FC School Board hears updates on construction

Executive sessions served as bookends for last week’s Forrest City School Board meeting after which the board did not vote to take any action. Immediately after calling the meeting to order, board member Annie Norman requested an executive session to discuss personnel, asking that superintendent Dr. Tiffany Hardrick not attend the closed session. “I’d just like to remind the board that even though you’re going into executive to discuss personnel, anything that could become before the board as a personnel matter should not be discussed in executive session as that person does not have a fair whatever to come before the board,” Hardrick stated. About 40 minutes later the board returned to the junior high library to address the agenda items, with board president Sandra Taylor saying “nothing was decided” in the executive session. Sen. Reginald Murdock, who serves as the district’s project manager, offered an update on construction projects. “Real quick, the Ryan improvement at ABC that you all approved last time, we’ll have that information hopefully in January,” said Murdock. “The state needs to look at that improvement as well and we will have that information.” Murdock said the bathroom remodeling project had been completed on the Central Elementary campus. He said workers will focus on the bathroom project at Stewart Elementary and roof repairs across the district, including one at the ABC/Lincoln campus, during the holiday break when students are not present. In August, Murdock called the roof repairs on the ABC/Lincoln campus “an emergency” and asked the board to forgo the bidding process in order to save time. Board member Annie Norman asked if the board should make a motion to ensure that the Lincoln name remains attached to the campus. “In regard to the Ryan complex, please be advised that we did not want to take away the Lincoln name. We need to be cognizant of the history,” said Norman. “We are hearing from the community that some individuals thought Lincoln would be taken off. That’s what I’m asking you to state.” Hardrick said a motion was not needed and that the information was included in the minutes from the board’s November meeting. “It’s in the minutes from the last meeting,” she said. However, the minutes show, “Dr. Hardrick motioned the board to rename the ABC Preschool at Lincoln entire space to the Vivian Ryan Complex.” That motion was made by board member Sadie Blackwell and seconded by Norman. Norman also asked about a situation at the junior high school recently in which water was cut off to the campus for the entire school day. “Can you tell us what happened?” asked Norman. “Pipe burst,” said Hardrick. “What was the reason for not sending kids to the arena?” asked Norman. “The deputy superintendent made the judgment call based on the time of day and I supported his call,” Hardrick responded. According to officials with the Forrest City Water Department, the problem at the junior high was discovered months ago and school officials had known about it since that time before deciding to address it. “The problem had been going on for a while and they were just not getting around to making the repairs,” said FCWD Director Edward Gregory told the Times-Herald in a recent interview. Hardrick offered the board a brief report on academics, saying the adjustments being made by the state will allow districts to receive more credit for student growth in academic areas and districts will receive additional points for offering continuing education programs such as truck driving, carpentry and other technical certifications. “Growth, they will put more weight on. The teacher will still get credit for growth. They’re saying measuring people against themselves versus a standard is more important so it’s 60% of the score versus 40%, if that make sense,” said Hardrick. “It used to be a pretty sophisticated system. I don’t know how it will be this year.” “I agree with them. I think a teacher should be measured by growth. It’s unreasonable to think a seventh grade teacher can get a person on a third grade level to seventh grade immediately, but they can move them. It’s no telling what we could do if we stop these people from taking our kids,” said board member Larry Devasier. The board approved the purchase of equipment for the new wellness center at the junior high school, which is being funded by the district’s remaining ESSER funds that have to be spent or returned. The $49,367,85 purchase is through Fitness Factory in Forest Park, Ill. “Is this the best facility we can get it from at the best rate?” asked Norman. “Given the time we didn’t seek three quotes because these funds have to be spent by a certain deadline and we have to spend it,” said Hardrick. Construction on the remodeling project began this summer at which time the district also knew equipment would be needed for the wellness center. The quote from Fitness Factory was submitted to the district in late September, but not presented to the board until its meeting last week. Board members also voted to spend $14,269 for repairs to a 2016 bus and $32,500 to the University of Arkansas for participation in the Arkansas Teacher Corps program. Each year, the board is required to evaluate the superintendent’s performance. Board members received their evaluation forms at last week’s meeting. Hardrick said she would provide the board with a list of goals at the January meeting. The district’s computer system was recently targeted by hackers, according to Hardrick, in response to a question from board member Evetta Whitby. “What is the status of the Internet with all of that being down?” Whitby asked. Everything should be back up. The Department of Education came in. We are actually the ones who shut it down, trying to isolate what the problem was,” said Hardrick. “Our office is back up and running and every school is back up except maybe for Madison.” “What was the problem?” asked Whitby. “An attempt to breach our system,” said Hardrick. Norman, who is the district’s secretary and responsible for signing checks, again asked that the stamp with her name not be used by anyone with the district without her approval. Hardrick said Norman’s signature is in the district’s computer system and automatically applied to checks deposited directly into accounts. “If you’d like us to take it out we can and put Mrs. (Sandra) Taylor (board president) as an alternate in the system. We can’t not pay ACH payments because you want to hand sign the checks,” said Hardrick. “We have files every month when we pay bills and shows what we’re paying. You can come see whatever you want to see. It’s there. You on one tonight.” The board called its second executive session, which Hardrick attended. After about 20 minutes, the board returned to open session, taking no other action, and the meeting was adjourned.

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