LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT=

810 WEST MARKHAM STREET

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

MINUTES

REGULAR BOARD MEETING

May 25, 2006

The Board of = Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled me= eting at 5:30 p.m. on = Thursday, May 25, 2006, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Little Rock, Arkansas. President Robert M. Daugherty presided.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Robert M. Daugherty

Baker Kurrus

Bryan Day <= /span>

Larry Berkley

Tom Brock <= /span>

Katherine Mitchell

Tony Rose <= /span>

MEMBERS ABSENT:

None=

ALSO PRESENT:

Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools

= &= nbsp; Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes

I. &= nbsp; CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL <= o:p>

Dr. Daugherty called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. All members of the Board= were present at roll call. In addi= tion, ex officio representatives to the board were also present: Kathleen Runder, teacher from Fair Park Early Childhood Center, and Terricka Thomas, stu= dent from J. A. Fair High School.

II. = PROCEDURAL MATTERS / WELCOMING COMMENTS

Dr. Daugherty welcomed the audience and asked Dr. Brooks to proceed with citations and commendations. =

III. = ; REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS

A. Superintendent’s Citations &a= mp; Commendations

Dr. Brooks introduced Michelle Jackson, mathematics te= acher at Hall <= st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">High School, who recently received= the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.= Ms. Jackson received a $10,000 gran= t from the National Science Foundation and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

<= /p>

Lenora Murray, math tea= cher at Central High School, introduced students Don Ding, Miles McCullough and J= ack Chen. These students rece= ntly participated in the American Mathematics Competition; Jack ranked first in = the state on the geometry competition; Don was the highest performing student o= verall and ranked first in the state for the fourth year. In addition, Central High School= was recognized for having the top performing students in the state for the fourth year in a row.

<= /p>

Rob Evatt from Siemens = Building Technologies and Barbary Keith from the College Board made a presentation to Central student, Don Ding, and Annice Steadman, Central High science teacher. Siemens and the College Board hono= r one teacher and one student from each state for exceptional achievement in scie= nce and math. A full page ad ran in USA Today in recognition of this = award; Don received a $2,000 scholarship. <= /span>

<= /p>
Dr. Brooks presented a certificate of recognition to Vicki Gonterman, International Studies Specialist at <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Gibbs Magnet Elementary School.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Ms. Gonterman recently received th= e Elgin Heinz Outstanding Humanitarian Teacher Award from the United States-Japan Foundation. One teacher is selected each year for this recognition; $5,000 = was awarded to the international studies program at Gibbs by this foundation.

<= /p>
Laura Gould, student at= McDermott Elementary School, was recognized = for being the Division I winner of the Arkansas School Food Service Association’s 2006-2007 Nutrition Education Poster Contest. Laura received a $50 award; McDermott’s art teacher received $100 for class= room art supplies.

<= /p>
The Superintendent recogn= ized Carver Magnet Elementary School teacher, Joy Burt, for her sel= ection as the Baseline Road Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year. She received flowers, a framed certificate, a $100 gift card and a check for $1,000 to use for school materials.    <= /o:p>

<= /p>
Susan P= urvis, Gibbs Magnet Elemen= tary art teacher, was named Arkansas Art Educator of the Year by Arkansas Art Educators for the second year in a row.&nb= sp; Dr. Brooks congratulated Ms. Purvis and awarded a SuperintendentR= 17;s citation in recognition of her achievement.

Dr. Brooks announced the upcoming Superintendent’s Customer Service Awards. Beginning next school year, recogn= ition will be given to employees who go a step beyond to provide exceptional cust= omer service to students, parents, teachers, principals and others. Nominations will be accepted from = every school and department across the district.=

<= /p>
The first Superintendent’s Customer Service Award was given to Calvin Miller, Head Custodian at= Henderson Magnet Middle Schoo= l. Dr. Brooks reported that on a rece= nt visit to Henderson= , he noticed a remarkable improvement in the cleanliness of the building and school campus. Mr. Burton att= ributed the improvement to Mr. Miller and his overall hard work, diligence and attention to detail.

<= /p>
Two employees were recogn= ized for providing exceptional leadership to their departments and exceptional customer service to the students in our schools.   Wayne Adams, Director of Maintenance and Operations, and Lilly Bouie, Director of Child Nutrition, were awarded Superintendent’s Customer Service Citations. A group of Child Nutrition employe= es were present, and were asked to stand and be recognized. Later in the meeting the board ado= pted a resolution in recognition of Child Nutrition Employees and their contributi= ons to the success of our students.

<= /p>
Faye Zhao, a graduating= Central High School senior, was recently selected as a Presidential Scholar. Two students from each state receive th= is honor each year and it was noted that seven Presidential Scholars since 1991 have been Central High School student= s.

<= /p>
Students from the Central= High Debate Team recently competed at the statewide Tournament of Champions. More than 50 teams competed and Cen= tral’s team took top honors. In the = Novice category, Central’s winners were:   Robert Shuffield and P= atrick Lee, 1^st place; Aar= on Moore and Jacob McCarty, 2= ^nd place; and Josh Harpool and Afshar Sanati, 3^rd pla= ce. In the Varsity category, Central&#= 8217;s winners were: Charlie Cunningham and Pierce Hunter, 1^st place; and Joe Anda and Nathan Bashaw, 2<= sup>nd place. Coach Kathleen Holladay wasn’t able to attend, but she was comm= ended for her dedication to the Central High Debate teams.

<= /p>
Stewart Fullerton, Randi Robertson and Libby Cathey, students at Mann Magnet Middle School, parti= cipated in the state History Day competition in April and won second place for their documentary “Tempest in a Teapot.” They will participate in the= national History Day competition in June at the University of Maryl= and. Dr. Brooks presented certific= ates of achievement to these students and wished them the best of luck at the national competition.

<= /p>
Spencer Lucker and Marianne Ligon were recognized for their selection by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Scholars Foundation. Spencer, a senior at Central High School, was se= lected as a Regional Scholar in the 2006 Coca-Cola Scholars Program and will recei= ve a $2,500 scholarship award, renewable annually. Ms. Ligon received the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation “Educator of Distinction” award based upon Spencer’s nomination.

&nb= sp;

Instructor Sergeant 1^st Class Dishoungh White, 39th Briga= de Senior Chaplain NCO, presented= the Cloverdale Middle School Junior ROTC cadets. These students are provided leadership training, community service opportunities, academic and social skills support and field trips by the ROTC. Dr. Brooks was recently presented = with a full uniform, which he wore to the meeting.

<= /p>
The Duke University Talent Identification Program assesses 7^th grade students by administra= tion of the ACT or SAT college entrance exams. Dr. Brooks announced that thirty-= four students from the LRSD qualified for state-level recognition, indicating th= at their scores were in the top 25 percent of the Talent Search pool. Additionally, one student qualified= for Grand-level or national recognition, meaning that his score was in the top = two percent. The students were gi= ven a superintendent’s citation in recognition of their achievement. They were:

<= /p>
= -&nb= sp;            =          Dunbar Magnet Middle School: Lora Adams, Megan Barker, Kathleen Connery, Cory Cooper, Elizabeth Dodd, Emily Harrison, Jordan Kaiser, Sarah Kline, Rebecca Meredith, Lucy Richardson, Thomas Spradley, Taylor Stevens, = Evan Wordlaw, David Ye and Elton Zhou (David Ye, scored in the top two percent a= nd was recognized at the Grand Ceremony at Duke University) =

= -&nb= sp;            =          Forest Heights Middle School: Michael Anda, Hubert = Lee and Sheridan McKissick.

= -&nb= sp;            =          Henderson Magnet Middle Schoo= l: Ange= la Buckley, Jacquelyn Fuerte Stone and Brandon Harris

= -&nb= sp;            =          Mann M= agnet Middle School: Wesl= ey Ball, William Hupp, John Kimmerly, Christine Stuckey and Malia Zhan

= -&nb= sp;            =          Pulaski Heights Middle School:= Indigo Anderson-Moore, Sarah Beckwi= th, Sarah Parker, Miriam Pearsall, Jonathon Raney, Mary Simpson, Molly Whitehor= n and Christopher Yeatman

<= /p>
LRSD science students rec= ently competed in two statewide science fairs, the Arkansas Science and Engineeri= ng Fair and the Arkansas Junior Academy of Science. First-place winners from t= hese events were recognized by the superintendent:

<= /p>
Arkansas= Sc= ience and Engineering Fair:

&nb= sp;

= -&nb= sp;            =          Central Hi= gh School: “Best School in StateR= 21; award and “Best 5-A School” award

&nb= sp;

= -&nb= sp;            =          “Best in State” Team Award: Central High Students, David Steward, Russel = Viegas and Foster Holcomb This te= am also won 1^st place in Team Projects and 1^st place as = Team Finalists. They received an all-expenses-paid trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering F= air in Indianapolis

= -&nb= sp;            =          “Best in State” Award: Pamela Palm= er, Hall High School. Pamela also was named= an International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist for the Central Region<= o:p>

= -&nb= sp;            =          Computer Science, 1^st place: Cyr= us Bahrassa , Central

= -&nb= sp;            =          Mathematics, 1^st place: Anne Ye, Central

= -&nb= sp;            =          Microbiology, 1^st place: Craig Labbat= e, Central

= -&nb= sp;            =          Physics, 1^st place: Shannen Adco= ck, Central. Shannen also placed 1^st -International Science and Engineering Fair and received an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in t= he Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Indianapolis. She also won 1^{st
place in Physics at the Junior Academy of Science}

&nb= sp;

= -&nb= sp;            =          Space Science, 1^st place: Han= nah Lintag, Central. Hannah won 1^st place in space science at the Junior Academy of Science and was an ISEF Observer from the Central Region.=

Arkansas <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Junior Academy of Science:

= -&nb= sp;            =          Behavioral Science, 1st place: Mahreen Arshad= , Central. Mahreen made history at the academy this year by entering two projects. It was the first time a student entered two projects in the Arkan= sas Junior Academy of Science, and it was the first time a student won first pl= ace with both projects! Mahreen’s other first-place category was Botany

= -&nb= sp;            =          Biochemistry, 1^st place: Farhan Syed<= /b>, Central

= -&nb= sp;            =          Environmental Science, 1^st place: Kev= in Kelly, Central

<= /p>
Members of the Superinten= dent’s Student Cabinet were recognized and provided a certificate of appreciation = for their year of service. <= /o:p>

<= /p>
High school cabinet membe= rs were:

<= /p>
= -&nb= sp;            =          Central H= igh School: Maggie Carroll, Will Crass and Harry McCraney

= -&nb= sp;            =          Fair<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> H= igh School: Cornelius Davis, Stacia Smith and Terricka Thomas&nb= sp;

= -&nb= sp;            =          Hall<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> H= igh School: Cayla Ge= rton, Joya Hampton and Roshundalyn Scribner

= -&nb= sp;            =          McClellan H= igh School: Rufus Gu= ydon, Tiffany Meyers and Jennifer Thomas

= -&nb= sp;            =          Parkview M= agnet High School<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>: Darrell Scott, Michael Steele and = Sarah Walker

<= /o:p>

Middle school members were:

= -&nb= sp;            =          Cloverdale M= agnet Middle School: Iesha McDonnell and Christopher Pe= ttus

= -&nb= sp;            =          Dunbar Magnet Middle School:= Isaiah Bailey and Amanda Carreiro
Forest Heights Middle School: Martin Berlinski and Kelsey Jones =

= -&nb= sp;            =          Henderson M= agnet Middle School: Marquis Brown and Jasmine Price

= -&nb= sp;            =          Mabelvale M= agnet Middle School: Xavier Cannon and Veronica Malone <= o:p>

= -&nb= sp;            =          Devean (Da-veen) Owens and Brennan Suen (Swinn)&n= bsp; from Mann Magnet Middle Schoo= l;

= -&nb= sp;            =          Pulaski H= eights Middle School: Austin Ingram and Samantha White <= o:p>

= -&nb= sp;            =          Southwest M= iddle School: Yolanda = Green and David Salazar

<= /p>
The Superintendent recogn= ized the Parkview Magnet High School Quiz Bowl team for their performance at Sta= te Quiz Bowl Championship. These students will represent Arkansas at the national Quiz Bowl tournament in Chicago
June 2 – 4, 2006. Team members: Silas Altheimer, Patrick Ka= ngrga, Nick Misenheimer, Spencer Smith, Karthik Soora, Eric Stewart, Andy Stroman, Cameron White, Georgeanne Yehling, and Josh Young. Coach Judy Warren was also recognized for her commitme= nt to these students.

Dr. Brooks announced that= Deputy Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh was recently inducted into= the Athletic Hall of Fame at Boone <= st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">High School in Orange County, Florida= . He received this honor in recognit= ion of his continued support of the school’s athletic program.

<= /p>
Superintendent Brooks introduced Dr. Gloria Todd-Hamilto= n, who was recommended for the position of principal at McClellan Magnet High School. Dr. Todd-Hamilton briefly addresse= d the board and thanked them in advance for their support of her nomination to the position of principal at McClellan.

<= /p>
Ex-officio representatives for the month of May were Kathleen Runder, teacher at the <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Fair Park Early Childhood Center, and Terricka Thomas, student from J. A. Fair High School. They were presented certificates of appreciation for their month of service to the board.

B.&n= bsp;    Remarks from Citizens

Ouida Clark addressed the board regarding an outrea= ch program which was working to document progress in Little Rock since 1957. Ms. Clark announced that there woul= d be a musical tour to raise funds to produce a film documentary and she requested financial support for the project. She reported that she had received partial support from the Arkansas Endowment for the Humanities. One of the student participants read an original poem.

Sherry Keaton, teacher from Southwest Middle Sc= hool asked the board to reject the administration’s proposal to convert the middle school to use as an alternative learning academy. She expressed her opinion that it = was a violation of district policy to close the school. She stated that the staff at South= west feels like outcasts and that it would “cause chaos in the community” = if Southwest were closed as a middle school.

Carolyn Nelson introduced herself a= s the grandparent of a Southwest student. She presented petitions from Broadmoor neighborhood residents, and expressed concern that homes would be destroyed and property values would decline if = the school were converted to an alternative school. She stated that “people are = afraid of what will happen to the neighborhood.”

Teresa Gorden, teacher at Dodd Elementary, addressed = the board and stated that she was disheartened and saddened about the boardR= 17;s lack of support for the teachers. She stated that Katherine Wright Knight represents 1800 teachers in the district, and that the administration does = not provide appropriate support to classroom teachers.= She appealed to the board to work with parents and the administratio= n, to support teachers, and to work cooperatively and collaboratively.

Cynthia Naheworld introduced herself as= a professor at UALR, and stated that she lives two blocks from <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Southwest Middle Sc= hool. She repeated previous concerns reg= arding security at the school, safety in the neighborhood, and the possibility of declining property values. She stated that the neighbors would be afraid of the students assigned to the learning academy and she asked the board to consider other alternatives.

Jenna Dean, resident of the Southwest Middle Sc= hool neighborhood expressed many of the same concerns noted by previous speakers. She noted that Bale Elementary was next door to Southwest and that many parents would not feel = safe bringing their young children to that school if the older students were att= ending next door. She quoted statist= ics regarding calls to the police from the alternative learning sites, and stat= ed that the trust and support of the community was being violated.

Lou Ann Lewis stated that she had lived in the area o= f Southwest Middle School for 46 years and tha= t she and her neighbors were afraid of what might happen if the middle school were closed. She predicted that ma= ny people would move and that Bale Elementary would lose its’ base of co= mmunity support.

Antje Harris, president of the Broadmoor property ow= ners association, expressed opposition to the conversion of Southwest Middle Sc= hool to a learning academy. She as= ked the board to consider other options and to allow the community more input i= nto decisions regarding the school. She stated that removing the middle= school would have a negative impact on the residential area surrounding the school= .

<= o:p>

C.     Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association

Grainger Ledbetter addressed the board regarding two issues: the employment status of district para-professionals who have not been successf= ul in passing the Praxis exam; and negotiation of the teacher contract.

Mr. Ledbetter appealed to the board and superintendent to support the instructi= onal para-pros who would not meet the highly qualified requirements under NCLB.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Although they have been provided assistance with registration fees and study materials, some have been unabl= e to pass the test, and therefore are not eligible to retain their positions as instructional assistants in the classroom.

Regarding negotiation of the contract for the 2006-2007 school year, Mr. Ledbetter no= ted that many teachers were present at the board meeting as a demonstration of support for the CTA and for the negotiations process.   He expressed concern regardi= ng comments from some board members regarding the union and the contract negotiations, = and he questioned whether the district was making a good faith effort to reach = an agreement. He stated that the= union was not advocating a strike, but that they would continue to work toward an agreement prior to the end of the current contract. He reported that a mediator would = be called in to facilitate settlement and review the areas of disagreement.

IV.<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>       RE= PORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

A.     Remarks from Board Membe= rs

Mr. Rose addressed the board regarding some of the issue= s on the negotiations table including the use of teacher preparation time and the required number of preparation periods.&nb= sp; He noted that the Union called fo= r an impasse, and expressed his opinion that this action was made prematurely.

Mr. Rose stated that some of the union’s demands were unreasonable and th= at the limitations of the contract placed an unnecessary burden on principals = and served to hinder student progress. He stated that “the union no longer brings anything to the tab= le for education . . . teachers = do, but the union doesn’t.”

SUSPENSION OF THE RULES:

Mr. Berkley moved to suspend the rules to move to the action portion of the agenda. Mr. Ro= se seconded the motion and it carr= ied 5-2, with Mr. Kurrus and Dr. Mitchell casting “no” vote= s.

The board proceeded with the action agenda and returned to the Board Member Comments section of the meeting at the conclusion of the action agenda.

Dr. Mitchell reported attending Academic signing Day at the Clinton Presidential Library. She commended Dr. Lloyd Sain and the committ= ee who planned and presented the Aspiring Principal’s Institute graduation ceremony. Dr. Mitchell report= ed that she had also had attended the last fifth grade graduation program of <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Rightsell Elementary School where former dis= trict Principal Catherine Gill was the speaker.

Dr. Mitchell expressed concern regarding an apparent lack of= respect for each other. She asked tea= chers, administrators, and board members to spend more time and energy doing the things that will benefit our children and to establish a mutual respect to = make a positive impact for the students. She stated that as professional adu= lts more emphasis should be placed on respecting each other and that all partie= s should learn to disagree without being disagreeable.

Mr. Berkley thanked Dr. Mitchell for her comments and expre= ssed agreement. In addition, he re= ported that he had received a report of the legislative auditing committee which c= ontained interesting information regarding administrative costs per ADM for 2005. He stated that it was reflective o= f and a good indication that the recent reorganization of the LRSD administration= was justifiable.

Mr. Berkley continued by responding to some of the comments= made by Mr. Ledbetter regarding union and the contract. He remarked that there were seriou= s concerns regarding the approach the CTA had taken over a number of years of negotiat= ing. He noted the tremendous amount of pressure on public schools to perform and he stated that the CTA had served= at times as a roadblock to progress. He continued by saying that the actions of the union are not always in the best interest of the students and parents of the district. He asked the union to show their su= pport for the kids by supporting district policies and behaving in a way that enc= ourages progress. <= /p>

Mr. Kurrus responded to the comments made regarding the para-professional staff members. He noted that compliance with NCLB requirements was imperative or the district could lose federal title dollars.

Mr. Kurrus continued by expressing support for the teachers in the LRSD, both a= s a parent and as a board member. He took exception to comments from = Mr. Ledbetter and others when reference was made to the board not supporting or believing in the teachers. He= noted that the board had always voted unanimously to give teachers as much money = as possible, and that his greatest concern with the union was not with the teachers, but with the negotiations process, and with the ninety-page contr= act that was no longer a relevant document.&nb= sp; He noted that most of the contract language is now part of state law= or refers to regulations that would be better placed in an employee handbook. He asked that a simplified version= of the contract in an easy to read, easy to execute format, replace the existi= ng document.

Mr. Brock reported that he had attended a surprise celebr= ation at Cloverdale Magnet Middle Schoo= l where the teachers honored Principal Freddie Fields. He congratulated Mr. Fields on the significant improvements over the current school year.

Mr. Brock then expressed sadness and regret over the way some of the teachers a= nd members of the audience had behaved previously in tonight’s meeting. = He stated that board members would continue to support the teachers, but that = they were compelled to be advocates for the kids above all else. He asked the teachers to show evid= ence of being for the kids as well.

Teacher ex-officio Katie Runder thanke= d Dr. Mitchell for her comments and stated that some of the actions of adults ear= lier in the meeting could be considered “poor choices” in the terminology used in early childhood programs. She stated that board members and teachers should be models for the public and models for the children.

Ms. Runder reminded the board that the closing of Fair Park Elementary School a year ago, and conversion to= the Fair Park Early Childhood Center, was as emotionally charg= ed as the proposal to convert S= outhwest Middle School to a learning academy. She thanked= the board for supporting the early childhood program and expressed belief that = the decision on Southwest would be just as positive for the children in Little Rock.

Mr. Kurrus commended the Arkansas Times for their r= ecent article on Hall High School. He reported that he recently atten= ded the annual band and choral concerts at Forest Heights and he than= ked the staff at that school for the progress made this year. Dr. Daugherty corrected a statement made in the article about Hall High School; the former principal was not fired, but had been out on sick leave prior to retirement.

Dr. Daugherty stated that there are two groups at the bargain= ing table and that each group has to take responsibility for the 90 page contra= ct that has evolved over the years. He stated that the Union fights for its constituency and argues for the people they represent. He encouraged the parties to work o= ut their differences and come to an agreement in the best interest of the stud= ents.

B.    Student Assignment Report

No report.

C.    Budget Update

No report.&nbs= p;

D.    Construction Report: Proposed Bond Projects<= /span>

The monthly construction update was provided as an attachment to the board̵= 7;s agenda.

E.&n= bsp;    Internal Auditors Report =

Mr. Becker’s report was printed in the bo= ard agenda.

V.&n= bsp;            = ;    APPROVAL OF ROUTINE MATTERS=

A.     Minutes

Minutes from the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on April 27, 2006, and from a special meeting held on May 11= , 2006, were presented for review and approval.&nb= sp;   Mr. Rose moved to approve the minut= es as presented; Mr. Day seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

VI.      =          BOARD POLICY AND REGULATIONS REVIEW

A.      Revision of DN-R1 / S= chool Property Disposal Procedures and
DN-R2 / New Regulation – Computer Salvage Loan Program

=

Regulations were presented for the board’s review that would provide guidelines for implementing the Computers for Kids program. Within this program,= used and salvaged computers will be made available to students who do not have access to a computer at home. A copy of the parent agreement form was provided as part of the regulations.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> No action was required of the board.

VII.      =        ADMINISTRATION

A.&n= bsp;     2006= -2007 Student Handbook

A districtwide committee of students, parents, teachers, and administrators participated in the annual revision of the Stu= dent Handbook; a new section specifically designed for the Early Childhood progr= am was incorporated. The board unanimously approved the handbook on a motion by Mr. Berkley, seconded by Mr. Kurrus.

B.     Southwest Middle School Conversion

The board had been advised previously of the ra= tionale for converting Southwest Middle School to the Southwest Learning<= /st1:PlaceName> Academy. Deputy Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh provided a brief overview which included statistical information regarding the attendance zones and space availability at Henderson, Cloverdale and = Forest Heights Middle Schools. Once approved by the board, Human Resources personnel will meet with Southwest Middle School staff= to place them according to the terms of the negotiated agreement. Letters notifying parents and stud= ents of the new school assignment will be mailed immediately, and each of the receiving schools will hold an orientation session for the new students.

Mr. Berkley moved to approve the administration’s recommendation to convert Southwest Middle School to the Southwest Learning<= /st1:PlaceName> Academy. Mr. Rose seconded the motion. After a great deal of discussion, = the motion carried 4-3 with= Dr. Daugherty, Mr. Day and Dr. Mitchell casting the “no” votes.

Discussion on the motion included Dr. Mitchell&= #8217;s statement of opposition. She reminded the board that policy specifies a 12-month process for closing a school and that in her opinion this was not a conversion, but a school closing. She stated belief th= at opening an alternative education program at Southwest did not constitute op= ening a school and she was adamantly opposed to the Southwest Learning<= /st1:PlaceName> Academy proposal. She asked the board to delay actio= n and reconsider the options before making any changes.

=

Mr. Berkley spoke in favor of the motion. He stated that he fully understood= the feelings of the community, but that it was the board’s responsibility= to do what would be in the best interest of all children in the LRSD. He noted that the administration w= as charged by the board to develop a solution to the significant problems of t= he students enrolled in the alternative education programs in the district. He noted the decline in enrollment= at Southwest Middle School over the past several years, and attributed this decline to federal NCLB legislation which allowed students to transfer out once the school was designated as “failing.&= #8221; He noted that significant efforts = had been made at Southwest and that the administration had provided support to = improve academic achievement at that school.

Mr. Kurrus also spoke in favor of the motion stating that “we have hard choices to make and we don’t have the luxury of time.” He not= ed that Southwest was a failing school and that if changes were not made now o= n a voluntary basis the state would be making the changes for us. He promised that the concerns of t= he community would be considered and that a safe and orderly environment would= be established for the students. =

Mr. Kurrus also noted that the closing of the alternative programs at the Apperson and Garland facilities could be considered an “extreme emergency” as specif= ied in board policy. He noted that students had been assigned to these sites for several years and that both w= ere substandard facilities. He said that this= was an appropriate response to an overwhelming problem and that although it was= a difficult decision, he was hopeful that the community would partner with the district to ensure a successful program for our students.=

   <= /span>

Mr. Brock stated that he had visited the altern= ative programs at Apperson and Garla= nd and that they were in serious need of attention. He had asked for advice from a for= mer board member who had counseled him to “vote for the kids,” and = make decisions based on what is best for the students. With that in mind, he voted in fav= or of the conversion.

Mr. Rose stated that students in the ALC progra= ms had been treated far too long as “cast-offs” - - cast-off stude= nts in cast-off facilities and in some cases with the weakest teachers. He stated that now is the t= ime to reform the whole program and do what is right for the students who need the greatest amount of support.

Dr. Daugherty agreed with Dr. Mitchell’s argument that the board’s policy requires a twelve-month process prio= r to closing a school. He stated t= hat he did not believe any emergency existed within the current alternative progra= ms and didn’t consider the declining enrollment or low performance of Southwest as an emergency. He expressed respect for the board members who wanted to do something for the = students assigned to Apperson & Garland, but he stated that he wouldn’t support the conversion. =

VIII.      =      EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

A.   Arkansas Depar= tment of Education – Grant Submission:&nbs= p;
Enhancing Education Through Technology

An application to the Arkansas Department of Education was submitted on May 12, 2006, which would provide funding for educational technology enhancements a= t Martin Luther King Elementary School. This grant, if funded, would provide $186,963 to install an EAST lab= at King. The superintendent requ= ested board approval. Mr. Rose moved to maintain the submission of the grant. Mr. Berkley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

B.        Pre-K Student Progress Report

In order to facilitate better communication bet= ween our schools and homes, the Early Childhood Department developed a Pre-K stu= dent progress report. A copy of the “report card” was provided for the board’s review and adoption. Mr. Berkley made a = motion to authorize use of the Pre-K progress report. Mr. Rose seconded the motion, and = it carried unanimously.

C. &n= bsp;      K-2 Report Cards

Early Childhood Education teachers and staff developed and piloted a standards-based report card for kindergarten, first= and second grade students. This r= eport card is intended to provide parents with a clearer picture of student progr= ess and mastery of required skills. A copy was provided for the board’s review and the administration recommended approval.   M= r. Berkley moved to adopt the progress report as presented; Mr. Brock seconded= the motion and it carried unanimous= ly.

D.           Quarterly Update =

The seventh court-man= dated quarterly report was attached to the board’s agenda. It is due to be submitted to Judge Wilson on or before June 1, 2006. The board was asked to approve the report for submission.   Mr. Berkley made a motion to = approve, Mr. Brock seconded the motion. It carried unanimously.

IX. HUMAN RESOURCES

A.     Personnel Changes

Routine personnel issues were provided in the board’s agenda. In addi= tion, a recommendation was included to appoint the new principal at McClellan High Scho= ol.

Dr. Mitchell made a motion to consider the personnel items as separate votes. Mr. Berkley seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

On the appointment of Dr. Gloria Todd-Hamilton = to the position of Principal of McClellan Magnet High School, Mr. Berkley move= d to approve the administration’s recommendation. Mr. Brock seconded the motion and = it carried 6-0-1, with Dr. Mi= tchell abstaining.

On the remaining personnel matters, Mr. Rose ma= de a motion to approve the items submitted.&nbs= p; Mr. Berkley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.&nb= sp;

Mr. Rose left the mee= ting at 8:00 p.m. <= /i>

X.=       FINANCE & SUPPORT SERVICES

A.&n= bsp;    Child Nutrition Emplo= yee Appreciation Week – Resolution & Recognition

Dr. Brooks reported t= hat he and Dr. Daugherty had attended the first annual Child Nutrition Appreciation banquet a few weeks prior to the board meeting at which time they agreed to propose a formal recognition of these employees. A formal resolution was presented = for adoption; Director Lilly Bouie and other Child Nutrition Employees were ask= ed to stand and be recognized.   A copy of that resolution will be included with these minutes for the record. Mr. Berkley moved to adopt the resolution as presented; Mr. Brock seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

B.     Mitchell Elementary School Property

In compliance with bo= ard policy DN – School Property Disposal, a resolution declaring Mitchell Elementary “surplus property” was provided for the board’= s review and approval. The full backgr= ound and rationale was included in the agenda; Mr. Hattabaugh responded to quest= ions.

Mr. Berkley made a mo= tion to approve the administration’s recommendation to declare the Mitchell property as surplus to the needs of the district. Mr. Brock seconded the motion and = noted that the Wright Avenue Neighborhood Association was planning to submit a proposal for use of the Mitchell facility.=

Dr. Mitchell made an alternate motion, to delay action on the resolution for 60 days. The motion died for lack of second= . The original motion carried 4-2 with Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Daugherty casting = the “no” votes.

C.     Rightsell Elementary School Property

Board policy DN – School Property Disposal also applied to the administration’s recommendation to declare Rights= ell Elementary as surplus to the needs of the district’s educational programs. The board was asked= to approve a resolution that would allow the district to accept offers for alternate use or purchase of this building. Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the resolution and authorize the administration to move forward. Mr. Berkley seconded the motion an= d it carried 5-1, with Dr. Mitc= hell casting the “no” vote.

D.&n= bsp;    Lease Purchase of Buses and Refrigerated Delivery Truck

The administration submitted a recommendation to approve the purchase and financing of eight special needs buses for the district’s transportation fleet and one refrigerated truck for Child Nutrition delivery purposes. The costs associated with these purchases were included in the proposal provided in the board’s agenda. Mr. Berkley moved to approve the requested funding; Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.<= /o:p>

Mr. Milhollen respond= ed to questions regarding the future purchase of hybrid / bio-diesel fueled vehic= les. He reported that the district was = participating in a consortium that is developing funding through grants to secure one of these buses. It is hoped that= by the summer of 2007, the district will have a hybrid vehicle.

E.&n= bsp;    Dona= tions of Property

The Board was asked to approve the acceptance of= recent donations to schools and departments within the District. The donations are listed in the following chart. The student = ex officio read the it= ems listed in the Board’s agenda.    Dr. Mitchell made a mo= tion to accept the donated items, Mr. Brock seconded the motion and it car= ried unanimously.

=

=

SCH= OOL/DEPARTMENT

ITE= M

DON= OR

Brady Elementary School

<= /p>
50 cash for reading incen= tives

<= /p>
$1,000 cash to purchase a= wards and trophies for the science fair

Mrs. Ralph L. Merrit= t

Bank of the Ozarks

Central High School

13 desktop computers and six laptops valued at = $5,600

USDA Rural Developme= nt

SCH= OOL/DEPARTMENT

ITEM

DONOR

Western Hills Elementary School

<= /p>
Four Aquarius tambourines, valued at $15 each to the music class

Mr. & Mrs. Jim Matthews

Wilson Elementary School

<= /p>
$150 to sponsor incentive= trip for students scoring proficient or advanced on the Benchmark exams

<= /p>
$451.39 to purchase secur= ity cameras for the playground

Mr. Clinton Sanders
Kroger #632

Wilson Elementary PTA



F.&n= bsp;    Financial Reports

Mr. Milhollen present= ed the monthly financial reports; no formal action was taken.

XI.         CLOSI= NG REMARKS

      Announcements & Reminders

Dr. Brooks reminded t= he board that all schools and district offices would be closed on Monday, May = 29, in recognition of Memorial Day. He provided a reminder that high school graduations were scheduled, Wednesday,= May 31^st, Parkview and McClellan; Thursday, June 1^st, J. = A. Fair and Hall; and Friday,
June 2^nd, Cent= ral High School.

=

XI.&= nbsp;    ADJOURNMENT

There being no further bus= iness before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Ber= kley, seconded by Mr. Kurrus .

APPROVED:&= nbsp;    06-22-06_             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;          Originals Signed by: =

  = ;            &n= bsp;         Robert M. Daugherty, President

Bryan Day, Secretary