001Yeah, just happen to be on top of the dirt and the dirt is not on top of me. >> All right, good evening everybody. I'll go ahead and call this meeting to order. Special school board meeting. Uh Jackson Pilaski School District will be the model district where every learner is valued and empowered to become a successful contributing member of society. It's our mission to foster a culture of ownership and accountability through partnerships that create multiple pathways for success. Mr. Moore, please call the roll. >> Okay. Colonel Smith. Daniel Gray >> here. >> Ava Coleman. She is not here. >> Okay. >> Jim Moore >> here. >> Ron McDaniel >> present. >> Dana Tony >> here. >> Lauren Martin >> here. >> Lauren Walker >> here. >> Two not here, sir. All right. Very good. Uh
002if you'll go ahead and stand with me as we observe a moment of silence followed by the pledge. >> Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. 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. All right, >> Miss Chisa, do we have any public comments? >> Yes, sir. We have one person signed up. I guess I read it. Uh, Miss Teresa Cook, her subject matter is resolution slashgrade. >> All right. So, good evening. Uh, we now open the floor for public comments. There is a designated time for community members to share their thoughts on matters before the board meetings. We welcome and appreciate your input and ask that you speak respectfully and
003professionally. Please refrain from making statements about individual students or district staff members. As the board only considers such matters upon recommendation from the superintendent, your comments will be recorded for the in the official minutes. While we value your perspectives, please note that the opinions shared during public comment do not necessarily reflect the views of the board. And I will remind you it is public comment, not public discussion. Thank you, ma'am. >> Thank you, >> Miss Cook. You are recognized. You have three minutes to speak. >> Greetings, council members. I commend your tireless efforts to enhance our community. As a proud grandmother of a third grade student in this district and a resident of Jacksonville Ward Five, I'm eager to share my thoughts. Despite our investment of a million dollar millage tax, our schools are still
004achieving only 60% at reading level. Jackson Elementary has not improved from its letter F grade. I'd like to uh I'm sorry, I had shortened it. Um I'd like to asked the board also to vote no to President Gray joining the First Arkansas Bank and Trust Board. This bank is the bank used by the board financially and President Gray's presence in the board creates an ethical conflict of interest. Um, I am wondering if the district attorney or legal has provided any guidance on this situation or its appearance to our community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Cook. Appreciate you signing up to speak. All right, that is the only person signed up. So, that is the end of public comment. And our next item for agenda, we've got some uh building project prek relocation. Good evening
005uh board members. Wanted to get your approval and blessing to move to our next uh proposed building project. It says pre prek relocation, but there are several um potential projects that have been brought to our attention over the past few months. Uh i.e. the sixth grade academy uh next which is could be a separate building next to the middle school or possibly additions to the middle school or another wing which would be phase three an auxiliary gym um at the middle school or a new band or larger band room. also possibly uh a sports sports complex uh complex on the site with the middle school or possibly a uh partnership with the city with Dupri Park. So, just wanted to have that discussion with you all on what you felt like our next project should
006be to get your ideas and you all can make a formal um decision tonight since this is a special board meeting or give us some marching orders to bring uh to the November board meeting, but we wanted to start uh proactively planning so that we can move forward with that. I would just say uh if I could add to this uh the prek would be a a goal of ours to move them from Homer Atkins after we renovate Merl Taylor. We would also uh and if possible um like to have Dr. the card to come because we would like to use that multi-purpose building that's next to the old Merl Taylor building for potential CTE center for our HVAC and uh welding programs that we currently bus those students to ASUBB Cersei and we would
007like to keep them in district. So those are some potential uh projects for that particular site and Dr. P has a um presentation on what that CTE center will look like. >> Sir, doc Mr. Lester is going to present with her also. >> Okay. >> While you're setting up, can uh I'll open it up for questions on uh prek. How many um prek classes are currently at? >> Do we have 10? >> There is at home. There's 10 >> and then by me. We have two and then at least >> we have about 275 students. We still have room that we can fill another classroom. Uh we're and it's a four-year-old classroom, so we're just waiting as applications come in. >> So, we have slots available. >> We do have slots available for four year
008olds. >> Okay. So, >> so help us with how many four-year-old PreK is is it three three year old prek before that? >> We have three year olds and four year olds and right now at um Homer Atkins we have about four three-year-old classrooms and then in my other than the remaining classrooms a four-year-old and then at five we have a four-year-old program and at Bobby G we have a fouryear-old program. >> So So where are the three-year-olds? You didn't >> The three year olds are at home or active. >> And how many are there? The number of three classes >> classes is about four. >> There's not still a three-year-old class at >> No, it's a foury old classy old. >> We did not have enough space with the current enrollment. >> Okay. >>
009So, we've got four three-year-old classes and six four-year-old classes at uh if my math is correct. >> It should equal it should total about 13 classes. >> 10 there and then two at BA and one at Bobby G. >> Okay. And how many are in a prek class? >> We can have up to 20 scholars. >> 20. >> And it's with a teacher and a parent. >> And how many how much uh how many classrooms total at Homer Atkins? >> Should be 10 at Homer Atkins. >> No, no, no. I'm in the school. >> Oh, classroom. >> Like for when it was an elementary school. >> We have how many classroom? two extra in that 500 building. >> So, it would be enough to house probably two more classes. >> And how many spaces at
010uh Merl Taylor, the old Merl Taylor building? >> Mr. Lester, we have that 13. >> So, we could put 13. Okay. Do we have a renovation cost or we already started that over there? >> That's what we're fixing to look at. So would we leave the pre classes at Lester and Bino that are currently there or would everybody move to Taylor? >> No, only the classes at home. Homer Atkins would move to the new site. >> I have one more question about we right now they are we've not ventured into paid positions of >> not yet. Uh we definitely have discussed the paid positions. >> Well with the paid position space. >> Well, we can look into the paid slots. Our first option because we had been approved for CCDF that was with vouchers. We
011were hoping to fill seats with vouchers, but recently the state of Arkansas has cut several of those vouchers. So, they're not giving out any additional vouchers. So, we have had the conversation of a pay prek at Bobby G. Lester. So, we're looking into what that would involve. >> Well, good afternoon. I'm here for a different reason for for that same site, the old moral Taylor building. I'm coming with a vision for the multi-purpose building outside of Taylor and asking for a blessing to kind of earmark that building for this purpose and to move on exploring this plan. But what we're wanting to do with that building is a career technical center and I'm going to answer all the questions as quickly as I can. Basically, the what the what we're envisioning is in that multi-purpose
012building. It'll be split into two different Um, and our CAD department built a little plan for you here, but on one side of it would be a welding pathway set up as a welding. And the other side of it would be a construction technology pathway, which would have mess, which is mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. So, that's kind of the overall dream of it. And with the career technical center, if it's set up that way, it can offer college credit as as well as high school credit. So, our high schoolers would get college credit for the work done at the career center. So, the Y is we're trying to get concurrent college credit in every single one of our pathways. Um, this is the secondary career centers that currently exist in Arkansas. You can see
013there's a few around central Arkansas and we use those few. One of them is ASUBB Cersei. We send our welding and HVAC students there. is 38.1 miles one way. So, we have that twice a day for those students and their schedule's different than ours. So, some of our kids end up missing periods that we need them to have for high school graduation. So, we are making it work and we've got fixes on it, but we want to move that to us. That's one of the problems that we're trying to fix. We currently use Palasky Tech for culinary on site. Um, but all of their other concurrent options for us for CTE are mainly virtual pathways and we want our kids hands-on. We want them certifying. We don't want them in the virtual pathways for CTE.
014We have another option and that is the Little Rock School District has opened their own career tech center. It's on Scott Hamilton Drive that we are off we could use. However, most of the pathways are the same that we already have in our high school except for the two that we're want to put in the multi-purpose building, advanced manufacturing and welding. So, that is an option we have right now. And then the other things that we're exploring is LPN program with they're writing a grant for a simulation lab, banking through philander with pre-educator pathway, and this is where all the college credit will come from. and accelerated general associates for those not wanting CTE. So we have lots of ways we're trying to get college credit into our pathways except for the HVAC mess and
015welding pathway. That's the ones we're working on. So the wear would be the Taylor multi-purpose building and Mr. Wester is going to take over this piece. >> So Dr. Bard and Mr. Michael Vincson asked me to meet him over at purpose room to walk it to look at it. And uh he um sent me the the drawing that would need we would need uh to be able to service those two um avenues and we are the good thing is we already have a a classroom in there. It was the music room in there and the stage area is would be able to make we can make it into another classroom. It has ventilation and everything like that but we don't have the the stalls and those kind of things. So I got with um WR
016who had um they have built one before to get kind of a ballpark cost of what it would take to renovate. We have currently have 15 students. So this is based on the 15 to 16 welding stations and it would include electrical to each station, ventilation to each station and the demo of the existing sports floor because it is a basketball gym and a rollup door to be able to access to any of the supplies that are outside and the welding screens between the stations. And a ballpark figure for that is around $300,000 for that renovation to make it doing for the two programs. >> Is that for both of welding and the uh >> that's for the welding would have a classroom hack but that's just set up for that phase one that's used
017on okay there. >> Okay. >> But there could be an additional classroom as I said before. >> So that's you're talking about both sides in that cost, right? So that's every all those pathways welding, HVAC, plumbing, electrical. Um I think that's all of them. >> It would be the equipment that would be equipment across. Yes, sir. >> So the way it could work and if you guys decided to move forward with this is phase one would start now. We would only need to do one side of the building, the welding side, so we can bring our kids back home next year um and get the welding side started. purposely only doing that one side because there's lots of startup grants we can apply for for this, but we can't apply for them until October. And
018then phase two would be applying for the Office of Labor to be a career tech center. With that comes some different types of money, some state money that also helps fund it because we'll be promising that we can also let other districts within a 25 mile radius radius of us send their scholars if they so choose. We would be looking at Lo Cab those places around us that does not have their own career center like Little Rock School District does. And so those are the types of things. So it' be fall 2027 when both sides were open and it could be considered a career center and giving college credit. Should be a two-year phase in the WHO is the office of skills development. That's who this would go through to be able to get the
019college credit. we would be the host school and they would be the technical center that in essence gives us funding for some of the things um and some of the grants that we could possibly write along the way. So that's the that's the spill for you guys to consider. I'll answer questions, but one of the things that we haven't worked for you is we think there'll be lots of partners along the way. We have a welding school right here in Jacksonville >> that we could be filtering our They just can't give college credit and high school credit. >> I've had a plumber reach out to me recently asking for us to start something like this and wants to be a partner. Pretty large plumber, too. >> And so the advanced manufacturing piece, Hback, I mean,
020I feel like there's lots of people that would be interested, but we're just on the beginning of can we use the building. That's where we're at. So, we'll leave it with you guys for discussion. >> No, wait a minute. I have a question. I have a question. Would you put the slide up again with the building and where will the welding part be in that building? >> The little the bays are where the welding go. >> Yes. And I tried to we did this on the CAD program at the high school. So we don't have the big poster for you. But um this is the small one. And you know I'm a teacher at heart so I have to point. >> That's why I asked you that question. >> I need a pointer and a
021whiteboard. So from here over this is the stage. This would be a classroom. These would be all the welding bays. Then there'd be a wall dividing it because of the flash. You have to have a wall dividing it. And this would be the other open space for nets the mechanical and electrical and plumbing. And then this is the existing classroom. That would be their classroom. And so then you'd have two entrances. One to the welding side and one to the next side. >> Yeah, that was my door on that. Okay. That that was my concern was a wall from separating the welding area from the rest of it. >> Yes. >> There has to be one. >> We're going to have sprinkler systems and all this. Is it already in there uh currently just in
022case of a fire or something? >> No, I'm sorry. I'm wrong. Because it was a 9,000 square foot uh building, it did not have to have the sprinkler system. Do we have we have to have it done with a welding? >> I I don't know the answer to that. >> That's part of the code. >> I know they're not I know that there's I miss because we were having to put one in the pre. >> How much are we spending on transportation for these students annually? >> 15 Mr. uh >> quite a bit. >> We can't because it's 40 minutes there and 40 minutes back. I I I just I mean I think this is another opportunity for us to grow and I think it's great and those trades are severely needed. I mean welding
023is is great but the mechanical, electrical, plumbing that we got to have more training for that. I think it'd be a great opportunity for >> just the brief >> the brief conversation that I had today Mr. Daniel from what I heard from him just in that talk is that there are in those uh stations they have to have a fire suppressant >> in the station. So but I do not know that about the whole building but I do know that each one of those stations have to have that that was considerable cost on that >> that's why it was a little higher than I thought. >> Okay. >> And the power too uh it has to be put in there because the the current uh power be able to walk. >> Is there be grants
024for the equipment though you said? >> Yeah, there's something called Perkins startup grants and you can apply for them each year as as you start a program. We've gotten them. That's how we started nursing. We started banking that way. And so there's a grant for welding startup and a grant. Now, none of that's guaranteed, but we will certainly apply for everything we can all along the way. And then become a career tech center. State money comes into that >> and funds for that are coming out of the building fund for the renovation >> renovation startup and then whatever we can get from grant. So yes. So building fund and then >> so some of our neighbors have this already. BB does BB have one of these? >> Little Rock School District has one. >> I
025thought BB had one also. Well, they do have one, but it is their actual college campus and then they've got some rooms within their college campus and then a Cersei satellite that allows our kids to get high school and college credit, but it's all within the BB college. >> Okay, I hear a motion. >> Make a motion to approve this recommendation. >> Second. >> Any other questions or discussion? So this is just the uh the uh C career technical education part of the discussion. Move forward with that ASAP. >> We'll start. >> All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? That passes unanimously. >> Thank y'all. So uh let's go back to the uh other discussions and um personally what how Bobby how old is uh home? It's an 80 building. >> Are you
026sure? >> It's our newest old building. >> That's Pearl Taylor. Earl Taylor is >> Merl Taylor. >> Home. That's the oldest building in the state. >> Get your hearing aid on. >> You've been putting lipstick on that pig for a while. >> Yeah. So, okay. I think >> I'm sorry. I thought you broke that. So, uh, I think we I mean pre-K is a big deal and I think that sets up sets us up for success as we move them up and I think getting them out of that facility where we've got great facilities for everything else. I think uh Merl Taylor is our newest building and after what we how we did our care, I think it was awesome and I would assume we would be doing similar remodels for the >> we average
027over $25,000 a year on maintenance on on the old room is. So I I think anything we can do to get that facility empty and those students over at uh Merl Taylor which is probably even a little more centrally located or easier to get to than Home. >> So I I think that would be my priority for all the things discussed. I think all the other stuff's good too but >> or immediate. >> I got one question. They have an indoor playground over there at Homer Atkins. Is that something that can be >> We >> Yes, sir. We've already talked about we have a space uh designated. >> Okay. >> Can be moved. >> It can be moved. >> Excellent. >> So, is there any uh is that kind of the consensus to focus on
028the prek >> first priority? >> I think that'd be a priority. >> And if y'all want to bring presentation at the next meeting, >> we can numbers and whatever whenever you get it done. >> We in the packet there. We are actually currently getting the building ready for anything that we put in there. We got the fire suppressant and the sanitation because sanitation lines were collapsed and when with any renovation, you don't really know what you get till you get in there. But at this point, we are working on, you know, >> so that's those costs are already being absorbed. We they're already in motion. So that's separate from what the rest of the renovation would be. >> All right. Thank you. Any other comments on that? All right. Uh next next item is board
029resolutions. Dr. O. >> Yes, we have two before you. The uh and I will ask the board to consider them separately. Um the first one is uh we have a elementary teacher who works at uh Lester Elementary. Um she is married to a co-owner of Innovative Direct Marketing LLC. They produce high school graduation uh programs. the high school graduation committee selected the uh company not knowing that um she worked at Lester Elementary and that she was married to one of the co-owners. Uh the teacher who works at Lester did not participate and will not participate in the committee at the high school. But because she works for the district, we needed to bring that. Um and as they as the employees complete the financial disclosure each year, these type of things come up. And so
030we needed to bring uh we did consult um with Mr. Richardson, our attorney, and and he felt like that this resolution would uh suffice and meet the letter of the law uh if approved by the board. So the uh resolution is before you uh with the recommendation to um for you to review and take action. >> All right. >> Did I hear a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> So we've got a motion to approve the resolution or the uh >> Yes. Yes sir. And a second. Any other discussion on that one? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. That passes unanimously and then the next one. >> Yes sir. So uh Mr. um Gray ask you to >> Well, I will step out for discussion but I are
031there any questions of me. I don't feel like there's a conflict. I'll just say that I will step out and Miss AA is not here. So Mr. Mr. Moore Mr. Moore will be in charge. Secretary I'll step out. I'm waiting. >> So, Mr. Moore, before you is a resolution for uh Mr. Gray to uh continue as a board member, but also uh serve as uh part of the board of directors for First Arkansas Bacon Trust. Uh Mr. Scott Richardson reviewed the request and developed this resolution and felt that if the if approved, Mr. Gray does not participate in any discussion uh participate in any action that uh involves First Arkansas Bank and Trust. uh and if this resolution is approved and then it will go to the secretary of education at the department Arkansas department
032of education for his review and approval and if all of that is approved then we will be in line with the letter of the law >> read this now. >> Yes sir you can. Yes. >> Okay. This is a resolution. Whereas the Jacksonville Northassie School District Board of Directors met in a special open and properly called meeting on October the 13th, 2025 at the Pinewood Professional Development Center in Jacksonville, Arkansas, whereas five members were present. A quorum was declared by the chair. Whereas the Jacksonville Northassie School District, JNPSD, has placed its banking services with First Arkansas Bank and Trust, which is based in Jacksonville and has provided substantial support to the district since the very beginning. Whereas the board of directors is reliably informed that board president Daniel Gray has been offered a position on
033the First Arkansas Bank and Trust Board of Directors, that Mr. Gray would like to accept that position and that he would like to ensure that any potential conflict that may arise from his service on both boards is properly handled. Whereas JNPSD has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with First Arkansas Bank and Trust for many years that Mr. Gray has been active in the community for many years and that Mr. Gray's service on both board would continue the mutually beneficial relationship. Whereas Mr. Gray left the meeting prior to the discussion of this matter and did not return to the meeting room until the voting on the contract had been concluded. Whereas after serious consideration, the board moved to approve Mr. Gray's service on the first Arkansas bank and trust board of directors while continuing to serve
034on the JMPSD board of directors with the restriction that Mr. Gray shall recuse from consideration of any matters before the JMPSD board in which he has a buniary interest in the matter under considerations unless the only interest that may acrue to him is incidental to his position or otherwise is not in conflict with our code annotated 21-80001. Therefore, due to the specific reason reasons cited above in all matters properly considered by the board, it is hereby declared to be the intent of the Jacksonville North Palasi School District Board to approve Mr. Gray's continued service. >> So, it's uh now up to the board. >> So, what you got to entertain a motion? >> Yeah. Do I have a motion to accept? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. I have a motion to second. A
035discussion on this. >> Um I guess I just want to say that that yes, it is two different things. Yes, we use First Arkansas Bank, but that's why we have auditors and that's why we have checks and balances and and we get everything reviewed every year so we don't have any conflicts of interest or mistakes or mess ups. So, honestly, I don't have a problem with him being on it. >> Others? Anybody else? Okay, >> I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. >> I >> oppose. Okay, >> passes. >> I'll declare that pass unanimous. All right. Very good. Uh, next item we've got is the middle school athletic typ. >> Yes. Um before you we have a request to for you all consider decide tonight or ask us to
036bring back more information. Right now we have four athletic programs that um we have at the middle school who currently receives a paid athletic stipen and we would like and that's football, >> basketball, volleyball, >> track >> and track. Thank you. Uh we would like to include baseball and softball in that. So currently right and soccer baseball, softball and soccer currently those coaches are volunteering in those positions and so we wanted to bring that to you for discussion tonight action if you would like. If not we can bring it back on uh November 4th. So to include baseball, softball and soccer. >> All right. What's the pleasure of the board? Do I hear a motion? question. >> Follow the same pay scale as the other >> Yes. >> It would be the same uh as
037the other middle school coaching positions, the same style. >> I I think it's great. I mean, uh, softball and and baseball especially, we're having trouble at the high school level attracting, uh, athletes to to play those our little leagues have kind of, uh, gone away. So, I think it's important to identify those students in middle school that that want to play and get a a feel for it and try it out. I think you can build on those skills and it helps us build our program at the high school level. soccer the same way. I think it's great more opportunities for our students. I I think it's and a lot of other >> other schools are >> schools are starting to do that and it's kind of growing. So I think it's important for us
038because if we don't then I think we're going to lose them to other districts of choice. Uh so I think it's important too >> and it provides I think I mean if I could weigh in it definitely provides stability to the coaching staff which will definitely grow. Currently, our middle school coaches um football received a 5 point uh 5% uh basketball 5%, volleyball is 4% um but they're also grandfathered in from being in Palasky County into Jacksonville. Um and then track is a 2%. So we decide upon the percentage in there probably considering the the load around 5% All right. Do I hear a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion and second. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. >> Any opposed? Passes unanimously. >> All right. Substitute pay increase. >>
039The last action before you is the substitute pay increase. Um we uh had a meeting with our substitute provider, Kelly Services, uh about our field rate and our field rate started to uh decrease uh because uh substitutes were not picking up the um those jobs and so which caused more strain on our existing staff uh in the schools to cover those classes. And so when uh Mrs. Logan, our HR director, met with Kelly Services. They explained to us that the surrounding schools who also use a school district who also use um Kelly Services, they had increased their substitute pay. And so in order to be competitive uh with them so that we can continue to have coverage when our teachers are out and classified members are out, we're asking to uh propose uh increase that
040proposed pay rate before you. Um the $95 current rate to 105 uh certified teachers from 115 to 125. The pair of professionals uh from $11 to $14 an hour. and then clerical from um $11 an hour to $14. So the recommendation uh is to approve that. We have uh discuss these changes um internally and we hope that uh it is approved. So >> all right, any questions? I hear a motion. So move >> motion in a second. Any other discussion? All those in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? That passes unanimously as well. Next item I've got is adjournment. I make a motion we adjourn. We are return. Y'all have a good evening. Thank you. >> Okay.