By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the Forrest City School Board got their first look Monday at a breakdown of the possible cost of bringing the physical facilities up to standards suggested by a special task force.
In late November, a report was issued by the Task Force to the Joint Committee on Educational facilities, stating that statewide, costs would exceed $2 billion, and if growth were factored in, the cost would be closer to $4.5 billion.
The cost of bringing Forrest City's facilities up to standards was put at $25 million.
The report was part of the state Legislature's response to the Lake View court decision, which declared public education in Arkansas to be inequitable and insufficient.
"There are some errors" in the report, said Superintendent Lee Vent. However, he said the cost would still be substantial. He said representatives of the Joint Committee on Educational Facilities will be meeting with each school district early next year to discuss the matter further.
Vent told the board members that they had a lot of information to assimilate. However, he did give some examples of the figures for some of the campuses.
Forrest City High School, for example, has a total area of 220,578 square feet, including all the buildings. According to the report, the senior high building itself needs about $1.6 million in improvements, which increases to around $3 million when projected over the next five years. Once the other facilities, like the cafeteria, field house, gymnasium, music/band rooms and other high school facilities are added, the cost for "total facility condition" comes to around $3.4 million, or $4.3 million if carried out for five years.
The newest building is the Forrest City Junior High School, the newest part of which was finished in 2003. That new portion has a zero requirement under the report. However, the older parts of the junior high don't fare as well. The cafeteria, built in 1958, the older wing of the junior high, built in 1963, and the gym, built in 1978, have a combined requirement of just over $1 million, with another $210,000 added over the next five years.
Another example, Lincoln Middle School, according to the report, requires just over $4 million, with an additional $2.4 million over the next five years.
Vent said the report will have to be studied. There is information on each building broken down into such categories as roof, electrical, plumbing, interior, exterior, etc.
In other action, the board approved a salary proposal made at the previous meeting. The increase includes an 11.854 percent increase in base salary by position for all employees; an increase in the number of years experience for all district employees; adds so-called lateral steps for certified employees to include bachelor's degree plus 15 hours and increases master's degree base salary to $37,500.
The board also accepted a recommendation to allow "outside the district" experience to be included for classified employees. A request that compensation for degrees be granted to classified employees was referred back to committee. A request for an extra personal day for classified employees received a negative recommendation. Vent said that would bring the number of personal days to four per school year for classified employees, which would be more than certified employees get. He said the law requires two days, and the district gives three.
On another matter, the board officially recognized Pamela England, a math teacher at the junior high, for being named Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
After receiving a plaque, England said the honor was not really about her.
"My students have realized something when I came back and showed them the video," she said. "They said, 'They're saying Forrest City Schools, and they're saying Forrest City Junior High.' And everywhere I go now, Forrest City will be represented -- not just the school, but also the community. We will all be represented. They realize now that it's not just me that's going to go on to national competition in Dallas. It's all of us.
"I hope I can rise to the occasion and do it well and represent all of you," she added, and said she appreciated the support she has received.
The board also adopted a proposal for use of school facilities, including fees and deposits, liability requirements and a restriction on the sale of tickets on school property.
Attorney Brad Beavers also gave a report on progress in selling the Caldwell School and Evans School properties, which are no longer used by the district. He said he has been expecting a response from a representative of the St. Francis County Fair Association on the Evans property, but has not gotten one yet. He also said, as had earlier been reported, that the City of Caldwell is interested in that property but not necessarily the buildings.
Vent suggested that the fair association and Caldwell be given at least another month before the school district seeks other avenues, and the board members agreed.
The board also received and approved the following resignations: Ron Chambers as assistant principal at Forrest City High School, Donnie Willis as head high school football coach Dina Potts, junior high Spanish.
The board also approved the employment of Brent Bender as a
library aide.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Classified and certified employees in the Palestine-Wheatley School District will receive a little extra Christmas cheer after members of the district's board approved raises which will give workers a lump sum payment later this month.
Board members voted 5-0, with members Bill Ray and Dorothy Smith not in attendance, to approve a recommendation from Superintendent John Manning and the district's personnel policy committee to pay the bonuses in one payment. The raise will be placed on each employee's base pay for next year at a rate of $500 for certified employees and 25 cents per hour for classified employees. The lump sum payment will pay certified employees $500 for this school year and classified employees will receive a one time payment equal to 25 cents per hour for their normal hourly work schedule.
Last month, Smith suggested that the board consider giving a $1,000 bonus.
According to Manning, his plans are to ask for a second raise in the spring once additional funding has come in. The money for this round of raises is available through the National School Lunch program, according to Manning.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The lone bid to provide on-site catering at the Forrest City Civic Center was accepted by a narrow vote of the Civic Center Commission on Monday. However, problems with the kitchen and other necessary upgrades must be completed before the caterer can begin work.
By a three-to-two vote Monday, Commissioners agreed to accept a bid of $600 per month from D and R Catering, owned by Christine Duckworth and Doris Randle. The bid was accepted with one addendum. The caterer cannot begin using the facility until upgrades are made to the building's kitchen.
That addendum created controversy among commission members Shirley Harvell and Marcus Freeman, who voted against the motion, with addendum, made by Glenn Shepherd. Shepherd's motion was supported by Lois Walker and commission chairperson Delores Morelon.
"Until we can get this stuff fixed up, I don't know how we can allow anyone to start working in that kitchen. We can't expect or ask them to come in and clean that kitchen up, and we can't do anything about it right now because we are not a funding agency," Morelon said.
The recommendation to hire D and R Catering will be presented for final approval to the Forrest City City Council.
In other business, Morelon told commissioners that she would speak with Mayor Larry Bryant regarding problems with the lighting system that spotlights lettering on the building. According to building manager Raymond Stewart, efforts had been made to contact companies regarding repairing the lights, but apparently he could not find a company that was willing to inspect them.
"I've been talking to the mayor about the lights, and he told me to contact a few companies and I did, but none of them were willing to come out and do anything because they didn't know exactly what they would be getting into. The mayor is supposed to be trying to contact someone, but I don't know where he has gotten on that," Stewart said.
The discussions regarding the lighting issues and the kitchen led to further deliberations of a funding request currently before the Advertising and Promotions Commission. In October, the A and P Commission tabled a request for $50,000 in funding that was a part of a "wish list" submitted by Bryant. The "wish list" did not include upgrades to the building's kitchen, which the Civic Center Commission said was needed at its November meeting.
City council member Louise Fields, the civic center commission's council representative, said Monday that Bryant and city council member Steve Hollowell were supposed to meet on the funding issue, but she said she had not heard anything from either party.
Shepherd suggested that both commissions meet in order to iron out any differences so that things can move forward. "It's my suggestion that we have an open discussion meeting between this commission and the A and P Commission because we seem to be at a stalemate, and the only way to work through it is to know where the other side is coming from. I know that they had some questions that they wanted answered and they wanted information, but we really don't know exactly what it is that they're requesting. We have to do something to move forward here," Shepherd said.
Morelon agreed, "We need folks to understand that this commission does not have any funding. We are only here to make recommendations and can't do anything other than that. We have to get moving on something because we now have competition for the same services that this building has, and if we don't upgrade the facility and make the needed repairs, no one is going to want to use it."
Commissioners also agreed to attempt to update several regulations at the January meeting of the commission.
In October, Morelon approached the group with several forms
that commissioners agreed needed to be updated. Harvell made a
motion for the committee to work on a uniform standard which would
be handed out to any renter at the facility spelling out the rules
and regulations concerning the facility. In her motion, Harvell
also asked for a legal description of the term "on-site caterer"
after a rule was found which called for an additional $50 fee
to be paid if a renter uses a caterer other than the "on-site
caterer." Renters who have held catered events at the facility
since the past catering contract ended have had to pay fee which
is for clean-up following events.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
A budget for the library and the move of an employee from part-time to full-time dominated the Forrest City Public Library Board's meeting Monday afternoon.
While presenting the proposed budget for 2005, library director Sarah Jumper told members of a proposed shortfall in one budgeted area.
"The item that is called 'interest income' is short $2,000," said Jumper. "I've been looking through the budget to see where we can get the additional funding, and I have a suggestion. We have a $10,000 surplus in the book budget. I really don't want to do that, but I can't see us purchasing $10,000 worth of books between now and the end of the year. I've ordered everything that I can think of and everything that people have come in and requested."
After some discussion regarding other areas in the budget where the money could be pulled from, board member Brad Beavers made a motion. "I move we accept the budget and take $2,000 from the book budget and place it into the interest income account. That is the worst place to take the money from because it sounds bad, but I guess that is the only place we can take it from." The board voted unanimously to accept the budget and the transfer of funds.
Carolyn Sanders was made a full-time employee by a unanimous vote of the board. Jumper suggested the move to the members because Sanders expressed interest in working more hours. Jumper also stated that making Sanders a full-time employee would be more cost effective than hiring another part-time worker to fill a current vacancy.
The board approved raises for the library staff that would match the amount that the Forrest City City Council approves for city employees, up to 4 percent. They also agreed unanimously to accept the lowest bid on a cedar shadow box fence that will be placed along the new parking lot just south of the building. The amount of the bid was $2,200 and was submitted by Kirby's of Forrest City.
The topic of bidding for a new roof for the facility was discussed,
but it was decided that city code enforcement officer Chester
Crossen should be contacted about what specifications apply to
the project and how the project could be bid.
Senator Steve Higginbothom of Marianna will be chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development during the 85th General Assembly.
Higginbothom also will serve on the Joint Budget Committee, the Revenue and Taxation Committee, the Joint Energy Committee, the Joint Performance Review Committee and the Legislative Council.
"I'm very pleased with my committee assignments, especially in light of the issues facing the legislature and the particular needs of my constituents in eastern Arkansas," Higginbothom said.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee considers bills affecting farming and agri-business, including certain bills that affect pollution control and environmental regulations.
The constitutional amendment allows the legislature to authorize general improvement bonds to pay for incentives to attract industries investing $500 million or more in Arkansas.
The Joint Budget Committee reviews, in detail, all state agency spending requests.
Funding court-ordered improvements to public school facilities is expected to be the dominant issue of the 2005 session. A Task Force estimated the upgrades would cost $2.3 billion, with the cost going up to as much as $4.5 billion within five years.
The Legislative Council and the Joint Performance Review Committee monitor state government operations in the interim between sessions. The Energy Committee researches and recommends ways to keep energy supplies accessible and affordable.
Higginbothom represents Senate District 16, which is made up
of parts of Crittenden, Lee, Phillips and St. Francis counties.
He was elected to the Senate in 2002.
All kids and parents are reminded that this Friday, Dec. 17, is the deadline to get Santa letters in, to have them printed in the Times-Herald.
The letters will be published on Dec. 22 and 23.
Letters may be dropped off at the Times-Herald office, at 122 N. Izard in Forrest City, or mailed to Times Herald Letters to Santa, P.O. Box 1699, Forrest City 72335, or e-mailed to newsroom@thnews.com.
Employees for the City of Wheatley will get a Christmas bonus this year instead of a raise in pay next year.
City councilmen voted during a recent meeting to give employees the bonus instead of a pay raise, mirroring action taken by the council last year.
Councilman John Clifton said he felt the bonus would be better than a raise because with a bonus the city would not be locked in for a pay increase.
Councilman Rodney Hicks said he had been on both sides of the issue, both as a city councilman and a city employee. Hicks added that while a one-time lump sum bonus is nice, the cost of living increases each year and "it would be nice for the employees to have a raise throughout the year."
The council voted three-to-one in favor of the bonuses with Hicks casting the dissenting vote.
In other news, the 2004 revised budget for the city was accepted by the council. Nash reminded councilmen that every dollar spent must be accounted for in the budget and that the city could raise the budget if all the money had not been budgeted, but the city could not lower the budget.
Hicks told councilmen that if the Wheatley Fire Department's steak supper came out of the budget, then money that was allotted to the fire department would not be enough to cover expenses.
Nash said the budgeted amount would be adjusted to cover everything for the remainder of the year.
After some discussion, the council unanimously adopted the revised budget.
Before adjourning, councilmen suspended the rules and unanimously adopted an ordinance regarding a new flood plain for the city.
Four meetings are planned for this evening in St. Francis County.
The St. Francis County Museum Board will meet at 5 p.m. at the museum.
The Forrest City City Council will meet at 6 this evening in a budget session at city hall.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court's budget committee will meet at 6 p.m. at the courthouse.
The Palestine City Council will meet at 7 p.m. at city hall.
All meetings are open to the public.