The
Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting on
Thursday, October 13, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building,
810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Micheal Daugherty presided.
MEMBERS
PRESENT:
Micheal Daugherty
Bryan Day
Baker Kurrus
Tony Rose
Sue Strickland
MEMBERS
ABSENT:
Larry Berkley
Katherine Mitchell
ALSO
PRESENT:
Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent
of Schools
Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes
I. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL
Dr. Daugherty called the meeting to
order at 5:25 p.m. Five members of
the board were present at roll call; Mr. Berkley and Dr. Mitchell were absent.
II. PURPOSE
OF THE MEETING
The agenda for the special meeting listed the
following items:
A.
Proposals for the
2005-06 School Year for Principals, Assistant Principals, Office Professionals
and Other Employee Groups
B.
Appointment of the
Director of Child Nutrition
C.
Mitchell School
Recommendation
D.
Employee Hearing
III. ACTION
AGENDA
A. Proposals
for the 2005-06 School Year for Principals, Assistant Principals, Office
Professionals and Other Employee Groups
The administration recommended salary increases for all LRSD employee groups not represented by the PN agreement, meet and confer or other bargaining units. Eligible employees would receive a step increase for the 2005-2006 school year, up to $263 for eligible health insurance plans, and a ½ percent increase to the salary schedule. As with the PN agreement, the District agrees to review the recommendation and consider additional salary or benefits once the Lake View decision is reached and if the state increases the district’s funding.
Mr. Rose spoke in opposition to the proposal based on the rationale that administration and support staff should not expect or be guaranteed the same increase as the teaching staff.
Mr. Day moved to approve the recommended salary adjustments as submitted by the administration. Mr. Kurrus seconded the motion and it carried 4-1, with Mr. Rose casting the “no” vote.
B. Appointment of the Director of Child
Nutrition
Dr. Brooks introduced Ms. Lilly Bouie, the administration’s recommendation for the position of Director of Child Nutrition. Ms. Bouie will move to Little Rock from Mississippi where she has served as the Child Nutrition Administrator in the Hazlehurst City School District for twelve years.
Mr. Kurrus moved to approve the administration’s recommendation; Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
C. Mitchell School Recommendation
Dr. Daugherty had requested the placement of this item on the agenda, however he asked for it to be pulled. No recommendation was presented and no action was taken.
Mr. Day left the meeting at 5:40 p.m.
D. Employee Hearing
The board convened a closed session at 5:50 p.m. for the purpose of conducting an employee hearing. The employee was assigned to a school-based position after the recent reorganization of the district. Of the two supervisors in the employee’s department, one position was eliminated. Interviews were conducted for the position that was retained, the employee applied, but was not selected for the job.
The district was represented by attorney Khyaam Eddings. Mr. Hartz and Mr. Eddings provided background information for the Board’s review and consideration. In addition, the department director was called as a witness.
Attorney Clayton Blackstock represented the employee at the hearing. He contended that the reorganization was essentially a reduction in force, and argued that the state law required a policy for such action. In addition, he objected to sections of the background information provided by the administration which were related to evaluations and other documents not related directly to the employee.
The employee testified that he had been with the district for fourteen years, nine of which were as a supervisor. He asked the board to reinstate his position and maintain his former salary. He has received “soft landing pay” for this school year, but will be placed on the appropriate salary schedule next school term.
The board went into closed deliberations at 6:35 p.m. They returned from closed session at 6:50 p.m. to report that no action had been taken. Ms. Strickland made a motion to uphold the administration’s recommendation to deny the employee’s request for reinstatement. Mr. Rose seconded the motion and it carried 4-0.
V.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board,
the meeting adjourned at 6:52 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Kurrus and seconded by Mr.
Rose.
APPROVED:
10-27-05 Originals
Signed by:
R.
Micheal Daugherty, President
Bryan Day, Secretary