GENTRY — While school board members would like to be able to move forward with the building of a new sports complex, they don’t wish to do anything which could jeopardize meeting the district’s future needs for a new academic facility.
Following the directive of the board at its February meeting, Randy Barrett, superintendent of the Gentry School District, presented a brief feasibility study for the building of a new sportscomplex which would be similar to one viewed at Pea Ridge High School on a recent board visit. The brief study included contact with the school district’s architectural firm, Hight Jackson, and financial advisor, Dennis Hunt of Stephens, Inc.
It was estimated that a sports complex meeting the district’s needs could be built for a price tag of about $3 million. By refinancing March 1 and Aug. 1, 2002, bonds and adding the new debt, the new facility could be built with annual district bond payments close to the current annual payments for the fiscal years 2013-2015; a little more than $170,000 in years 2016 to 2034; and $589,000 more in years 2035 to 2037, when other existing bond payments would be $0, according to materials presented.
“I don’t want to jeopardize an academic facility for the future,” said board member Dani Cypert.
Barrett explained that the current intermediate school was built in 1972, making it 40 years old. The average life span for an academic facility is 50 years, Barrett said, explaining that current district plans for the future were to build a new high school, move the intermediate school into the middle school building, and the middle school into the existing high school building.
“The high school is where we put out our finished product,” Barrett said, explaining that the new Common Core Standards will require more space to carry out the project-based learning which will be required at the high school level.
Current renovations at the intermediate school campus (a newheating, air conditioning and ventilation system, roof repairs and improvements to doors) have lengthened the usefulness of the structure, but it will eventually need to be replaced, Barrett explained.
David Williamson, vice president of the board, suggested the board see what the public wants to do. Board member Clarence Kreger voiced his agreement.
Barrett agreed to survey public opinion.
“The bottom line is: If the public doesn’t want it, we can’t do it without them,” he added.
Other Board Action
In other business, the board renewed the contract of the four school principals and the federal programs coordinator. All had performance evaluations of satisfactory or above.
It also tabled requests from the personnel policy committee and the certified personnel policy committee for raises for teachers and staff in the 2013 school year.
The requests were tabled until next month so that Barrett can better project the district’s year-end balance and the affordability of raises.
The PPC request was for a $1,000 across-the board pay raise. The CPPC requested staff receive their next salary step with a 3 percent increase to the base.
The board unanimously accepted the low bid of $19,000 from Pioneer Mowing, the current lawnmowing contractor, for mowing services in the 2013 fiscal year. Other bids received were from Blade Away Lawn Care, $30,750; and Pioneer Lawn Service, $20,400.
The 2012-2013 school calendar proposed by the PPC passed on its second reading by unanimous vote of the board.
The board also approved the Legislative Audit of the district, which Barrett said had only two findings against the district, one for a lack of internal controls common to most school districts because the district cannot employ enough people to implement all the suggested checks and balances. The second was for an accounting error in which a bus purchase was recorded in the wrong fiscal year, with two buses purchased and the check written at the end of the 2011 year but the expense not actually being incurred until the 2012 year.
The board accepted the resignation of Debra Still from her position as LEA supervisor at the close of the current school year. Still plans to retire. A special committee made up of superintendents of school districts served by the consortium in which Still serves will begin the search for a replacement.
News, Pages 1 on 04/04/2012