GENTRY — School board members, on Nov. 18, quickly approved a recommendation of Randy Barrett, school district superintendent, to give to each contracted full-time employee of the district a $1,000 bonus before the Christmas holiday.
The bonuses were given in lieu of raises for the contract year, which would have been an ongoing and permanent expense.
The board discussed increases in the salary scale last spring but held off because of the uncertainty regarding approval of SWEPCO’s retrofi t plan by the Arkansas Public Services Commission and receiving permits through the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for the plan. Since SWEPCO has been given the green light for the project, the issue of salary increases is likely to be re-
Barrett said he has contacted the school’s fi scal agent, Stephen’s Inc., regarding funding for such a project. Barrett said he estimated voters would need to approve 4 to 6 new mils to fund a new high school construction project. He said, if there is indication that this is what the people want and the board approves it, a ballot measure could be proposed for the 2014 school election in September. Barrett said, if the district waited until the 2016 election, partnership funding could possibly be gone, leaving Gentry School District with the total cost.considered next spring for the following school year.
In an email communication to staff members following the meeting, Barrett wrote: “For as long as I have worked here, I have said that no staff person is more valuable than the next. Yes, we all have different roles but each role is part of a puzzle that makes up what is required to have a school day. If someone fails to do his or her job, the organization and its mission to educate our students suffer.
“I was proud of our school board tonight as they ‘put feet’ to my, and obviously their, belief in the above. They unanimously accepted my recommendation that each and every full-time, contracted employee of the district, be given a $1,000 bonus.”
In other business, the board approved the formation of a computer club at the high school. Craig Millsap, network adminis-
The voters approved a 5-mil increase in 1992 or 1993 to build the middle school and another 5 mils for the construction of the new primary school in 2006. The district currently has a millage rate of 42.9 mils, with 14.9 of those mils for debt service on bonds for the building projects, according to Barrett.
He said no money would be available for renovations to the existing intermediate school because the facility, while it is still structurally sound, is rated by the state as past its usefulness as a school facility. The design and opennesstrator for the district, will serve as the club’s sponsor.
Students from the Gentry Intermediate School demonstrated the use of an iPad application to the board. Barrett called their visit and teaching of the board a highlight of the meeting.
Barrett reported student numbers up this year by 30 to 35 students over last year, calling it “very positive” for the school district.
Another very positive announcement for the district was the inclusion of Gentry Middle School and Gentry High School among those receiving Outstanding Educational Performance Awards for 2013. Gentry High School was listed in third place in the top 10 Arkansas high schools based on EOC algebra achievement, and Gentry Middle School was in a tie for the number one spot for Algebra achievement. The results were based on last spring’s endof-course exams.
of the campus also pose a security risk diffi cult to overcome because of the campus layout, though measures are being discussed to improve security there.
Barrett anticipated that the school district would seek public input to determine which course, if any, the public wished the board to take as it considers its facilities plans for the future. He said, if the voters did choose to support the building of a new high school, the facility would benefit all Gentry students as they moved up through the school system.
News, Pages 3 on 11/27/2013