By SHANNON NICKS
T-H Staff Writer
With education being the number one issue in the Arkansas General Assembly, Forrest City School Board members and administrators heard on Wednesday about some of the new legislation passed during the most recent session.
Arkansas School Board Association Attorney Kristen Gould shared this information at a retreat held at the Forrest City Civic Center. Gould discussed the effects of the new legislation on the district.
The legislation incorporated several acts focused on student attendance, student health, graduation, school transportation, general personnel, teachers, personnel policy, curriculum, instructional time, parental involvement, academic distress, school elections and classified employees. Discussed in great detail were Act 1272 and Act 1467.
Act 1272 requires all school districts to participate in Public School Choice, which allows parents to choose the school in which their child attends. However, due to the fact that the Forrest City School District is under a federal desegregation order, the district may be exempt from this act pending the results of litigation. In order to give parents a choice of schools for their children, the FCSD has in place a system of magnet schools balanced by race, sex and residence in school zones.
Act 1467 addresses the issue of academic and fiscal accountability. This act is most closely related to the issues of academic distress, determined by standardized test scores, and financial capabilities.
Many of the acts passed in this new legislation are unfunded
mandates and are expected to cost the district an estimated $1,268,500
in revenue and additional expenditure, according to school officials.
By SHANNON NICKS
T-H Staff Writer
Forrest City School Board members and administrators received a progress report Wednesday on the newly implemented School Pride Program.
The program, created by the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Forrest City School District, was explained by members of the Chamber Education Committee.
A team of committees, led by the Team Pride Steering Committee, was formed in order to address the issue of declining enrollment in the district. One committee is placed in each school in the district and works to develop ideas for school improvement. Each committee is composed of one Chamber representative, one board member, the school principal, teachers, students and parents.
Richard Findley, chairman of the Team Pride Steering Committee,
stated that he is pleased with the progress of each School Pride
Committee and expects continued success for the upcoming school
year
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
A rash of stolen plants has plagued several homes and businesses in recent weeks. While some of these items are small, many are larger items that require more that one person to move.
The most recent case occurred between 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, and 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 11, at the Carriage House Apartments. Apartment manager Shirley Carriger said that this is not the first time this has happened.
"This started last year," said Carriger. "I've been here for 30 years, and I've never seen it this bad. So far this year, 10 to 15 residents have had outside plants stolen. We usually keep nice yards and try to encourage our residents to do the same. After last year, we hardly put anything out, but they have already completely wiped us out. This has just been devastating to us."
Forrest City Police Chief Clarence McNeary stated that he thinks that the stolen items are not for the criminal's personal use. "I speculate that they are selling these items door-to-door, or on the street. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. If someone approaches you with an item that you think is stolen, don't purchase it. If people don't buy these items from them, it will stop some of the crimes. They are looking to make money."
McNeary also offered suggestions on both protecting property and helping the police sort out recovered property.
"Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. If you have plants, bicycles or anything of value, have outside lighting. Light is a great deterant and most of these crimes are happening at night. If outside lighting is not an option, bring the items inside your home or store in a storage shed.
"When you purchase an outdoor item, like a large pot, put some sort of identifing mark on the underside. Maybe part of your street address or your initials. That way, if we recover the property, you can identify it, and we can return it to you." McNeary added that other items such as bicycles and lawn furniture should also be stored and labled.
He also encoraged anyone who sees any such crime in progress
to call Crimestoppers at 261-1499.
The Forrest City Area Humane Society wants to remind everyone that the society, as yet, has no facilities for cats or kittens.
People have been dropping kittens off at the animal shelter. Some have to be euthanized, because there is simply no facilities for them.
The Humane Society does have a "foster" program for cats (and dogs also), in which a person can care for an animal temporarily, until a permanent home is found. The Humane Society is also in need of donations.
Anyone interested in the foster program may call Jean Guarr at 633-1190 or Mary Loeb at 633-1764.