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LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING January 14, 1999 FEB 3 1999 OffLOr OESEGREGA11 MONITORJK6 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting on Thursday, January 14, 1999, immediately following the regular agenda meeting, in the Board Room at 810 West Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas. Larry Berkley, President, presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Baker Kurrus Mike Kumpuris Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent Beverly J. Griffin, Recorder of the Minutes Anton Bland, Student Ex-officio, McClellan High School Cheryl Crutcher, Teacher Ex-officio, Jefferson Elementary I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 7: 15p.m., immediately following the regularly scheduled agenda meeting. All members of the Board were present. The ex-officio representatives to the Board for January were present
Anton Bland, student from McClellan High School and Cheryl Crutcher, teacher from Jefferson Elementary. MINUTES - SPECIAL BOARD MEETING January 14, 1999 Page2 PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the special meeting included the following items: I. Laidlaw Negotiations II. First Reading: Board Policy Review Section B: School Board Governance and Operations Section C: General School Administration ACTION AGENDA: I. II. Laidlaw Negotiations The Board was asked to approve a one-year contract for Laidlaw Transportation to continue to provide student transportation services to the District. Dr. Anderson presented information to the Board summarizing the details of the contract, which results in an increase of $124,458 or a total budget of $8,014,732 for the 1999-2000 school year. Vernon Gross and Ed Streeter, representatives from Laidlaw Transportation Services, were also present. The contact was approved unanimously on a motion by Dr. Mitchell, seconded by Ms. Magness. First Reading: Board Policy Review - - Sections B & C The Board was asked to approve Sections Band C of the Board Policy manual on first reading so that it may be approved on second reading at the regular meeting in January. This information had been presented for the Board's review in the process of completely updating the policy manual. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the policy manual updates for Sections B and C on first reading, and Mr. Kumpuris seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. on a motion by Dr. Mitchell, seconded by Ms. Magness. APPROVED: I ~Ji J~~ , President ~~ Katherine Mitchell, Secretary ECEIVED MAR 3 o i999 Off\CEOF ~ l\ONMONITORlNG LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, January 28, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Katherine Mitchell Sue Strickland Micheal Daugherty Mike Kumpuris Baker Kurrus Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER II. Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. Six members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Daugherty arrived at 6: 10 p.m. Ex-officio representatives to the Board, Cheryl Crutcher, teacher from Jefferson Elementary School, and student, Anton Bland from McClellan High School, were also present. READING OF MINUTES: Minutes from the regular board meeting of December 17, 1998 and from a special meeting held on January 14, 1999 were presented for Board approval. The minutes were approved unanimously on a motion by Dr. Mitchell, seconded by Mr. Kumpuris. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page2 III. PRESENTATIONS: A. SUPERINTENDENTS CITATIONS Dr. Carnine expressed appreciation to District employees and others in the community who had aided in disaster relief efforts over the past week. Tornado damage in the southern and eastern parts of Little Rock affected the lives of many families and students in the District. Several school buildings and the Instructional Resource Center were also damaged in the storm. A superintendent's citation was presented to Kay Coleman, counselor at Henderson Jr. High School. The Central Region of the Arkansas School Counselor's Association recently selected Ms. Coleman as Counselor of the Year. Representatives of the McClellan Magnet High School Business Department were recognized for their recent selection as the top high school business program in the nation by the American Vocational Association. Rebecca Ruth Stanley, fourth grade student at Carver Magnet Elementary School, was awarded a superintendent's citation for her recent selection as the Fourth Grade National Winner in the Invent America competition. The United States Patent Model Foundation sponsors the annual competition where students are provided an opportunity to submit their original inventions. Rebecca's project was a hand-held product reader that scans bar codes for visually impaired individuals and provides information about the product. She received a U.S. Savings Bond and a certificate recognizing her achievement. Coach Glenn Eskola and members of the JA Fair football team were recognized for winning the 1998 SA-football championship. Representatives from Blue Cross/Blue Shield were recognized for their recent donation of time in providing quality training for over 100 school district staff members. Robert Shoptaw, Cal Kellogg, Mal Lehman, and Judy Lohmar provided eight days of training that will aid in the District's efforts to provide quality services to our students and families. The ex-officio representatives to the Board, Cheryl Crutcher, teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, and Anton Bland, student at McClellan High School, were presented with citations in recognition of their service during the month of January. A plaque was presented to the Board of Directors for their recent selection as an Honor Board by the Arkansas School Boards Association. This award is given when a majority of the Board members complete at least 15 hours of inservice training and continuing education. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page 3 B. PARTNERSHIPS Debbie Milam was present to award certificates to businesses and individuals who had recently established working partnerships with District schools. Prior to recognizing the partnerships, Ms. Milam introduced Frances Ross from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Ms. Ross, along with Dean Henry Hudson, announced the presentation of a Baldwin-Hamilton Studio Piano to the McClellan Community High School music and choral program. Greg Oden, McClellan's Choir Director, was present to accept their generous donation. Newly established partnerships included: KABF Radio Station, represented by Madaline Scalett & Valerie Coffin, in partnership with the Alternative Learning Center, represented by Lloyd Sain Apartment Hunters, represented by Lance & Suzanne Waters, in partnership with Dodd Elementary School, represented by Faith Donovan and Martha Low Center for Effective Parenting, represented by Ida Collier, in partnership with Forest Heights Jr. High School, represented by Gail Pitts and Pulaski Heights Jr. High, represented by Nancy Rousseau ESI Group, Inc., represented by Mara Hartline, in partnership with Central High School, represented by Rudolph Howard Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the partnerships presented. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Mitchell expressed appreciation to Senator John Riggs for his recent donation of excess campaign funds to the schools in his District. Dr. Daugherty thanked Dr. Carnine and other District staff members who contributed their time and energy to disaster relief after the recent tornado. Mr. Kurrus thanked the City of Little Rock Board of Directors for their recent decision to deny issuance of city-backed bonds to finance private school construction. He also expressed appreciation to Judge Buddy Villines for his efforts to prevent public support for private school bonding issues. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page4 Mr. Kurrus displayed a map detailing areas within the city of Little Rock that are outside the boundaries of the Little Rock School District. He suggested that there might be some interest in studying the impact of making the District's boundaries and the city's boundaries one and the same. IV. CITIZENS COMMITTEES None. V. REMARKS FROM CITIZENS VI. Bob Powers, a parent of students at Fulbright Elementary School, stated concerns regarding the inoperable and irreparable computer laboratory at Fulbright. He stated that the PTA was prepared to contribute up to $4,000 toward installation of new computer equipment. Clementine Kelley, Vice President of the Classroom Teachers Association, asked the Board to honor their obligations under the teacher contract by paying the employees' insurance reimbursements and top-out stipends. ACTION AGENDA A. Second Reading: Board Policy Manual - Sections B & C The Board was asked to approve second reading of policy manual sections B & C, which have been reviewed as part of a complete policy manual revision. These sections were approved on first reading at a special meeting on January 14, 1999. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the policies as presented. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. B. Strategic Plan Update Linda Young introduced Paula Patterson and Diane Vibhaker who were members of the district's strategic planning team. Ms. Patterson and Ms. Vibhaker summarized the revisions to the original strategic plan which was approved by the Board in 1996. The updated plan will guide the District into the 2003 school year. Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the strategic plan. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page 5 C. Proposed Guidelines for Staffing Administration, 1999-2000 School Year The Board was provided a summary and review of the present school administrative staffing assignments in all secondary schools. A proposal for assigning principals and assistant principals in the middle schools and high schools for the 1999-2000 school year was also presented. Marian Lacey responded to questions from the Board regarding this proposal and after several Board members expressed concern about approval of staffing decisions at this time, the Board voted unanimously to table this item until after receipt of the MOT Management Study. Dr. Mitchell made the motion to table, seconded by Ms. Magness. D. Proposal for Change of Current Policy for Eighth Grade Promotion A regulation for implementation for the remainder of the 1998-99 school year was presented for the Board's review. No formal vote was required since the accompanying policy had been previously 1 proved. These regulations will allow students who fail English and math at the 8 grade level to make up the credits by attending summer school and an extended day summer program in order to gain the credits required to pass to the 9th grade. This modification is required as the transition process from middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) grade level reorganization takes place for the 1999-2000 school year. E. Regulations: Promotion and Retention, K-12 The Board was provided with a copy of policy IKE: Promotion and Retention, which was effective July 1996. New administrative regulations to implement this policy were presented to the Board for information only. No formal vote was necessary. F. Communities in Schools The Family/Community Partnerships Committee requested approval for continuation of collaborative efforts with the Communities in Schools initiative in Little Rock. Liz Lucker, who serves on the middle school planning committee, responded to questions from the Board and introduced Dr. Gary Eagleton, who is with the National office of Communities in Schools in Houston, Texas. CIS will provide teachers, staff and administrators an opportunity to focus community resources on student needs in order to ensure success. A resolution of support was presented for the Board's approval. Ms. Magness moved to approve the resolution. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page 6 G. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve acceptance of recent donations to the District. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to graciously accept the donations, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. The motion carried unanimously. Donated items are listed in the following chart. DONATIONS SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Otter Creek Elementary Compaq Desk PRO Computer Rebsamen Insurance Company Romine Elementary Clavinova Keyboard Romine PTA Geyer Springs Elementary $100 cash for purchase of books Kiwanis Club of West LR Garland Academy $600 cash for RIF Program Kiwanis Club of Pulaski Heights $200 cash for RIF Program Unitarian Universalist Church Dunbar Magnet Jr. High $1 ,000 cash for landscaping Wal-Mart Foundation $100 cash for teacher incentives Paine Webber $150 cash for security cameras Mr. & Mrs. Sheffield Nelson $300 cash for security cameras Win Rockefeller $500 cash for boys basketball Dover & Dixon, P.A. program Terry Elementary $1,170 cash for purchase of a Arkansas Federal Credit Unon scanner and camcorder Mann Magnet Jr. High 15 Geteway 2000 Computers Mann Magnet PTSA Bale Elementary Three Symphonic VCR's Bale Elementary PT A Watson Elementary $200 cash to provide apples & Mrs. Katherine Blackmon-Solis oranges to students for Christmas McClellan Community High School Baldwin-Hamilton Studio Piano Trinity Episcopal Cathedral REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page7 H. Personnel Changes The Board was asked to approve the personnel changes as printed in the agenda. Dr. Mitchell questioned the reason for eliminating the grants writer position and suggested this position was necessary for securing outside funding sources. Dr. Carnine stated that existing staff would be responsible for seeking and securing grants that had been the responsibility of the district grantswriter. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve all personnel recommendations. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 6-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the "no" vote. In addition to the formal motion, Ms. Magness requested a monthly grants report so that the Board could remain informed of grants written and secured. I. Financial Reports The monthly financial reports were printed in the agenda and Mark Milhollan was present to respond to questions from the Board. Dr. Daugherty questioned the issue of top out stipends and insurance reimbursements as presented by the CT A representative earlier in this meeting. Mr. Milhollen responded that the payment and reimbursement of these funds was directly tied to the negotiation of the contract agreement and was dependent on the funds that are due the District from the State of Arkansas. Ms. Magness moved to approve the financial reports presented. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VI. REPORT AGENDA A. Desegregation Update Mr. Babbs presented a brief review of current activities in the student registration, office. Enrollment/registration is occurring at this time in the local schools and assignment letters are due to be mailed in early March. In addition, Mr. Babbs presented for discussion a revision of the District's policy on acceptance of foreign exchange students. The revised policy will be presented for formal approval at a later date. B. Budget Update The budget update was presented as part of the financial report section of the agenda. No additional information was requested. REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page 8 C. Residential Elementary School Contract agreements for the establishment of a residential elementary charter school were provided for the Board's review. Sanford Tollette is to serve as the lead consultant and ECS Planning and Management, Inc. will provide evaluation services. The fees for both of these services are to be paid from the residential planning grant that was received previously by the District. D. Consultant Contract Dr. Carnine discussed provisions of a contract for consultant services, which was entered on December 15, 1998. Educational Performance Evaluation and Management Systems is to review the District's administrative and clerical salary schedules and provide recommendations for restructuring those schedules. The consultants are being paid $6,000 for the study and $750 per day plus expenses. E. SA T-9 Report A report on the Districtwide SAT-9 test scores was to be presented by Dr. Kathy Lease. Due to the recent tornado damage at the Instructional Resource Center, the report will be presented next month. F. Getty Grant: Central High School A brief report regarding receipt of grant funding in the amount of $25,000 from the Getty Foundation was included in the Board's agenda. Mr. Doug Eaton was present to respond to questions regarding a study that was conducted as part of the plan to restore Central High School. Additional information and the completed report will be provided to the Board in late January. In addition, Mr. Eaton responded to questions and provided a brief review of the damage to District property as a result of the recent tornado. It is estimated that there was in excess of $1.3 million in damages to District property. Some of the students enrolled in Metropolitan vocational training programs have been relocated to other sites and the Early Childhood program was relocated to Rockefeller Elementary School. VII. AUDIENCE WITH INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS None REGULAR BOARD MEETING January 28, 1999 Page 9 VIII. DISCIPLINARY Ms. Magness moved to convene an executive session for the purpose of hearing a student reinstatement petition. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Dr. Linda Watson presented information regarding Jeremy Shavis who was charged with possession of a weapon (handgun) on February 19, 1998. Jeremy was expelled, and subsequently enrolled in the Juvenile Justice Center's Step-One program. Jeremy is petitioning for reinstatement to a District school. The JJC reported that Jeremy had good record of attendance and behavior, therefore, Dr. Watson recommended reinstatement on strict probation. The Board returned from executive session and reported that no formal action had been taken. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve the reinstatement recommendation of Dr. Watson. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. (Dr. Daugherty left the meeting at 8:25 p.m. and was not present for the student hearing portion of the agenda.) VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Ms. Magness moved to adjourn at 8:45 p.m. The motion was seconded by Dr. Mitchell and carried unanimously. APPROVED: ~ J.5" -1 ~ Katherine Mitchell, Secretary Resolution of Endorsement Be it resolved that the Little Rock School District Board of Education endorses the community's initiative in planning for the implementation of communities In Schools throughout the District in order to provide coordinated services to students and their families at the school site. Be it further resolved that the Superintendent and designated staff of the District are authorized to participate with community representatives in the planning efforts for Communities in Schools. The Board expects to be kept informed of progress and the expectations for the district's role and commitment levels will be submitted to the Board in a timely manner for approval. Date er j$ )qqq Katherine Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT February 2, 1999 Ann Brown, Federal Monitor Office of Desegregation Monitoring 201 East Markham, Suite 510 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Ms. Brown: RECEIVE FEB 3 1999 OffiCEOF DESE&REGATION MONITORING I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on December 17, 1998 and January 14, 1999. 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) 324-2000 Agenda FEB 2 LJ 19J9 OFFICE Cf DESEGREGATION MONITORING Little Rock School District Board of Directors' Meeting Freceick D:l.tjass 1817-1895 February 1999 Memo LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENT REGISTRATION OFFICE To: Dr. Les Carnine, Superintendent LRSD Board otPirectors From: Junious Bab~ssociate Superintendent Date: 02/23/99 Re: 1-21-99- Tornado/ Storm- Students Effected Attachment 2 In response to information requested at the 2/11 /99 Board Agenda Meeting, building principals were asked to coordinate efforts with respective staff persons in their building to gather information on students effected by the storm. The following information is provided. Number of your students effected by the storm - High School 44 4t Junior High 58 Elementary 156 258 TOTAL Number of your students required to relocate (change address) because of the storm - 98 TOTAL High School 13 Junior High 25 Elementary 60 Required to relocate but remained in the same school - 95 TOTAL High School 13 Junior High 24 Elementary 58 Required to withdraw, transferring to another LRSD School- 3 TOTAL High School Q Junior High 1 Elementary ~ Withdrew, transferred to another district -0TOTAL High School Q Junior High Q Elementary Q Required to have an altered bus stop-18 TOTAL I 1i-Feb-ttl HIGH SCHOOLS I B I CENTRAL 1018 FAIR 603 HALL 532 MCCLELLAN 709 PARKVIEW 471 ALE SR. HIGH 15 ALT. AGENCY 32 ACC SR. HIGH 66 SUB TOTAL 3446 JUNIOR HIGHS CLOVERDALE 554 DUNBAR 433 FOREST HEIGHTS 493 HENDERSON 537 MABELVALE 394 MANN 428 PULASKI HEIGHTS, 464 SOUTHWEST I 358 ALE JR. HIGH 70 SUB TOTAL 3731 I ELEMENTARY BADGETT 197 BALE 268 BASELINE 292 BOOKER 298 BRADY 254 CARVER 302 CHICOT 379 CLOVERDALE 480 DODD 163 FAIR PARK 172 FOREST PARK 188 FRANKLIN 492 FULBRIGHT 291 GARLAND 259 GEYER SPRINGS 264 GIBBS 156 JEFFERSON 230 KING 3o1 MABELVALE 310 MCDERMOTT 280 MEADOWCLIFF 46 MITCHELL 241 OTTERCREEK 169 PULASKI HEIGHTS 242 RIGHTSELL 264 ROCKEFELLER 256 ROMINE 210 TERRY I 265 WAKEFIELD I 325 WASHINGTON I 322 WATSON 450 WESTERN HILLS 1 238 WILLIAMS 240 WILSON I 315 WOODRUFF 214 I SUB TOTAL I 9629 I GRAND TOTAL 16806 I I LRSD ENROLLMENT M -10- 00 / 1n n< _0A I I w I 0 I TOTAL I% BLK I 725 45 1788 57% 111 14 728 83% 168 70 770 69% 92 26 827 86% 404 41 916 51% 2 0 17 88% 63 0 95 33% 15 1 82 80% 1580 197 5223 65% 24 41 619 89% 251 52 736 59% 233 28 754 65% 50 24 611 88% 108 10 512 77% 366 33 827 52% 275 13 752 62% 43 14 415 86% 11 0 81 86% 1361 215 5307 70% 12 0 209 94% 71 29 368 73% 36 17 345 85% 272 33 603 49% 79 '51 390 65% 265 28 595 51% 109 72 560 68% 19 15 514 93% 84 8 255 64% 55 7 234 73% 216 5 409 46% 17 19 528 93% 216 13 520 56% 1 19 279 93% 53 16 333 79% 138 13 307 51% 262 6 498 46% 282 35 674 53%1 126 11 447 69% 156 27 463 61% 52 9 307 ' 80% 6 5 252 96% 193 7 369 46% 180 15 437 55% 7 4 275 96% 182 22 460 56% 66 52 328 64% 224 36 525/ 50% 27 34 386 84% 204 106 6321 51% 19 6 475 95%1 73 3 314 76% 208 141 4621 52% 45 9 369 85%1 49 13 276 77% ' I 4004 765 14398 66% ' 6945 1177 24928 67% Attachment 1 1-0ct-98I I I I B I w I 0 I TOTAL I 'I, BLK 1097 745 30 1872 59% 593 114 13 720 82% 548 176 61 785 70% 750 107 14 871 86% 476 425 25 926 51% 58 9 3 70 83% 6 9 0 15 40% 23 0 0 23 100% 3551 1585 146 5282 67% 547 25 31 603 90% 453 241 61 755 60% 502 247 30 779 64% 531 47 25 603 88% 381 105 14 500 76% 443 365 32 840 53% 477 281 12 770 62% 382 39 10 431 88% 3716 1350 215 5281 70% I 200 16 0 216 93% 261 72 24 3o1 73% 289 32 18 339 85% 303 270 33 606 50% 2'51 85 54 396 65% 304 260 28 592 51% 394 104 '51 555 70% 472 17 15 504 94% 162 80 9 251 65% 165 56 7 228 72% 191 216 8 415 46% 494 15 15 524 94% 289 209 8 506 56% 248 1 19 268 93% 262 53 17 332 79% 1'51 139 16 312 50% 229 267 6 502 46% 366 295 37 698 52% 293 108 9 410 71% 283 165 24 472 60% 260 58 5 323 80% 2261 9 3 238 95% 165 191 7 363 45% 226 203 15 444 50% 260 9 4 273 95% 237 161 23 421 56% 215 71 59 345 62% 268 224 29 5211 51% 341 23 26 390 87% 335 185 102
6221 54% 470 23 11 494 95% 230 78 51 3131 73% 252 2121 111 4751 53% 329 451 8 382 86% 215 51 13 279 77% I I 9648 4003 7151 14366 67% I I I I 16877 6901 1120 24898 67% Little Rock School District Desegregation Update Board of Directors Meeting February 25, 1999 STUDENT ENROLLMENT Attachment 1 compares the official October 1, 1998 enrollment submitted to the State Department of Education with the enrollment on the AS400 as of February 19, 1999. TORNADO I STORM - STUDENT EFFECTED Attachment 2 is a summary of information collected from school principals on the number of students effected by the 1/21/99 tornado. NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS I ATTENDANCE ZONE SCHOOLS A report is being compiled that will be provided to neighborhood association presidents and building principals. This document will help initiate and/or maintain ongoing communications as we enter the '99-2000 school year, neighborhood schools and our Revised Desegregation Education Plan. LlffLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENT REGISTRATION OFFICE Memo To: Board of Directors From: Junious Babbs, Associate Superintendent Through: Dr. Les Carnine, Superintendent Date: February 25, 1999 Re: Desegregation Update The attached information represents the desegregation update for the month of February. Page 1 IV D - MAR 3 0 1999 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITOR! G MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, February 25, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Mike Kurnpuris Baker Kurrus Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. All members of the Board were present at roll call. Ex-officio representatives to the Board, Janice Moore, teacher at Mabelvale Elementary School, and Amanda Abrams, student at Parkview Magnet High School, were also present. Prior to further action, Mr. Berkley asked the audience to observe a moment of silence in honor of Devin Cuningkin, a McClellan High School student who passed away on Wednesday, February 24, 1999. II. READING OF MINUTES: Minutes from the regular board meeting of January 28, 1999 were presented for Board approval. The minutes were unanimously approved on a motion by Mr. Kurnpuris, seconded by Ms. Strickland. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page2 III. PRESENTATIONS: A. SUPERINTENDENTS CITATIONS Dr. Carnine introduced Elizabeth McLeod, student at Parkview Arts Magnet School. Elizabeth designed the District's 1998 Christmas card, which was mailed to local businesses and legislators. The artwork was framed for display in the administration building. Marion Woods introduced a group of individuals who recently completed the Mahlon Martin Professional Development program for the University of Arkansas. Those employees are: Carolyn Adkins, Marcia Bailey (deceased), Reva Blacknall, Pat Boykin, Ryan Burgess, Ora Crenshaw, Shannon Dorris, Stephanie Fields, Kim Grinage, Cassandra Harding, Betty Harrison, Piccola Hill, Linda Kinard, Pam Persons, Thomas Reinhart, Myrtis Saunders, Darian Smith, De/win Smith, Cleon Staggers, and Daisy Tims. Dr. Carnine read a proclamation honoring individuals in the District who volunteered in the clean-up and relief efforts following the January tornadoes. A copy of the proclamation naming all employees honored is attached to these minutes. The ex-officio representatives to the Board, Janice Moore, teacher at Mabelvale Elementary School, and Amanda Abrams, student at Parkview Magnet High School, were presented with citations in recognition of their service during the month of February. B. PARTNERSHIPS Debbie Milam presented certificates to businesses and other individuals who had recently established working partnerships with District schools. Newly established partnerships included: UALR, Department of Physics and Astronomy, represented by Charles Hemann, in partnership with Washington Math/Science Magnet School, represented by Gwen Ziegler Tony Roma's Restaurant, represented by Jeff Patterson, in partnership with Terry Elementary School, represented by Janis Walker Arkansas Federal Credit Union, represented by Michelle Mosley, in partnership with Terry Elementary School, represented by Janis Walker REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page 3 New Partnerships (continued) East-Harding Construction Company, represented by Bob East, in partnership with Pulaski Heights Jr. High School, represented by Nancy Rousseau Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the partnerships presented. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Mitchell complimented the students and staff at Washington Science Magnet School for their recent science fair. She served as a judge for this year's fair and remarked that the students did an outstanding job in their presentations. Mr. Kumpuris noted the recent newspaper article giving the District credit for making important progress during the current year. He thanked those who participated in the writing of the article. Mr. Kurrus reported his excitement in encouraging people to visit the District's schools. He reported that he is proud to endorse the quality education programs that are being implemented in our schools. Mr. Berkley stated that he had judged science fairs at Central and at Dunbar Magnet Jr. High Schools, noting that the projects prepared by the students were very impressive. IV. CITIZENS COMMITTEES None. V. REMARKS FROM CITIZENS Clinton Kreie, ninth grade student at Mabelvale Jr. High School, asked the Board to provide more computers for the classrooms at his school. He noted that there was no internet access in the classrooms, and the only access available to students was on four computers in the library, where there was usually a waiting list for use. Eleanor Coleman, representing the Classroom Teachers' Association, expressed concern regarding the recent decision of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority to issue tax-exempt bonds for construction of a private school in west Little Rock. She asked the Board to take a formal position of opposition to this action. She also noted continuing concerns regarding the distribution of teachers' pay increases and reimbursements for insurance premium payments. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page4 In addition, Ms. Coleman asked the board to adopt a resolution in support of Read Across America, which takes place on Dr. Seuss' birthday, the first week of March. She invited Board members and District administrators to read to students at Forest Park on March 2, 1999. Report: Middle School Implementation Ms. Magness made a motion to reorder the agenda to allow the Middle School Report to commence prior to the action section of the meeting. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion to reorder the agenda, and it carried unanimously. Marian Lacey, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools, reported that Bonnie Lesley had met with all secondary principals regarding the curriculum revisions that will be in place for the 1999-2000 school year. She also reported that: 1) Dick Hurley completed the staffing of positions for sixth and ninth grade teachers who will transition to new schools
2) Linda Young was continuing to hold regular meetings of the Middle School Steering Committee
3) Ray Gillespie, Brady Gadberry and Victor Anderson were developing the extracurricular budgets
and 4) a two-day retreat would be held before spring break to develop the timelines for insuring a smooth middle school transition. In addition, representatives from each of the current junior high schools reported briefly on their individual school efforts to ensure that students would have positive end-of-year experiences and a successful beginning for the 1999-2000 school year. Among the many activities noted were dances for current year 8th and 9th graders, field days, picnics, spring music festivals, 8th and 9th grade commencement or "rite of passage" ceremonies. There will be school tours for 6th grade students entering new junior high schools and field trips for students who will be 9th graders in high schools next year. New faculty members have been invited to attend staff meetings at the buildings where they will be assigned next year and staff development activities will continue to take place between now and the end of the school year. Ms. Lacey responded to questions from the Board regarding placement of special education students, block scheduling, the implementation of "teaming" at the middle schools, and provisions for the appropriate funding for implementation. Ms. Magness asked Dr. Carnine to insure that the transition to middle schools remains a priority over other initiatives currently being implemented. The Board recessed briefly prior to the action portion of the agenda and returned at 7:30 p.m. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page 5 VI. ACTION AGENDA A. Property Acquisition for Stephens School Doug Eaton was present to discuss the process for securing three parcels of land that will be used for parking at the new Stephens Elementary School. The property belongs to the State of Arkansas due to non-payment of property taxes for a period in excess of ten years
the State has agreed to donate the properties to the school district through the issuance of a donation deed. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to approve the necessary actions to secure these properties. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. B. National Parks Service, Central High School Grant A proposal has been submitted to the National Parks Service for maintenance and repair work to the main entrance of Central High School. If the $10,000 grant is approved, the District will be required to match the grant in the amount of approximately $11,500. The Board was asked to approve this submission for funding. Mr. Kumpuris moved to approve the request for funding. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. Property Donation: Wilson Elementary School (Asher Avenue) The City of Little Rock requested the LRSD to sell to the city the property immediately adjacent to the south side of Wilson Elementary School to allow widening of Asher A venue and Colonel Glenn Road. The Arkansas Highway Department will pay $1,365 for the property and an additional $1,385 for a temporary construction easement. Since this road improvement project will benefit Wilson Elementary School by providing better traffic control and sidewalk access on the south side of the school, the administration recommended the Board's approval. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to approve the donation of property and Ms. Strickland seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. Arkansas Scholars Debbie Milam presented a proposal from the Arkansas Business and Education Alliance and the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce to offer the Arkansas Scholars program to students. This program encourages academic achievement of high school students and provides support for academic excellence. Participating employers agree to recognize the Arkansas Scholars designation on students' transcripts and to consider it as a factor when making post-high school employment decisions. Ms. Strickland moved to approve participation in the program. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried 7-0. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page 6 E. Board Policy Review - First Reading, Sections B & H The Board reviewed Sections B and H of the District's policy manual and unanimously approved those policies on first reading on a motion by Ms. Magness, seconded by Ms. Strickland. Section B, School Board Governance and Operations, is completed with the approval of these additional policies. Additional policies for Section H, Negotiations, will be presented at a later date. F. Resolution in Support of the City of Little Rock The City of Little Rock Board of Directors recently adopted a formal resolution in support of the Little Rock School District. Board members proposed a reciprocal resolution in support of the City of Little Rock. A motion to table adoption of this resolution to the end of the meeting was unanimously approved on a motion by Mr. Kurrus and seconded by Ms. Magness. This was to allow Dr. Mitchell to incorporate alternative wording of the resolution. A copy of the revised resolution is attached to these minutes. It was approved unanimously on a motion by Ms. Strickland, seconded by Mr. Kumpuris. SUSPENSION OF THE RULES: Mr. Berkley asked for a motion to suspend the rules to allow action on items not previously discussed as part of the action agenda. Dr. Mitchell made the motion, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. The vote was unanimous. The following three action items were added by this suspension of the rules. G. Arkansas Better Chance Grant Proposal The Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, offers funding to assist in identification and educational service to children ages birth to five years. This funding is available through Arkansas Act 212 of 1991 and, if approved, would provide $233,992 in continuous funding to the District. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the application for these funds. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. H. Resolution: Statement of Opposition to Arkansas Development Finance Authority's Decision to Issue Tax-Free Bonds for Private School Construction The Arkansas Development Finance Authority recently voted to approve the issuance of tax-free bonds to finance construction of a private school in west Little Rock. Since this action is expected to adversely impact the overall revenue REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page 7 available for public education in the city, the Board requested a resolution in opposition to the ADF A's decision. Mr. Kurrus made a motion to adopt the resolution read by Mr. Berkley. Ms. Magness seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached to these minutes. I. Read Across America Eleanor Coleman, teacher at Forest Park Elementary School, presented a resolution for the Board's approval proclaiming March 2, 1999 as Read Across America Day. This event is held in conjunction with the celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday. Ms. Magness made the motion to approve the resolution. Mr. Kumpuris seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. J. Revised Salary Schedules Mr. Milhollen prepared revised salary schedules in response to a request from the Board. This revision is based on the renegotiated salary adjustment in the amount of 4.25%, rather than the previously agreed amount of 4.5% increases for all staff members. The Board had several questions regarding the schedules, and expressed several concerns regarding cabinet level positions and the salary increases proposed for the individuals on the administrative schedule. Mr. Kurrus expressed a desire to wait until the salary study is completed before approving the increases not required by the District's settlement agreement with teachers. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to approve the salary schedules presented for all employees, except those administrators who are at the cabinet level (ranges 7 and 8 on the 12 month certified administrators schedule). After additional discussion, Ms. Magness made a motion to table action on this item
Ms. Strickland seconded the motion. The motion to table failed by a vote of2-5. Dr. Mitchell requested that the administration develop standardized criteria for cabinet level employees' salaries. The results of the salary study are expected in mid-April or May, and should be used to develop this criteria. The original motion was repeated for clarification, and was seconded by Dr. Daugherty. The motion to approve the salary schedules excluding the cabinet level steps, carried 6-1, with Mr. Kurrus casting the 'no' vote. K. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve acceptance of recent donations to the District. Ms. Magness made a motion to graciously accept the donations, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. The motion carried unanimously. Donated items are listed in the following chart. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page 8 DONATIONS SCHOOUDEP ARTMENT ITEM LRSD 17 SIG-E Lan Network Cards HP Jet Direct Card V1TEQ Benchmark Model 15A UPS IBM 486/66 Computer Pulaski Heights Jr. High Two Dell 486 Computers and Monitors McClellan Community High School $250 Cash for purchase of a statistic computer for Lady Lions basketball team Dodd Elementary $300 cash for beautification of campus $250 cash Booker Arts Magnet Elementary Snacks for use as student incentives Pulaski Heights Elementary $8,000 cash to purchase computers Franklin Incentive School One Sears brand VCR One Penney's brand VCR Western Hills Elementary Double Faced Pylon Sign Piano Fair Park Elementary Laminating Machine Forest Park Elementary $3,798 cash to purchase computers Four IBM 86 computers with monitors McClellan Community School $200 cash for Teachers of Tomorrow activities $ I 00 cash for Teachers of Tomorrow activities DONOR US Department of Agriculture Mr. Henry Lee, owner of Vino's US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Edward Sherrill, DDS Sam's Club Suzanne and Lance Waters, Apartment Hunters, Inc. Sam's Club #8104 Pulaski Heights Elementary PTA Carolyn Gray Ann Firestone Western Hills PTA Mr. & Mrs. Richard Strasburg Fair Park PT A Forest Park PT A Mr. Hardy A. Th.rower Regions Financial Corp. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page9 SCHOOLJDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Bale Elementary School $758 cash Senator John Riggs (surplus campaign funds) Geyer Springs Elementary Ten reams of assorted colored BFI duplicating paper Wakefield Elementary Five AT&T Computers with Lucent Technologies monitors and keyboards K. Personnel Changes The Board was asked to approve the personnel changes as printed in the agenda. There were no questions and Mr. Kurnpuris moved to accept the personnel changes. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 7-0. L. Financial Reports Mark Milhollan provided a revised budget report for the Board's review and approval. On September 10, 1998, the Board approved the 1998-99 budget, which included $2,066.261 in deferred items. Approval of this revision would allow the schools to spend up to 90% of their budget for operations. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the revised budget. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. The monthly financial reports were printed in the agenda, and Mr. Milhollen responded to additional questions from the Board. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the reports as printed in the agenda. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VI. REPORT AGENDA A. Desegregation Update Mr. Babbs provided a brief overview of the reports printed in the agenda for the Board's review. He also reported that the District's biracial committee would hold a retreat on Saturday, March 13, 1999 to help define their role in the upcoming school year. REGULAR BOARD MEETING February 25, 1999 Page 10 B. Budget Update Mr. Milhollen reported that the budget process for the 1999-2000 school year had begun
budget managers have received their packets of materials to complete the budget projection process. He also reported that a budget work session for Board members would be scheduled as soon as additional information on the state's settlement payment to the District is received. C. SAT-9 Results Report Kathy Lease and Ed Williams from the Planning, Research and Evaluation office provided a brief overview of the District's overall SAT-9 test results. The 'mobility factor' was discussed in detail as one of the reasons for individual students' scores to be lower overall than students who are enrolled in a school over a period of years. PRE specialists will be meeting with principals, brokers, curriculum specialists and the campus leadership teams to determine how to best improve student achievement scores at the local school level. D. Procurement Report Darrell Paradis and Gail Hester from the District's procurement department provided a brief review of the District's guidelines for purchasing technological equipment, including computers, printers, file servers and networking equipment. John Ruffins, Lucy Lyon and Dr. Victor Anderson participated in the technology committee meetings where the District's procedures for establishing the requirements or standards for purchasing this equipment were developed. It was reported that approximately $2 million was spent in fiscal 1997-98 on computers and equipment. Mr. Ruffins reported that $368,000 was to be distributed to Arkansas school districts through Southwestern Bell as a result of the "e-rate" agreement. VIl. AUDIENCE WITH INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS None VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Dr. Mitchell moved to adjourn at 10: 15 p.m. The motion was seconded by Ms. Magness and carried unanimously. ~\)\~ APPROVED:J-.
).$ -14 L~~J ~id~~ I Mi ~tary RESOLUTION Whereas, the future success of our community depends, in large part, on the willingness and ability of the city's community, government and business leaders to work together toward common goals
and Whereas, the Little Rock School District has maintained a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with the City of Little Rock
and Whereas, the Little Rock School District recognizes the support that the members of the City of Little Rock Board of Directors has provided to public education and, specifically, to the Little Rock School District
and Whereas, the elected members of the Little Rock School District Board of Education wish to acknowledge and reciprocate the Little Rock Board of Directors support
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Little Rock School District Board of Education expresses its intent to collaborate with the City of Little Rock Board of Directors in positive future endeavors for the benefit of the citizens of Little Rock. :M~~,Q 5:arry Berkley President \~~~~ Katherine Mitchell Secretary RESOLUTION Whereas, the Little Rock School District is a party to the "Pulaski County School Desegregation Case Settlement Agreement" in which the three Pulaski County School Districts, representatives of the teachers in the three districts, representatives of the African-American students in the three districts, and the State of Arkansas agreed to promote desegregation of the public schools in Pulaski County, Arkansas, and Whereas, the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the Little Rock and North Little Rock Chapters of the NAACP and the Greater Little Rock Christian Ministerial Alliance, the Arkansas State Board of Education, the Arkansas Department of Education and the Governor of Arkansas supported the Settlement Agreement, and Whereas, the Little Rock School District is committed to providing a high quality education to its students in a desegregated public school system
and Whereas, the State of Arkansas expressed in the Settlement Agreement its commitment to the principle that the Arkansas Department of Education and the Pulaski County School Districts "should work cooperatively to promote the desegregation goals of the State and the Districts and to ensure educational excellence in the public schools in Pulaski County and throughout the State," and Whereas, the State of Arkansas agreed in the Settlement Agreement that it would "enact no legislation which has a substantial adverse impact on the ability of the Districts to desegregate," and Whereas, the State of Arkansas, through the Arkansas Department of Education, agreed in the Settlement Agreement not to "knowingly promulgate or retain any regulations which impede desegregation" and to submit to the Arkansas General Assembly legislation to repeal any laws which impede desegregation, and Whereas, a primary purpose of the Settlement Agreement was to require all of the parties to the Pulaski County School Desegregation Case to work toward the desegregation of the public schools in Pulaski County, Arkansas and toward the transition of the Little Rock School District, the Pulaski County Special School District and the North Little Rock School District from dual school systems to unitary school systems
and Whereas, the Arkansas General Assembly created the Arkansas Development Finance Authority to perform "essential public functions" and, Whereas, the Arkansas Development Finance Authority has voted conditionally to issue bonds on behalf of Pulaski Academy, a private educational institution, and Whereas, the Little Rock School District Board of Directors believes that State involvement in the financing of private schools violates the language and the intent of the Settlement Agreement and will have an adverse effect upon the Little Rock School District's desegregation efforts, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Little Rock School District Board of Directors opposes the issuance of bonds by the Arkansas by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority on behalf of Pulaski Academy. Dated this 25th day of February, 1999. Larry B
kie
Presidynt ~, /?~&ILL Katherine Mitchell, Secretary Resolution WHEREAS, the Little Rock School Board stands firmly committed to promoting reading as the catalyst for our students' future academic success, their preparation for America's jobs of the future, and their ability to compete in a global economy
and WHEREAS, the Arkansas Education Association has provided significant leadership in the area of community involvement in the education of our youth, grounded in the principle that educational investment is key to the community's well being and long-term quality of life
and WHEREAS, "Read Across America," a national celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2nd, promotes reading and adult involvement in the education of our community's students
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Little Rock School Board calls on the patrons of the Little Rock School District to assure that every child is in a safe place reading together with a caring adult on the evening of March 2nd, 1999
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body enthusiastically endorses" Read Across America" and recommits our school district to engage in programs and activities to make America's children the best readers in the world. Date Larry dent Little Rock Schoo ard MAR 3 0 1999 rm:EOf -anw,nt11 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING March 11, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting on Thursday, March 11, 1999, immediately following the regular agenda meeting, in the Board Room at 810 West Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas. Katherine Mitchell, Secretary of the Board, presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Baker Kurrus Mike Kumpuris Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent Beverly J. Griffin, Recorder of the Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Dr. Mitchell called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m., immediately following the regularly scheduled agenda meeting. Five members of the Board were present
Mr. Berkley and Ms. Strickland were absent. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The meeting was called to take action on an adjustment to the student calendar for the current school year. MINUTES - SPECIAL BOARD MEETING March 11, 1999 Page2 ACTION AGENDA: I. Calendar Adjustment The Board was asked to approve a revision to the current school year student calendar. School was cancelled on January 8, 1999 due to inclement weather. Under the teachers' contract, normally this day would be made up at the end of the school year. Doing so would require students to attend school on Tuesday, June 1, the day after the Memorial Day holiday. An agreement with the CT A was made to hold the make up day on Friday, March 26, 1999, which had previously been a non-attendance day for students and a record keeping day for teachers. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve March 26 as the make-up day. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. on a motion by Dr. Daugherty, seconded by Mr. Kurrus. APPROVED: 3JS-7J ~ Berkie~, President <t:1m~ ~atherine Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD l\1EETING March 25, 1999 RECEIVE MAY 11 1999" OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORING The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, March 25, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. l\1EMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Mike Kumpuris Baker Kurrus l\1EMBERS ABSENT: Judy Magness ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER II. Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. Four members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Daugherty arrived at 6:08 and Mr. Kumpuris arrived at 6: 17 p.m. Ms. Magness was absent. Ex-officio teacher representative to the Board, Geraldine McCarther from McDermott Elementary School, was also present. READING OF MINUTES: Minutes from the regular board meeting of February 25, and from a special meeting on March 11, were presented for Board approval. Mr. Kurrus requested one change to the minutes of the February 25th meeting. Noting that correction, the minutes were unanimously approved on a motion by Ms. Strickland, seconded by Mr. Kurrus. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 25, 1999 Page2 m. PRESENTATIONS: A. STUDENT PERFORMANCE Students from McDermott Elementary School demonstrated a sign language interpretation to recorded music. Rachel Morse, a McDermott parent and volunteer, teaches the students signing skills as a second language. Principal Virginia Ashley, PT A President Susie James, and several McDermott parents were also present. B. SUPERINTENDENTS CITATIONS Dr. Carnine introduced Rudolph l{oward, Central High School principal, and asked him to introduce representatives of this year's Tiger basketball team. The Central High Tigers won the 1998-99 state basketball championship. Mr. Howard introduced Reginald Talley and Marcus Bland, members of the team, who were also applauded for their academic achievements. Faith Donovan, principal at Dodd Elementary School, was introduced and congratulated for her school's recent receipt of a $50,000 Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program grant. These funds will allow continuation of the reading and writing program at Dodd and will provide additional technology for student use. Mike Kumpuris and Sue Strickland were presented with certificates from the Arkansas School Boards Association for their completion of mandatory inservice trairung. Mr. Kumpuris completed six hours, and Ms. Strickland completed 15 hours of school board member training. Geraldine McCarther, ex-officio teacher representative from McDermott Elementary School, was presented with a citation in recognition of her service to the Board for the month of March. C. PARTNERSHIPS Debbie Milam presented certificates to businesses and other individuals who had recently established working partnerships with District schools. Newly established partnerships included: Otter Creek Elementary School, represented by Janis Tucker and Caroline Bryant, in partnership with The Armstrong Team, Realtors, represented by Terry Hill and Teresa Hicks and with Truman Ball & Associates, Realtors, which did not have a representative present. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 25, 1999 Page 3 IV. V. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the partnerships presented. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimouslv. Debbie Milam introduced members of the VIPS Board, who announced the April 20, 1999 Evening for the Stars and presented Board members with invitations to the celebration. Ms. Milam also announced recruitment of new businesses for participation in this year's summer Vital Link program. C. BOARD ME1\1BERS Mr. Kumpuris reported on his attendance at the Western Hills spaghetti supper prior to the Board meeting. The food was provided by Macaroni Grill, Western Hills' partner in education. CITIZENS COMMITTEES Vic Anderson introduced Odies Wilson, president of the Little Rock Alliance for Our Public Schools, and Linda Recio, representative of MGT of America. Dr. Recio provided a copy of the executive summary of the MGT Study to Board members and presented a brief overview of the report. Board members were asked to review the report and Dr. Recio offered to return to the Board for further discussion at a later date. REMARKS FROM CITIZENS Milton Washington addressed the issue of substitute teacher pay and asked the Board to consider increasing the daily rate of pay for substitute teachers. He stated that it had been nine years since substitute teachers had received a pay increase. VI. ACTION AGENDA A. Board Policy Review - Sections B & H Sections B and H of the Board policy manual were presented for approval on second reading. These sections had been approved on first reading at the February Board meeting. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to approve section B, School Board Governance and Operations, on second reading. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. ~.. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to table action on Section H, Negotiations, for additional discussion and clarification. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 25, 1999 Page4 B. Board Policy Review - Section G Section G, Personnel, of the policy manual was presented for approval on first reading. Board members voiced several concerns with individual policies included in this section, therefore, Mr. Kurrus moved to table. Mr. Kurnpuris seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. C. Board Policy Review - Desegregation Compliance Policies related to compliance with the desegregation and education plan revisions were presented for review and approval on first reading. Policies JMA, (Scholarships) and ACEE (Equitable Maintenance and Repair of Facilities) were approved unanimously on first reading on a motion by Mr. Kurnpuris, seconded by Ms. Strickland. D. Board Policy Review - Equitable Student Assignment Policy ACBB, Equitable Student Assignment, was presented for approval on first reading. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the policy. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. E. Central High School Energy Grant A grant proposal in the amount of $315,650 was submitted by the Facility Services Department to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for energy conservation improvements at Central High School. If approved, the grant will allow development of a contract to retrofit the classroom and hallway lighting at Central High School. Mr. Kurnpuris moved to approve the submission. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. F. Residential Elementary Charter School The residential elementary alternative charter school committee asked for the Board to consider a proposal for further development of the establishment of this facility. Site selection for the school and development of a job description for the director of the program are the next steps in timely implementation of the committee's recommended timeline. The school would openin October 2000 in a school that is currently serving District students, but that is under-enrolled. Third, fourth and fifth grade students would-comprise the initial student body, with approximately 40 students per grade level. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to authorize the committee to move forward in selecting a site and advertising for a director. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Mr. Berkley requested a periodic update on the progress of implementation of the program. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 25, 1999 Page 5 G. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve acceptance of recent donations to the District. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to graciously accept the donations, seconded by Mr. Kurnpuris. The motion carried unanimously. Donated items are listed in the following chart. DONATIONS SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Pulaski Heights Jr. High 14 personal computers U.S. Department of w/monito:5, 3 laptop computers, Transportation, Federal l fax machine, 5 printers, l Highway Administration Visioneer Paperport, l Logitech Scanner Rockefeller Elementary School $1,000 cash for purchase of Dr. & Mrs. George Bartzokis Accelerated Reader M. L. King Magnet School $5,000 in gift certificates Office Depot Jefferson Elementary $100 cash for purchase of KA TV-Channel 7 Accelerated Reader Program Geyer Springs Elementary $20 cash per month to Early Mr. & Mrs. William Rose- Childhood program for classroom Heim supplies . Dodd Elementary Sofa for Teachers' Lounge Mrs. LouNet Richett Three park benches Dodd PTA Mann Magnet Jr. High $1,200 cash for drill team fund Scott & Kathy Anderson/ Anderson Engineering Consultants, Inc. Metropolitan/ Accelerated Learning One MR-333 C Multimedia PC Crews & Associates, Inc. Center One HP 720 Color Printer for job coordinator Alternative Learning Center - One metal fold-out table Dr. Taib_i Kahler/Kahler Apperson Communications K. Personnel Changes The Board was asked to approve the personnel changes as printed in the agenda. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the listed personnel changes. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 25, 1999 Page 6 L. Financial Reports The monthly financial reports were printed in the agenda. Mr. Milhollen was present to respond to questions from the Board. He reported that a revised annual budget would be published in late April for the Board's review and approval. D.r Mitchell made a motion to approve the financial reports. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VI. REPORT AGENDA A. Desegregation Update The Desegregation Update was pr:inted in the agenda and the Board requested no additional information. B. Budget Update As reported previously, the annual budget revision will be provided for review in April. C. SAT-9 Results Report Bonnie Lesley provided a written report of proposed new regulations on credit-byexamination, which would allow alternative methods of earning credits for promotion at the middle school and high school levels. Dr. Mitchell expressed concern regarding the limited number of students who would benefit from the implementation. Dr. Lesley agreed to re-word sections of the regulations that were easily misunderstood. D. Stephens Timeline Sadie Mitchell presented the proposed timeline for opening the new Stephens School in August 2000. Advertising and hiring a building principal and naming the members of the Campus Leadership Team should be completed during March 1999. Detailed steps in the process were printed in the Board's agenda. E. Title IX Compliance Report Ray Gillespie, Director of Athletics, provided a written report on the District's Title IX compliance. He provided the results of a recent survey of District athletic participation and stated that we are in compliance with the federal guidelines. REGULAR BOARD MEETING March 25, 1999 Page? VII. AUDIENCE WITH INDMDUALS OR GROUPS None EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board convened an executive session on a motion by Dr. Daugherty, seconded by Mr. Kurrus. The session was for the purpose of discussing personnel issues. They returned from executive session at 9:05 p.m. and reported that no action had been taken. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Ms. Strickland moved to adjourn at 9:05 p.m. The motion was seconded by Dr. Mitchell and carried unanimously. APPROVED: ~-
)_J -C!Cf ~J-e,1,,,d!~ Katherine Mitchell, Secretary "fl Certificate Completion ' . ,. ,,,pur1s t"tf~I:: ''.J~ m.,~ 11 i
rr ~~. ". ' In accordance with Act 767 of 1987
has completed six hours of in-servic~ itudy, sp.
ri.sored by the Arkansas Sch'ooLBoards 'Association, , i -~ .~Y ": in the school laws of Arkansas and the'duties and responsibilites of Arkansas school board members . . By: Z,1,, 70#fU# '1f!. "t'Ut,,U!t4,, ASBA Executive Director* Date Feb. 1999 ARKANSAS ScuooL BoARDS Assoc1ATION h. ereby acknowledges . Sue Strickland of the Little Rock School Board as an Honor Board Member and certifies the completion of 15 hours ' l\ . of mandatory and voluntary school board training. Z,,i., 7~ ~- 1/ut,UIU March 15, 1999 ASBA Executive Director Date LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING April 6, 1999 ECEIV ,D MA y 11 19C1 g_ OFFICE OF &GREGATl81 MONITOR The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting immediately following the agenda meeting on Tuesday, April 6, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Mike Kumpuris Baker Kurrus Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: Micheal Daugherty ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. A quorum was stipulated without a roll call. Six members of the Board were present
Dr. Daugherty was absent. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board convened an executive session on a motion by Dr. Mitchell, seconded by Mr. Kurrus. The session was for the purpose of discussing personnel issues. They returned from executive session at 10:25 p.m. and reported that no action had been taken. SPECIAL BOARD MEETING April 6, 1999 Page2 ACTION: Dr. Carnine asked the Board to approve salary increases for cabinet level employees at the rate of3% for the 1997-98 school year, and 4.25% for the current year, with the exception of Dick Hurley, Suellen Vann, Kathy Lease, and Bonnie Lesley. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the increases. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Ms. Strickland moved to adjourn at 10:27 p.m. The motion was seconded by Dr. Mitchell and carried unanimously. APPROVED: '-) -~
)_ q~ LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT May 10, 1999 Ann Brown, Federal Monitor Office of Desegregation Monitoring 201 East Markham, Suite 510 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Ms. Brown: MAY 1 I 1999 OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORi~
,. I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on March 25 and April 6, 1999. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can provide additional information. Enclosures Sincerely, b-- Beverly J. Griffin Executive Assistant to the Superintendent 810 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 324-2000 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, May 27, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Baker Kurrus Judy Magness RECEIVED MEMBERS ABSENT: ll! I! 1 3 1999 OfflCEOF OE~EGREGATION MONITORING Mike Kumpuris ALSO PRESENT: I. Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes CALL TO ORDER Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. Six members of the Board were present at roll call
Mr. Kumpuris was absent. Ex-officio representatives to the Board, Alicia Whitlow, teacher at Mitchell Elementary School, and Diwanna Baskins, student at Hall High School, were also present. II. READING OF MINUTES: Minutes from the regular board meeting of April 22, and from a special meeting on May 13, were presented for Board approval. The minutes were unanimously approved on a motion by Dr. Mitchell, seconded by Ms. Strickland. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page2 III. PRESENTATIONS: A. PARTNERSHIPS Debbie Milam presented certificates to businesses and individuals that had recently established working partnerships with District schools. Newly established partnerships include: Accelerated Learning Center - represented by Dr. J J Lacey, Jr. and Alicia Finch, in partnership with Crews and Associates, represented by Rush Harding Dodd Elementary, represented by Martha Lowe, in partnership with Stagecoach-Dodd Neighborhood Association, represented by Charles Tanner and Lona Wright Pulaski Heights Junior High School, represented by Renee Dickins, in partnership with Domino's Pizza, represented by Kahrston Barkley Western Hills Elementary School, represented by Scott Morgan, in partnership with Westwood Neighborhood Association Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the new partnerships. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. B. SUPERINTENDENTS CITATIONS Dr. Carnine recognized twelve students who were recognized by the Duke Talent Search Program. The students are: Anna Miller, Sunny Patel, Joel Simon, Abigail Wheeler, and Ke Xu, all from Dunbar Magnet
William Barlow and Braden Cato from Forest Heights
Melissa Allen from Mabelvale Jr. High
and Tyler Simpson, Emily Soderberg, Raksha Soora, and John Spivey, all from Mann Magnet. Ray Gillespie, Director of Athletics, presented athletic jackets to the Superintendent, Associate Superintendents and Board members. These jackets were donated anonymously by a supporter of the District's athletic program. Elizabeth Dale and Mary Given, employees of the District's special needs transportation department, were presented with certificates of appreciation for their prompt action in evacuating students from a bus which caught fire shortly after the students were removed. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page3 One student from each of the five high schools was selected to display a painting in the administration building. These students were awarded checks in the amount of $200.00 for their artwork: Felix Rettberg, Hall High exchange student
Corinne Lantier, Parkview
Jeremy Gaston, McClellan
Elizabeth Holland, Central
and Deon Robinson, Fair. Brandon Smith, fifth grade student from Otter Creek Elementary School, was recognized for placing second in the countywide spelling bee. He has placed first or second each year for the past four years in this competition. Dr. Carnine recognized Ross Glotzbach and Maribeth Mock who were selected as 1999 Presidential Scholars. This award is granted annually to one male and one female student in each state. It is especially noteworthy that this year's winners from Arkansas were both from Central High School. District teachers and administrators who participated in the Arkansas Quality Award Training program were recognized for their efforts to implement new programs and improve student achievement. They were: Linda Brown, Parkview
Donna Hall, Geyer Springs
Frances Cawthon, School Services
Mabel Donaldson, Gifted Programs
Carol Green, ACC
Dennis Glasgow, Math & Science
Patty Kohler, Exceptional Children
Marian Lacey, School Services
Kathy Lease, PRE
Liz Lucker, New Futures
and Marie McNeal, Social Studies. Six teachers and four students from the Little Rock School District were selected this year as Stephens Award winners. These individuals receive cash awards which are to be spent on future educational expenses. The students were: Thomas Deere and Ross Glotzbach, Central
Brandy Gray, McClellan
and Paul Mendoza, Parkview. The teachers were: Mary Becker and Nancy Wilson, Central
Robert Palmer, Fair
Christine Green, Hall
Patricia Bilbrey, McClellan
and Debbie Howell, Parkview. Tiffany Gunn, sophomore student from McClellan High School, was recently featured by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for her successes in track and field competition. She was recognized as the Gatorade Athlete of the Year in 1998, Arkansas Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year, was featured in Sports Illustrated and plans to participate in the 100 Olympics. In addition to her athletic abilities, Tiffany maintains a 4.0 grade point average. Rene Carson recently received the 1998 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in Secondary Education, which provides a $7,500 National Science Foundation grant. Neka Mabry, junior from Central High School, recently won the Speedo Southeast Junior Swimming Championship Award at a competition in St. Louis. She has also qualified for the 1999 National Championships to be held in Long Island. - REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page4 Pat Kirwin, teacher at Pulaski Heights Junior High School, developed a theme unit called Prepare. As part of this unit, students developed brochures about emergency preparedness. The local chapter of the American Red Cross will use these publications for public distribution. Betty Tinkle, Community Service Liaison for the Baseline Road Wal-Mart store, was present to recognize the Wal-Mart Teachers of the Year from the LRSD, Leeta Robertson from Pulaski Heights Elementary, and Sandra Mims from Chicot Elementary. Six students from Central High won first place awards at the Arkansas Speech and Communication Association state tournament. The students were: Clarke Tucker, Chris Wheat, Sarah Tucker, Candice Smith, Josh Ratliff, and David Martinous. Parkview journalism students recently received recognition at the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association conference for the 1998 Pegasus Magazine. Pam Hobbs, journalism advisor at Parkview, was present and received a citation on behalf of the students who participated in the project. Carver fifth grade students created a web site titled The Marvels and Mistakes of Medicine Through the Ages as part of the national Thinkquest competition, which promotes the development of web pages by and for children. The finalists in the 1999 competition are: Brittany Bailey, Amanda Compadre, Sarasijhaa Desikan, Matthew Guiterrez, Hannah Hooker, and Darrell Scott. Suellen DiMassimo and Letitia White, Carver teachers, were the Thinkquest sponsors. There were a number of presentations and recognitions for the career-technical program at Metropolitan. First place and gold medal winners from the statewide VICA competition will travel to the national competition in Kansas City in June. The students and their instructors are noted below: AREA INSTRUCTOR AWARD/STUDENT Diesel Tech Steve Averitt Gold Medal - Jared Averitt Silver Medal - Darren Smith TV Production Bruce Miles Gold Medal - John Sanchez Culinary Arts Robin Barnum 1st Place - Don Strickland l '1 Place - Kit Williams 2nd Place - Lindsey Byrd Commercial Art Darrell Berry 1st Place - Phuong Nguyen Cosmetology Linda Soderling 2nd place - Tabitha Pickett 3rd place - Dianna Donahue Auto Body J. C. Skipper 1st place - Sean Hill 2nd place - Jeremie Givan 1 '1 place - John Williams 3rd place - LaDell Lauson REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page 5 AREA CAD Medical Professions Cosmetology INSTRUCTOR Carl Grummer Laurie Prather Scottie Burchett AW ARD/STUDENT I st place - Dwayne Williams B. J. McKenzie HeruyWakwe 2nd place - Jayson Medlin 3rd place - Michael Smith Gold Medal - Maquinta Davis, Susan Gibson, JaDonna Gooding, Tyrnberly Garrett, and Charisa Mason Silver Medal- Kristina Ard, Jennifer Dobbs, Traquilla Thomas and Jennifer Majors Bronze - Kristina Ard 2nd place - Janeele Davis 2nd place - Tabitha Pickett I st place - Sherry Flemmons 3rd place - Dianna Donahue In addition, Statesman's Awards went to students as follows: Cosmetology I Cosmetology II Auto Body Medical Professions Tamara Chunn, India Ledbetter, Sheena Phillips, Cheree Carter, Candace Williams, Janeele Davis and LaVonne Alexander Dianna Donahue, Eleana Earnest, Tabitha Pickett, Shana Brady, and Katarra Giles LaDell Lauson and Jerry Kramer Jennifer Dobbs and Kristina Ard Metro students who serve as VICA statewide officers are: Jennifer Dobbs, Vice President of Health Occupations
Tamara Chunn, State Parliamentarian
LaDawn Murphy, State Reporter. The ex-officio representatives to the Board for the month of May, Alicia Whitlow, teacher from Mitchell Elementary School, and Diwanna Baskins, student from Hall High School, were presented certificates of appreciation for their service on the Board. C. BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Mitchell congratulated the J. A. Fair track team for winning the state championship this year. She also thanked the District's teachers and other staff for making this a very good school year. Ms. Magness also thanked employees for a great year. She recognized staff members for going the extra mile to make significant progress to benefit our students. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page6 V. REMARKS FROM CITIZENS Richard Davis, counselor from Dunbar Magnet Junior High School, announced that he was retiring after serving 25 years with the District. He asked the Board to review the personnel system to develop ways to reward employees who have good attendance. He noted that usage of substitute teachers has increased steadily over the years and that in some instances up to 25% of the faculty are absent each day. He noted that he was retiring with 175 sick days to his credit and that employees with good attendance should be recognized. Shelly Wilkins Robinson, a Central High School parent, addressed the Board regarding the recent cheerleader tryouts. She felt that the method for judging and calculating the scores for the cheerleaders selected was not carried out in a fair and impartial manner. Cornelius Roberts, a teacher from Forest Heights Junior High School, expressed concerns about standards of expectations for students. He feels that students are not being motivated to achieve and succeed. VI. ACTION AGENDA Ms. Strickland made a motion to suspend the rules to reorder the agenda to allow Personnel as the first action item of the agenda. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. A. Personnel Changes The Board was asked to approve the personnel changes as printed in the agenda. In addition, the administration presented recommendations for three principal reassignments. Those employees and the recommended assignments are: Sharon Brooks, currently principal at Rightsell Academy, recommended for reassignment to principal of the new Stephens School Cassandra Norman, currently principal at Cloverdale Jr. High, recommended for reassignment to principal of J. A. Fair High School Vernon Smith, currently principal at Forest Heights Jr. High, recommended for reassignment to principal of Hall High School REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page7 On the question of the principal's assignments, Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the recommendations. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. On the remainder of the Personnel issues as printed in the monthly agenda, Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the noted changes. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. B. Board Policy Review - Section E, Policy FF School Operations- Section E of the Board policy manual, and Policy FF - Naming Facilities, were presented for review and approval on second reading. These policies were approved on first reading at the April meeting of the Board. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve these policies on second reading, Ms. Magness seconded the motion, and it carried 6-0. C. Board Policy Review - Policy JRAA The District's policy related to maintenance of student discipline records was presented for the Board's first reading. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the policy as presented. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. D. Textbook Adoption: K-12 Mathematics, Physics and Science Dennis Glasgow presented recommendations for the adoption of textbooks for K- 12 mathematics, physics, geology and space science textbooks. He presented information regarding the changes in texts as required by the National Science Foundation CPMSA grant. Individuals who served on the committee for selection of the textbooks were present at the meeting and were recognized for their service. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve the selected textbooks, Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. E. Textbook Adoption: Career and Technical Education Carol Green presented a listing of textbooks selected by a committee of District teachers and administrators for the Career and Technical Education program. Individuals who served on the committee were thanked for their assistance in the selection process. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the committee's recommendations. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page 8 F. School Name Change The Campus Leadership Team at Williams Magnet School requested Board approval to change the name of their school to Williams Traditional Magnet School. Their request included supporting opinion that the name change would more accurately reflect the theme and mission of the school. This change would become effective with the 1999-2000 school year. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve the request for a name change. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. G. Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook Revisions The Board was provided with information that included the recommended changes to the current elementary and secondary student rights and responsibilities handbooks. In addition, a separate handbook was developed for the middle schools which incorporates appropriate information from each of the other handbooks. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve the revisions to the handbooks. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. H. Proposed Sale: Eastside Junior High School Ms. Magness made a motion to suspend the rules to consider this item since it had not previously been submitted for the Board's review. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Bell-Corley Investments, Inc., made an offer to purchase the Eastside Junior High School building for $230,000 with a 120-day closing stipulation. They will attempt to secure funding and complete an evaluation of the property during this time. The Board was asked to approve the offer and authorize the administration to accept the terms of the sale. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve the proposal for sale of this property. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. I. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve acceptance of recent donations to the District. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to accept the donations, seconded by Ms. Strickland. The motion carried unanimously. The list of donated items was read by Ms. Magness and Mr. Kurrus and are noted in the following chart. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page9 DONATIONS SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT ITEM Dodd Elementary Ryobi Weedeater Sofa, rocking chair, rugs, coffee table, end table, lamps, and miscellaneous items for a parent waiting area 20 dry eraser boards, two microphones, graduation caps for 4-year old program grads, PE equipment and bulletin board materials Baseline Elementary Trophy case for lobby area Dunbar Magnet Jr. High Sweatshirts for the soccer team Mulch for school grounds $50 for Dunbar landscape fund Hall High $2,700 to Hall Athletic Department for weight training equipment Otter Creek Pentium PC, monitor and keyboard for the school library VIPS Vital Link Program $ 898.68 cash $7,250 cash Williams Magnet School $6,904.23 cash for purchasing classroom and special project materials $1,432.68 for purchasing a riding lawnmower DONOR Dodd PTA Baseline PTA Dr. Jimmy Tucker, Ark. Sports Medicine David Lands, West Tree Service William J. Rhodes, WJR Service Company Elbert Crawford, Ace Sports Management, LLC IFS Mayor Jim Dailey ( excess campaign funds) City of Little Rock, Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund Williams Magnet PTA REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page 10 J. Financial Reports The Board was asked to approve the financial reports as printed in the monthly agenda. Mark Milhollen was present to respond to questions. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the financial reports as submitted, Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. VI. REPORT AGENDA A. Desegregation Update Junious Babbs provided a brief update on the compliance reports that have been developed as a result of the revised desegregation and education plan. He reported that Terrence Roberts and Stephen Ross, desegregation consultants, will be meeting with District staff members as inservice training on the compliance issues. Dr. Mitchell requested a report, by school, of the number of students who are assigned from the attendance zones, how many have requested to be grandfathered to their current school, and how many attendance zone students are on the waiting lists. Mr. Babbs agreed to provide this information for the Board's review. Also, Dr. Mitchell questioned whether or not additional pre-kindergarten classes might be available in the elementary schools once the sixth grade students are moved to the middle Gunior high) schools. B. Budget Update Mr. Milhollen was present but no additional budget information was requested from the Board. C. National Science Foundation Update Vanessa Cleaver, Project Director for the National Science Foundation Grant, presented a copy of the project's annual report. She briefly updated the Board on the goals, objectives and accomplishments of the mathematics and science initiative. Board members were asked to review the written report and to contact Ms. Cleaver or Dennis Glasgow if there are additional questions. REGULAR BOARD MEETING May 27, 1999 Page 11 VII. AUDIENCE WITH INDMDUALS OR GROUPS None VIIl. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Ms. Magness moved to adjourn at 8:48 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. Kurrus and carried unanimously. APPROVED: lo d4:-q1 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT RECEIVED JUN 1 0 1999 OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORING June 9, 1999 Ann Brown, Federal Monitor Office of Desegregation Monitoring 201 East Markham, Suite 510 Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Ms. Brown: I am enclosing minutes of the LRSD Board of Directors meetings held on May 13 and April 22, 1999. 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) 324-2000 RECEI ED JUN 1 0 1999 OfflCE Of DESEGREGATION MONITORIMQ LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, April 22, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Mike Kumpuris Baker Kurrus Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Six members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Mitchell arrived at 8:25 p.m. Ex-officio teacher representative to the Board, Carletta Burchett from Meadowcliff Elementary School, was also present. II. READING OF MINUTES: Minutes from the regular board meeting of March 25, and from a special meeting on April 6, were presented for Board approval. The minutes were unanimously approved on a motion by Ms. Strickland, seconded by Mr. Kumpuris. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page2 ID. PRESENTATIONS: A. PARTNERSHIPS Debbie Milam presented certificates to businesses and other individuals who had recently established working partnerships with District schools. Newly established partnerships included: Cloverdale Junior High, represented by Cassandra Norman and Liz Lucker, in partnership with St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, represented by Melonese C.la rke and Scott Mosley McClellan High School, represented by Jodie Carter, Marian Baldwin and Donna Larkin, in partnership with StaftMark, represented by Sandy Ashabranner Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the new partnerships. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. B. SUPERINTENDENTS CITATIONS Dr. Carnine introduced Lenora Murry, teacher at Dunbar Magnet Jr. High School, who coached the MathCounts team. She introduced Toby Huang, Daniel Liu, Ke Xu, and Ben Wells who all participated on the team that was first in the state. They will travel to Washington D.C. on May 14 to compete in the national competition. The College Board recently named Phyllis Caruth, teacher at Central High School, as an outstanding educator in the nation. Ms. Caruth was one of 14 teachers to receive this recognition from our region. She was chosen for her design of a statistics class at Central and for the success of her students on the AP exams. Kyle Phillips, eighth grade student from Henderson Magnet Jr. High School, recently received the 1999 Prudential Spirit of Community Award. This award honors young people across America who participate in community service activities. Dr. Carnine introduced Brandy Romandia, ninth grade student at Southwest Junior High School. Brandy holds the Women's Wheelchair Division title in basketball for the State of Arkansas. She is a member of the Junior Rolling Razorback Basketball Team, which won the national title in February. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page3 Superintendent Carnine introduced members of the Mock Trial Team from Central High School. Students present at the meeting included Ann Glotzback, William Hahn, Ben Lincoln, Sara Luppen, Chaney McBryde, Ross Noland, and Joanna Young. Also a member of the team, but not present, was Andrew Yancey. They were coached by Melissa Colburn and Sam Stueart and won the state championship earlier this month. They will compete in the national competition in St. Louis in early May. Denna Lambert, a senior at Hall High School, is the 1999 recipient of the Ron Brown Scholarship and the Clementine Mathis Rouse scholarship. Denna will travel to Sicily in June to participate in a Sister Cities' conference as part of her involvement in the Mayor's Youth Council. Andrew Herden, a senior at Parkview Magnet High School, recently received the Congress-Bundestag Award. Receipt of this award will entitle Andrew to attend receptions and meetings with government officials in Germany and in the U.S. Andrew will travel to Berlin, will live with a German family, and will attend school in Germany. Representatives of the Jefferson Elementary School PTA were recognized for their receipt of the Outstanding PTA Unit for the State of Arkansas at the recent statewide PTA convention in Bentonville. Jefferson PTA members went door-to-door in their attendance zone distributing materials in an effort to recruit more students to Jefferson. , Mark Cain, Executive Director of Southwest Hospital, was present to receive recognition for his cooperation in allowing Metropolitan Career and Technical Education Students in the Medical Professions classes to continue their training at the hospital after the school was damaged in the January tornado. This experience gave the students an opportunity to receive hands-on training in an actual clinical setting. Seven groups of District employees (126 individuals) volunteered in this years' "Paint Your Heart Out" campaign. They painted seven houses in the eastern and southern areas of Little Rock. Team leaders were recognized for their efforts in coordinating the effort: Kay Gunter, Liz Lucker, Carol Green, Suellen Vann, Ann Blaylock, Carolyn Grey, and Fran Moseley. Dan Farley, Executive Director of the Arkansas School Boards Association, was in attendance to present an award to Judy Magness, Region Eight Director of the ASBA. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page4 IV. The ex-officio representative to the Board for the month of April, Carletta Burchett from Meadowcliff Elementary School, was presented a certificate of appreciation for her service on the Board. C. BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Daugherty commented briefly regarding the recent vote of "no confidence" taken by LR police officers against Chief Louis Caudell. He stated that children should be taught that it is safe to go to police officers for help when they feel threatened or unsafe. Ms. Magness remarked that 6 of7 Board Members had attended the recent National School Boards Association meeting in San Francisco. The sessions were said to be very informational and she said they brought back information that would make them better board members. Mr. Berkley expressed appreciation to Debbie Milam and the VIPS office staff for the Evening for the Stars recognition ceremony that was held last night. CITIZENS COMMITTEES State Senator John A. Riggs, IV reported to the Board on education-related issues from the 1999 legislative session. He provided a written summary and briefly reviewed the topics of importance to the LRSD. In addition, Hugh Earnest and Mizhan Rahman, members of the city planning commission, made a brief presentation on the City's Smart Growth initiative. Copies of the recommendations that were made as a part of this study were presented to the Board for review. Several of the recommendations will impact the future of the LRSD and the children who live in our city. V. REMARKS FROM CITIZENS Delores Armstrong, a counselor at Fair High School, addressed the Board regarding the recent reassignment of the Fair principal to an administrative position within the District. She stated several times that the principal had been "excommunicated" because of a letter-writing campaign of the Building Coordinating Committee (BCC). She asked the Board to direct the administration to reconsider the decision. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page 5 VI. ACTION AGENDA A. Board Policy Review-Section H: Negotiations Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to table action on this section of the policy manual. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. Mr. Gadberry submitted a memorandum to the Board prior to the meeting explaining that the negotiations policy would be revised and reviewed with individual Board members prior to being placed back on the agenda for action. B. Board Policy Review - ACBB: Equitable Student Assignment Policy ACBB, Equitable Student Assignment, was submitted to the Board for approval on second reading. The policy was reviewed and approved on first reading at the March meeting of the Board. Ms. Magness moved to approve the policy on second reading. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. Board Policy Review - Desegregation Compliance Policies JAM - Scholarships, and ACBE - Equitable Maintenance and Repair of Facilities, were presented for approval on second reading. First reading approval was granted at the March 1999 meeting of the Board. Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve these policies on second reading. Ms. Magness seconded the
motion and it carried unanimously. D. Board Policy Review - Section E School Operations - Section E of the Board policy manual was presented for review and approval on first reading. Ms. Strickland moved to approve Section E on first reading, Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion, and it carried 6-0. Dr. Daugherty left the meeting at 7:30 p.m. and returned at 8: 10 p.m .. E. Board Policy Review - Section G Personnel Policies - Section G was presented for review and approval on first reading. Several of the Board members expressed reservations regarding approval of the policies as a group
Dr. Hurley and Mr. Gadberry responded to questions from the Board. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to table this section until such time as this group of policies can be reviewed and rewritten with an emphasis on making the policies more effective. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page 6 F. Middle School Handbook, 1999-2000 The revisions to the secondary student rights and responsibilities handbook that will make it appropriate for the new Middle School reorganization were presented to the Board. Dr. Watson was not available to report on the handbook revisions, therefore Mr. Kurrus made a motion to table action for the May meeting. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. G. Eastside Lease: Quapaw Historical Society The Quapaw Historical Society requested a temporary lease arrangement with the District for space on the lower level (basement) of the vacant Eastside School building. This space will be used -to store historical construction materials as related to tornado damaged homes in the Quapaw area. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to approve the temporary lease. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. H. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve acceptance of recent donations to the District. Ms. Magness made a motion to accept the donations, seconded by Ms. Strickland. The motion carried unanimously. Donated items are listed in the following chart. DONATIONS SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Dodd Elementary $150 cash for 4 lh grade RIF West L.R. Kiwanis Club program Jefferson Elementary HP Deskjet 500 printer Mr. & Mrs. David Duke McDermott Elementary $2,841.22 cash for purchase of McDermott PTA two Dell network computers Rockefeller Elementary $1,000 cash for purchase of Sue Vinson Accelerated Reading Program Terry Elementary GE refrigerator/freezer for use in Terry PTA faculty lounge Central High Basketball uniforms & supplies Don Crenshaw/Nike Grassroots REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page 7 K. Personnel Changes The Board was asked to approve the personnel changes as printed in the agenda. Mr. Kumpuris moved to approve the listed personnel changes. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. L. Financial Reports The monthly financial reports were printed in the agenda. Mr. Milhollen was present to respond to questions from the Board. In addition, Don Smith, representative of the Thomas & Thomas accounting firm, was present to present the annual audit report. Mr. Milhollen reported that the revised annual budget would be presented to the Board f~r approval in early May. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to accept the annual financial report from Thomas & Thomas. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the monthly financial reports as printed in the agenda. Mr. Kumpuris seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Ms. Magness left the meeting at 8: 10 p.m. Dr. Mitchell arrived at 8:25 p.m. SUSPENSION OF THE RULES Mr. Berkley asked for the Board to move for a suspension of the rules to consider a , personnel item not included on the agenda. Ms. Strickland so moved, Mr. Kumpuris seconded the motion and it carried 5 -1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the no vote. Ms. Strickland made a motion to extend the superintendent's contract for one additional year. Mr. Kumpuris seconded the motion and it carried 5-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the no vote. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to provide a salary increase for the superintendent in the amount of 10%, with 5% to the salary and 5% into his pension fund. Dr. Daugherty questioned the amount of the increase compared to the salary of other employees, and Mr. Kurrus asked for clarification on the effective date of the new salary. Mr. Kumpuris amended his motion to include September 1, 1998 as the effective date of the new salary. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 5-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the no vote. Dr. Daugherty left the meeting at 8:55 p.m. REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page 8 VI. REPORT AGENDA Special Report - Crisis Management Plan Dr. Carnine asked Dr. Anderson to provide a briefreview of the District's emergency procedures manual in response to the recent acts of school violence across the country. Our district annually reviews the procedures to be followed in the event of natural disaster or other emergency conditions. In the event that a crisis occurs at an individual school, the district's crisis response team consisting of nurses and counselors can be mobilized within minutes. Secondary schools have teams of students (SAP teams) who are trained to respond to other students' emotional needs . in cases of death or injury to their peers. Dr. Anderson recommended a method of improving our response teams would be to dedicate one counselor at each secondary school to the organization and operation of the SAP program. A. Desegregation Update Mr. Babbs provided a briefreview of the information printed in the agenda. In addition, he reported that his staff is continuing to provide student registration information to the public through neighborhood organizations and through other activities across the city. He reported that he is continuing to work on the development of compliance policies under the desegregation and education plan with the assistance of consultants Stephen Ross and Terrence Roberts. B. Budget Update Dr. Anderson reported that he and Mr. Milhollen are meeting with individual building principals to develop their budget proposals for the 1999-2000 school year. The Superintendent's Cabinet is reviewing the recommendations and establishing the priorities for spending decisions relating to the transitional costs of moving to the Middle School reorganization. Some of the expenditures for funding include instructional costs related to the K-3 initiative, alternative learning program costs, athletics, procurement department costs for moving and staffing, security considerations, and facilities modifications to accommodate student needs in instructional programs such as science laboratories. VII. AUDIENCE WITH INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS None REGULAR BOARD MEETING April 22, 1999 Page9 VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Mr. Kumpuris moved to adjourn at 9:30 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. Kurrus and carried unanimously. APPROVED: 5--d7 -15 Katherine Mitchell, Secretary RECEl\fED JUN J O 1999 Oiflf..f~ amJRDII LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LIITLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING May 13, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting immediately following the agenda meeting on Thursday, May 13, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Mike Daugherty Baker Kurrus MEMBERS ABSENT: Mike Kumpuris Judy Magness ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. A quorum was stipulated without a roll call. Five members of the Board were present
Mr, Kumpuris and Ms. Magness were absent. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The agenda for the meeting contained the following: A. Approval of Revised Budget B. School Bus Purchases C. Summer School Principal Assignments SPECIAL BOARD MEETING May 13, 1999 Page2 ill. ACTION AGENDA A. Approval of Revised Budget Mark Milhollen presented a brief review of the revised 1998-99 annual budget. Changes in the amount of revenue received from the Arkansas Department of Education were a part of this version of the budget. Ms. Strickland moved to approve the budget presented. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried 5-0. B. School Bus Purchases Dr. Anderson provided a review of a proposal to purchase eight additional buses for the Districts special needs transportation fleet. Some of the older buses have been in use for up to nine years. He reported that Mr. Milhollen had worked out a lease/ purchase financing plan that would spread the payments over a seven year period. The total cost is approximately $450,000, or $74,000 annually. The board was not required to take a vote on this issue as it is a part of the overall operations budget. C. Summer School Principal Assignments The Superintendent recommended the following individuals for summer school principal assignments: SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT Ada Keown, Principal Brady Elementary Leslie Taylor, Assistant Baseline Elementary Eleanor Cox, Principal Geyer Springs Elementary Donna Hall, Principal Mary Lawson, Principal Rightsell Elementary Joyce Willingham, Assistant ' Washington Elementary Faye Reynolds, Principal Tom Voegele, Principal Southwest Junior High Phyllis Anderson, Assistant Hall High School Ken Moore, Principal Dr. Mitchell made a motion to approve the summer school assignments, Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. SPECIAL BOARD MEETING May 13, 1999 Page 3 VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Dr. Mitchell moved to adjourn at 6:35 p.m. The motion was seconded by Ms. Strickland and carried unanimously. APPROVED: $ -
).. 7 -C,<J Katherine Mitchell, Secretary LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING June 10, 1999 ECEIVED JUL 13 1999 OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORING The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting immediately preceding the agenda meeting on Thursday, June 10, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided. MEMBERS PRESENT: Larry Berkley Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Mike Daugherty Mike Kumpuris Baker Kurrus MEMBERS ABSENT: Judy Magness ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Board President, Larry Berkley, called the meeting to order at 5 :00 p.m. A quorum was stipulated without a roll call. Five members of the Board were present at 5:00
Dr. Daugherty arrived at 5:15 p.m.
Ms. Magness was absent. II. PURPOSE OF THE MEETING The meeting was called for the purpose of hearing a special presentation on the Communities in Schools initiative. SPECIAL BOARD MEETING June 10, 1999 Page2 III. ACTION AGENDA A. Communities in Schools Former Board member, Senator John Riggs, IV, is serving as the chairman of the CIS initiative and provided an overview of the mission and objectives of the program. The CIS Board asked for the District's commitment of support for implementation in five District schools in the 1999-2000 school year
Forest Heights, Pulaski Heights, and Cloverdale Middle Schools, the Alternative Learning Center, and Hall High School. The Board had previously adopted a resolution in support of this project and was asked to state, once again, a formal motion in favor of the CIS initiative. Ann Camps, Director of the CIS Arkansas Program, asked the Board to allow them the opportunity to prove that this program can and will have a tremendous impact on the well-being of our students. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to support the implementation of the Communities in Schools project for the 1999- 2000 school year. Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Dr. Mitchell moved to adjourn at 5:55 p.m. The motion was seconded by Ms. Strickland and carried unanimously. APPROVED: ~ . J<./,-CfC/ RECEI ED AU 1999 lllflCEOF NMO ITORI LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 810 WEST MARKHAM STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS MINUTES REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, June 24, 1999, in the Boardroom of the Administration pBrueisliddiendg., 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. Vice President Sue Strickland MEMBERS PRESENT: Sue Strickland Katherine Mitchell Micheal Daugherty Mike Kumpuris Baker Kurrus Judy Magness MEMBERS ABSENT: Larry Berkley ALSO PRESENT: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes I. CALL TO ORDER Sue Strickland, Vice President, called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. Four members of the Board were present at roll call
Dr. Daugherty and Dr. Mitchell arrived at 6:10 p.m. Mr. Berkley was absent. Ex-officio representative to the Board, Rebecca Kessinger, teacher at Otter Creek Elementary School, was also present. Prior to the order of business, Ms. Strickland asked the Board to observe a moment of silence in honor of Frank Martin, who recently suffered a heart attack at the LRSD offices. He is recuperating in the hospital and is in serious condition. REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page2 II. READING OF MINUTES: Minutes from the regular board meeting of May 27, and from a special meeting on June 10, were presented for Board approval. The minutes were unanimously approved on a motion by Mr. Kumpuris, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. ill. PRESENTATIONS: A. SUPERINTENDENT'S CITATIONS Dr. Carnine recognized students who recently participated in the Odyssey of the Mind competition. Students from Dunbar Magnet placed first in division II competition in the statewide contest. Those students are: Melissa Clark, Kate Donahue, Kristine Phillips, Lex Sullivan, Whitney Tidwell, Ben Wells and Blake Wicker. Students from Mann Magnet tied with Springdale for first place in division III at the statewide competitions. Those students are: Melissa Bandy, Ted Fleming, Sarah Hundley, Molly McGowan, Frederick McKindra, Rachel Seidenschnur, and Sara Beth Wyatt. Coach Kimmie Cleveland and the J. A. Fair High School track team were recognized for their efforts in winning the state track championships for the 1998-99 school year. The Superintendent presented a certificate from the Arkansas Schools Boards Association to Mike Kumpuris. Mr. Kumpuris has completed 15 hours of school board member training and, therefore, earned Honor Board Member status. A certificate of appreciation was presented to Rebecca Kessinger, teacher ex officio representative to the Board, from Otter Creek Elementary School. B. PARTNERSHIPS Debbie Milam presented certificates to businesses and individuals that had recently established working partnerships with District schools. Newly established partnerships include: Metropolitan Career & Technical Center - represented by Michael Peterson, Carol Green and Laurie Prather, in partnership with Southwest Regional Medical Center, represented by Diane Ficker REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page3 V. VI. LRSD Lyceum Scholar's High School, represented by Marian Lacey (for Walter Marsha/eek), in partnership with Pulaski Bank, represented by Vicki Smith and Kevin Scribner Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the new partnerships. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. C. BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Daugherty recognized Mary Smith who is retiring from the LRSD after serving for over thirty years. He stated his appreciation for her and other retiring employees who served our students for so many years. Mr. Kurrus expressed appreciation to students, parents, teachers and staff members who contributed to the success of the 1998-99 school year. Ms. Magness thanked Ms. Strickland for hosting a brunch for the Board members. REMARKS FROM CITIZENS Gwen Porter-Cole addressed the Board regarding the cost of summer school and the fact that no transportation is provided for summer school students. She also stated objection to the monetary fines that are assessed for students being absent or late to class. ACTION AGENDA A. Board Policy Review - JRAA Policy JRAA, Student Discipline Records, was approved on first reading at the May 27, 1999, meeting of the Board. The superintendent presented the policy for approval on second reading. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the policy. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. B. Board Policy Review - ACG Policy ACG was presented for approval on first reading. The policy will ensure compliance with the Revised Desegregation and Education Plan as well as the Civil Rights Law of 1964, as amended. The Regulations were presented with the policy as additional information, but required no approving action on the part of the Board. Ms. Magness moved to approve the policy on first reading, Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page4 C. Board Policy Review - Section I Section I - Instruction was presented for review and approval on first reading. Dr. Bonnie Lesley responded to questions from the Board regarding the implementation of these policies. Policy IGC was discussed and it was suggested that one amendment be made to that policy prior to second reading for final approval. Mr. Kurnpuris moved to approve Section I policies with the correction to IGC noted. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. D. Scholarship Regulations and Funding The Board approved the Scholarship policy (JAM) in April 1999. Although the Board is not required to approve the regulations which accompany this policy, the administration requested approval of a budget resolution to fund the Scholarship program beginning with a $125,000 contribution for the 1998-99 school year and at least $100,000 contributed to the fund annually through the year 2013. These scholarship funds will be distributed annually to students who attended racially identifiable elementary schools. Dr. Daugherty made a motion to approve the resolution in support of the Scholarship program budget. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. E. Proposal for the Improvement of Grounds Maintenance Dr. Victor Anderson presented a proposal for the improvement of grounds maintenance and for the enhancement of the appearance of school buildings. The request calls for the addition of five three-man teams to share responsibility for grounds maintenance with existing custodial personnel at the school buildings. The request requires an additional $175,000 annually for the Facilities Services budget, but a one-time expenditure of $72,500 for equipment. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the request for additional funds. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. The Board recessed briefly and returned at 7:35 p.m. F. Board Meeting Dates, 1999-2000 School Year The proposed schedule ofregular meeting dates for the 1999-2000 school year was presented for the Board's approval. The second and fourth Thursday of each month are designated by Board policy as regular meeting dates with the only exceptions occurring in November and December in order to avoid conflict with the holidays. Mr. Kurrus made a motion to approve the schedule as presented. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. G. Class Size Reduction Allocation REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page 5 A motion to suspend the rules was made by Ms. Magness, seconded by Dr. Mitchell and unanimously approved. The suspension was required in order to take action on a proposal to approve the District's application for class-size reduction funds available through the Arkansas Department of Education. Dr. Bonnie Lesley responded to questions from the Board, and noted that the District's total allocation is $664,833. These funds will allow a reduction in class size at grades K-3 in schools serving high-needs students. Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to approve the application for submission. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. H. Donations of Property The Board was asked to approve acceptance of recent donations to the District. Dr. Mitchell made a motion to accept the donations, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. The motion carried unanimously. The list of donations was read by Dr. Mitchell and items are noted in the following chart. DONATIONS SCHOOUDEPARTMENT ITEM DONOR Jefferson Elementary CD Player Jefferson PT A Geyer Springs Elementary $ I 50 cash to purchase end-of-year Geyer Springs PT A materials and supplies for s"' & 6th grade classes $ I 00 cash for end-of-year awards and West Little Rock Kiwanis Club certificates for 5th & 6,. grade classes Dodd Elementary Packard Bell 586 Pentium PC and HP Charles W. Burks Deskjet 820 Printer Fulbright Elementary Five Dynex computers to be used for Hollis and Ann Carter record keeping and word processing Henderson Magnet Junior High GBC Larninator Henderson PT A Mabelvale Elementary Popcorn Popper and accessories Mabelvale PTA VIPS (for Teacher of the Year Banquet) $300 cash Entergy $1,000 cash Friday, Eldredge & Clark $1 ,000 cash Southwestern Bell Raz.orback Weekend- four tickets to Nations Bank Fayetteville basketball game, 2 rooms at Clarion Hotel and an autographed basketball $75 gift certificate to St Paschual's Moses, Nosari and Tucker Real Estate, Kitchen Inc. $100 cash ReliantArkla $250 gift certificate from Southwest Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods Ad Airlines Agency REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page6 I. Personnel The Board was asked to approve the personnel changes as printed in the agenda. In addition, a suspension of the rules was requested in order to approve administrative assignments at four District schools. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the items as printed in the agenda. Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Dr. Mitchell moved to suspend the rules in order to consider additional personnel assignments. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. The Superintendent recommended reassignment of current District principals to new buildings for the 1999-2000 school year. They are: Elouise Hudson, currently assistant principal at J. A. Fair High School, recommended for reassignment to principal of Forest Heights Junior High School David Patterson, currently assistant principal at Cloverdale Jr. High School, recommended for reassignment to principal of Cloverdale Jr. High School Lillie Scull, currently principal at Mitchell Elementary School, recommended for reassignment to principal of Romine Elementary School In addition, Dr. Carnine asked the Board to approve a stipend for Sharon Brooks, currently principal at Rightsell Academy, who will assume the position of principal at Stephens Elementary School when it opens in the fall of 2000. Ms. Brooks will be required to assume transitional activities for the opening of Stephens while performing her normal duties at Rightsell. Dr. Mitchell moved to approve the new principal assignments and the payment of a stipend to Ms. Brooks. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. J. Financial Reports The Board was asked to approve the financial reports as printed in the monthly agenda. Mark Milhollen was present to respond to questions. Ms. Magness made a motion to approve the financial reports as submitted, Dr. Mitchell seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page? Suspension of the Rules Ms. Magness moved to suspend the rules for consideration of an item not listed in the agenda. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Mr. Kurrus made a motion to authorize the President of the Board to appoint a Board member to monitor the negotiations sessions between the District's team and the LR Classroom Teachers Association. It was noted that this monitor would serve as an observer, not as an active participant in the negotiations sessions. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. VI. REPORT AGENDA A. Twenty-first Century Community Learning Center Grant Update Marian Baldwin, Director of the Community School Program at McClellan High School, was present to provide a brief overview of the 21st Century Learning Center. She introduced Lee Marks, a student at McClellan, who prepared a PowerPoint slide show which enhanced her report, and Mark Perry, from New Futures, who helped to compile the Community School annual report. Ms. Baldwin reported that the program served 587 students and 815 adults during the current school term through community education classes, medical clinics and access to mental health services. B. Desegregation Update Brady Gadberry provided the monthly Desegregation Update. He noted that enrollment estimates are up by approximately 100 students over last years' figures. The Board had requested a report of students assigned to their attendance zone schools in comparison with those who had requested to be "grandfathered" into their currently assigned school. That report was provided by Mr. Babbs as a part of the printed agenda. C. Budget Update Dr. Carnine briefly discussed the budget process that will be used during the next several months in preparation for the compilation of the 1999-2000 school year budget submission. Additional budget information will be provided to the Board as updated information becomes available. REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page 8 D. Pre-K Literacy Program Plan Dr. Lesley reviewed the final draft of the Pre-K through 3rd grade Literacy Program Plan and her report was printed in the Board's agenda. E. Title I Review/Update Leon Adams presented an oral report of Title I issues and changes in federal funding allocations. $4.2 million was allocated for Title programs this year
we have not been notified of the amount of funding for the 1999-2000 term. He responded to questions from the Board regarding the method for determining how the funds are distributed among the schools and addressed issues regarding expenditures of funds. F. Four-Year-Old Program Pat Price provided a review of the District's Early Childhood Program and presented a comparative analysis of the Early Prevention of School Failure assessment results for the 1998-99 school year. A graph comparing our Four-Year-Old students' EPSF results with results of students in HIPPY, other pre-kindergarten programs was reviewed and discussed. VII. AUDIENCE WITH INDMDUALS OR GROUPS None VIII. DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS Ms. Magness made a motion for the Board to convene an executive session for the purpose of conducting personnel hearings on disciplinary actions. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. The first hearing convened at 9:30 p.m. Food Service employee Candy Gilliam requested a hearing before the Board as an appeal to termination proceedings. Ms. Gilliam was accused of making threats, both verbal and physical, to another employee at Henderson Junior High School. She had previously been transferred from Mitchell Elementary to Garland Elementary, and then on to Henderson Jr. High due to "disorderly and disruptive behavior." In the specific incident, which resulted in the termination recommendation, Ms. Gilliam had pulled a knife on another employee in the cafeteria area/kitchen at Henderson Jr. High School. REGULAR BOARD MEETING June 24, 1999 Page 9 Dr. Richard Hurley, Director of Human Resources, presented the administration's position and provided the Board with written documentation of Ms. Gilliams' employment history. Ms. Gilliam was provided an opportunity to address the Board and she responded to questions regarding the evidence presented by Dr. Hurley. Witnesses to the specific incident included Dorothy Underwood, Mabel Harden, and Bobby Jones. After reviewing the evidence, Mr. Kumpuris made a motion to uphold the termination of Candy Gilliam as recommended by the administration. Ms. Magness seconded the motion and it carried 4-0-2, with Dr. Daugherty and Dr. Mitchell abstaining from the vote. In the second employee hearing, Ricky Wilson, Plant Services/Maintenance employee, was represented by Attorney Clayton Blackstock. Dr. Hurley presented the administration's position that Mr. Wilson's termination was a result of excessive use of sick and personal leave and poor attendance. According to the information presented by Doug Eaton, Mr. Wilson had been absent 189 hours over and above the amount allowed by the District's sick and annuaVvacation leave benefits. Mr. Blacks
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>