LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT

810 WEST MARKHAM STREET

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

 

 

MINUTES

REGULAR BOARD MEETING

November 16, 2004

 

The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16, 2004, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas.  President Larry Berkley presided.   The meeting had been rescheduled from November 18 due to events in downtown Little Rock surrounding the opening of the Clinton Presidential Center. 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

           

Tony Rose

Larry Berkley

Micheal Daugherty

Bryan Day

            Baker Kurrus
Sue Strickland

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

Katherine Mitchell

 

 

ALSO PRESENT:

 

            Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent of Schools

            Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes

 

I.          CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL

 

Mr. Berkley called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.  Four members of the Board were present at roll call; Mr. Kurrus arrived at 5:20 p.m., Dr. Daugherty arrived at 5:25 p.m., and Dr. Mitchell was absent.  In addition, ex officio representatives for the month of November were also present:  Dr. Don Cherepski, teacher at McClellan High School, and, Antoine Ghoston, McClellan High School student. 

 

II.                  PROCEDURAL MATTERS / WELCOMING COMMENTS

 

Mr. Berkley welcomed the audience and introduced Dr. Brooks for presentation of citations.

 

III.            REPORTS/RECOGNITIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS

 

A.                Superintendent’s Citations

 

Dr. Brooks introduced Reverend Hezekiah Stewart from the Watershed Project.  The Little Rock School District was recognized at the Watershed’s Annual banquet for supporting their efforts to better the lives of people in the community.  The Watershed has operated in the old Gillam School building since 1983, providing food, clothing, shelter, day care services, disaster relief and utility bill assistance.  Rev. Stewart received a superintendent’s citation for his unselfish contributions to the children and families of Little Rock.

 

Annette Scogin received a certificate of appreciation from the Superintendent for her efforts in coordinating the District’s team in the annual Susan B. Koman Race for the Cure.  Annette presented the District’s trophy for having the largest team in the race, and reported that we raised $16,000 for breast cancer research, with 745 participating employees.  Ms. Scogin thanked
Dr. Brooks for leading the LRSD team to the starting line and noted that he was the first superintendent to ever participate in the race.   

           

The final citations were presented to ex-officio representatives to the Board for the month of November, teacher Dr. Don Cherepski, and student Antoine Gholston, both from McClellan High School. 

 

B.                Remarks from Citizens

 

Melanie Fox addressed the board, expressing appreciation to Dr. Brooks for opening lines of communication for parents, students, and teachers in the LRSD.  Ms. Fox has two children at Forest Park Elementary School and stated that this is the first time she has ever felt that there are “good things on the horizon” in the LRSD. 

 

Ms. Fox related examples of problems that parents had encountered when trying to have work done in the school or on the school campus.  She thanked the Board for having the insight to authorize the organizational audit and stated “$50,000 is a small price to pay if the audit will make our district more effective and efficient.” 

 

Ruth Eyers, Shannon Hardesty and Betsy Hall, special education teachers, addressed the board individually regarding concerns for the provision of appropriate services to special needs students.  Some of the concerns expressed by these teachers included:

 

-          students not receiving services required by their IEP;

-          teachers being placed in jeopardy when students become disruptive or abusive;

-          a shortage of substitutes qualified for special education classes;

-          a lack of training for paraprofessionals in how to appropriately meet the needs of these students;

-          a lack of funds for professional development for special education teachers;

-          limited resource and special education classroom space; 

-          severely or profoundly disabled students not receiving sufficient services;

-          a lack of communication within the division of exceptional children, no “sense of urgency”;

-          e-mail and phone messages delayed or no response in a reasonable or timely manner; and

-          shortages of classroom materials and supplies. 

 

C.                Little Rock Classroom Teachers Association

 

Katherine Wright Knight greeted the Board and expressed appreciation for the support she received from District friends and family after the recent death of her husband, James.

 

Ms. Knight thanked the special education teachers for taking the time to come forward to publicly state their concerns and issues.  She noted that Ms. Eyers is a National Board Certified instructor, and the first special education teacher in the state to receive that certification. 

 

In addition, Ms. Knight reported that fifty-seven teachers were in the process of becoming national board certified, due in part to the district’s financial support for teachers from the schools designated in “school improvement.” 

 

 

IV.            REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

 

A.                Remarks from Board Members

 

Mr. Day thanked the special education teachers for bringing their concerns to the Board.  In addition, he thanked Ms. Fox for stating support for the superintendent and the organizational audit process.   Mr. Day also expressed appreciation to Dr. Brooks and the Board for supporting the City Year Initiative.  He attended the City Year Inaugural program on the front lawn of Central High School earlier in the day, where President Bill Clinton addressed the group and administered the oath of service to forty City Year students.  City Year participants will serve in five LRSD elementary schools as mentors, tutors and coordinators of after school programs. 

 

Mr. Kurrus thanked the special education teachers for providing their concerns in writing.  He asked them to remain positive and to remain focused on making change for the better. 

 

Dr. Daugherty arrived late, but stated that he had heard some of the concerns of the special education teachers on the cable access channel.  He thanked them for stepping forward and for advocating on behalf of their students. 

 

Mr. Berkley thanked the teachers and staff members who attended the rally at Barton Coliseum.  He had read to kindergarten students at Terry Elementary School earlier that day, and he expressed appreciation to the new principal, Ms. Ramsey, for the good work she is doing at Terry. 

 

B.                 Student Assignment Report

 

Mr. Babbs was present and gave a brief report on registration activities.  He was asked to provide information on school-based recruitment efforts and to develop more customer friendly registration processes.  Board members asked about the possible implementation of on-line student registration and for more information to be made available on the LRSD website.

 

C.                Budget Update

 

No report.

 

D.                Construction Report: Proposed Bond Projects

 

Mr. Goodman was present.  The monthly report was printed in the agenda; no additional information was provided or requested.

 

E.                Internal Auditors Report

 

Mr. Becker was present and reviewed the brief summary report printed in the Board’s agenda.   In addition, he reviewed the activities of the November 6 Sharefest.   Two thousand volunteers worked in eleven LRSD schools providing landscaping, gardening projects, painting, carpentry and playground improvements.   

 

F.                 Technology Update

 

Lucy Neal presented a review of the technology report printed in the Board’s agenda.  In addition, she reported that e-rate funding had been received from the federal government, which would pay for media retrieval systems and staff training.

 

In addition, Ms. Neal reported that state funding had been released which would provide web access to students’ grades and attendance reports as requested by Mr. Berkley.  Parkview Magnet High School agreed to serve as the pilot site for Ed-line, which is compatible with the district’s on-line grading system.  Training sessions will be scheduled for parents as the system is brought on line.

 

V.                 APPROVAL OF ROUTINE MATTERS

 

A.                Minutes

 

Minutes from the regular meeting of the Board of Directors held on October 28, 2004, and from a special meeting held on November 11, 2004, were presented for review and approval.   Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the minutes as submitted; Ms. Strickland seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

 

VI.               HUMAN RESOURCES

 

A.                Personnel Changes

 

Routine personnel changes were printed in the Board’s agenda.  Dr. Daugherty moved to approve the report as presented.  Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.  

 

 

VII.             BUSINESS SERVICES

 

A.                Donations 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.  Antoine Ghoston, student ex officio, read the items listed in the Board’s agenda.  Mr. Rose made a motion to accept the donated items;
Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

 

Donations – continued:

 

 

 

B.                Financial Report

 

The monthly financial summary reports were provided to the Board as part of the printed agenda.   Mr. Milhollen was present to review the reports and respond to questions.  Dr. Daugherty moved to accept the reports as submitted and Mr. Day seconded.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

 

VIII.           CLOSING REMARKS

 

The Superintendent announced that a meeting with members of the Southwest Little Rock Hispanic community was scheduled to begin immediately following this board meeting.

 

IX.               ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Rose, seconded by Dr. Daugherty. 

 

 

 

 

APPROVED:  12-16-04                                            Originals Signed by:  

                        Larry Berkley, President

Katherine P.  Mitchell, Secretary