coupled with other economic uncertainties willaffect the district’s operating revenue can only be estimated.

“We have had to slow down or delay some of the long-term goals, including expansion and improvements of the middle school facilities,” Harris said.

Singleton said he would like for the vocational department to be expanded.

“I would like to see a better way to expose our students to vocational possibilities, how they can better prepare themselves for their futures if they are not college bound so they will be better equipped to enter the world,” he said.

Having a good administration, faculty and support staff are of utmost importance, both men agreed.

Harris said, “In recent years the board has worked hard to get our salary schedule on a competitive basis. We have been able to give increases every year, including this year. Some districts did not give base increases but awarded bonuses,” he said.

Gravette’s base salary for certified staff ranks among the top 10 in the state including, in order: Texarkana, Springdale, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, West Memphis, Gravette, Marion, Siloam Springs and Lakeside. Gravette’s base is $39,500.

Singleton added, “Our teachers, the support staff and the administration make this a team effort. This complements the quality of our facilities.”

The quality of the student population was stressed. Both men noted the district often gets letters and feedback from areas where Gravette students have competed or participated which relate the good citizenship behavior, demeanor and competitive skills which are a reflection, not only of the students themselves but of their parents and their school.

New Curriculum Plan

Harris and Singleton said the Gravette district is beginning to evolve into the new “common core values curriculum” policy being instituted by the state. Teaching and learning patterns will involve changes in how teachers and students work in the learning curve. “There have been changes in the past few years (some brought on by state or federal regulations/mandates) and more changes are coming,” Harris said. “It’s going to be interesting and challenging for teachers and students, as well as parents, as we adjust.”

Noting that governmental requirements will continue to have a hand in local school questions, Singleton admitted he believes “less government could free the hands of the local boards in making decisions that would better meet local needs. Our needs here are different than those in Philadelphia, for example,” he declared.

“Decisions we are making today will be helping students be able to fill jobs that haven’t even been thought of,” Harris mused. “Reading, writing and arithmetic are the basic core elements, the foundation of education, and those geared to the new technological age will continue to be the foundation of our local school systems.” Parent Involvement

Parental involvement has and will continue to play an integral role in a good educational system and more needs to be encouraged. Hiring a public relations person to help better inform citizens of the school, its operations, needs and accomplishments has been discussed,Singleton said. Funding for such a position just isn’t available, he admitted.

Harris said he always remembers a comment made by Ralph Ritz who was a board member at one time. “Ralph always said, ‘There’s no reason why Gravette can’t be the best.’”

“We’ve made great strides,” Harris said. “There is much to do.”

Asked whether he would seek another five-year term in the annual election next September, Harris chuckled, “I’m going to finish out my term.”

Other members of the Gravette School Board are Jack Skillett, John Edwards, Danny Alsup, Jim Hendren and Dan Yates.

The Gravette board’s regular meeting is the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the school administration building, 609 Birmingham S.E. Meetings are open and the public is welcome to attend and see firsthand how the board conducts its business involving the school’s finances and operation.

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Gravette Schools: What A Difference 50 Years Makes!

1961 - 2011

Total school budget 1961, $147,916 - 2011, Approx. $16,000,000.

Teacher Salary Budget 1961, $77,481 - 2011, Total salary budget includes maintenance and bus drivers, $6,638,000.

Total Enrollment 1961, 655, includes 105 at Hiwasse and 54 at Maysville - 2011, Approx. 1,800

Millage Rate 1961, 33 mills - 2011, 37.2 mills

1961 Balance in reserves - $137.00 - This year ???

News, Pages 1 on 01/26/2011