"Manpower is money."
So said Sandy Button, sitting in as board president in the absence of Ann Cato, to Keith Martin, assistant superintendent, when he said: "There's a great deal of savings; a lot of it is manpower."
Martin told board members he had been investigating various ways to find cost saving measures for the district and that "outsourcing" the custodial and maintenance could save the district about $133,000 annually.
Bids were let on the project, opened April 10, and the results of the bids were shared with the board at the April meeting.
Board members approved the bid from MDX out of Gravette for $141,000 to provide evening maintenance and summer maintenance. The district will still employ four day custodians and a fifth for athletic facilities at a cost of $118,00 and $35,000 respectively. The total cost for custodial maintenance would be $294,000, according to Martin.
Martin said current custodians will have the opportunity to apply to MDX for the jobs.
"Any time you affect someone's life, it's a difficult decision," Joshua Ramsey, board member, said. "But we have to consider what's best for the district."
Martin said MDX provides custodial services for NorthWest Arkansas Community College and UAMS.
The board unanimously approved the contract with MDX.
After an executive session of about one hour, board members approved a raise for superintendent Rick Neal, approved transfers and accepted resignations.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a raise for superintendent Rick Neal to $125,000;
• Approved transfers: Paige Billis from master teacher/gifted and talented to second-grade teacher; Marsha Moore from second grade to gifted and talented/auxiliary rotation; Rick Jones from junior girls basketball to assistant football; Rudy Sanchez from seventh-grade boys' basketball to junior girls basketball; Valerie Ward from kindergarten to second-grade teacher; Katy Fitzgerald from middle school English to ALE English; Crystal Marquez from junior English to half-time ESL coordinator; Lisa Abraham from Intermediate School secretary to PRMBA instructional aide; Melody Sorrell from Primary School instructional aide to Intermediate School secretary; Judy Green from custodian to PRMBA instructional aide; Billy Cotton from custodian to Primary School instructional aide; Carolyn Armour from fifth-grade science to High School/Middle School counselor.
• Tabled contract of Mrs. Suzie Cotton;
• Accepted resignations of Nancy Brandt, Charlen Dean, Val Colburn and Brenda Mask;
• Hired new middle school principal Matt Wood.
• Hire Sherry Rickart new FACS teacher for remainder of 2014 school year
• Hire Monty Hill as Pea Ridge High School band director.
General News on 04/23/2014