Board extends Hardrick’s contract, approves bonus

The Forrest City School Board on Thursday agreed to extend Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Hardrick's contract and give her an incentive bonus. During the meeting, members of the board entered an hour long executive session with their attorney, Brad Beavers, to discuss the employment contract for Hardrick. Following the executive session, board members voted six-to-one in favor of extending Hardrick's contract for one year and to grant her a 6% incentive bonus, which amounts to about $10,467.09. Board member Annie Norman cast the lone vote against extending the contract and giving the bonus. Following the meeting, Hardrick took time to thank the board during a brief interview regarding the extension of her contract and the incentive bonus. "We are in year 11 and I appreciate the school board, as well as the staff and students for the work we have done this year," said Hardrick. "I am very, very appreciative of the board's faith in my work, and by extending my contract by a year and granting incentive for meeting goals. It is much appreciated." members that he is proud to represent this district in Little Rock. Also during the meeting, the board heard updates from Hardrick regarding the district's facilities and had questions answered regarding the district. The board also unanimously voted in favor of continuing the district’s partnership with the University of Arkansas East Arkansas Community College. Board members also participated in a pair of student expulsion hearings. The board unanimously voted in favor of one, with board members Norman and Sadie Blackwell recusing themselves from the second hearing, However, the remaining five board members voted in favor of expulsion. According to Hardrick, the newest wellness space at the junior high is nearing completion and other projects are moving along. "I have an update from the facilities standpoint," said Hardrick. "I was thinking about us actually walking and having you all be actually able to see the wellness space, but I don't think I am allowed in yet. It is a pretty beautiful, amazing space that we are near the end on. Then, you know, we can just kind of share updates on other projects that are kind of just moving along." District 9 State Senator Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna, who serves as the district’s project manager, told board “First let me say that you may not realize it, but I want you to realize this publicly," said Murdock. "What you're doing here is a standard, especially in the Delta. Nobody is performing like you are academically, fiscally, without a millage. You guys, school board, administration, community and team, have done an amazing job. It is noted. Do not let anybody rain on your parade. You are excellent, you performed excellent, your leadership made sense and you can see it. I am proud to represent this district in Little Rock." Murdock said he hopes the FCSD continues its work being the "example of progress" in education. "There are a lot of problems over there as it relates to education in Arkansas and it is not perfect," said Murdock. "Not in Forrest City, not anywhere. But, you are doing a great job and should be commended for that. Thank you so much. I am so glad to be your senator as you continue to do the things that you do. Please don't stop. Please continue to be the example for progress." According to Murdock, who also oversees the district’s projects, the emergency roofing job at the ABC School campus should be done within a week. "As it relates to the projects, our last wellness center at the Junior High is coming to completion," said Murdock. "When we get ready, we are going to have a grand walk through. You are going to love the facility. It is state of the art. The emergency roofing project is 85% complete at the Lincoln ABC and junior high cafeterias. That job should be done within the next week. Then we have a roofing project at the high school gym and the high school cafeteria. That material is a special order so we are waiting to get that before we start tearing stuff up. The projects at the ABC School with the gym and the older building we are planning to preserve are in the planning phase." Norman asked Murdock about a bathroom project that had not yet been completed. "The bathrooms, when we first brought this back up, they immediately went to Central and did it in like two weeks," said Norman. "What is going on at the other schools and why haven't those bathrooms been taken care of?" "The only bathroom project that has been authorized was Central and Stewart," said Murdock. "That was authorized for us." "In my documents it shows the schools in there," said Norman. "You mentioned the roof at the ABC School, that was done in the month of October as an emergency." "That is 85% to 90% done and should be done in the next seven days," said Murdock. "What is going on with Stewart?” asked board member Evetta Whitby. "I have been seeing a lot of vehicles with lights and things. It is my understanding that there has been some more water damage." After the recent cold snap, pipes once again burst within the new wellness center at Stewart Elementary, Murdock said that it was not a quality of work issue, but rather a design issue. "Yes, you had some more water damage," said Murdock. "So the insurance adjuster and myself came out and we had another one of those weeks where we had that cold snap. The architect came up and it won't cost the district any more than your $5,000 deductible. We have a remedy, we think, and the architect agrees. We have to do something to prevent airflow. It only happens where that building is open there with the windows. We had another leak." "Is this the third one?” asked Norman. "The first one you said was an act of God." "All of them are an act of God," said Murdock. "When you have extreme cold, things happen. What is normally done is you wrap the pipes, which has been done. It is not a quality of work issue, but it is an issue we need to go to a more substantive design. That is what the architect has approved. The pipes have been insulated." During the question and answer section of the meeting, Norman had questions for the district regarding the use of homeless student funds. Norman asked why $100 shoes were being bought from Hibbett Sports in Forrest City rather than more affordable options from stores like Walmart. "The last grant that Mrs. Sharon did was for people who are in need," said Norman. "I was just looking at the sheet and questioning Hibbett Sports and the hotels. Do we go buy from Hibbett? Why not Walmart or somewhere else? Why are we buying $100 shoes? I'm just asking. Can you explain the homeless funding?" "What about it?” asked FCSD Federal P r o g r a m s Coordinator Sharon Wilson. "I see that we are going to Hibbett Sports and I am just seeing this," said Norman. "Is there any stipulation of why not go to Walmart or whereever?" "I have not given any specifics about that," said Wilson. "If there is not an adequate pair of shoes at Walmart, I leave it up to our homeless liaison to determine what is needed for the kid at that time. She makes the best decision for the kid." "Can you tell us about what the homeless grant entails, what it is for?” asked Norman. "What grant, Mrs. Annie?” asked Wilson. "The homeless," responded Norman. According to Wilson, affordable options for clothing and shoes may not last as long as they need to for the students in question. "What homeless grant?” asked Wilson. "It is not a homeless grant. It is money that is set aside through Title that is specifically for homeless. We have to spend a certain amount of money each year. That is something new this year. If you want the kids to have Walmart shoes that won't last. If that is what you guys want that is what we can do. Sometimes they don't last long enough. We try to put them in the best possible quality clothes or shoes because it has got to last longer than what other kids may need. It may be a one-time purchase for them. So, I leave it up to our homeless liaison to make the best decision for our kids." "How do we put them in a category of being homeless?” asked Norman. Wilson said there are two or three definitions that identify students who are classified as homeless and in need of assistance. "Actually, this is probably not the time to go through all of those rules," said Wilson. "You have been through all of the training. All of the school board members have gone through that. If you need to go through all of those rules, we can do that, but not tonight. I am not going to go through all of those rules right now. We have done that several times and if you want to know what the rules are, you can go through the rules and guides and see how they are identified. Homeless kids have two or three different definitions." Wilson told Norman that she needs to "stop doing that" when referring to her asking questions of the district and its staff. "If you all want a special meeting about that I can do that," said Wilson. "But this off the cuff, ask these questions right now when we have given you several opportunities to be educated on things like this and we talked about it last time. It is like you find reasons to try to question off the cuff, last minute. Stop doing that. Stop doing that." "Mrs. Wilson," said Norman. "Stop doing it, Annie," said Wilson. "Mrs. Wilson, let me explain something to you," said Norman. "I don't need you to explain anything to me," said Wilson. "When I look at the check register and it doesn't say, I am going to ask why," said Norman. "I feel like the community needs to know when we are spending money like that." "Can you two have a meeting separately?” asked board member Sadie Blackwell. "Maybe you two need to meet or get this done." "We have asked her to do that several times but she has not requested it," said Wilson. "But you are not available," said Norman. "Remember, you are either at home or not here." "Wait now," said Whitby. "Dr. Hardrick, is the only person we supervise. Ask your questions to her. You (Dr. Hardrick), be prepared to answer the questions." "I am always prepared," said Hardrick. According to Whitby, questions should only be asked to Hardrick and that Hardrick should not direct those questions to anyone else. "Stop all of this because this does not make any sense with all of this feuding," said Whitby. "We are here to represent the community. We are not here for personal reasons or any of such. We are here for our community, we are here for our kids. So, whatever questions you have, including myself. Whatever questions we may have, we direct our questions to her. If she is not prepared then we hold her accountable. Okay? We don't need to ask, and you (Dr. Hardrick) don't need to direct us to ask this person, that person or that person. It is becoming chaotic and it is becoming a problem. Let's just stop this now and do the right thing." "Thank you, Mrs. Whitby," said board president Sandra Taylor. "I'm not finished," said Norman. "Well let me finish what I am saying," said Taylor. "Can I do that Mrs. Norman?" Taylor said that if there are questions, they should be emailed to Hardrick and she will give an answer. "Let me add that we put question and answer on the agenda at Mrs. Norman's request basically," said Taylor. "The purpose of it was if you have a question, there isn't any sense of all of these people having to listen to this. What did we say? Send an email. Send it to Dr. Hardrick. She will give you an answer. But you don't want to do it. So I'm like Mrs. Whitby. It is time out for this BS." "The community voted for me and they need to know some of the things that are going on," said Norman. "So I will continue to ask questions whether you like or not." "And I will answer," said Hardrick.

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