Little Rock School District, school board meeting minutes and correspondence

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LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT January 11 , 2005 Office of Desegregation Monitoring One Union National Plaza 124 West Capitol, Suite 1895 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear ODM Staff: I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on August 26, September 23, October 14, October 28, and November 11, and November 16, 2004. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide additional information. Enclosures Sincerely, Beverly J. Griffin Executive Assistant to the Superintendent 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 447-1002 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING January 13, 2005 nl u FEB 10 l:os OFFICE l)f DESEGREGATIO 1 , .. N\TORING The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting in conjunction with the regularly scheduled agenda meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Katherine Mitchell Bryan Day Tony Rose MEMBERS ABSENT: Baker Kurrus Sue Strickland ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:18 p.m. Five members of the Board were present at roll call. Mr. Kurrus and Ms. Strickland were absent. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the special meeting listed two items for the Board's review and consideration. A. Resolution in Support of Lease Purchase Agreement for School Buses B. Review of Regulations GBK - Grievances/Concerns/Complaints C. Mitchell Community - Request for Special Meeting REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 13, 2005 Page 2 Ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Resolution: Mark Milhollen presented a resolution in support of a lease purchase agreement for six school buses. This purchase had been included in previous budget actions, but a Board resolution was required in order to finalize the purchase. Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the resolution
Mr. Day seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. Mr. Rose and Mr. Day requested that the administration continue to monitor and evaluate the availability of hybrid vehicles for District use. Mr. Rose stated that he would begin to draft a policy that would preclude us from purchasing vehicles that are not fuel efficient, and that we begin to replace cars, trucks and other vehicles with hybrids. B. Regulation GBK: Grievances / Concerns I Complaints Beverly Williams presented a regulation to support Board policy GBK, Grievances/Concerns/Complaints. Arkansas law, Act 1357 requires that the Board of Education include a policy and regulation regarding grievance procedures for all employees who are not covered by a professional negotiations agreement. The Board received the revised regulation for review and comment. No formal Board action was required. The regulations will become a part of the District's policy manual and employee handbook. C. Mitchell Community - Request for Special Meeting The Board received a petition from citizens in the Mitchell School Community on December 13, 2004, requesting a special meeting of the Board. A certified letter was mailed in response, offering the date of January 13 for the meeting. The Board was prepared to conduct the special meeting to hear from this group, but there was no response and none of the petitioners were pre~ent at the time of the meeting. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 13, 2005 Page3 IV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Rose, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. APPROVED: / -J, '2 OS Larry Berkley, Pf sident U:41~ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 27, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Katherine Mitchell Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Six members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Daugherty arrived at 5:40 p.m. In addition, ex officio representatives for the month of January were also present: Nona Whittaker, teacher at Cloverdale Magnet Middle School, and Kristian Henderson, Central High School student. II. PROCEDURAL MATTERS/ WELCOMING COMMENTS Mr. Berkley welcomed the audience and introduced Danny Fletcher, Director of Fine Arts, who presented the M. L. King Elementary School string choir. The choir is directed by Mary Zies. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page2 Ill. REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS A. Superintendent's Citations Prior to the presentation of Superintendent's Citations, Dr. Brooks introduced his fiance, Brenda Whitmore. The first recognition was given to Mr. Frank Barofsky and Friends of Donnie Dietz. This group of gentlemen donated funds to install the Dietz Physical Development Center at Hall High School. The dedication ceremony was held on January 11, and Dr. Brooks asked the audience to join him in expressing appreciation for this generous donation. Nancy Rousseau assisted in the presentation of citations to Central High School math teacher, Lenora Murray. Ms. Murray's students received state recognition in the American Math Competitions. Students who were present included: Ann Ye, Don Ding, Lawrence Watts, and Cherry Fu. Kristian Henderson, this month's student ex officio representative to the Board, was recognized for receiving a $20,000 scholarship as one of the Urban America's Best and Brightest Students. Dell, Inc. and College Broadband, Inc sponsor this competition, which will provide $5,000 per year for four years. Kristian and Nona Whittaker, teacher ex officio representative, received certificates of appreciation from the Board and Superintendent for participating in the January board meetings. B. Remarks from Citizens None. C. Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association Mr. Ledbetter was present, but had no remarks or reports. D. Public Education Foundation Presentation on Project SOAR Dr. Linda Remele from the Public Education Foundation provided a brief overview of the on-line assessment tool, Project SOAR, which is being installed and implemented at several LRSD middle schools. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 3 SOAR will allow teachers to monitor student progress in order to tailor individualized instructional plans and provide appropriate remediation. The tool is being piloted at Dunbar, Mabelvale, Southwest and Pulaski Heights Middle Schools. IV. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Remarks from Board Members Katherine Mitchell reported that she had attended the Stamp-Out Smoking rally at McClellan. She also invited audience members to attend a Reader & Writer Series on Saturday, January 29 at Philander Smith College. These workshops will promote literature by African American authors
middle and high school students are encouraged to attend. Baker Kurrus attended the Dietz Awards ceremony at Hall High School. He thanked the donors for making this contribution in memory of their friend, Donnie Dietz. The gentlemen who made this contribution had never been to Little Rock before, and chose to honor the memory of their friend by making a contribution to his high school alma mater. Mr. Kurrus also reminded the audience that open enrollment for students new to the district was taking place this week and next. He encouraged the audience to visit our schools and experience excellence in education first hand. Tony Rose remarked that our students were achieving well and that the LRSD was doing a very good job at providing a quality education. He thanked the Public Education Foundation and the donors who made the contributions that allowed implementation of Project SOAR. Sue Strickland also expressed appreciation to the Public Education Foundation. She congratulated Dr. Brooks on his engagement, and extended a welcome to Ms. Whitmore. Mr. Berkley closed the remarks section by extending appreciation to Dr. Remele and Lisa Black for attending the meeting and for providing the information on Project SOAR. B. Entry Plan Executive Summary Report to the Board Dr. Brooks provided a written summary report on the Entry Plan. There were no questions or comments from the Board. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page4 C. Report on Superintendent's Aspiring Principals Institute Dr. Sadie Mitchell presented a brief overview of the process used to select members of the first Superintendent's Aspiring Principals Institute. This yearlong process will prepare the participants to become effective building principals. A detailed report was printed as part of the Board's agenda. The applicants were introduced to the Board, and M' Shay Callicott, the group's spokesperson, thanked Dr. Brooks and the Board for giving them an opportunity to receive professional development and career enhancement. Dr. Daugherty encouraged those who applied but were not selected to try again next year. D. Student Assignment Report Mr. Babbs reminded the audience that open enrollment for the 2005-06 school year was underway through February 4. Access to registration and enrollment information is now available on the LRSD website. He reported that approximately 600 applications had been processed on the first day of enrollment. E. Budget Update Mr. Milhollen took this opportunity to provide a brief overview of the statewide facilities assessment that had been widely reported in the news over the past week. He admitted that the report had generated negative comments and publicity. The findings were somewhat controversial, however, each district had been asked to review their data reports, make comments or corrections and then meet with the Arkansas Facilities Commission. These meetings are intended to facilitate corrections with the expected result being an accurate final version of the report to be submitted to the State legislature. Mr. Milhollen reported that he would provide additional information as the legislative sessions continue and as more information becomes available. Additional funding for facilities should be expected, but the amount cannot be predicted. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 5 F. Construction Report: Proposed Bond Projects Mr. Goodman was present, and the monthly report was printed in the agenda. Dr. Mitchell requested an update on planning for the Rightsell project. Mr. Goodman reported that final reviews and planning were in process and that it would be late March or early April before the final estimates were completed. Estimated time for completion of the work is one year. G. Internal Auditors Report Mr. Becker was present. His printed report was provided as part of the Board's agenda. He reported that he had met with Dr. Mitchell to review goals and to set priorities as directed by the Board. H. Technology Update John Ruffins presented a review of the technology report printed in the Board's agenda. In addition, he reported that computer replacements were taking place in fourteen schools. Mr. Berkley requested on-going updates on installation of the Edline system at Parkview. He asked Mr. Ruffins to provide an estimate for expansion to other schools once the Parkview system was operational. Mr. Berkley stressed the importance of parents having on-line access to their children's grades and attendance information. V. APPROVAL OF ROUTINE MATTERS A. Minutes Minutes from the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on December 16, 2004, and from special meetings held on December 8, 2004, and January 13, 2005, were presented for review and approval. Mr. Rose moved to approve the minutes as submitted
Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 6 VI. HUMAN RESOURCES VII. A. Personnel Changes Routine personnel changes were printed in the Board's agenda. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the report as presented. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. BUSINESS SERVICES A. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve the acceptance of recent donations to schools and departments within the District. The donations are listed in the following chart. Kristian Henderson, student ex officio, read the items listed in the Board's agenda. Dr. Daugherty made a motion to accept the donated items
Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Central High School Office furniture, valued at approximately Gary Stephenson / State Farm $8,322. Insurance Company $2,000 cash to the baseball team Walter C. Coleman Cloverdale Middle School Gift cards, valued at 2=$125 and Bank of America trophies valued at $95 to be used for student rewards and teacher incentives Terry Elementary School Piano valued at $1,500. Karen Stein, Music Specialist at Terry $958 cash to purchase a video camera Robert Jones, Optimist Club of Greater for the media center Little Rock Western Hills Side-by-side refrigerator, valued at $200 Mr. & Mrs. Richard Blain B. Financial Report The monthly financial summary reports were provided to the Board as part of the printed agenda. Mr. Milhollen was present to review the reports and respond to questions. The reports were accepted by consensus. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 7 VIII. CLOSING REMARKS Dr. Brooks announced intersession dates for students who attend the extended year schools
those students will be out from January 31 - February 11. Dr. Mitchell requested copies of the results of customer service surveys completed by principals for the Facilities Services and Human Resources Department. Ms. Whittaker expressed her appreciation to the Board for providing her an opportunity to serve as representative for Cloverdale Magnet Middle School. IX. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. on a motion by Dr. Daugherty, seconded by Ms. Strickland. APPROVED: __ _ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT February 9, 2005 Office of Desegregation Monitoring One Union National Plaza 124 West Capitol, Suite 1895 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear ODM Staff: FEB 1 2005 I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on December 8 and December 16, 2004 and January 13, 2005. In addition, we are providing an addendum to the minutes from the meeting held on November 11, 2004. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide additional information. Sincerely, ~ Beverly J. Griffin Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Enclosures Keep or Toss O ( Posl-11" 7668 C3M 1993 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 447-1002 J r LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING February 10, 2005 M r The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting in conjunction with the regularly scheduled agenda meeting on Thursday, February 10, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Vice-president Mike Daugherty presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Micheal Daugherty Katherine Mitchell Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: Larry Berkley Bryan Day ALSO PRESENT: I. Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Dr. Daugherty called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. Five members of the board were present at roll call. Mr. Berkley and Mr. Day were absent. 11. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the special meeting listed two items for the Board's review and consideration. A. Appointment of Principal - Forest Heights Middle School B. Student Petition for Reinstatement 05 REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 10, 2005 Page2 Ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Appointment of Principal - Forest Heights Middle School The superintendent presented a recommendation to appoint Dr. Deborah Price as the principal at Forest Heights Middle School. Mr. Kurrus made a motion to approve the recommendation. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. B. Student Petition for Reinstatement Dr. Watson presented a recommendation to reinstate Antonio Embry to the LRSD. Antonio was expelled on January 15, 2004 from Dunbar Magnet Middle School. He was found in possession of a loaded handgun, which was found in his backpack. He stated that he and a friend had found the gun on the way to school, and the friend was to have hidden the gun in an empty locker at school. Instead, the friend placed the gun in his backpack without his knowledge. Antonio served one year in the Step One Program of the Juvenile Justice Center. He completed the program with a 3.25 grade point average
good behavior and good attendance were noted in his records. In addition, he attended Rivendale Day Treatment and Bridgeway Hospital Residential Treatment Programs. His counselors have recommended placement in a regular school setting as the best educational option for Antonio. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation for reinstatement. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. IV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Rose, seconded by Mr. Kurrus. APPROVED: ___ _ -~ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 24, 2005 05 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 24, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Katherine Mitchell Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Six members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Daugherty arrived at 5:40 p.m. In addition, ex officio representatives for the month of February were also present: Shirley Harper, teacher at Dunbar Magnet Middle School, and Vantina Hampton, J. A. Fair High School student. II. PROCEDURAL MATTERS/WELCOMING COMMENTS Mr. Berkley welcomed the audience and introduced Danny Fletcher, Director of Fine Arts, who presented students from Mitchell Elementary School. Their teacher, Kelly Keck, provided a brief description of the grant received by the LRSD to provide music training for elementary school teachers and the benefits of this grant for our students. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page2 Ill. REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS A. Superintendent's Citations Dr. Brooks recognized the Central High School Tiger football team, the Arkansas 5-A champions for the second year in a row. Coach Bernie Cox and members of the team were present, as well as Nancy Rousseau, Central's principal. In addition to the team's recognition, Coach Cox was honored for his selection as the High School Coach of the Year. This honor was given to Coach Cox by the Little Rock Touchdown Club and the National Federation of State High School Coaches Association. The Board suspended the rules at this point in the agenda to honor Coach Cox by naming the football field at Quigley Stadium in his honor. That action will be reported later in these minutes. Chloe Smith, student at Mann Magnet Middle School was recognized for her selection as one of two Arkansas winners in the national Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Chloe works as a volunteer in an after school and summer camp sponsored by Easter Seals of Arkansas. She will receive a $1,000 prize, an engraved medallion and a trip to Washington D.C. in May. Dr. Brooks presented a citation to Mrs. Carolyn Foreman, director of the Parkview Magnet High School Choir. Mrs. Foreman was named 2004 Central Region High School Choir Director of the Year by the Arkansas Choral Directors Association. The superintendent presented a citation to Nancy Rousseau in recognition of Central High School's selection as one of twelve high schools in the nation to be recognized by the Siemens Corporation and The College Board. The Siemens Award is given in recognition of exceptional Advanced Placement math and science programs. Brenda Futrell, Central High School teacher, was honored for her selection as the 2004-05 Arkansas Marketing Teacher of the Year. Ms. Futrell sponsors the Central High School chapter of the Distributive Education Clubs of America. Two of her students won medals at the state level competitions this year, Patrick Beavers for Food Marketing, Associate Level, and Leslie Rogers, Full Service Restaurant Management. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page3 Dr. Brooks presented a citation to Eliza Borne, editor of the Central High Tiger newspaper. Eliza has been selected to receive two scholarships: the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, and the Guideposts Young Writers Scholarship in the amount of $4,000. In addition to the cash awards, Eliza will travel to Washington, DC where she will meet with other top journalism students from across the country. The final citations were presented to the ex officio board representatives, Shirley Harper, teacher from Dunbar Magnet Middle School, and Vantina Hampton, student from J. A. Fair Magnet High School. Dr. Brooks introduced Deborah Price, who was recently assigned as principal of Forest Heights Middle School, and Becky Ramsey, who was appointed as the principal of Terry Elementary School. B. Partners in Education: New Partnerships Debbie Milam addressed the Board, reminding the audience that the annual Evening for the Stars would be held on April 26, 2005. The Board was asked to approve recent partnerships between schools and businesses: Alternative and Accelerated Learning Centers, represented by Jodie Carter and Carol Green with Little Rock Job Corp, represented by Willie Brown, Willie Jones and Mary Ellen Cody Chicot Elementary School, represented by De/win Smith with Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits, represented by Mr. Berry Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, represented by Tyrone Harris with Cozymel's, represented by Linda Fletcher and Tiffany Jones Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the partnerships, Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. Remarks from Citizens Gwen Marshall introduced herself as a teacher at Mitchell Elementary School. She reported having continuing health problems which she contributed to working in the old Mitchell building. She asked the Board to consider the health issues that remain among teachers and students who were exposed to the unhealthy air quality and environment of Mitchell. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page4 Rebecca Campbell stated that she was a parent of two students at Central High School. She asked for the Board to grant an exception to the policy that prevents employees from doing business with the District. There was an action item on the agenda for the Board's consideration which would allow a District employee to sell soccer equipment to the school teams. David Duke, volunteer soccer coach at Central High School, asked for the Board's consideration of the request for Jennie Cooper to be allowed to do business with the District. He stated that he was forced to purchase $4,500 worth of soccer uniforms and equipment from an out-of-state, on-line vendor because of the restrictions imposed by the District's policy. Jennie Cooper asked for the Board to consider her request to be allowed to sell soccer equipment to the District. She asked the Board to consider the fact that most of the money spent on soccer uniforms and equipment was contributed by parents, and that only $600 per year was allocated per team from the District's budget. Pastor Clarence Thornton, minister from Macedonia Baptist Church, commented on racial issues within the LRSD. He spoke of concerns that the LRSD is not adequately educating African American students to be successful, and that the administrative and teaching staff of the District was not reflective of the 70% minority student enrollment. He asked the Board to develop a plan to ensure that we have a school district that is reflective of the make up of the community. D. Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association Katherine Knight congratulated all of the students and employees who were recognized by Superintendent Brooks earlier in the agenda. She reminded the Board that contract negotiations were scheduled to begin within a few weeks. She was anticipating a quick bargaining session with few issues for negotiation. Ms. Knight provided a brief review of the National Board Certification process, noting that portfolios were scheduied for submission by the end of March. She thanked Dr. Brooks and the Board for providing the stipends that allowed more of our teachers to participate in this process. The perfect attendance incentives were paid out on the Friday prior to the Board meeting. This negotiated benefit allowed a reduction in the need for substitutes and gave the teachers a financial reward for coming to work regularly. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 5 Ms. Knight thanked Olivine Roberts for working with the CTA and District special education administrators and teachers to resolve some serious concerns and issues. She reminded the Board that Benchmark tests were scheduled within a few weeks and she extended best wishes to students and teachers who had been working hard to make sure that students succeed on these assessments. IV. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Remarks from Board Members Ms. Strickland stated that she was excited about the future of the LRSD, and thanked Dr. Brooks for his leadership. She stated that she was anticipating nothing but good results from his efforts to lead the District to success. Dr. Daugherty reported that the first official meeting of the committee to find an alternate use for the Mitchell School building had been held immediately prior to this board meeting. He noted that many ideas had been generated by the committee members and stated that they would schedule additional meetings to assess the needs of the community. Their comments and suggestions will be included in a recommendation for the Board's consideration. Mr. Berkley reported that he had substituted at McClellan High School and stated that he had a new appreciation for what our teachers are facing each day in the classroom. He encouraged others to get into the schools to see firsthand what it is like to be a teacher in the LRSD. Mr. Rose stated that he had attended a mathematics leadership workshop sponsored by UALR. He reported that sometimes the responsibility for education is removed from the student. He suggested that the students must be held accountable for their own educational success. Mr. Kurrus reported that he had been attending soccer games and that he was pleased with the good sportsman exhibited by our students. He said that they compete hard and fair and win gracefully. He stated that he had been invited to speak at the state PTA legislative conference. State legislators are showing a lot of courage in making the decisions that should be made for our kids. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page6 In closing, Mr. Kurrus discussed the rapid changes that would be taking place in the LRSD over the next few weeks and months. He noted that we would become much leaner and that we must change the way we deliver education to the children. Dr. Mitchell thanked everyone for expressions of support and sympathy in the recent loss of her mother. She reported that she had attended the open house at Metropolitan and congratulated the individuals who work in that program, preparing our students to enter the workforce. She also commended Sandy Becker on his selection to receive a service award from the Arkansas Association of Certified Public Accountants. Dr. Mitchell expressed concern about the reorganization of the District, stating that there were too many uncertainties involved and too many people who had not been informed about how they would be affected by the changes. She felt that employees who had the most to lose were those who had not been informed about the impact of the changes. She questioned the reasoning behind paying consultants to tell us how to reorganize. B. Student Assignment Report Mr. Babbs reported that assignment letters for the 2005-06 school year would be mailed out on March 4, 2005. Letters for Pre-Kindergarten students would follow on April 8. C. Budget Update Mr. Milhollen reported that the first installment of the attendance incentive payments had been mailed to teachers. These payments were a part of the contract negotiations for the 2004-05 school year and that teachers who were eligible would receive as much as $1,300 per year as an incentive bonus for not missing any days from school. Other employee groups were scheduled to receive payments, but not in the same amount. 873 teachers had received the stipend, for a total payout for the District of $318,601. It is hoped that this incentive will reflect in better student achievement by having the teacher in the classroom every day. Mr. Milhollen also reported on monitoring of the legislative facilities review. Four bills had been drafted that would impact the facilities needs across the state. He promised to continue to monitor the legislative actions and report to the Board as more is known. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 7 D. Construction Report: Proposed Bond Projects Mr. Goodman reported that the drawings for the Rightsell renovations were expected by the end of the month. Once those are reviewed , the District would enter into the bidding process for completing the recommended work. The complete bond project report was printed in the Board's agenda. E. Internal Auditors Report Mr. Becker was present. His printed report was provided as part of the Board's agenda. F. Technology Update Ms. Neal reported that installation of Edline at Parkview was complete. Staff training was complete, and training for parents was continuing. Edline will be installed at the other four high schools after spring break. A written report was provided as a part of the Board's agenda. - The Board took a brief recess and returned at 7:15 p.m. Dr. Daugherty did not return. V. APPROVAL OF ROUTINE MATTERS A. Minutes Minutes from the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on January 27, and from a special meeting held on February 10, 2005, were presented for review and approval. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the minutes as submitted
Mr. Day seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VI. SCHOOL SERVICES A. Naming of Facilities: Proposal to Name Football Field at Quigley Stadium The Board suspended the rules during the Superintendent's Citations section of the agenda to allow action on this item. Mr. Kurrus made a motion to suspend the rules, seconded by Mr. Rose, and unanimously approved. In accordance with Board Policy FF: Naming of Facilities, parents, students and supporters of the Central High School football program submitted a request to rename the athletic field at Quigley Stadium in honor of Coach Bernie Cox. Coach Cox and his wife were present. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 8 Mr. Kevin Crass, Central High School supporter and parent, provided a brief history of Coach Cox's tenure at Central, including his win-loss record of 250- 93-8. Coach Cox has been head football coach at Central since 1975. Mr. Kurrus made a motion to approve the request to name the football field at Quigley Stadium in honor of Coach Cox
Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VII. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES A. Grant Application: Minority Initiative-Tobacco Prevention Program Jo Evelyn Elston submitted a request for the Board to authorize submission of a grant application that would provide up to $100,000 for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The funding is provided by the Arkansas Department of Health. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the submission, Mr. Day seconded the motion and it carried 5-1 , with Mr. Kurrus casting the no vote. B. First Reading: Revision of Policy JE - Student Enrollment, Attendance and Transfers Several District policies were submitted for revision to bring them into compliance with state statutes. Policy JE, Student Enrollment, Attendance and Transfers was revised and submitted for the Board's review and first reading approval. Mr. Day moved to approve the revision on first reading. Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. VIII. CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION A. First Reading: Revision to Policy IKF - General Education Graduation Requirements First Reading: Revision to Policy IAA - Professional Development Review of Regulation IAA-R Review of Regulation ID-R - Student Schedules Board Policies IKF, General Education Graduation Requirements, and /AA, Professional Development were submitted for review and revision. These revisions were required in order to ensure compliance with Arkansas laws and Arkansas Department of Education Standards for Accreditation. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 9 In addition, regulations IAA-R and ID-R were revised and provided for the Board's review and comment. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the revised policies on first reading. Mr. Rose seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Dr. Daugherty returned at 7:25 p.m. IX. HUMAN RESOURCES A. Personnel Changes Routine personnel changes were printed in the Board's agenda. Mr. Day moved to approve the personnel actions as presented. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. X. BUSINESS SERVICES A. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) Agreement Mark Milhollen introduced Cary Smith, account representative from Stephens, Inc. A proposal to apply for QZAB funding was presented for the Board's review and approval. These funds would provide approximately $5.8 million for HVAC projects across the District. Previous QZAB funds granted to the LRSD, were used to install energy efficient lighting in all schools and administrative offices. The deadline to apply for these funds is March 11. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the resolution to apply for QZAB funding. Mrs. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 4-2-1, with Mr. Day and Mr. Kurrus voting no, and Dr. Daugherty abstaining. B. Employee Request to Conduct Business with the District Under Arkansas law, full open disclosure is required for an employee to conduct business with the school district where he or she is employed. Jennie Cooper, owner of Soccer Plus, works at Central High School as the soccer coach. A request to provide bids on soccer supplies, uniforms and equipment was provided for the board's consideration. Ms. Cooper had earlier addressed the Board, requesting their consideration and approval. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 10 Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the request to allow Ms. Cooper to conduct business with the LRSD. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion. Mr. Day requested an amendment to the motion to include a stipulation that would ensure that the vendor adhere to all District policies. Mr. Kurrus seconded the amended motion. The motion carried 6-1, with Ms. Strickland casting the no vote. Mr. Day left the meeting at 7:50 p.m. C. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve the acceptance of recent donations to schools and departments within the District. The donations are listed in the following chart. Kristian Henderson, student ex officio, read the items listed in the Board's agenda. Dr. Daugherty made a motion to accept the donated items
Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Bale Elementary School $100 cash for kindergarten class Calvin Brown $9,020 cash to be distributed to various UALR - Children International projects: school uniforms, winter coats, hats & gloves, health room equipment. materials to build outside classroom, Arkansas Rice Depot Backpack Program, I-shirts for students, and registration fees for students to participate in the LR Marathon Central High School $3,000 cash to special education Winthrop & Lisenne Rockefeller department Microwave oven to the basketball Paula Aultz and Kevin & Cathy Crass concession stand Cloverdale Magnet Middle Gift cards valued at $220. trophies Bank of America School valued at $95, and supplies for spelling bee awards $25.00 Rightsell Academy $700 cash for school uniforms and 100 Black Men teacher I student Incentives $400 cash for school uniforms and LR Black Police Officers' Association teacher I student incentives $300 cash for staff I-shirts for Race for Dr. & Mrs. Cortez McFarland the Cure $100 cash for materials and supplies for Andre Pendleton the spaghetti dinner & talent show $250.00 cash for school uniforms Rightsell PTA $50 cash for materials and supplies for Family of Charlie Carrigton the soaohettl dinner & talent show REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 27, 2005 Page 11 XI. Donations: (Continued) SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Rightsell Academy Washer I dryer, valued at $250 to assist Jimmerson Family Health Care in orovidina clean uniforms for students LRSD Smoke Free Homes $1 ,000 cash to purchase incentives to Wal-Mart Foundation Campaign be distributed to elementary and middle school classes with the highest number of "Smoke Free Homes" oledoes LRSD Homeless Education $102.93 cash for emergency services Grace Presbyterian Church Program for homeless families $75 cash for holiday assistance for homeless students D. Financial Report LRSD Association of Educational Office Professionals The monthly financial summary reports were provided to the Board as part of the printed agenda. Mr. Milhollen was present to review the reports and respond to questions. The reports were accepted by consensus. CLOSING REMARKS Dr. Brooks announced the dates in March for Benchmark and other achievement tests. XII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. on a motion by Dr. Daugherty, seconded by Mr. Rose. APPROVED: 5-~Lf-O'S Larry Berkley, Pre:,ident ~ ., . ' , olJd~_/ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT March 4, 2005 Office of Desegregation Monitoring One Union National Plaza 124 West Capitol, Suite 1895 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear ODM Staff: ~OOZ I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on January 27 and February 10, 2005. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide additional information. Sincerely, ~.Griffin Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Enclosures 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 447-1002 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING March 10, 2005 I The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting in conjunction with the regularly scheduled agenda meeting on Thursday, March 10, 05 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Vice-president Mike Daugherty presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Katherine Mitchell Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. All members of the board were present at roll call. In addition, Jeff Carr, teacher ex officio representative from Forest Heights Middle School, was also present. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the special meeting listed two items for the Board's review and consideration. A. Personnel: Appointment of Assistant Principal B. Presentation: Organizational Audit/ Review of Recommendations C. Student Hearing REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 1 0, 2005 Page2 Ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Appointment of Assistant Principal - Forest Heights Middle School The superintendent presented a recommendation to appoint Betty Mosley as the assistant principal at Forest Heights Middle School. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the recommendation. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 6-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the "no" vote. B. Presentation: Organizational Audit/ Review of Recommendations Dr. Brooks introduced Mr. Bob Klempen, Dr. Dennis Smith and Dr. Leland Newcomer, members of the organizational audit team that compiled the recommendations for restructuring the LRSD. Dr. Smith provided a PowerPoint overview of their report and described the process used to determine how to best consolidate the District's administrative staff and reduce the number of positions at the central office level. The District's internal audit team provided information during the process that was used by the auditors to develop the blueprint for change. Dr. Smith thanked them for the time they dedicated to this endeavor, and introduced them to the audience: Dr. Sadie Mitchell, Mark Milhollen, Beverly Williams, Olivine Roberts, Karen DeJarnette, and Suellen Vann. Board members were provided an opportunity to ask questions and state their concerns. Mr. Berkley then asked the Board for a motion to suspend the rules in order to hear public comment. Mr. Rose made the motion, Dr. Daugherty seconded, and it carried unanimously. Dr. Mary Good from UALR, Donaghey College, addressed the board in support of the organizational audit. She noted that it was healthy to have outside eyes to review what is being done in an organization in order to gain the proper perspective for change. In her view, the restructuring would provide additional resources for students. Daniel Smythe, J. A. Fair Band Director, stated that discipline is a problem at Fair and that the assistant principals at that school are not taking responsibility consistently to make improvements. He noted that these individuals do not follow the student handbook when sanctioning students for misbehavior. Russ Carter introduced himself as a parent. He stated that he was pleased that the Board is making positive changes and would appreciate the opportunity to provide input once he has had a chance to see the plan in greater detail. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 10, 2005 Page3 Tracy Smith addressed the Board regarding problems she had experienced when trying to get an instructional aide assigned to her child's classroom. She thanked James Washington, District's Ombudsman, for assisting her with problems at Henderson Middle School. Sharon Nelson spoke in support of Tracy Smith, and problems experienced with the special education classroom at Henderson. She stated that it had become an extreme problem trying to have the students' IEP implemented. Annie Abrams cautioned the Board that "Corporate America" had come to the LRSD. She stated that she would pray for Dr. Brooks and that he had become a victim of the system. Phillip Wilson, teacher at Parkview, asked the Board to take a look at the support structures for teachers during the upcoming reorganization and to maintain the assistance provided by the Math and Science specialists. He stated specific support for Marcelline Carr and Vanessa Cleaver. Dale Lamotte stated concerns regarding the resources and programs at Parkview Magnet School. His student has been diagnosed with ADD and was retained without proper notifications. He felt that his child's rights had been violated and he thanked James Washington, Linda Watson, and Katherine Mitchell for their assistance in getting his son assigned to the ACC program. Through that assistance, he would be able to catch up and graduate with his class. Merrily Low stated that she didn't quite understand how the reorganization would help student achievement and that she and others still had a lot of questions. Lillie Teague expressed concerns regarding middle school students who are assigned to the ALC. Parents are having trouble understanding what the system has to offer their children and what they can do to help. The board recessed at 7:15 p.m. to conduct the agenda meeting, and reconvened at 7:45 p.m. for a student disciplinary hearing. C. Student Hearing Dr. Watson provided background information related to an expulsion recommendation for student Leslie Piggee. Leslie and his father appeared before the Board to appeal the hearing officer's recommendation for placement at the Alternative Leaming Center. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 10, 2005 Page4 IV. Leslie attended Hall High School and was recommended for expulsion on January 19, 2005, for physically assaulting a staff member. The teacher, Michael Clark, attended the appeal hearing and provided responses to questions from the Board. In addition, the assistant principal who filed the administrative report regarding the incident, Rhonda Dunn, was also present. Leslie admitted to having radio headphones on during class, and admitted that he refused to tum the headphones over to the teacher when requested. He admitted shoving the teacher from the doorway of the classroom when the teacher was attempting to keep him in the room until security arrived. Dr. Watson recommended placement at the ALC for the remainder of the 2004- 05 school year and the first semester of the 2005-06 school year. Based on his grades and behavior, he would be eligible for placement in a regular school at semester of the 2005-06 school year. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the administration's recommendation for placement and services through the Alternative Leaming Center. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Day, seconded by Mr. Rose. APPROVED: 3-~4-0~ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 RECEIVED MAY 2 2005 OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORING The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Katherine Mitchell Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. All members of the Board were present at roll call. In addition, ex officio teacher representative, Jeff Carr, from Forest Heights Middle School was also present. The student representative did not attend. II. PROCEDURAL MATTERS/ WELCOMING COMMENTS President Berkley welcomed the audience and asked Mr. Kurrus to assist with the citations and presentations. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page2 Ill. REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS A. Superintendent's Citations The Superintendent recognized the Parkview girls' basketball team for winning the state 5-A championship for the second straight year. Coach Lahoma Howard and members of the team were present. Crystal Boyd was congratulated for receiving the tournament's Most Valuable Player award and for being chosen to be on the 2005 McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Team. Crystal is only the second female from Arkansas ever to be selected for this honor. Crystal was also named the 2005 Gatorade Arkansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year. This award is presented for athletic performance and for classroom achievement and overall character. Vicki Gonterman International Studies Specialist at Gibbs Magnet Elementary School, was recognized for her selection as one of two National Peace Corps Global Educator Award winners for 2004-05. Employees who participated in the Central Arkansas Regional Science Fair at UALR were presented with a Superintendent's citation: Yvonne Bolden, Melissa Donham, Antoinette Finney, Stephanie Jones, Jane Meadows, Daryl Newcomb, Katie Parson, Annita Paul, Randy Renaud, April Rike, Annice Steadman, Joy Thompson and Margaret Wang. Dr. Brooks extended appreciation to members of Fellowship Bible Church for providing valuable services to the Little Rock School District's Division of Exceptional Children. Fellowship Bible Church provides meeting space and use of equipment, free of charge, for in-service meetings
they are always willing to accommodate other LRSD departments and divisions for large group meetings and luncheons. Pastor Ray Williams was not able to attend, but Shelby Smith was present to accept the Superintendent's citation. Karen Fetzer, Executive Director of The Little Rock Rotary Clubs and other members of Downtown Rotary Club 99, Kathy Jones, Jim Harris and Roy Lamm were recognized for their annual educational service project. This year they donated 2,000 dictionaries, one for each third grade student in the LRSD, and members of the club took a morning out of their schedules to personally deliver the books to our students. The final citation was presented to the teacher representative, Jeff Carr, from Forest Heights Middle School. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 3 B. Partners in Education: New Partnerships Debbie Milam presented one new partnership for the Board's review and approval. Chicot Elementary School, represented by Jane Harkey, in partnership with First United Methodist Church, represented by Delia Prather Mr. Rose moved to approve the partnership, Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. Discussion: Long-term Budgetary Considerations Mr. Berkley requested a motion to suspend the rules to discuss long-term budgetary considerations. He also requested a presentation and overview of the administrative reorganization by the Superintendent. Mr. Rose made the motion to suspend the rules
Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Mr. Berkley provided background information regarding the state's obligation to pay desegregation funding through 2008 as a result of previous court settlements and negotiated agreements. The District has been dependent on these funds, approximately $30 million per year, to fund operations in magnet school and special programs related to desegregation. Concerns that the state may no longer be required to fund these programs requires the LRSD to determine how to best allocate existing funds to remain fiscally sound. It was noted that the Pulaski County Special School District had already been experiencing a degree of ''fiscal distress," and Mr. Berkley stated that it would be prudent and fiscally responsible for the LRSD Board and administrators to plan now for the eventual funding limitations. At Mr. Berkley's request, Dr. Brooks proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation to further detail the reorganization and restructuring of the District's administration. Board members were invited to provide input and comment over the next few weeks and months as the District evolves into a more efficiently run organization. D. Discussion: Tax Increment Financing Issues Mr. Kurrus discussed tax increment financing issues that were being considered by the state legislature. He explained that the original intent was to allow tax incentives to be provided to make improvements to "blighted" areas of the state by re-directing property taxes into the improvement areas REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page4 or districts. However, the resulting interpretations of the tax-increment initiatives would mean a reduction in the amount of tax funds that would be allocated to the school districts. He urged the audience and listeners to speak out in opposition to the TIF initiatives. E. Discussion: Student Attendance at Athletic Events/ Excused Absences Dr. Daugherty discussed the district's policies and procedures regarding excused absences for students to attend non-school related competitions and tournaments, specifically those that are held out of state or out of the country. He asked for the District administration to review the current practices to ensure that our students are not penalized for their participation in these positive activities. F. Remarks from Citizens Claudius Johnson addressed the Board regarding conditions and disciplinary concerns in the schools located in Southwest Little Rock. He thanked Dr. Brooks and Mrs. Strickland for taking the time to visit the schools where the most serious conditions exist. He stated that problems at Cloverdale and McClellan were not new, but had existed for several years. Concerned citizens in that area have scheduled a meeting to discuss ways in which they may contribute to improvement in these schools, and he invited members of the Board and administration to attend. Gearlene Crain discussed problems at the ALC, stating that the school "is not working." She thanked the District's ombudsman for his assistance in trying to help with her concerns. Dr. Joel Anderson, Chancellor of UALR and chairman of the education committee of the Chamber of Commerce asked the Board to support Superintendent Roy Brooks' plan to make significant and rapid change in the District's operations and administrative organization. He stated that the Board's action to support the proposed changes would increase community support and confidence in the LRSD. Carla Coleman introduced herself as an employee of the Valley Drive Alert Center. She asked for assistance in making certain that our students remain at school during school hours. She stated that there are many fights between students that overflow into the community and cause safety issues for area residents. She expressed concern for the students' welfare, and asked the District to make the building principals and teachers accountable for the student's during the school day. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page5 Chiquita Munir discussed the proposed reduction of the District's gifted and talented program staff. She encouraged the board to maintain gifted programs and quality and challenging educational curriculum in order to keep the best and brightest children motivated to learn. Sarah Purtle discussed the proposed elimination of literacy specialists in the district's early childhood program office. She stated that these staff members are necessary to provide assistance and support to the classroom teachers in order to maintain high quality ratings and a highly effective early childhood program. Velma Smith expressed concerns regarding accountability at the school level. She stated that the school staff where her child attends does not make proper notification when children are absent from school, and there are not sufficient programs dealing with students who need extra help. She felt that many children, not just her own, were being left behind because the school staff members do not show appropriate levels of accountability and due diligence. Mary Zies, music teacher at M. L. King Elementary School asked for the board and administration to maintain a high quality music education program. She related research that shows students learn better and score higher on achievement tests when they are involved in band and music programs. She expressed support for Dr. Danny Fletcher, fine arts director, and asked for continuing support for music and arts programming. Tamara Baker thanked Dr. Brooks for the reinstatement of 1.5 positions in Occupational Therapy to the Division of Exceptional Children. She expressed concerns regarding hiring contract OT's in the district, and noted that higher quality service to the students is a result of having our own staff and our own system of accountability when implementing the students' individual educational plans. Bernadette Turner expressed support for the Superintendent's plan to reorganize the district's administration. She expressed concerns regarding the perception that the Board is racially divided on issues that should not be related to race. She asked the Board to separate the personalities from the issues and make decisions based on assurances that all students will be successful learners. She asked that the Board move forward as a united front and to make decisions based on what is best for children. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page6 John A. Riggs, IV, former member of the LRSD Board and President of the Public Education Foundation, provided a copy of a resolution adopted by the Public Education Foundation in support of the proposed LRSD reorganization. He thanked the Board for their service and acknowledged the difficulty of making rapid and significant change. He noted that in order to make a difference, the Board needed vision and courage, and he thanked Dr. Brooks for his leadership in this regard. Mary Ann Hansen stated support for the Fine Arts Department and noted that there was a title change for the leadership of that department included in the organizational audit recommendations. She noted that although change is inevitable, she felt that some of the proposed changes would have a negative impact on the students. Debra Moncrief thanked the Board for their courage, as she read the definition as being "the ability to conquer fear or despair." She stated that she has four children in the LRSD, and that she was a long time public school supporter. She asked the Board to show courage, support the proposed changes, remain open and flexible, and keep the lines of communication open. She said there should be no agenda but to improve services provided to our students so that they all may achieve greater success. Cathy Koehler, teacher at Baseline Elementary School and member of the CTA Board, addressed the Board in opposition to the proposal to eliminate administrative positions in the LRSD. She expressed concern regarding hiring consultants from out of state to make recommendations and stated that the cuts were more than just administrative staff. She called the plan "smoke and mirrors," and asked the Board to consider other options. Cynthia East, president of the ViPS Board thanked Dr. Brooks, the Board and the transition team members for their hard work. She read the Volunteers in Public Schools mission statement and reminded the Board that ViPS had served the District well for over thirty years. She thanked Dr. Brooks for reinstating one of the positions targeted for elimination, and asked that the Board and administration continue to place a high value on services provided in the schools by volunteers. Cynthia Buehling, elementary music teacher, spoke in support of Danny Fletcher and the Fine Arts department. She stated that his service to elementary music teachers had been invaluable and that under his leadership the program had made drastic improvements over the past few years. She asked for reconsideration of the cuts that were proposed for that department. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page7 Susan Underwood discussed the proposed elimination of positions in the homeless education programs. She noted that the services provided through the LRSD to homeless children and families were funded through the McKinney-Vento Act and other grant funding agencies. LRSD funds are not a part of the homeless program budget, and that program should therefore not be impacted by the reduction in staff or services. She asked the Board to encourage a "team effort" to provide appropriate services to our homeless students. Meredith Spann spoke for Alice Weeks who had signed up to address the Board, but could not attend the meeting. Ms. Spann read a letter written by Ms. Weeks asking the Board and Superintendent to continue funding the gifted programs at full staff. Kenneth Fisher, a maintenance employee at Cloverdale Middle School, discussed the learning environment at that school. He stated that there were some dedicated and caring staff members at Cloverdale, but that there were others who were hostile and not working in the best interest of the children or the staff. Jennifer Welborn spoke on behalf of the staff in gifted programs. She asked for reconsideration of the positions that had been proposed for elimination in that department. Martha Rodgers addressed the Board regarding proposed reductions in staff of the CARE program office. She stated that the program serves 1,200 students and does not depend on any district funds for operation. The program is self-supporting by payment of tuition for those parents who need the before and after school services. Melissa Blankenship, parent of three special needs students, addressed the Board regarding positions targeted for elimination from the Division of Exceptional Children. She stated that in order to maintain compliance with IDEA regulations, the staff should be maintained at its' current levels. She stated that there was no way to make these cuts without affecting the children's best interests. John Gerard spoke as a resident of the Mitchell neighborhood. He stated that residents of that area felt betrayed by the Board and that the Board had "misused their powers" by closing their neighborhood school. Diane Curry thanked Dr. Brooks for reinstating some of the positions that had been proposed for elimination, but stated that she had several concerns regarding operations at the school level. She stated specifically that she didn't feel minority students were being well served by school counselors, and REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page8 IV. that she was concerned with the elimination of positions that were specifically in place to assist parents when there were problems at the school level, such as the district's ombudsman. She reminded the board that she had run for a seat on the board at one time, and that she planned to run again when the opportunity returned. John Walker reminded the Board that they were not yet fully released from court ordered monitoring and supervision. He expressed concern that the Board had only taken two weeks to review the proposed plan for reorganization. He asked the Board to table the plan and do a more thorough evaluation of the recommendations before taking a vote. Melanie Fox expressed support for Dr. Brooks and support for the children of the LRSD. She acknowledged the difficulties and uncertainties facing the District, but stated that the changes are necessary in order to remain competitive and to make academic success the number one goal. Kim Hart, psychological examiner for the District, asked the Board to seriously consider the action item on the agenda to allow the district's examiners to be represented by the Classroom Teachers Association. G. Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association No remarks. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Remarks from Board Members Mr. Rose and Dr. Daugherty requested a suspension of the rules to allow John Walker additional time to address the Board. The Board agreed by consensus without a formal vote. Mr. Walker reviewed his previous statements regarding acting in haste to implement the reorganization, and stated that the District's employees should be treated more fairly. He asked the Board to table action on the proposed reorganization to allow more time to develop another plan. Mr. Kurrus responded to some of the comments from speakers regarding the perception of a racial division between Board members. He asked that they move beyond race and understand that race is not the determining factor for every decision. Student achievement is and should remain the highest priority. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page9 Mr. Kurrus closed his remarks by saying that the Board cannot administer the District the same way that it has been in the past. School districts across the state and nation will be required to make the same kinds of tough decisions that confront the Board now, and he expressed support for the proposed reorganization. Mr. Rose also spoke in support of the reorganization. He stated that the mechanics of the proposed changes could be different, recognized that it might not be a perfect plan, but stated that he believed it was a good beginning. He also cautioned listeners that more changes could be expected in the future. He stated that the Board had hired Dr. Brooks to make rapid change and that implementation and support for the proposed plan was critical to the District's success. He said that changes could be expected in every aspect of the education business. Dr. Daugherty addressed comments made regarding the appearance of racial division of the Board. He stated that Board members are supposed to represent the people who elect them to office and that he tried to vote the way that his constituents would want him to vote
that the differences between the Board member's votes were ideological, not racial. He said that he was hopeful that the Board would move beyond race to do what is best for the kids and the community. Mr. Day stated that he had listened carefully to the comments made by the citizens and other Board members. He agreed with those who acknowledged that change is inevitable and that it was time to do something new and different in the LRSD. He noted that improvement would never come about by continuing to do the same things that have been done in the past. He thanked Dr. Daugherty for his comments and stated that approving the Superintendent's plan for reorganization was the right thing to do for the District's overall success. Mrs. Strickland also thanked Dr. Daugherty for his comments. She stated support for the Superintendent and for the proposed reorganization. She noted that many of the staff members who would be affected by the changes had been with the District for over ten years, and that she valued these individuals. She expressed hope that they would keep an open mind and continue to ensure a quality education for the children. Ms. Strickland thanked Dr. Brooks for having the courage to challenge the Board to remain focused on becoming the highest achieving urban school district in the nation. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 10 Mr. Berkley expressed appreciation for the passion exhibited by all the citizens who had addressed the Board. He thanked the transition team and fellow board members for their thoughtful consideration over the past two weeks as they devoted considerable time to review of the proposed reorganization. Mr. Berkley also made remarks on the issue of race. He noted that although the Board had only two African American members, the District was made up of 70% African American students, and that he and fellow Board members devoted their service to all of the children, not just the children of one race or another. He expressed appreciation and respect for Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Daugherty, and admiration for Dr. Brooks. He acknowledged the Superintendent's passion for children and for improving the academic achievement of all of the students in the District. Dr. Mitchell thanked the audience members who had spoken earlier and those members of the community who had sent messages to her. She stated that she was not against change in the District, but that she did have reservations and concerns about how the process was conducted. She expressed belief that the Superintendent should have waited at least a year before trying to make such drastic changes
she voiced concerns about the selection of the consultants and appointment of the transition team members, and concern for the staff members at the Instructional Resource Center. Dr. Mitchell stated that some principals may not be prepared to assume more responsibilities without additional assistance at the building level, and she requested a delay in taking action until the people who will be most directly affected have an opportunity to be informed about where they will be assigned in the new organization. She also asked for an explanation for eliminating positions and services that are funded by grants and outside resources. Final comments from the Board included congratulations to District teachers who are participating in national board certification
additional recognition will be provided to these teachers at a later date. Mr. Berkley congratulated Parkview students for their performance in the production of Little Shop of Horrors. SUSPENSION OF THE RULES: Mr. Kurrus made a motion to suspend the rules to reorder the agenda to allow the vote on the proposed plan for reorganization of the District's administration. Mr. Rose seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 11 Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the plan as presented by the Superintendent. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion. Dr. Mitchell offered an amendment to the motion to delay the vote and approval of the plan until District employees had an opportunity to be informed of their new positions. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion to amend. The motion to amend failed by a vote of 1-5-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the yes vote, and Dr. Daugherty abstaining. The original motion was restated prior to the vote: to approve and accept the organizational audit report as submitted and direct the Superintendent to move forward to implement the restructuring efforts. The motion carried 6-1 with Dr. Mitchell casting the no vote. The board recessed for ten minutes and returned at 8:45 p.m. SUSPENSION OF THE RULES: Dr. Daugherty offered a motion to suspend the rules to reorder the agenda to allow action on item VIII. A. Request for Psychological Examiners to form a collective bargaining unit. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion to suspend the rules, and it carried unanimously. The District's psychological examiners requested the Board's approval to form a bargaining unit for purposes of negotiating an annual employment contract within the Classroom Teachers Association. Board Policy HD, Negotiation Practices and Processes requires the Board's approval. These employees had previously petitioned the Board to be released from the Classroom Teachers Association in March 2001. Fourteen of the sixteen examiners currently employed by the district asked for the Board to reconsider the previous action, and allow them to become a separate unit represented by the CTA. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the request to form a separate bargaining unit for the Psychological Examiners
Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. B. Student Assignment Report Mr. Babbs was present, but had no formal report. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 12 C. Budget Update Mr. Milhollen briefly reported on the budgetary impact of the state legislature. He discussed current efforts to raise the District's contributions to employee health insurance and noted that no decisions had been made regarding additional funding for facilities or appropriations to cover the requirement to provide certified art and music teachers in all schools. He promised to provide additional information as it becomes available. D. Construction Report: Proposed Bond Projects Mr. Eaton was present. Dr. Mitchell requested an update on the renovation project at Rightsell Elementary School. Mr. Eaton reported that it was still in the design and review phase, and that the target for completion of the project was August 2006. SUSPENSION OF THE RULES: Mr. Rose offered a motion to suspend the rules to review and discuss the proposal on Cloverdale Elementary School. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion to suspend the rules and it carried unanimously. The Board had been provided frequent information and updates on the structural concerns and conditions at Cloverdale Elementary School. The Board was given a full report, and several possible options for continuing the educational program for Cloverdale Elementary School students. Those options were printed in the full report which was a part of the Board's agenda
the administration recommended approval of Option 3, which would place portable buildings on the campus of Mabelvale Elementary School and utilize eight existing and available classrooms at Mabelvale to serve the Cloverdale Elementary School students. The existing defective areas of Cloverdale Elementary School would be demolished. Ms. Strickland moved to approve Option 3, as recommended. Mr. Day seconded the motion and it carried 6-1, with Mr. Rose abstaining. E. Internal Auditors Report Mr. Becker's monthly update was printed in the Board's agenda. In addition, he reported that twelve of the District's schools would be participating in the United Way Day of Caring. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 13 Volunteers from the community will work with the individual school volunteers and PT A representatives to complete basic improvement projects in the schools and on the school campuses. Additional information will be provided for the Board's review at the completion of this year's workday. F. Technology Update Ms. Neal was present and briefly reviewed the summary report that was part of the Board's agenda. Edline training for teachers and parents is underway at McClellan and Central, and parents are very responsive to this program, which allows them on-line access to their student's grades and attendance reports. V. APPROVAL OF ROUTINE MATTERS VI. A. Minutes Minutes from the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on February 24, and from a special meeting held on March 20, were presented for review and approval. Dr. Daugherty noted a correction to the minutes of February 24, to indicate his arrival time as being 5:30 p.m. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the minutes as corrected
Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES A. Grant Application: School-Based Tobacco Use Prevention Project The State of Arkansas and the Arkansas Department of Health issued a request for applications to fund school-based tobacco prevention initiatives. The LRSD received grant awards in two previous school years, and requested permission from the Board to apply for renewal of third year funding. If approved, the grant would provide up to $100,000 to be used to implement strategies and activities to prevent students from smoking or using other tobacco products. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve submission of the grant proposal. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion, and it carried 5-2, with Mr. Rose and Mr. Kurrus casting no votes. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 14 B. Second Reading: Revision of Policy JE - Student Enrollment, Attendance and Transfers Several District policies were submitted for revision to bring them into compliance with Arkansas laws. Policy JE, Student Enrollment, Attendance and Transfers was revised and submitted for the Board's review and first reading approval at the February meeting. The Board was asked to approve the policy on second reading at this time. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the revision on second reading
Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried 7-0. C. Establishment of a Tri-District Charter School / Alternative Learning Academy A suspension of the rules was required for consideration of a proposal to apply for a conversion charter school. Mr. Kurrus offered the motion
Mr. Rose seconded and it carried unanimously. A proposal to apply to the state of Arkansas to implement and operate a tridistrict Charter school for students in Pulaski County juvenile detention facilities was presented for the Board's review. The Pulaski Alternative Learning Academy (PALA) had been operated through the Juvenile Justice center, under the direction of the three county juvenile judges. The three school districts in Pulaski County would collaborate in the operation of the charter program, which would provide educational services to students who had committed serious offenses or who had been suspended or expelled for weapons violations. The administration recommended approval of the partnership between the LRSD, PCSSD and NLRSD for the purpose of establishing a conversion charter school in conjunction with the Pulaski County juvenile courts. The LRSD would serve as the lead education agency and would claim the students for funding purposes. Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the administration's recommendation. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 15 VII. CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION A. Second Reading: Revision to Policy IKF - General Education Graduation Requirements Second Reading: Revision to Policy IAA - Professional Board Policies IKF, General Education Graduation Requirements, and IM, Professional Development, were submitted for first reading review and revision at the February Board meeting. These revisions were required in order to ensure compliance with Arkansas laws and Arkansas Department of Education Standards for Accreditation. Ms. Strickland moved to approve revised policy IKF on second reading. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve revised policy IM on second reading. Mr. Rose seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. B. Secondary English/ Language Arts Textbook Adoption A committee of representatives from all District secondary schools reviewed and recommended adoption of textbooks for the District's English and Language Arts programs. The texts recommended by the committee were listed in the Board's agenda, and the administration recommended adoption of the committee's selections. Mr. Rose made a motion to approve the administration's recommendations. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. C. Memorandum of Understanding - Audubon Arkansas A proposal to renew a previous Memorandum of Understanding between the LRSD and Audubon Arkansas was submitted to the Board for review and approval. The M o U provides guidelines for specific collaborative efforts between J. A. Fair and Central High Schools, and Mabelvale and Mann Magnet Middle Schools. Audubon has focused on providing environmental science and technology experiences for students in efforts to restore the Fourche Creek watershed and further development of other environmental activities for students. Mr. Day read a letter regarding the project proposal and asked for the Board's support. Mr. Rose made a motion to approve the administration's recommendation to approve the Mo U. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 16 VIII. HUMAN RESOURCES A. Request from Psychological Examiners Action on this item was taken earlier in the meeting by suspending the rules to reorder the agenda. B. School Calendar, 2005-06 The student calendar for the 2005-06 school year was printed in the Board's agenda and recommended for approval. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the calendar as presented. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. Personnel Changes Routine personnel changes were printed in the Board's agenda. Mr. Rose moved to approve the personnel actions as presented. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. IX. BUSINESS SERVICES A. Acceptance of Report: Organizational Audit Action on this item was taken earlier in the meeting by suspending the rules to reorder the agenda. B. Updated Travel Regulations - DKC-R Updated travel regulations were presented for the Board's review. No action was required, and none was taken. C. Cloverdale Elementary School Action on this item was taken earlier in the meeting by suspending the rules to reorder the agenda. D. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve the acceptance of recent donations to schools and departments within the District. The donations are listed in the following chart. Mr. Day read the items listed in the Board's agenda. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to accept the donated items
Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 24, 2005 Page 17 DONATIONS: SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Central High School Equipment, valued at $589.00 to Roy & Louise Gutierrez LRCHS Quiz Bowl team $250 cash to LRCHS Girts' Gregg Herrning Cheerteading Squad Metropolitan Career & Assorted supplies and materials, valued Billy-Jack's Body Shop, Inc. Technical Center at $1,500 to the Paint & Body Shop Romine Elementary School $500 cash to be used for student Hunter United Methodist Church incentives Williams Magnet Elementary Trees and six hours of labor valued at Clayton Johnson and Trent Roberts/ School $550. Merriweather Park Neighborhood Association in conjunction with the City of LR Urban Forestry Commission LRSD ASAP Program $1,700 cash to purchase Project Landers Auto Sales THRIVE I-shirts LRSD CARE Prooram Assorted toys valued at $200 Cheryl Stanley E. Financial Report / Approval of Annual Audit The monthly financial summary reports were provided to the Board as part of the printed agenda. In addition, the District's annual financial audit was provided for the Board's review prior to the meeting. Mr. Don Smith, representative from the auditing firm of Thomas & Thomas, was present to respond to questions. Mrs. Strickland made a motion to approve the audit report as submitted. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. X. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. on a motion by Dr. Mitchell, seconded by Mr. Kurrus. APPROVED: ~r~__/ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDEI\IT March 31, 2005 Office of Desegregation Monitoring One Union National Plaza 124 West Capitol, Suite 1895 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear ODM Staff: / (\ - " 05 I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on February 24 and March 10, 2005. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide additional information. Enclosures Sincerely, ~~"~ Diane G. Edwards Staff Assistant Office of the Superintendent 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 447-1002 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING April 5, 2005 Rt:." .... -. ,
MAY 2 200 OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORING The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting on Tuesday, April 5, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Katherine Mitchell Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:10 p.m. All members of the board were present at roll call. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING There was no printed agenda for the meeting. It was called for the purpose of conducting an executive session and for other personnel matters. SPECIAL BOARD MEETING April 5, 2005 Page2 Ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Appointments of Administrative Staff The superintendent presented a recommendation to appoint Hugh Hattabaugh to the position of deputy superintendent of the LRSD. In addition, Joe Mittiga was recommended to fill the newly created position of governmental and legislative affairs officer. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the recommendations presented, and Mr. Rose seconded the motion. Dr. Mitchell asked that the Board wait to reassign current district employees before hiring additional staff
there was no additional discussion. The motion carried 6-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the no vote. 8. Executive Session At 5:10 p.m., Mr. Rose made a motion to convene an executive session for the purpose of discussing a personnel matter. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. The Board called Mr. Sandy Becker, Internal Auditor, into the closed session at 5:20 p.m. They returned from executive session at 5:55 p.m. and reported that no action was taken. V. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Rose, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. APPROVED: 4 ~ J 9-Q~ L ident L~~ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING April 14, 2005 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting in conjunction with the regularly scheduled agenda meeting on Thursday, April 14, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Vice president Michael Daugherty presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Micheal Daugherty Katherine Mitchell Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: Larry Berkley Bryan Day ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Dr. Daugherty called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Five members of the board were present at roll call
Mr. Berkley and Mr. Day were absent. Ex officio representatives Kathy Tatum, teacher from Henderson Middle School, and Antoine Ghoston, McClellan student, were also present. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the special meeting listed the following: A. Student Disciplinary Action B. Discussion: Personnel Appointments C. Grant Submission: Arkansas Department of Education -21st Century Community Learning Center SPECIAL MEETING April 14, 2005 Page2 Ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Student Disciplinary Action Dr. Watson presented a recommendation to expel Central High School student Nicholas A. Thomas. Nicholas was a 14-year-old, ninth grade student who was charged with possession of a firearm. He was not provided an administrative hearing at the District office because he was incarcerated at the MIiicreek Residential Treatment facility in Fordyce, Arkansas. The administration brought the expulsion recommendation to the Board in the event that Nicholas should be released from the treatment facility within the year. If he should return to the LRSD, he would be assigned to the JJC or another alternative facility for one full calendar year. Mr. Rose moved to uphold the administration's recommendation for expulsion. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. B. Personnel: Appointments of Administrative Staff Superintendent Brooks recommended existing staff members for newly created positions within the reorganized administration. Beverly Williams was recommended for the position of Senior Director for Human Resources, Olivine Roberts was recommended for the position of Associate Superintendent for Educational Services, and Mark Milhollen was recommended for the position of Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Brooks asked for the Board to accept the recommendations as presented. Mr. Rose noted that appointment of existing staff to new positions did not require a vote and that approval for the Superintendent to implement the reorganization had been granted with adoption of the organizational audit recommendations. C. Grant Submission: ADE-21st Century Community Learning Center The administration requested Board approval of a grant submission for a 21 st Century Learning Center grant for Southwest Middle School. If funded, the grant would provide $540,000 over a five-year period to establish a learning center that would offer academic enrichment activities before and after school as well as in the summer months. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the submission of the grant application. Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. SPECIAL MEETING April 14, 2005 Page 3 V. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 5:37 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Rose, seconded by Ms. Strickland. APPROVED: ~ -J. 9 -Ch L ident ~~ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Katherine Mitchell Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL RECEIVED JUN - 2 2005 OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MOHLTORIHG Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Six members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Daugherty arrived at 5:40 p.m. Ex officio student representative, Marcus Kennedy, from McClellan High School was also present. The teacher representative did not attend. 11. PROCEDURAL MATTERS/ WELCOMING COMMENTS President Berkley welcomed the audience and asked Dr. Brooks to proceed with the citations and presentations. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page2 Ill. REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS A. Superintendent's Citations Special recognition was given to four employees of the District who recently returned from military duty in Iraq. Dishoungh White, Jacquelyn Williams, Johnnie Davis and Eric Brandon were presented with an American flag and a citation of appreciation for their service to our country. The Annual Stephens Awards of the City Education Trust were recently announced. The Superintendent commended the District's students and teachers who were selected for this recognition: Terrie Evans, teacher at McClellan Magnet High School
Ruth Eyres, teacher at J. A. Fair High School
Carolyn Foreman, teacher at Parkview Magnet High School
Mark Doramus, Lawrence Watts, and Gregor Nazarian, students from Central High School
and Christopher Stewart, student from Parkview Magnet High School. The teachers received a $5,000 cash award and the students will receive a $5,000 scholarship when they enter college. Terricka Thomas, junior at J. A. Fair High School, was presented with a citation in recognition of her selection to receive President's Volunteer Service Award. Terrika volunteers her time with the American Red Cross. Dr. Brooks introduced Jo Evelyn Elston, Director of Pupil Services, who made a presentation to the American Red Cross on behalf of the District's Peer Helpers. Students from Booker, Geyer Springs and Gibbs Magnet were present and briefly described their participation in raising over $10,000 for Tsunami Relief efforts. Representatives of the Little Rock Chapter of the American Red Cross were present to receive the donation, and in turn provided certificates of appreciation to the students for their efforts. Mike Peterson, principal of Metropolitan Career & Technical Center, introduced students who participated in the annual Skills USA state competitions in April. Many of the District's students who took bronze, silver and gold medals will go to national competitions in Kansas City over the summer. Instructors Darrell Berry, James Blanchard, Linda Soderling, Reba Alexander, and Carl Grummer were present. Student winners included: Advertising and Design - student Jasmine Powell was recognized as the state winner of the VICA pin design competition
Savannah Ryan won a bronze medal in photography. Cosmetology - students Brittany Williams, Jakita Bass, Jassy Palmer, Deidra Moragne and Krystal White won gold, silver or bronze medals. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 3 Commercial baking - DeAndrea Gooden won a gold medal, Laura Fuentes won a silver medal, and Samantha Ryan won a bronze medal in commercial baking. Diesel technology - Jonathan Motl took the gold medal, Doug Petz and Ben Necessary won the silver, and Nathan Leonard won a bronze medal. Graphic Information Systems - Kevin Williams won the gold medal and Jordan Brown won the silver. Dr. Brooks asked Katherine Wright Knight to introduce the District's current National Board Certified teachers who assisted the teachers who are going through the national board process this school year. The teachers were: Trina Bright, Chenetta Case, Terrie Evans, Ruth Eyres, Sharra Hampton, Catherine Koehler, Lou Ethel Nauden, and Mary Zies. They were given a certificate of appreciation for volunteering their time to assist others in their efforts to become nationally certified. Lenora Nunnley, student at J. A. Fair High School, was recently named a Beta Scholar by the National Beta Club. Lenora will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the National Beta Club. In addition, Lenora was selected to participate in the University of Arkansas Gifted and Talented Scholars Program. Donald Price, student at Mitchell Academy, and Shaun Wilson, student at Central High School, were recognized for being selected as winners in the annual statewide PTA Reflections Program. Donald won in the art category and Shaun won in the music category. Their work will be submitted to the national PTA Reflections awards program representing the state of Arkansas. The CAP Charitable Foundation selected Kristian Henderson, Central High School student, as a Ron Brown Scholar. Kristian will receive $10,000 per year for four years. B. Partners in Education: New Partnerships Debbie Milam presented new partnerships for the Board's review and approval. Accelerated Learning Center, represented by Carol Green and Beverly Thrasher, in partnership with: Carl Gray Henson Construction Company, represented by Kathy Henson and Hurricane Golf and Country Club Metropolitan Career & Technical Center, represented by Mike Peterson and Allie Freeman, in partnership with Remington College, represented by Dan Snider and David Cunningham REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page4 Terry Elementary School, represented by Becky Ramsey, in partnership with: Papa John's Pizza, represented by Jill Ponder, CiCi's Pizza, and Toys "R" Us Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the partnerships, Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. Remarks from Citizens Tawanna Gantt addressed the Board regarding concerns related to moving a Community Based Instruction (CBI) Class from Mabelvale Elementary School. Her child attended Mabelvale, and she was opposed to any disruption of the educational environment for her child and other students who were served in that setting. Kenny Fisher addressed the Board regarding a letter he had sent to Board members concerning issues with the working conditions at Cloverdale Middle School. Mr. Fisher stated that he had spoken with District administrators, and that he felt threatened by the demeanor and actions of another employee at the school. He asked the Board to intervene to have something done to improve the conditions at that school for students and employees. D. Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association Katherine Wright Knight congratulated all of the recipients of awards, citations and recognitions, with special recognition to the students from Metropolitan and the winners of the Stephens Awards. She thanked Dr. Brooks and Beverly Williams, Human Resources Director, for the efficient process for reassignment of the faculty and staff from Fair Park and Mitchell. She expressed concern for some of the staff members who would be displaced by the reorganization and she asked that seniority be considered when placing the secretaries and other non-certified staff members. Ms. Knight welcomed Mr. Hattabaugh and congratulated Marian Lacey on the announcement of her retirement. She thanked Mr. Berkley for leading the Board in a positive relationship with the CTA, stating, 'We are all on the same team." Ms. Knight reported that there are currently fourteen National Board Certified teachers in the district, and there are thirty-one candidates for certification this year. She thanked the Board for supporting this initiative, noting that the State provided funding for some of the teachers to participate, while the District made a contribution to assist others. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 5 Mr. Berkley asked that the information on National Board certification be posted on the website, and Ms. Knight was asked to work with the communications department to facilitate this posting. IV. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Remarks from Board Members Mr. Rose discussed the necessity for dramatic change in the District. He acknowledged that change was difficult, that there was to be expected some "crying and cussing," but he noted that once the process is allowed to take its' course, things would smooth out for the better. He spoke briefly to NCLB legislation and the ineffectiveness of teaching to a national test. He stated that teachers feel their creativity is being stifled by these requirements and he encouraged them to "think outside the box" in order to teach students to love learning instead of teaching them how to take a test. Mr. Kurrus reported that he had attended a Scholars Program in Fayetteville and that he had also been at the Central High School honors convocation. He congratulated all of the students who received recognitions and awards, but expressed interest in determining why some of our students don't succeed. He stated that we need to do a better job, become more efficient, in helping all students reach their full potential - - not just the high achievers, but a// students. Mr. Kurrus also noted that he had received e-mails about some of the reorganization cuts, especially in the pre-K program. He noted that we must begin to take a more global view of our services and how our services are delivered to children. Pre-K and other programs cannot operate in isolation, and must become part of the full systematic process. Dr. Mitchell commended the ViPS Board and staff for their annual awards celebration of volunteerism. She also commended Sandy Becker for coordinating a program at Henderson Middle School where twenty-seven students received computers as a reward for academic achievement and good behavior. Dr. Mitchell noted that the District had been commended for its' quality pre-K programs and expressed hope that the organizational changes will not have a negative impact on the success of the program. She requested additional information on personnel assignments, duties and responsibilities, and stated hope that we don't lose the most experienced employees in this process. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 6 Mr. Day congratulated Dr. Lacey on her retirement, wishing her "Godspeed." Mrs. Strickland welcomed Mr. Hattabaugh, and thanked the staff for working diligently through this transitional time. She stated certainty that the best years are ahead. She thanked Dr. Brooks for his commitment to positive change in the LRSD. Dr. Daugherty responded to the parent who addressed the Board earlier in the meeting regarding a classroom group of CBI students being transferred to another facility. He stressed the importance of serving students with disabilities in a safe and comfortable learning environment, and he asked the staff to conduct an impact study to determine how many students would be affected by the proposed transfer Dr. Daugherty also recognized students from Mann who recently participated in the SECME Olympiad. He noted that these students would receive additional recognition at a future Board meeting
however, he wanted to congratulate them on their achievement and good sportsmanship. Mr. Berkley thanked Marian Lacey for her years of serving the students in the LRSD
he noted that his daughter had attended Mann while Dr. Lacey was principal. He also reported that he had attended the National School Boards Association Conference in San Diego, and counted it as a good opportunity to become reinvigorated on Board service. He expressed appreciation to Debbie Milam and the ViPS staff for the Evening for the Stars program. B. Student Assignment Report Mr. Babbs was present, but had no formal report. C. Budget Update Mr. Milhollen reported briefly on the process that would be used to formulate the 2005-06 budget. The legislative session did not provide any funding for facilities in the LRSD, and many districts across the state are facing fiscal uncertainties. The Pulaski County School District has been designated in "fiscal distress." Budget packets have been sent to the schools so that building principals can begin the process of allocating their funds using their per-pupil projections. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 7 Mr. Milhollen reported that he would be preparing for a budget worksession in late May or early June so that the Board will have an accurate overview of our present financial status. Initial steps to control spending have been taken and department budgets have been frozen so that some of the remaining 2004-05 budget can be returned to the fund balance. Mr. Day asked Mr. Milhollen to develop some various scenarios for growing the fund balance so that the Board can get a better idea of how to prepare for this necessary action. D. Construction Report: Proposed Bond Projects Mr. Goodman reported that bids on Rightsell would be let on May 25. Dr. Mitchell asked if it would be possible for the work at Rightsell to be done over the summer months so that the students would not have to move to Badgett. Mr. Goodman responded by acknowledging the scope of the project and the difficulty in attempting to complete a project of that size over a few months time. He noted that the building was constructed in 1907, and until the contractors have done a thorough assessment, it is not known what the complete project will cost. E. Internal Auditors Report Mr. Becker's monthly update was printed in the Board's agenda F. Technology Update Ms. Neal was present and briefly reviewed the summary report that was part of the Board's agenda. In addition, she reported that parents at all high schools had been involved in training for use of Edline, on-line accessibility of student grades and attendance reports. The program is very popular and has received a lot of positive feedback. V. APPROVAL OF ROUTINE MATTERS A. Minutes Minutes from the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on March 24, and from special meetings held on April 5 and April 14, 2005, were presented for review and approval. Mr. Day moved to approve the minutes as presented. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 8 B. Board Meeting Dates The proposed schedule for regular meeting dates for the 2005-2006 school year were presented for the Board's consideration. By policy, the second and fourth Thursday of each month are designated as regular meeting dates. Exceptions are made in November and December to avoid conflict with the holidays. Mr. Rose made a motion to approve the meeting dates as presented. Mr. Day seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VI. SCHOOL SERVICES A. Elimination of the Sixth Grade Athletic Program The administration presented a recommendation for elimination of the sixth grade athletic program in the district's middle schools. Concerns regarding the district's liability in case of accident or serious injury were presented as the basis for the recommendation, along with the need to provide a greater emphasis on sixth grade academic aspects of the transition to middle school. The Arkansas Activities Association does not regulate athletic programs for sixth grade students, and the LRSD was the only district in the state to provide an athletic program for students younger than seventh grade. The recommendation will save the district approximately $80,000 per year. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the recommendation
Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 7-0. Although the recommendation was approved, it was noted that the Board requested the administration to determine ways to enhance the school physical education programs for these students, increase recess time, and provide more access to after school activities to enhance health and physical fitness. B. Report: Mitchell School Update Dr. Daugherty, chairman of the Mitchell School Committee, reported that the group had met regularly to develop recommendations for use of the building. A survey was administered to the community, with 137 responses received. Dr. Daugherty briefly reviewed some of the responses, and promised to provide a copy of the complete results after the next committee meeting. The final meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 5, at the Instructional Resource Center, and board members were invited to attend. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 9 VII. CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION A. Report of Recommendations: Fair Park Early Childhood Center The administration presented a report of recommendations, The Big Picture - Fair Park Early Childhood Center, and a brief overview of the planned transformation of Fair Park Elementary School into an Early Childhood Education Center. The Board approved the conversion in December 2004, and since that time, the planning team and advisory committee have worked together to develop a plan for operating a high quality and effective early childhood education center. Krista Underwood, Director of Early Childhood and Elementary Literacy, presented the recommendations and responded to questions. The Board accepted the report and expressed appreciation to Ms. Underwood and members of the committee for their leadership and commitment to the project. She thanked Ms. Strickland for serving as the Board's representative to the committee. VIII. HUMAN RESOURCES A. Personnel Changes Routine personnel changes were printed in the Board's agenda. Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the personnel actions as presented. Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Dr. Brooks welcomed Hugh Hattabaugh, deputy superintendent, and provided him an opportunity to address the Board. Mr. Hattabaugh thanked the board for the opportunity to serve the students, teachers, principals and parents of the LRSD. He accepted the challenge of working toward the goals of ensuring success for every student in the District. B. Update - Reorganization I Continuation of Services: In response to a request from Dr. Mitchell, Beverly Williams presented a matrix designating the duties and responsibilities of the positions that were recently eliminated by the reorganization of the District's administration. Those duties and responsibilities have been assigned to the appropriate division, director, or department, with the assurance that essential services to students, teachers, parents and principals will not be neglected or overlooked. Specific details regarding the persons assigned to each function will be provided as the reorganization is phased in, and as directors and other supervisory staff members are assigned. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 10 IX. BUSINESS SERVICES A. Request for Right of Way and Easement - Geyer Springs Elementary School The City of Little Rock requested a construction easement and a temporary right of way for the purpose of widening Mabelvale Pike near Geyer Springs Elementary School. The LRSD was offered $4,500 for the permanent easement for construction of a drainage system. The administration recommended approval of the request. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the recommendation. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. B. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve the acceptance of recent donations to schools and departments within the District. The donations are listed in the following chart. Mr. Rose read the items listed in the Board's agenda, and made a motion to accept the donated items. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Booker Arts Magnet Playground equipment, safety surfacing Booker Arts Magnet Elementary School Elementarv School and installation, valued at $20,492.58 PTA Central High School Equipment, valued t $405.71 for use in Robin Kratzke AP Soanish classes J. A. Fair Magnet High Decorative rock, valued at $1,500 for Jason Roy/ Altech, Inc. School use on and around outdoor classroom Geyer Springs Elementary $10,000 to be placed in a trust fund at BFI Waste Services Metropolitan Bank for ten fifth grade students (Children of Promise) for colleoe scholarshios Pulaski Heights Middle $500 cash to be used to refurbish the Hillcrest Residents Association School Parent Center Rockefeller Elementary $5,000 cash to purchase "Climbing Rockefeller Elementary PT A School Wall" equipment for the gym to enhance P. E. orooram C. Financial Report The monthly financial summary reports were provided to the Board as part of the printed agenda. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 28, 2005 Page 11 The Board requested information and clarification of the budget for the CARE program. In addition, there were questions regarding whether the CARE employees were actually LRSD employees, how staffing was accomplished, how the salaries were allocated, and what the District's liability would be if a student or employee were injured while in the CARE program. Additional information will be provided for the Board's review and consideration. X. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Day, and seconded by Dr. Daugherty. APPROVED: j-d{r
-()5 Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT RECEIVED MAY 2 2005 nre OFFlcE OF ur
.,GREGATIDN MO'IIJORING April 29, 2005 Office of Desegregation Monitoring One Union National Plaza 124 West Capitol, Suite 1895 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear ODM Staff: I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on March 24, 2005 and minutes for Special Board Meetings on April 5 and April 14, 2005. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide additional information. Enclosures Sincerely, AJ~ Diane G. Edwards Staff Assistant Office of the Superintendent 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 447-1002 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING May 12, 2005 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting in conjunction with the regularly scheduled agenda meeting on Thursday, May 12, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Katherine Mitchell Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose MEMBERS ABSENT: Sue Strickland ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL RECEIVED JUN - 2 2005 OFACEOF DESEGREGATION MONIJORJNG Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. Six members of the board were present at roll call
Ms. Strickland was absent. Ex officio representatives for the month of May were not present. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the special meeting listed the following: A. Presentation - Update: Organizational Auditors, Klempen & Smith B. Personnel Appointments C. Employee Disciplinary Actions SPECIAL MEETING May 12, 2005 Page2 Ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Presentation - Update: Organizational Audit Dr. Dennis Smith and Mr. Bob Klempen presented an overview of the next steps, Phase II and Phase 111, of the reorganization of the LRSD administration. At the completion of Phase I, Dr. Smith and Mr. Klempen began planning with the Superintendent and the LRSD transition team to provide a methodical process for implementing the recommended changes. As new staff is hired, and as current staff members are reassigned, their duties and responsibilities will be assigned and the process for modification of the current procedures will be implemented. Key elements to the new organization include: Staff Training, Effective Communications, Performance, Accountability and Evaluation, Strategic Planning, and Governance and Management Training. The approach will be rational, systematic and comprehensive in order to effect an overall more effective and efficient support structure for operating the District's Schools. In addition, a comprehensive review of all District facilities will be considered, with the intent of consolidating support facilities to the degree possible to contain cost and provide more effective utilization. Dr. Smith and Mr. Klempen responded to questions from the Board and agreed to provide updates for the Board's consideration as the planning progresses. B. Personnel Appointments Dr. Brooks presented recommended appointments for the following positions: Associate Superintendent for Elementary Education, Dr. Sadie Mitchell Associate Superintendent for Secondary Education, Mr. Junious Babbs Senior Director for Student Services, Dr. Linda Watson Although no official board action was required under the terms of the reorganization, Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the appointments as recommended. Mr. Rose seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. SPECIAL MEETING May 12, 2005 Page 3 C. Employee Disciplinary Actions Two employee hearings were scheduled for presentation before the Board. One employee submitted a resignation prior to the meeting and the other employee postponed due to his representation by an attorney. IV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Rose, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. APPROVED:5-~~ -0$ \1~~ Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 26, 2005 RECEIVED JUL 12 2005 DmcEOF DESEGREGATION MONIJORING The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Micheal Daugherty Bryan Day Baker Kurrus Tony Rose Katherine Mitchell Sue Strickland MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. All members of the Board were present at roll call. Ex officio teacher representative Jeff Smith from Mabelvale Middle School and student representative Allyson Wilson from Parkview Magnet High School were also present. II. PROCEDURAL MATTERS/ WELCOMING COMMENTS President Berkley welcomed the audience and introduced student performers from Williams Magnet School, directed by music teacher Barbara Strickland. After a brief performance, Dr. Brooks was asked to proceed with the citations and presentations. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 26, 2005 Page2 Ill. REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS A. Superintendent's Citations Students from Pulaski Heights Middle School and their teacher, Trela Cook, were recognized for winning the state Math Counts Championship for the third year in a row. Ms. Cook was present, as were members of the team: Timothy Mellor, Jackson Berry, Yi Wu, and Charles Watts. It was also noted that Ms. Cook had recently been selected as the Outstanding Middle School Math Teacher for the State of Arkansas. Members of the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock were present along with the new Board President, Jan Hundley. Lisa Black, Executive Director of the Foundation, announced that the recent Academic Signing Day, sponsored by the Foundation and the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce was a huge success. In addition, the Foundation recently presented Innovative Idea Grants to twenty one LRSD teachers. The grants totaled $58,447 and will be used to supplement classroom instruction. Patsy Lewis, a special education teacher at Mabelvale Middle School, described how she had utilized a $2,000 foundation grant to provide an outdoor environmental learning experience called "Petals & Feathers," for her classroom of CBI students. Humberto Zarate and Larry Clemons, representatives from Siemens International, were in attendance to present an award to Nancy Rousseau, principal of Central High School. Siemens International, The College Board, and USA Today named Central High School one of the top AP science and technology programs in the country. Central High School was selected for this recognition for their growth in the number of students taking AP classes and AP exams. Only twelve schools nationwide were selected for this honor. Kate Lyford and Rachel Harpool, students at Central High School, were recently notified that they were selected as state level winners in the Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship Program. They will each receive $2,500 and will compete in the national finals for one of nine $25,000 scholarships. Four Central High School students represented the LRSD in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona. Amanda Compadre placed third in the botany category, Matthew Baldwin, Xuan Yi and Ray Huang placed third in the Space Science category. Certificates of appreciation were presented to their teachers, Melissa Donham and Annice Steadman, for preparing the students and for traveling with them to Phoenix for the competition. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May26,2005 Page 3 The Superintendent presented a citation and expressed appreciation to employees of Little Rock Wastewater Utility tor their support and assistance with the Central High School Science Fair. John Jarrett was present to receive the award on behalf of LRWW employees. This company donated stadium blankets, stuffed tigers, and plastic covering for the gymnasium floor. In addition, six of the LRWW staff members served as judges in the 2005 competition. Nurse Stevie Cherepski, school nurse at M. L. King Elementary School, was introduced and presented with a citation in recognition of her being named the Arkansas School Nurse of the Year. Monica Ball, teacher at J. A. Fair Magnet High School, was introduced and invited to address the Board regarding a project that the Environmental Science students had undertaken at Fair High School. Under Ms. Ball's leadership, the students had developed an outdoor learning area, including landscaping projects, and had enlisted community volunteers to assist them in developing and supporting the projects. Dr. Anne Blackwell, chemistry teacher at McClellan Magnet High School, and Vicki Logan, biology teacher at Parkview Magnet High School, were named Teachers of the Year by Wal-Mart stores on Baseline and Bowman Road. They each received a $50.00 gift card and $1,000 cash to spend on classroom materials. Certificates of appreciation were presented to the ex officio representatives for the month of May, Jeff Smith, teacher at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School, and Allyson Wilson, student from Parkview Magnet High School. B. Remarks from Citizens Dale Charles, President of the Little Rock Chapter of the NAACP, addressed the board regarding concerns that the administration of the LRSD was being resegregated. He presented a letter to the Superintendent and to individual members of the Board. Carlette Henderson and Dr. Walter Nunn addressed the Board on behalf of the City's Racial & Cultural Diversity Commission. They provided a brief PowerPoint presentation which was filmed by students to encourage more student involvement in unity and diversity initiatives in the city. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May26,2005 Page4 IV. Mary Ann Hansen and her son Stephen Hansen made brief remarks to the Board. Stephen will graduate this year, and he wanted the opportunity to address the board and thank LRSD teachers and principals for allowing him an opportunity to succeed in school. He plans to go to UAPB and study music and drama. C. Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association Katherine Wright Knight acknowledged the recent death of Betty Floyd, an employee of the LRSD for 15 years. She recognized Mary Ann Hansen and Faye Parker, officers in the CTA. Ms. Knight expressed grave concerns regarding the paraprofessionals who received non-renewal notices. Under the provisions of NCLB, paraprofessionals or teacher's aides are required to have an Associates Degree, 60 college hours, or pass the Praxis exam in order to remain employed in the classroom as an instructional aide. She asked the Board to determine if there was any way that these employees could be assisted or allowed to continue to work until they could pass the test. Ms. Knight closed by thanking Beverly Williams and Mark Milhollen for assisting the CTA in resolving a problem with salaries that existed in the Child Nutrition Department. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. Remarks from Board Members Ms. Strickland thanked the teachers and others who work in the schools
she wished them a happy and restful summer vacation. Mr. Rose reflected on the comments made by Ms. Knight and suggested that there should be a way to assist the paraprofessionals in paying for the retakes of the Praxis exam. He further stated that he was not in favor of making any cuts to the district's arts program. Mr. Kurrus thanked Ms. Knight for her comments and stated that NCLB rules regarding the paraprofessionals really "didn't make any sense." In addition, he responded to Mr. Charles' comments regarding diversity by noting that he was more concerned about the District having more one-race schools and becoming a one-race district than he was about the color of the school's administrator. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May26,2005 Page 5 In addition, Mr. Kurrus thanked the teachers from Mabelvale and Fair who presented information on the environmental science programs, and all the teachers in the district for the work they do for all the LRSD students. He wished the students, parents, teachers and administrators a happy safe summer break. Dr. Mitchell reported that she had attended several end-of-the-year school programs. She mentioned the Metropolitan ACC awards assembly and the advisory council meeting of the Metropolitan partners. She thanked the staff at the ACC and credited them with decreasing the dropout rate of the LRSD. Dr. Mitchell reported that she had also attended the kindergarten graduation program at Rightsell Elementary School and the Taste-Test at M. L. King Elementary School. She closed by acknowledging all the retirees listed in the agenda and thanked them for their dedication and devotion to the LRSD. Mr. Berkley thanked the staff members who were involved in the Teacher of the Year Banquet. He also thanked the Public Education Foundation and Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring the Academic Signing Day. B. Legal Update Chris Heller was present to provide a brief overview of the District's pending legal issues. He reminded the Board that he, Dr. Brooks, and Karen DeJarnette had attended the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals hearing in St. Louis on April 12. A decision from the Court is expected within two months, and Mr. Heller noted that it was important to the LRSD for the decision to be soon in order for the District to avoid having to repay some of the state desegregation loan. We have submitted quarterly reports to the Court as directed by Judge Wilson's final Order pending the appeal and are complying with all directives specified by the Order. Mr. Heller also noted that the LRSD had filed an objection to the budget of the Office of Desegregation Monitoring. ODM has had a reduced amount of monitoring and oversight responsibility for the LRSD, and it seemed unfair to continue to pay the largest amount of the expense to run the monitoring office. North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special School Districts share in the cost of operating the ODM and are still involved in pending desegregation issues over and above the remaining one area, Program Evaluation, where the LRSD is being monitored. The PCSSD has challenged the NLRSD on the number of magnet school transfers allowed. Mr. Heller noted that the LRSD has taken the position that the current method of allocating seats for these two districts is working and that we would object to any change in the process. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May26,2005 Page 6 In the Lakeview case, Mr. Heller reported he felt certain that a Special Master would be appointed to review the case and suggested that the LRSD would want to be involved if the case goes back before the Supreme Court. Mr. Heller reported that other cases currently pending involve individual students or employees and should not be discussed in a public meeting. Board members were invited to contact Mr. Heller if additional information is needed on any of these c
This project was supported in part by a Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives project grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Council on Library and Information Resources.

<dcterms_creator>Little Rock School District</dcterms_creator>