By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
The Lonoke School Board has approved the existing salary schedule, but won’t know about any salary increase–other than step increases—until the state Education Department announces the amount of minimal foundation aid for the 2011-2012 school year, according to Superintendent John Tackett.
Tackett said the actual amount of any increase to the salary grid would be approved probably at the August meeting. The current teacher-salary schedule, including the $500 increase last year, is $32,700, he said.
The superintendent’s pay is listed as $104,100, the assistant superintendent at $75,000 and the Junior ROTC program director at $81,945.
The board authorized Tackett to have the decrepit bus barn torn down, to make the better-suited maintenance building into the new bus barn, and move the maintenance operations to the continuing-education building at the old Carver Middle School.
BUSES AND COMPUTERS
The board approved the purchase of two new school buses for the low bid of $86,260 from Central States.
They also authorized the purchase of 199 new Dell computers for the high school, with stimulus funds. Some of the better, older computers will be reassigned to the library and for other uses.
The board approved a consulting contract with JBHM Consulting to observe in the classrooms of the three schools in school improvement—the primary, elementary and high schools, to satisfy the intervention requirement of the state Education Department.
The consultants will work 40 days in each of those schools. Tackett said he expects the cost of the consultants to be $1,500 per day, times the 120 days agreed upon. Tackett told the board that if they were dissatisfied with JBHM’s work, the contract could be terminated at any time.
FBLA SUCCESSES
Several Lonoke High School Future Business Leaders of America students were recognized at Monday’s school board meeting for outstanding showings at the FBLA Leadership Conference earlier this month.
Those finishing first were: John Pennington–accounting, Hunter Spence–digital design and promotion, Allison James–Future Business Leader, Debby Lee–local chapter annual report, and John Hobbs–marketing. Hobbs’ feat was all the more exceptional because the school does not offer marketing and he had to teach himself.
Pennington was installed as new state vice president for District V, replacing James.
In all, 32 students competed and participated in workshops.
Eight qualified for national competition at the National Conference in Orlando.
Pennington and Emily Daniel-sen placed second in American- enterprise project; Savannah Holman and Jeni Rooney, second in business-financial plan and James in partnership with business project.
Reagan Pack and Kaleigh Huff finished third in business plan; Sadie Pasley and Hannah Stewmon, fourth in community- service project; Amber Schafer, fifth in electronic-career portfolio, and Hassan Nadeem, fifth in personal finance. Lee, Danielsen, Ariel Hooper, Samantha Gann and Brandon Russell were in the top eight in parliamentary procedure.
Taylor Summerville was in the top 10 in public speaking I.
James was named to Who’s Who in FBLA and she and Heather Stocks won FBLA scholarships.
