By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A proposal for the reorganization of grades within the Forrest City School District may be presented to the district's board Monday night, but no action is expected to be taken on the matter.
FCSD Superintendent Lee Vent said he plans to present board members with the proposal to change some grade locations, but expects only dialogue on the subject Monday night.
Vent's original proposal was to establish grade-level schools at each campus and to close the Caldwell, Forrest Hills and Madison schools. Also, in the original plan, grades six, seven and eight would meet at the new junior high; grades four and five would meet at Lincoln, and Stewart would house second and third grades. Central would be for kindergarten and first grade students. The Madison campus could then possibly be used for a pre-school center, along with the ABC school.
The changes would place the ninth grade students back at the senior high campus. Ninth graders were placed with eighth graders after a fire in 1998 destroyed some classrooms at the high school.
"It may come up as a point of discussion to get their feelings as to whether they want me to pursue it or not," Vent said, adding that information he received this week has forced him to rework his proposal.
Vent said one proposal would be to relocate the students who currently attend classes in Caldwell to the Old Stewart School site and close the campus in Caldwell. The 72 kindergarten and first grade students who attend classes at Madison Elementary would be absorbed into the current elementary campuses, according to Vent.
"Because of our participation in the National School Lunch program, we can't close schools, but we can make changes," Vent said. "If we close schools, that can affect the balance of our poverty pockets."
The FCSD is in its third year of participation in the five-year NSL program which allows 100 percent of the students in the district to be on free lunches.
The new school funding formula, developed by the state Legislature as part of the settlement of the Lake View School case, provides each school district with $5,400 per student based on the district's average daily membership. Districts then receive additional monies based on the number of students who receive free or reduced price breakfast and lunches, based on a three-tier system. Each tier provides $480 per student in extra funding.
For example, districts with 70 percent or fewer of its students receiving free lunches are given $480; districts with 71 to 90 percent receive $960 per child and districts with 91 to 100 percent of its students receiving free lunches receive $1,400 per child. Based on FCSD's student enrollment of about 4,000 students, each tier represents about 1.9 million in funding. Because of the NSL, the FCSD is expected to receive about $5.7 million above the base student funding.
"In trying to address the Lake View decision, the Legislature developed a funding formula to send the most money to where it is needed the most, and they thought the free lunch numbers would be a good indicator of high poverty areas," Vent said.
Vent said if the district closed schools, it would be required to reapply for the NSL program again, but classes can be moved to different buildings within the district.
"We can make changes," Vent said, adding that he had been meeting with school administrators most of the week to develop a plan.
The meeting will be held in the administration building at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 12.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A large renovation project at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City dominated the building permits issued in March, according to figures released from the mayor's office.
The project is valued at about $1.4 million.
The renovation is for the Women's Center at the hospital. According to Tiffany Billingsley of BMH, the plans have been taking shape for some time.
"We've been working with architects for a year and a half and with the state for a year and a half, and it's been approved," said Billingsley.
She said there will be no stopping of services during the renovation, because it is being done in phases. Phase One is expected to be completed in mid-June. The final phase is expected to be completed in September.
"We're phasing it in so no services stop," she said.
The BMH project brought the total value of projects to $1,599,409 for which building permits were issued in March. The total so far this calendar year is $2,129,109.
Several other commercial projects received building permits during March.
A remodeling project at Brad Beaver's office at 117 S. Washington is valued at $18,000. There is a $10,000 project at Mudea's Inc. at 1225 W. Broadway. A $2,000 remodeling project is underway at 701 White Oak for Cendent Mortgage.
Chez Weenie, at 624 E. Garland, is having a new carport built for $2,500. A fence is being constructed at Worley's Lawn and Garden, 840 N. Washington, valued at $1,500.
There were also some private home projects. These included one new house, two fences, a fence and storage building, a project for new windows, two remodeling projects, one remodeling and room addition, and a deck.
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City recently began construction on a new Women's Center that will be located on the second floor of the hospital.
According to Paul Cade, administrator and CEO at the hospital, the center, which is scheduled to be completed in September, will feature new, private labor, delivery and recovery rooms equipped with advanced technology, an evaluation-triage area, a level II nursery, women's health education classrooms and many other amenities. He said the Women's Center has been designed to meet the needs of all women through every stage of life, and promote family-centered care in Eastern Arkansas.
"This is a very important expansion project that we have been anxious to begin for some time," said Cade. "We have spent many months carefully planning this overhaul of our women's facility to meet our commitment to provide advanced care and services to women of all ages close to home."
Baptist-Forrest City also recently opened the Baptist Sleep Disorders Laboratory, located on the first floor of the hospital. The lab provides diagnostic and treatment services for sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and offers all-night polysomnographic monitoring and daytime nap testing.
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City joined the Baptist network in 1983. A year later, construction began on a new 118-bed facility on a 55-acre site, and in 1986, Baptist-Forrest City opened its doors to St. Francis County and surrounding areas. In addition to the newly opened sleep disorders lab, the hospital offers a geriatric behavioral unit, home care and hospice services, general surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, physical therapy, orthopedics, radiology and cardiology.
For more information, call (870) 261-0006 or visit www.baptistonline.org to see a rendering of a new room in the Women's Center.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A National Guardsman with ties to the area was wounded Thursday in fighting in Iraq, according to officials with the National Guard in Little Rock.
Reports were sketchy this morning, but officials with the public affairs office in Little Rock did confirm that Sgt. Clifton Leisure, of the 151st Calvary, Troop E, based in Marianna, was wounded during Thursday action.
"We have not received an official report on Sgt. Clifton Leisure, but we can confirm that he was wounded in combat," said Capt. Kristine Munn.
Troop E left Marianna last month headed to Fort Polk, La., prior to shipping out to Iraq. The Troop was one of 47 National Guard Units statewide that went to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's soldiers are among 3,000 soldiers to serve in support, along with a battalion of soldiers from the Oregon National Guard's 41st Infantry Brigade. The two groups joined the First Calvary Division as part of the Army's force rotation plan.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The amended budget passed by the Forrest City City Council earlier this week may face a veto by Mayor Larry Bryant.
Bryant said he would announce his decision Monday at 10 a.m. If he signs the ordinance which adopted the budget, a retroactive raise of 3 percent will go into effect for all city employees. Some employees will receive more than 3 percent.
If Bryant elects to veto the budget, the 3 percent increase to employees will be delayed.
A veto, if it comes, would also mean one of two things for the city council -- either go back to the drawing board, or override Bryant's veto.
There were rumors earlier in the week that the mayor was considering a veto. This morning he said for the record that it was a possibility.
"You can say this," Bryant said. "The mayor has two letters, one that vetoes it and one that goes along. The mayor is looking at it, at the present time, and at the atmosphere in which he works, and is looking at all options."
While he would not say directly that he was leaning toward a veto, there was an implication that he was unhappy with the budget as approved
"Unless there is a hue and cry from the public who elect their city council members who in the past have overridden the decisions of the mayor, the mayor will make a decision on whether he will surrender or fight for the city of Forrest City," he said.
"I'll have a written statement one way or another, to say who the winners or losers are or what have you," he said.
He said the response of the public might have an effect on his final decision.
The 2004 budget has been a source of contention between the mayor and the council since it was first introduced late last year.
Bryant had proposed a 3 percent across the board increase. He also had proposed a larger increase for certain positions which he said have not been paid what they were worth.
Some council members, on the other hand, held out for a review of the entire salary structure, to make sure Forrest City's pay scale is in line with other cities of its size.
While an appointed parity committee worked out what it thought would be a good salary structure, the city council in late January adopted the figures from the 2003 budget so the city could have an operating budget.
During salary discussions and numerous meetings, the mayor and council had disagreed on many points.
An amended budget, which included the new salary schedule and some other items, was adopted at the most recent city council meeting.
The budget's fate will be decided, from the mayor's perspective, at 10 a.m. Monday. If there is a veto, the ball will be back in the city council's court.
Several meetings are scheduled for next week in St. Francis County.
On Monday, the Forrest City Civic Center Commission will meet at 5 p.m. at the Civic Center. At 5:30 p.m., the Forrest City School Board will meet in the administration building.
The Widener City Council meets at 6 p.m., the Madison city council meets at 7 p.m., and the Hughes City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. Each council meeting will be held in each city's city hall.
On Tuesday, the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. at the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce. The Palestine and Caldwell city councils have meetings set for 7 p.m. at each city's city hall, and the Hughes School Board will meet at 7 p.m. at the high school campus.
On Thursday, the Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute's board will meet at 6 p.m. at the school campus. The Colt City Council will meet at city hall at 6 p.m., and at 8 p.m., the Wheatley City Council will meet at 8 p.m.
The Arkansas Human Development Corporation, in partnership with USDA Rural Development and the St. Francis County CDC, will hold an economic literacy workshop on Saturday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Forrest City Cyber Café on South Rosser Street.
The free workshop will cover topics including, goal setting,
financial planning, personal budgeting, savings and investments
and the use of credit cards. For more information contact Kathleen
Dordies or Kamylle Stegall at 630-9131.