Certified teachers in the White Hall School District who began their studies toward a postgraduate degree will receive additional money applied to their 2023-24 salary.
The district in April finalized a salary schedule in which all teachers would make at least the minimum $50,000 salary and all certified and classified employees would receive an increase of at least 5% in their wages. But in last week's regular meeting, the district's board added another incentive for those who started working toward a master's, specialist or doctoral degree, since the Arkansas LEARNS Act that mandates the minimum salary was signed in March, after most if not all started their studies.
"Anyone who started working toward their degree as of June 1 will receive additional money," WHSD Superintendent Gary Williams said. "We wanted to make sure those who already started were taken care of."
Except for the minimum increases, the WHSD froze the salary schedule for 2023-24 based on this school year's scale when employees did not know the law would change, Williams further explained.
Williams did not state, however, how much extra teachers who are postgraduate students would receive.
IN OTHER DISTRICT BUSINESS ...
The district also hired Southwest Foodservice Excellence as its new cafeteria management service. Districts are required every five years to request a bid for such services, Williams said, and SFE submitted the low bid.
WHSD had used Chartwells for the past five years.
The district also announced school board meeting dates for 2023-24: July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 14, April 9, May 14 and June 11.
All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and be held at the WHSD Julius Brown Administration Building, with the exception of the May meeting at the Hardin Elementary School Cafeteria in Redfield.
PERSONNEL MOVES
The district accepted letters of retirement from Gandy Elementary Principal Bill Tietz, high school administrative assistant Donna Oates, as well as resignations from girls and boys golf coach Tracy Goodwin, high school math teacher Veronica Hollowell and high school science teacher Lake Hollowell.
The district has hired sixth-grade social studies teacher Tilena Camp, PE and ninth-grade girls basketball coach Tori Lasker, Moody Elementary fifth-grade teacher Tommy Townsend, middle school art teacher Misty Owens and girls and boys golf coach Andrew Sanders.
Classified hires include Hardin administrative assistant Nicole Ross and Moody administrative assistant Katrina Hampton. Caleb Menard has also been hired as a technology department intern.