By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Work necessary to get construction started on the new Forrest City Junior High School will be bid in separate packages.
Project architects Bob Beavers and Dave Hodges suggested members of the district's board on Monday allow them to go ahead and prepare a bid package for the demolition of the two-story section of the current facility so that part of the project can begin sooner than construction and remodeling.
Beavers said the demolition package should be bid by Sept. 10, and encouraged district officials to inventory the building for items the district may want to retain.
Beavers said he expects to begin advertising for bids on the construction package by Sept. 15. Following a three-week bid period, there is a two-week window for negotiating contracts. Beavers said he anticipates construction beginning on the new 103,000-square-foot facility in October.
In other business, school officials deemed the first day of school on Monday a success.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Alice Barnes, who toured each facility, said, "Short of a miracle, we had the best day I've seen in 23 years. I think the kids were ready to come back to school and the teachers were ready. The junior high staff is ready for a new building so they're willing to accept the conditions they were placed in today. They look forward to the day when they can pack up and move into a new junior high."
In other business, FCSD Finance Director Pat Flanagin updated the board on a resolution members signed recently asking that the St. Francis County Election Commission set only one polling place for the Forrest City School District in the September school election. There are no contested races for school board seats in the district, and a millage increase is not being requested.
"We asked for only one polling location to save money because we're not voting on anything. I took the resolution to the commission and they said (commissioner) Betty Proctor had already decided to have four locations.
"That's just wasted expense," Superintendent Lee Vent injected.
Flanagin continued, "As she pointed out, we'll have to pay Mr. (Horace) Proctor to deliver the ballot boxes to these places and pay the poll workers. This is not a wise use of taxpayer money."
The polling locations in the FCSD will be at the Forrest City Civic Center, the courthouse, Madison City Hall and the Colt Civic Center. The election will be held on Sept. 18.
The board asked Flanagin to compare the costs of one polling site to the cost of four and present that at the September board meeting.
Although several school matters were discussed, personnel issues took up most of the time during the four-hour board meeting Monday.
The board met in an open personnel hearing with Gwendolyn Franklin and her Arkansas Education Association representative Paul Greer. Franklin, who is still a teacher in the district, did not have her coaching contract renewed for this year after it was discovered she does not have her coaching certification.
Barnes presented the school district's evidence for not renewing the contract claiming that Franklin has misled the district on her application for employment. Barnes said the non-certification was overlooked at the time Franklin was hired last year as a special education teacher because she was a "last-minute hire."
"We have a duty to have all certified teachers in the classroom. We owe it to our students," Barnes said.
Greer told the board Franklin was waiting to hear from the State Department of Education regarding the steps she must take to obtain her coaching certification.
Following an executive session, the board voted 4-1 to terminate Franklin's coaching contract. Board member Rev. Ronald Williams voted against the move, and board member Sandra Taylor abstained from the vote.
The board also met in a lengthy executive session with Vent to discuss his recent health issues. Following that closed meeting, the board approved the employment and resignations for several individuals.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Palestine-Wheatley School Board voted unanimously Monday to increase the amount paid to substitute teachers.
After some discussion, it was agreed to pay $40 a day for non-certified and $45 a day for certified substitutes. The district had been paying $35 a day for both certified and non-certified subs.
Superintendent Jimmy Allen presented a report on 36 other school districts which he said had been contacted around the state, and what they pay their substitutes.
"No one pays as little as we do," he said.
According to the report, some examples of school districts from this area include (with non-certified listed first) Forrest City, which also pays $40 and $45; Wynne, which pays $45 and $45; Cross County, which pays $42 and $42; Parkin, which pays $37 and $47; Lee County, which pays $45 and $50 ($55 for an active certificate) and Marion, which pays $48 and $48.
Statewide, the numbers of those contacted went from Cotton Plant, which according to the report does not hire substitutes at all, to Crawfordsville, Lakeview and Springdale, which pay $65 per day for certified subs. Some districts require a certain number of hours to apply for substitute work.
In other action, the board approved the appointment of Amber Young to be secretary of the junior high school. On the vote, John Parker voted no.
The board also voted to reassign coach Beverly Bass to a counseling position. Parker also voted no on that issue.
The board also accepted bids from Wonder Bread and Hiland for bread and milk for the coming school year.
It was also announced that Gail Washington had resigned as computer lab operator at the middle school. Allen said he would look first for someone within the district to replace her. He said in junior high, middle school and elementary, the position does not require a degree.
Parker also wanted to discuss the copying machines. Allen agreed that there are problems with some machines not working, and said the terms of the district's contract are not being met.
In another matter, Parker said he didn't think the school district should be paying money to the Palestine and Wheatley Police Departments. Allen said that was for police coming to games.
"If we have copiers that aren't working, why are we giving money to the police department?" said Parker. "This is something we have never done before. The police department is already getting paid for that and I don't know why the school's gotten in the habit of giving them money and paying them for what they do. We've got the county police over there, glad to come. Palestine Police Department can come without any pay."
Board member Bill Ray said the county would not come if there are city officers on the job. "The county will not get involved."
"I don't believe a word of that. They always have," Parker said.
Parker also questioned the expense checks written for coaches during tournaments. He also questioned whether coaches should be allowed to take students to visit colleges and be reimbursed.
Allen answered that sponsors can also take a student to visit a college.
"If a coach wants to take a kid, or a sponsor wants to take a kid on a college day, we do."
"Do we let the kids know we pay for it?" asked Parker.
"The sponsor knows. The kids don't get the money," said Allen.
Parker also objected to a woman, whom he did not name, attending a basketball tournament for four days without being charged personal days or sick days.
"It's fine if she's got a title," said Parker. "But every teacher we've got would have liked to went and spent those four days at the tournament."
"We did have a lot of teachers who went, secretaries and stuff. We did not charge them anything," said Allen.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
In a sometimes heated meeting to discuss issues ranging from a house owned by the city to the 1999 audit, Madison City Council members last night attempted to get answers to several questions.
Councilmen questioned how a house purchased by the city in September from the Housing and Urban Development Department is being used. According to Brown, council members agreed that the home would be used as a senior citizens center and not as a rental property as it is currently being used.
"We voted to have that building renovated to make it a senior citizens center, and I don't remember anything about us renting the building out," said Brown.
According to Madison Mayor James Brooks, there was never a vote to make the building a senior center and the building was only used as a rental property after attempts to sell the building to a non-profit organization failed.
"When we originally purchased the house there was some discussion about converting the building into some type of senior center but no action was ever taken. The only other option that was available to us was to sell the building to a non-profit organization, after we had renovated it to HUD standards," Brooks said.
"Once we finished renovations the building was constantly being vandalized and we couldn't find a non-profit group willing to buy the building so we talked to HUD and they told us that we could rent the home out and the proceeds would go to an account that could be used for future purchases by the city from HUD," he added.
Questions then arose regarding the costs of renovating the building when alderman Annie Winfrey asked how much the renovations cost and if the mayor had received approval from the council to proceed with renovations.
"What was the price of having the house fixed up and why wasn't the council notified about spending this money?" Winfrey asked, adding, "We didn't vote to have the house done, and we didn't vote to draw out any money on a check. You should have come to us before you wrote a $3,000 check for the City of Madison."
According to Brooks the cost for the repairs was $3,200, and the issue was brought before councilmen when the original agreement was signed. An ordinance was passed which would not allow Brooks to spend funds not allowed by the municipal league standards without the approval of the city council.
Winfrey also had questions for Brooks regarding the payment of insurance, and tags for Madison Chief of Police Jerry Donaldson's personal vehicle which Brooks said Donaldson uses while on duty.
According to Brooks, the city pays for Donaldson's gas because Donaldson uses his vehicle while on call for the city as well as when he patrols during regular duty.
"The chief is on duty 24-hours a day and seven days a week and that's why we have been paying these expenses. I'm not sure if we've been paying for his insurance and registration but we do handle his gas," said Brooks.
The council agreed to table the discussion until more information is available. Also tabled were issues dealing with the fire department and the summer youth program.
The City of Forrest City has obtained $44,000 in two grants to purchase equipment for the Solid Waste Department.
One grant is for $18,000 for a leaf vacuum. The other is $26,000 for a wood chipper.
The grants were announced by the East Arkansas Solid Waste District.
Several people received sentences in circuit court on Monday.
Lewis James Ellis, a.k.a. Cricket Ellis, 27, of 425 N. Forrest Street, Forest City, was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections, with credit for time served, for manufacturing of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to manufacture, possession of anhydrous ammonia in an unlawful container, and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).
Rickey Deans, 19, of 170 Bray Street, Forrest City, was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections and four years suspended imposition of sentence for possession with intent to deliver near a certain facility and possession of drug paraphernalia.
James Pat Ballard Jr., 36, of Hickory Ridge, was given three years in the Department of Corrections with credit for time served for possession and manufacturing of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession with intent to deliver (methamphetamine).
Dusty Freeman, 23, of 1121 Center Street, Forrest City was given 55 days in the St. Francis County Jail, an amended three year suspended imposition of sentence and one years supervise probation for possession of a controlled substance with intent near certain facilities.
Donald Lugene Hines, 35, 310 B Street, Forrest City, was given a five year suspended imposition of sentence with two years supervised probation for possession of an instrument of a crime, public intoxication, breaking and entering and theft o property over $500.
Johnny Evans, 32, of Clarendon, was given five years in the Department of Corrections, for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine, theft and possession of ephedrine.
In addition, there were eight cases nolle prosequi.