GRAVETTE -- School Board members approved changes in pay and stipends for certain employees during their May 1 meeting.
Additions to the academic and activity stipend schedule for the 2023-2024 school year were approved during the meeting attended by all members of the board. Board members also voted to adopt classified salary schedule Option 3 for the 2023-24 school year and to revisit the salary schedule against actual revenue in fall 2023 to determine whether or not additional adjustments may be made to the schedule.
Approval was given to a $1,500 raise for secretaries and a $1,500 raise for nurses for the 2023-2024 school and to revisiting the comparison for both with other districts in the fall of 2023 when more information is available regarding regional salaries and revenue.
Board members voted to approve adding 10 days to the athletic trainer contract beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and to approve extending the classified salary schedule from 28 years to 32 years beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
Approval was given to extending the special education paraprofessional contract from 179 days to 181 days and to an attendance incentive for employees in the food service department, both beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
Members voted to approve hiring an additional agriculture science teacher for Gravette High School/Middle School beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, utilizing operating budget funds. Approval was also given to an in-school suspension learning loss support position for Gravette Upper Elementary and a ZAP facilitator/learning loss support position for Gravette Middle School for the 2023-2024 school year. Both will be paid using ARP/ESSER funds.
In other business:
Superintendent Maribel Childress gave the superintendent's report, including considerations of the 2023-2024 operating budget and employment changes for the 2023-2024 school year.
Mary Jo Norberg spoke to the board during the patron comment period and thanked them for their support during the last week at Glenn Duffy Elementary when a kindergarten teacher and her daughter were killed in a tragic automobile accident.
Board members voted to accept the consent agenda, which included approval of both voluntary and involuntary transfers within Glenn Duffy Elementary and a voluntary transfer from Gravette Middle School to Glenn Duffy Elementary; resignations of employees Jaymey Boston, Robin Capps and Tonia McEvans; and hiring of a custodian.
The board voted to approve hiring Bethany Morris as a kindergarten teacher at Glenn Duffy Elementary, Sara Griffin as a fourth-grade teacher at Gravette Upper Elementary, Rachel Miller as an English language arts teacher at Gravette High School, Sue Cluck as a science teacher at Gravette High School, Rebecca Walker as a special education director and David Cadle as the Gravette School District safety and security coordinator, all for the 2023-2024 school year.