Surplus money benefits school

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

— Bonus checks are in the near future for employees, both certified and classified, of the Pea Ridge School District, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Certified staff should receive $750 each; classified staff should receive $500 each; and administrators will receive $1,000 each. Including benefits, the total cost of all bonuses, plus benefits, over the two-year period is $297,432.

At their regular meeting Monday night, Pea Ridge School Board members were told by superintendent Mike Van Dyke that school administrators are meeting to find ways to improve test scores.

“We want accountability tied to it,” Van Dyke said, explaining that the bonuses should reward good work. “Benchmark is the ultimate.”

The superintendent said he hoped to give out the first checks by December.

“We still feel like happy teachers work hard in the classrooms,” he said.

Van Dyke said: “All these plans were submitted to the ARRA, they’ve been submitted and approved.”

There were $800,000 in stimulus funds available to Pea Ridge schools.

In a separate act, board members approved policy governing parental involvement.

“Federal funds drive a lot of what we do,” Bonnie Fullmer, curriculum/testing coordinator, said, explaining that Title I funds are tied to parental involvement. She said the policy was changed to reflect federal guidelines.

With the reorganization of the board, Jenny Wood will remain president of the board, Clark Tyndall will be vice president and Darin Wright will be the secretary.

In other business, the School Board:

• Approved changing the third party administrator for insurance providers for school employees from Webb and Associates to American Fidelity, after a vote by the Personnel Policy Committee indicated a majority of the employees were in favor of the change.

• Hired Mike Tyler and Bonnie Tyler, both as custodians on 250-day full-time contracts earning $22,340 each.

• Approved hiring a substitute nurse paid on a time sheet on an as-needed basis.

• Approved two out-of-state trips — one for the choir to Miami, Okla., and one for basketball to Washburn, Mo. CITY COUNCIL TO MEET

The Pea Ridge City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17. The agenda was not available at press time. The meeting is open to the public. THANKSGIVING

• 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 — First Baptist Church of Garfield will hold its Thanksgiving meal.

• 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 19 — Brightwater Memorial United Methodist Church, U.S. Hwy. 62 between Avoca and Garfield, annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner.

• Noon, Saturday, Nov. 21 — The annual Thanksgiving luncheon for senior citizens sponsored by Beta Alpha Sorority will be at First Baptist Church, Pea Ridge.

• 6 p.m. Sunday Nov. 22 — Community Thanksgiving service, featuring speaker Edwin Brewer, sponsored by the Pea Ridge Ministerial Alliance, in the worship center at First Baptist Church of Pea Ridge.

News, Pages 1 on 11/11/2009