VILONIA Empty chairs were scattered around the table Thursday night at Vilonia's Board of Education meeting, reflecting two suddenly vacated board positions one vacationing board member and a school superintendent away on business.
Nevertheless, the absences did not interfere with business decisions being handed down.
Board president Danny Lawrence called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. with four members, including himself, Mike West, Randy Sanders and Martin McKissack in attendance, announcing that board member Mark Samuelson was vacationing.
Minutes approved and formalities out of the way, the four recessed into executive session to "consider matters of personnel." They were joined by Gary Lambert, assistant superintendent, in the absence of Dr. Frank Mitchell, superintendent.
Reconvening nearly an hour later, the board approved the resignations of board members Jerry Roberts, Position 7, and Scott Newell, Position 3, at the recommendation of Lambert. During the open meeting, there was no discussion concerning the resignations. Roberts has been a board member about 19 years, and Newell has been seated for about two years.
Under the same action, the board approved the resignations of Summer Padgett, ABC teacher and Gordon Prowse, transportation mechanic.
The last act of business presented during the meeting, the board addressed employment and contract changes. At the recommendation of Lambert, the board approved the employment of Christy Newell, kindergarten through fourth-grade teacher; Kayla Roberts, ABC teacher in preschool and Sara Penter, middle school secretary.The board also approved the transfer of Mary Kay Freeman from fourth grade Primary School to fifth grade Middle School.
Questioned about the resignations of the board members after the meeting, Lambert said Roberts and Newell resigned in accordance with the state ethic's law governing nepotism.
"Under the ethics law, a family member a spouse or daughter of a board member can not be hired," Lambert said.
Christy Newell is the wife of Scott Newell and Kayla Roberts is the daughter of Jerry Roberts. Lambert also said both women were subject to the same hiring process as all other candidates.
"They were the most qualified," he concluded.
Lambert spoke briefly about filing practices for potential board members. Checking with Tammie Bane, chief deputy in the county clerk's office, she said the filing period for school-board elections began Friday and last through noon July 18. To qualify for the ballot, school-board candidates must be qualified voters, be residents of the school district or zone in which they wish to be elected and must file a petition with at least 20 signatures from people within their school district or zone.
In other business, the board:
Approved the purchase of two refurbished buses for about $67,000 each. Steve Hensley, transportation director, made the request.
"It's time to buy buses," he addressed the board. Other than one handicap bus, there hasn't been a bus purchased in the past two years, he said. He recommended purchasing the used buses rather than new ones saying the used ones are in new condition and have only about 15,000 miles each on them and that about $12,000 can be saved.
Approved dairy bids from Coleman. On that note, it was said the year ended with a balance of about $150,000 in the cafeteria budget. Also, it was said that student meal prices will remain at the current rate for the time being. There was some discussion concerning increases in food prices due to fuel costs.
"I don't want us to go in a hole," Lawrence said. "But, I would like to see us keep it as low as we can."
Approved renewing the School Boards Association membership costing $1,941 plus an additional amount that may add up to $1,000 for policy services.
Approved two school choice requests a student transferring from Beebe, another from Mayflower.
Approved changes to student handbooks. The primary handbook will include a section on cyber bullying. The middle school handbook will include a section on video surveillance. Also, the handbook now says students are required to be in attendance 70 percent of a class time to be counted as present for the class. And, headgear and sunglasses must be taken off prior to entering the building. As well, students checking out early must do so before 2:50 p.m. which will make them absent for their last class. Also, a section will spell out the state laws outlawing laser pointers as well as gangs and secret organizations.
The high school handbook will spell out the penalties of racing side by side and exiting the high school in other areas rather than by using the designated pattern of accessing the exit onto U.S. Highway 64. According to high school principal Ed Sellers, driving privileges may be suspended on the campus for non compliance.
