001Thank you, sir. Well, good evening. It is 6 pm. It is time for the April 2022 school board meeting. Mr. Martinge, do the uh we'll start with the pledge and then we'll have a moment of silence. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We will observe a moment of silence. Amen. All right. Welcome to the April board meeting. Um, we always kick off with our consent agenda. Are there any questions? Okay. With that, I'd like to make the recommendation that the consent agenda, financial report, and board minutes of the regular board meeting held on March 4th, 2022 be approved as submitted. All right, we have a recommendation. Do we have a
002motion? I'll make a motion. Have a motion. Do we have a second? I'll second. Have a second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Up next, we have some presentations. We're going to kind of flip-flop A and B and we're going to start with Miss Stein and the junior high quiz bowl. Good evening. I am so excited to present our quiz bowl team and their accomplishments with you this evening. So quiz bowl team, will you come on up and let's just stand right here? If you don't mind your face this way, just stand in the line. Hold up, Mrs. Ashlin is the only girl. [Music] So, I don't know if you all know much about quiz bowl. It's basically a competitive trivia competition. So, this is a wonderful group of young people who all year last
003year had to compete virtually. So, they were very excited this year to actually get to go to some in-person competitions. And Mrs. Alditch is one of our QuizBull sponsors. And then Mr. Brown helps with QuizBull as well. So every Wednesday evening you can I'm sorry not evening afternoon after school about an hour on Wednesdays you can hear this rockus sound coming down the hallways and it's from this group uh really enjoying their competition down in in Mr. Brown's art room. Um it's a wonderful group of students. So they actually went to state this year and I believe this is the first time maybe maybe ever that our junior high school team has gone to state and they won first place at the state competition. So we're very proud of them. So, I'd like to introduce
004each of these students to you. We have Andy Roberts, Ashlin Schultz, Hunter Rowley, Kaylin Wallace, Boston Powell, Hunter Billings, Tate Allen, Daniel Darnell, Mason Dartrell, Jay Dy, Preston Wheelis, and again, Mrs. Alvage, our sponsor. Let's congratulate Do you have any questions for them or trivia questions that you Congratulations? Thank you all. I don't know what was the toughest competition of the year. Which one was the hardest? Academy. Academy. Academy. Gave you a run for the money. We won by 10 points. Wow. Right. We were down by five. It doesn't matter. Thank you. [Music] All right. Up next, we have our Purple Star School District recognition. And we'll turn that over to Miss Mark. Yeah. So, as you know, about a month ago, we asked you to um sign an agreement that we could apply to
005become a Purple Star School. And that has been awarded to us by the Arkansas um Military Council, Council for Military Children. And tonight, we're going to actually present the banners to each of our schools and to recognize the district. And just a reminder that the Purple Star School is for to meet the needs of our um military connected students to educate civilian students about the military community and to build a cohesive environment that supports our military students. Um, we are very grateful to be recognized and we recognize that we show a commitment to serving military students and the families. And like I said, the Arkansas Council for Military Children sponsored this event. Tonight with us, we have a special guest, their school liaison program manager, Miss Williams, who is with us. She is a native
006to Arkansas and she is serving as a school liaison program manager for the Little Rock Air Force Base since 2019. She's employed at the Department of the Air Force employee of installation since 2002 and the child and youth programs and working with the military families since 1994. Her role is to ensure a smooth transition for all military families and their educational needs while assigned to Arkansas. She assists school districts with professional development, military events, and family engagement. Her role in serving on the council, Miss Williams is able to advocate for the parents, the scholar, and the unique needs of families while uh proposing legislative changes to support those challenges. I want to introduce Miss Williams, our guest, and along with Miss Thomas, who is our college and career counselor who really spearheaded this charge. And
007so, Miss Thomas, was there anything that we need to share that what brought this to your attention and wanted to bring it forth? Um, so I was asked, we reached um a pivotal threshold where we had um the state of Arkansas requires you to have a point of contact when you reach so many families in your district that are registered um as active duty military. And so, um, when this was brought forward that we needed to have a contact, it seemed like a good fit, seeing as how I helped get recruiters here to see our students at the high school. And so, um, I joined one of the webinars and met Miss Williams virtually. This is actually our first meeting in person. Um, and then I also met with Mr. commonar and at that time
008they were awarding um spring one of Springdale schools with a purple star school status and so um I very quickly asked how do we become a part of that cuz I know that those are similar values that we have here and um he pointed me towards the application process and during that time um I asked you know is there any other um schools in our like can you become a purple star district where all the school rules uh apply and he said yes, no one from your area has done that yet though. And so um I very quickly um did all the requirements for each school and we are a purple star district school and I'm very proud of that and I want to thank all of the service members that are here tonight. If
009you guys can stand, um we just want to say thank you to the families and you can you can stand and you know we're very um just grateful for you guys. Thank you so much. Miss Williams and Miss Thomas are going to present the banners to the schools. We're going to get all the schools up here with their banners and then we're going to invite the families after to come out for a photo opportunity while we continue our meeting. We've got some purple cupcakes and some water. Please take two or three home with you on your way out. But um that way we can get some pictures to have as well. So let's start with the high school. Mr. Charlie Clark and Mr. Leonard Ogden can get your banner for the high school. And on
010this banner, if you guys could put it in your school district where parents can see the um little barcode, the Q code at the bottom, it does go straight to the Military Interstate Children's Compact site. So, parents can get on there and they can look at different um requirements um that will help their children um transition into your school district. And it helps point to links and different things like that. So, it does work. It test high school. take um some pictures um out there. So, y'all just touch. There you go. Just a touch. There you go. Perfect. And then I will get um and for the junior high, Mr. Travis and Miss Stein, you come get your banner too. You're welcome. They coordinated just for tonight's and for the middle school Miss Hester. And
011I'm even wearing scissors all the time. We're just going to swap sides. Oh, yes. Very good. I'll do whatever you need and for the primary miss Trent and Miss Dennis. Sorry. And then I'll be outside as soon as we're finished and get out and have some cupcakes and get pictures. We love pictures of everybody together. There you go. Thank you so much, Miss Thomas and Miss Williams, for coming up for your work. And I just want to say that um one of the things that I want to say thank you for is that um and the military members contest is it takes a load off of us whenever we don't have to worry about these scholars um for you guys to show that dedication and to go a step and beyond because you guys have
012enough to do. Um this is an actual just extra point that you guys are making. This is not a requirement. This is not anything that you are mandated to do. So, this is something that the school district does above and beyond. And then to take that and one of the requirements is that they have to hold um military functions each year that the teachers have to do extra training each year and that they go in and sit down for extra PD. They have enough PD to do and so they are going in and taking this extra time so you guys can send your kids to school and not have to worry. So when your children are um coming in and reintegrating into the school district and doing eight moves during their 13 educational years that
013they're not sitting alone for that first week of school and um they have peers that will support them and take them from classroom to classroom to classroom and going through these extra things. So that um I know at I'm down there at the air base and I know that that is a load off of everybody's mind down there because we are a training base and we are a high deployment base. Um just as Ebing and um Fort Chaffy is here and so that is a big load of our off our minds that you guys are doing this and like she said um like Jessica said you guys are the only one up here in this area that has done that. That's why I drove three and a half hours. Um, and I'm staying here tonight.
014I'm going to go go find a hotel room. So, um, I'm not going back down there. There's tornadoes. Um, so that I just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We really appreciate it. And, um, it is no anytime you guys have anything to do um, for the military children, I will gladly come up and help you guys. I do the whole state. So, I just get back in my car um with the restrictive fight and um I just march on up here. Um but it um it's just fantastic that you guys are doing it. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. So, I invite all your We're going to continue our meeting. You're welcome to go out to reception. And I know the songs out
015there have t-shirts for the family, cupcakes, waters, picture opportunities. And thank you. We appreciate you guys. Thank you. [Music] Where's the baby? He has his first stuffy nose, so he's not having it today. The nose snaughter is not a is not a friend right now. The other thing really quick is that we have SAR launched off of our district is our military support family portion of our website. So that's all this information is out there support. Thank you so much for coming tonight. Wear your shirt on April 22nd. Really proud of you, guys. [Music] Perfect. Okay. Up next, we have action items. And with that, we have our special education funding renewal. And what that is, it's every year our lo our school districts has to have an application for IBA parts part B 611
016619 funds to help with our special education students. This is a um a yearly thing that we do. Are there are there any questions? Okay. With that, I'd like to make the recommendation that we approve the district application for IDA part B, 611, and 619 funds for the provision of special education and related services for the school year 2223. All right, we have a recommendation. We have a motion. I'll make a motion and a second. I'll second. And I also want to say, Natalie, thank you for all the paperwork that you do to get this ready. Absolutely. Any any other discussion questions? Right. Next we have student services. Okay. I know on summer uh monthly and uh so at this time uh we still a little bit and so what we what we know for
017sure right now is that we can't our expectation and our anticipation right now we go into July we fall back to uh free reducing pay. And so uh uh those students that would qualify in the free reduced lunch would still receive those benefits or those students that don't qualify would then uh you know have to pay for lunches uh if they uh so choose to to eat with us. And so uh that's what we're anticipating to come out. They've talked around the the issue and attended some uh Zoom meetings and different things. We don't have official guidance and official word. We expect the commissioners on what this means uh to give us the official guidelines for what's coming out. And so we continue to uh listen to it. Uh we are also uh working on
018some options and so uh I don't want to get too far into them other than we continue to explore different avenues and and ways to feed our students and stuff. So hopefully when we get to tonight, we'll be excited. Here's what's here's what's happening. Here's what we're doing. And we're working through some different options. So without without saying anything definitive cuz we don't know what we're statewide, our intent at this point is to feed the kids all summer long just like we had last night. Whether it's a viable option, then we do have official that the waiver is through June 30th. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Yes, ma'am. And then you'll let us know hopefully what the fall. Yes, the fall. Um I'm I am anticipating the fall to go back to the way that we were
019in the past where you qualify for free reduce or um you did not qualify to one of your full pay. Okay. I think the labor department preco Yes, ma'am. We expect all waiverss to be to go away and go back to normal. I guess you call it. Okay. Um the second part of food service is is a lot of numbers. And so our our March um balance uh ending was 416,893. Our April monthly balance is $330, $641.34. Uh however, we did have a reimbursement of $110,000 that we haven't received yet. And so it's not reflected in in our March balance. Um if we had received it, there would be just over $440,000. And so um what's going to happen is our May our May reimbursement is going to be a quarter of a million dollar.
020It's going to be 2 months instead of just one. And so um we're we're in great shape. Um but the balance looks like it was reduced during the month and that's not the case. Uh we just got to t up in and we'll see it come back up where it should be. I just wanted to be transparent and know kind of where where we're at there. So is the 259 826 from April then? Uh that is March and April combined. Okay. Those are those are federal reimbursements that we have not received at this time. So and additional 110. No March was 110. April one was about 149. Okay. Added those together. Yes ma'am. Okay. And so that's what we'll that's what we'll see coming to us. Okay. Okay. And then um uh maintenance wise um
021we received our rubber flooring for the weight room project today. And so all of that has uh come in. Uh we will start install on our weight room flooring next Tuesday. Um and it'll take a week to get the flooring done and then the following week the equipment supposed to arrive. And so we hope by the 1st of May that that project is 100% uh complete. We have both weight rooms uh outfitted uh all of the stuff put together and uh uh we closed the books on that project. So we we originally expected it to be in June and so we're we're hoping that we'll have it done a month early. So we're really pleased with with what's gone on on there. I know everybody's excited to get it uh get the flooring in and
022get moving with that project. So, uh, we feel good there. Um, Mr. Martin and I met with, uh, the roofing company that's going to do the junior high roof, uh, this summer. We met with them on Tuesday and, uh, they've got, uh, their plans in place and, and they're ready, ready to go. Soon as school is out, I believe they're going to, uh, move some equipment prior to, uh, school getting out, to get some things here on the site, and then they'll start right after uh, school lets out and getting that. you know, we're on a timeline. Uh we've got to get it done before school starts the next uh next year. And so, uh we had a good meeting with those guys and they're anxious to get here on site and and begin. Uh
023but we are we are continuing uh there. And then other than that, we have we've walked every building. We've we've met with principles to look at some of the projects, things that need to be uh fixed or painted or or touched up or whatever. And so, um Mr. McNav has has has done that work with our our principles and he's put it, you know, his timelines together in his list and we're just getting ready to go for all of our summer uh uh care and and to get us ready for the 22 23 school year. I know it's it's still open, but we're we're making those plans right now. And the last thing that I put on school services is the same thing that we're all feeling individually uh with with gas prices and transportation
024prices and all that. We're certainly uh feeling that uh as well here as a as a school district. And so uh I know we have further talks for next year and what you know we might be seeing but uh it is something that we're feeling uh right now and and working through just No ma'am. Um we have I believe nine units that still have to be um put in. Um they're they're really waiting on them from the factory. Um it's we are we're probably about 10 12 months behind schedule on that. We should be finished up. We'll be finished up before um July one. It's literally Middle Tennessee is they want to get away from us. Don't get me wrong. They're having to keep sending crews up here, but they're coming in pieces at a
025time and everything. And unfortunately, sometimes the pieces aren't functioning and so they're having to send them back. So, we're experiencing the same logistics issues that the whole country is. Just curious. Thank you. Um, any questions? Thank you for diligently working all of y'all cuz I know this is a team effort to to find a way that we can continue this summer program, the feeding program. That's just I think that's I hope that weighs on our citizens mind and weighs on our kids' minds and it is you know in June we will have back to back to school it's like space camp that that we did last year we had the clinics that our football team our basketball team all that put on that we feed um and so um we're going to be able to
026work something out that we can that we can continue um Up next, we have um a purchase of a bus transportation software system. I gave you all that information a little bit earlier. Um what it is, you know, it allows us to be able to communicate with parents, you know, when their buses arrive and early. It allows us to do pre-trip inspections, post-trip inspections online. It allows us to have the maps basically having the iPad up there with the driver. If we have a self driver, it goes step by step, turn by turn. It lets you know the exact count of the kids on the bus, what kids are supposed to get off, what stop, when they scan their badge on it. It logs them as being on the bus, when they're coming up to
027the corner of I don't know, Weston and Mulla, which I know that's really close to the school, but that's what came to the top of my hair. um you know, it shows what kids should be um getting off the bus. They scan. If a kid scans and they're not supposed to be on the bus, it'll not take off at that stop. It alerts the driver. Um it's set up to where when the bus is so many minutes out from that stop, it notifies the parents that the bus is on its way. And it allow it's it allows a different another layer of safety and assurance for our parents and for us as well so that we can mark school buses are point in time on routes and and and everything. This is a common occurrence
028throughout the country of districts purchasing the software. We had three companies bid um Traversa um Smart Tag and Transportant. Um, we would like to recommend Smart Tag because it meets our needs and it's the most reasonably priced. So, I have a couple questions. Yes, ma'am. Well, all three of them exactly respect. Yes and no. Um, we started with routing software is where we began, but each of the companies kind of has their own different, you know, ours does this, this one does that. So, um the I think it is transport that was the highest they have a little bit more equipment because they install cameras on every bus. Our buses already have cameras and um that's why they all three buses all approved back in September, October that still aren't here yet, but you know
029how that goes. They're they're specked out with five cameras already on them and everything. So there's no sense in taking off what we already have. So is this going to be an addition to what the kids already have to carry for an ID for the school? We're hoping to use the same we all we're working with. So it can be like their lunch bag and stuff. So onetop shop on your RQ code. Perfect. QR code. QR code. Yeah. Okay. So, what do you do if a especially like a kindergartener or somebody that's very young forgets their badge? When they get on the bus, the driver can either put in their code or the their names, they have a list of kids that are on the bus and they can just manually load manually. Yeah, they're
030charts on the bus and everything so they can just Good. Okay. And this allows parents to know exactly where their kids at. Do they get notifications? They get notifications when they get on, when they get off. Okay, perfect. Cuz we've got a lot of families that that work, you know, larger meal. Students get home before parents do. And so this gives you some peace of mind that they'll get a text message that, you know, I'm old school. My kid used to have to call me when I worked in business. Key, you know, sometimes people want to go home with their friends. Don't ask parents. We've dealt with that a few times at Hop Bus. When they scan to get on the bus, it will show that there's not an active rider on that bus and
031will alert us before we even put the bus in motion. So, what if you do have permission to go? Is there something that will send it to that bus driver? Yes, ma'am. That's amazing. Yes, ma'am. Awesome. Now, within ridge, we don't have service all the way through. Correct. Um especially down in valleys and whatnot. How are we going to address that? The majority of our district is covered. We do have some spots. Yes. And it would I believe it would go in and out of service in those spots where there's no basically cell phone coverage because it has to have the cell phone coverage for the data to be able to link out from the school bus. But once it comes back on, it will pop right back up. And having this setup place um
032I I don't want to assume, but the transportation department of the state, there's rules and regs on having electronics. Does this will this meet that? Yeah. Bus is in motion. The you know, it's a it's an out that sits over here. Bus is in motion. It um goes you can't push on it. You can't do anything while the bus is in motion. You can play some work, but there's no interaction. You can turn nothing. What it turns into is a navigation system here. It will tell you in 400 ft there's a bus stop coming up or you need to take the next left on verbal or it will it will speak. It will be verbal. Okay. All right. And that will be invaluable for a sub bus driver. Oh yes. What we what we found
033was um you know through what we've been dealing with the last 2 years we have some drivers it's been real difficult to navigate where are we going where do we stop which route do we take all this and that so that's where we began and then we found out but we got some more capabilities here that you know really allow us security and communication with families which we felt like was important and where will this money come out of nowhere Um, it'll it'll come out into general operating. Um, it's a onetime purchase fee of about $43,300. I we'll get to the exact amount in a second. And then there's a like a software renewal that's about 12 or $13,000 a year. And then how much are the little cars that we're going to have to
034order every year? That's included in That's included in the renewal. Okay. [Music] Any other questions? Okay. With that, I would like to make the recommendation that we purchase transportation software from Smart Tag in the amount of $43,256. Had to get the 9 in there. Recommendation. Do we have a motion? I'll make a motion. Have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Any further discussion, questions? All in favor? Um, up next is our second reading of policies. And this is just a chance for y'all to ask questions if y'all have any. Please everything we're doing is what the state Yes. is asking us today. We don't have really a choice. Yes, sir. That's a that's a true statement. Utility policies are 3.17 and I think 8.45. Yes. The code of conduct and I don't think
035anyone would argue or disagree with those at all [Applause] classify and Mr. Next is all right. It is 6:32 session to discuss transfers. and designations.