Fayetteville Board of Education
Minutes of the January 22, 2004 Regular Meeting
The meeting convened at 5:00 PM in the Adams Leadership Center with President Steve Percival presiding. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by students from Woodland Jr. High School.
Butterfield
Trail music Teacher Allan Gibson received an Above & Beyond award for his
work with the student band at Butterfield.
Shannon McCuin made a motion to approve the consent agenda. Laura Underwood seconded the motion, which passed by a 5-0 vote.
The Board voted to appoint the superintendent or
his designee as the purchasing agent for commodities for the school district in
amounts of $100,000 or less without school board approval. Howard Hamilton made
the motion, which was seconded by Laura Underwood. It passed by a 5-0 vote. The
Board also granted authority to the superintendent to make emergency purchases
of up to $150,000 without board approval.
Shannon McCuin made the motion, which was seconded by Howard Hamilton
and passed by a 4-1 vote.
The Board voted to hire Nabholz Construction
Company as construction manager for the district. Howard Hamilton made the
motion, which was seconded by Laura Underwood. The motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
Nabholz will assist in managing the capital improvement plan and working toward
implementation of our strategic building plan. Associate superintendent Mike
Gray commented that Nabholz “is a strong name in the construction field and an
outstanding community partner.”
The Board voted to approve the low bid from Great
American Insurance Company for property insurance on district facilities.
Shannon McCuin made the motion. Howard Hamilton seconded the motion, which
passed by a 5-0 vote.
The Board also accepted a bid from Cincinnati
Insurance Company for boiler/machinery coverage. Howard Hamilton made the
motion, which was seconded by Laura Underwood. It passed by a 5-0 vote.
The Board voted to accept a bid from the Arkansas
Department of Education for vehicle insurance. The ADE bid was also the low
bid. Howard Hamilton made the motion, which was seconded by Laura Underwood. It
passed by a 5-0 vote.
The Board took no action on a bid for errors and
omissions insurance coverage. Dr. New noted that errors and omissions insurance
has changed drastically since Sept. 11, 2001. He added that the district would
continue to seek better bids for E&O insurance coverage.
The Board voted to approve the purchase of five
new school buses, two of which will have a passenger lift for students with
special needs. Shannon McCuin made the motion to purchase two 47-passenger
buses with lifts, which was seconded by Laura Underwood. It passed by a 5-0
vote. Susan Heil made a motion to purchased three 71-passenger buses, which was
seconded by Howard Hamilton. The motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
The Board approved a change to the attendance
policy. Parents may now either phone
the school or send a written note to explain their child’s absence. Laura Underwood made the motion, which was
seconded by Susan Heil. It passed by a 5-0 vote.
The Board voted to change the date of the March
School Board meeting to Wednesday, March 24, instead of Thursday, March 25, to
accommodate a schedule conflict. Howard Hamilton made the motion, which was
seconded by Susan Heil. It passed by a 5-0 vote.
Susan Cromwell, director of district technology
programs, reported to the Board on the district’s plans to meet Strategic
Planning Goal #5, which states the district will “provide a seamlessly
integrated digital technology and communication environment that enables
everyone to access, manage, integrate, and evaluate information, construct new
knowledge, and communicate with others.”
Following his annual performance review, the Board
voted to extend Dr. New’s contract with the school district through the 2006-07
school year. Howard Hamilton made the motion, which was seconded by
Laura Underwood. It passed by a 5-0 vote.
Laura Underwood made a motion to adjourn. Shannon McCuin seconded the motion, which passed by a 5-0 vote. The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM.
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Stephen M. Percival, President Christine Bell, Secretary