Safe room on school grounds funded by FEMA

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

— School Board members heard a report from superintendent Mike Van Dyke on the 10-year Master Plan for the school at the regular board meeting Monday night. No one attended the public meeting held one hour prior to the regular board meeting.

The plans includes demolishing buildings currently on the old school campus downtown, remodeling some of the existing buildings and constructing new facilities in order to meet the continued growth anticipated in the school district.

The proposed retirement of Patty Curtis, bookkeeper/treasurer, prompted the creation ofa new position for one year, at Van Dyke’s recommendation, who said overseeing the finances is complicated because of state regulations governing school finances.

“We have to have an office manager, under state regulations,” Van Dyke said, adding that Curtis is planning to retire July 1, 2011. “The job is becoming more difficult, it would be wise to start posting it and give a year to transition.”

Van Dyke said it would be best to hire someone already familiar with school finances. He estimated the salary would be about $40,000. “We just need somebody who’s done this kind of stuff. It’s completely different than any other kind of industry,” he said.

The safe room is one step closer to reality as funds were approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA.

Federal funding of $679,500 was approved.

The building, which is to be tornado safe, is to be constructed on the property south of the high school and may be used by the community, Van Dyke told the board.

“We’re excited about it. We need to interview a CM (construction manager) sometime,” Van Dyke said, explaining that the room was the only one approved for northwest Arkansas.

“We will coordinate something with the city. It’s off and running unless I hear otherwise.”

Board members also discussed

In other business, the board:

◊Extended the contract for superintendent Mike Van Dyke by one year after an executive session evaluation.

◊Accepted the resignations of Cameron McNabb, transportation director, effective this summer;

Crystal Tarks, special education teacher at the high school, effective Jan. 15; and Gerald Lewellen, custodian, effective Dec. 9.

◊Approved as a proposal a transportation safety plan to be discussed “in cooperation with the city,” according to Van Dyke, and to approved next month.

◊Approved two out-of-state trips - one for the band to Kansas City and the other for gifted and talented students to Hutchinson, Kansas.

News, Pages 1 on 01/20/2010