LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2003

7:00 P. M.

The Lee County School Board of Directors held its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 16, 2003. The meeting was called to order by President Wayne Corkran at 7:00 P. M. Board members present: Corkran, Johnson, Miller, Moore. Stanley arrived at 7:05 P. M. Board members absent: Ballard and Waldrip. A quorum was present.

A motion was made by Moore and seconded by Johnson, to accept the minutes of November 18, 2003 as written. Those for: Corkran, Moore and Johnson. Those abstained: Miller. Stanley wasn’t present at this time to vote on minutes.

Sharon Sanders presented the financial report.

Supt. Thompson recommended that the board approve the financial report as presented.

A motion was made by Moore and seconded by Johnson, to accept Supt. Thompson’s recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.

Doris Lewellen was absent, so Supt. Thompson recommended that the board give Mrs. Lewellen a chance to present the food service report at the January board meeting.

A motion was made by Johnson and seconded by Stanley, to accept Supt. Thompson’s recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.

Supt. Thompson presented the building project. He stated that he had halted the building project even though it had not gotten started. He said that they had intended for the building to be at Lee High School campus. At this time, the State Legislature is in session and there is a possibility that there are going to be numerous major changes in Arkansas education. One of the things that comes to mind is there is going to be state financing and school district responsibility in dealing with Early Childhood in certain school districts, probably those school districts who have a large number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. He said he assume that the district will qualify. His experiences from the past is once state mandates to put in a program, it pays only partial funding. When he says partially funded, he means if they mandate that we have a pre-school program as part of our K-12, would be pre-school-12, no doubt that they would probably fund teacher staff maybe some supplies, but he’s concern about the facility. He just can’t see them funding the facilities, a building or extra rooms. Some places may have the room, but we in a sense would have the room but not in the proper location. As you know our Early Childhood situation now is that we have two classrooms in what he called the major building and two portables. The two portables don’t house very many students, but his thinking is if by chance, he think we need to have the new building at Lee High School based on the fact if enrollment keep declining it want be too many years that we could afford to have four schools, we would need to go to three. The point is he would like to hold up on this and wait to see what the Legislature is going to do, and if by chance they do require us to have a pre-school setting, then he would like to bring this back to the Board and it would be to our advantage to set the new building on the Whitten campus and incorporate it in with the Early Childhood setting. This would give us four rooms there and two rooms in the new building and not use the portables, and this would give us six classrooms. Now, we have six kindergarten classrooms. He thinks we would probably need six classrooms for whatever age the state set. The Legislators are in session right now, and if they come out of session and say no pre-school program then, we will go ahead to continue with the project and build the building at Lee High School campus. If they say yes to a pre-school program for Lee County School District then, we would need to bring this back to the Board to make a decision on possibly placing the building on Whitten’s campus.

Supt. Thompson presented bus financing and recommended that the board approve of financing ten (10) buses through First National Bank of Eastern Ark. with a down payment of $50,000 and a payment in advance of $52,401.61, interest rate at 4.25 for ten years.

After a lengthy discussion, this item died for lack of a motion.

Supt. Thompson stated that he would take all these quotes out and re-submit to each company a seven (7) year quote and bring it back to the next board meeting, and he also asked the board to keep in mind that the payment would be somewhere around the $80,000 range.

In the absence of Dr. Rhea, Willie Murdock presented Special Ed. computer purchases.

Supt. Thompson recommended that the board approve the purchase of seven (7) computers.

After a brief discussion, a motion was made by Moore but motion failed for the lack of a second.

Supt. Thompson stated there was no other recommendation on this item and he would refer it back to Dr. Rhea and discuss it and maybe bring it back to the next board meeting.

In the absence of Dr. Rhea, Willie Murdock presented Special Ed. OPT billing.

Supt. Thompson recommended that the board approve the Special Ed. OPT billing in the amount of $5,351.25.

A motion was made by Johnson and seconded by Stanley, to accept Supt. Thompson’s recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.

Dr. L. C. Mitchell requested permission to do dental screening in the Lee County School District.

Supt. Thompson recommended that the board approve of dental screening in the district.

After a brief discussion, a motion was made by Johnson and seconded by Stanley, to accept Supt. Thompson’s recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.

A motion was made by Miller and seconded by Stanley, as of this year the board will allow Dr. Mitchell to continue to do dental screening and send a form out for consent of parents before the child can be screened, and he would not have to come before the board each year. If something changes, Dr. Mitchell will notify Supt. Thompson of those changes or who ever is the Superintendent at that time, and then the board will take action at that time.

Supt. Thompson stated to the board that he didn’t think the board had authority to make a decision for next year school board. It may be this identical group of people and it may not be.

President Corkran stated that Dr. Mitchell has done a great job in the past, but if they do what Mr. Miller is saying, what about someone else that might want to do the same thing.

Miller amended the motion and Stanley seconded by saying if by chance any other dental firm or organization wishes to provide the same services as Dr. Mitchell has in the past, the board will be more than happy to look into their proposal and take action at that time, and Dr. Mitchell will not do any screening until the board has made a decision on whom they are going to use. Those for: Johnson, Stanley and Miller. Those opposed: Corkran and Moore.

Willie Murdock presented policy JFAB, “transfer students”.

After a brief discussion, Supt. Thompson recommended that the board suspend the rules of the first reading and wave the second reading and act on this policy tonight.

A motion was made by Moore and seconded by Stanley, to suspend the rules of the first reading and wave the second reading and act on this policy. Those for: Corkran, Moore, Stanley and Miller. Those opposed: Johnson.

Willie Murdock presented policy IHCDA, “concurrent credit”.

Supt. Thompson recommended that the board approve policy IHCDA.

A motion was made by Stanley and seconded by Johnson, to suspend the rules for the first reading and wave the rules for the second reading and act on this policy tonight. The motion passed unanimously.

Nancy Blount presented a proposal for salary increase. Mrs. Blount asked the board to approve the fringe benefits to be paid by the District: Dental and Optical Insurance, Long Term Disability, an additional $50.00 per month on health insurance and a $1,000.00 across the board raise for all employees to be paid in a lump sum minus applicable taxes, etc. Mrs. Blount also asked the board to wave the second reading and act on this tonight.

Supt. Thompson asked Mrs. Sanders to make a short presentation on this matter.

Mrs. Sanders stated that they were going to have to watch the funds. If the State mandates that they give the teachers the $3,000.00 that they’re looking at, there is no guarantee that they’re going to send that kind of money for the district to do that. She also stated that we can’t keep taking out and continuing the way we’re going. She stated that Mrs. Blount mentioned the millage rate, but the millage that they transferred to operating is still going to have to buy the buses and fix the buildings. It’s just in a different fund right now.

After a lengthy discussion, a motion was made by Johnson and seconded by Miller, to go into executive session with the Superintendent. The motion passed unanimously.

The board convened into executive session at 8:34 P. M.

The board reconvened back into open session at 8:55 P. M.

Supt. Thompson recommended that the board hold off on any salary increases until they can study it in more detail and find out more information on the State funding and will try to bring our funding by January meeting and if the state is finished with their session, we will have that funding to bring also.

A motion was made by Moore and seconded by Johnson, to accept Supt. Thompson’s recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.

Willie Murdock presented personnel. She reported the following classified resignation: Jennifer Sims effective date Jan. 16, 2004.

President Corkran asked the board what date would be best for everyone to come together to compile Supt. Thompson’s evaluation?

Stanley recommended that the evaluation be done on another night other than the regular meeting because it is time consuming and need to be done separately.

A motion was made by Stanley and seconded by Johnson, for the board to meet the second Tuesday in January, which is January 13, 2004 at 6:00 P. M., to compile Supt. Thompson’s evaluation. The motion passed unanimously.

Under unfinished business, Stanley mentioned that the board didn’t appoint a vice-president and asked could they open the floor for nominations.

President Corkran opened the floor for nominations for vice-president.

Stanley nominated Miller for vice-president.

A motion was made by Johnson and seconded by Stanley, to close the nominations with one name and approve him by acclamation. Those for: Johnson, Stanley, Moore and Miller. Those opposed: Corkran.

Miller stated that some of the board members had went out to Moro dorm and looked at the building and there was supposed to had been a bidding process. He asked what happen with the bidding.

Supt. Thompson stated the board didn’t give any directions on what to do or when.

A motion was made by Miller and seconded by Johnson, to get a minimum bid together and allow Supt. Thompson to set a bid and present it to the board at the January meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

Under new business, Miller stated a while back it was agreed upon that school events would not be scheduled on the same night as school board meetings, other than games.

Supt. Thompson stated that he would send a memo out the next day informing the principals not to have anything scheduled at their school during the board meeting nights, except athletic events.

A motion was made by Miller and seconded by Johnson, to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:12 P. M.