November 6, 2003
The
Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special session at
5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2003, immediately preceding the regularly
scheduled agenda meeting, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building, 810
West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas.
President Tony Rose presided.
MEMBERS
PRESENT:
Tony Rose
Larry Berkley
Mike Daugherty
Bryan Day
Baker Kurrus
Sue Strickland
MEMBERS
ABSENT:
Katherine Mitchell
ALSO
PRESENT:
Morris L. Holmes, Interim Superintendent
Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes
I. CALL TO ORDER
President Tony Rose called the special
meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. Six members
of the Board were present at roll call; Dr. Mitchell was absent. In addition, ex officio representatives
were also present: Tara Gurley, teacher
at Stephens Elementary School, and Dewon Jones, student at J. A. Fair High
School.
II. PURPOSE
OF THE MEETING
The printed agenda for the special meeting contained the following action
items:
A. First Reading: Policies ADBB, JC, JCA
B. Student Assignment Plan, 2004-05
C. Compliance Remedy Update
D. Student Reinstatement Petition
III. ACTION
AGENDA:
A. First Reading: Policies ADBB, JC, JCA
Board policies ACBB – Equitable Student Assignment, JC – School Attendance Zones, and JCA – School Choice were presented for the Board’s review and consideration at the September board meeting. They were tabled at that time for additional review and community input.
The policies were on the agenda for review and first reading approval. Mr. Berkley made a motion to approve, and Ms. Strickland seconded the motion. After a period of discussion and additional questions regarding the relationship between these policies and the proposed student assignment plan for 2004-05, Ms. Strickland withdrew her second to the motion.
Mr. Kurrus seconded the original motion to approve the policies so that additional discussion could be held. Mr. Babbs reviewed the proposed student assignment plan and Attorney Chris Heller responded to questions from the Board. Mr. Kurrus asked that race be taken completely out of the equation for assigning students to schools, and he then withdrew his second.
The original motion to approve policies ACBB, JC, and JCA died for lack of second.
B. Student Assignment Plan, 2004-05
This item was pulled from the agenda and was tabled for further review and additional input from the Board and administration.
C. Compliance Remedy Update
This report was to be provided immediately following the special meeting, during the agenda session. Dr. Steve Ross was present to provide the findings of his evaluations of elementary and secondary literacy programs.
D. Student Reinstatement Petition
Dr. Watson presented a recommendation to reinstate a student who attended McClellan High School during the 2001-02 school year. He was expelled for possession of a firearm on school grounds in February 2001. He was arrested, charged with battery, and has been in a juvenile detention facility since that time.
The student is being released from the detention center, and has asked for reinstatement to the LRSD. Due to his age, 17, he is required to attend school. He has been a successful student during this period of detention, and Dr. Watson recommended assignment to the Alternative Learning Center as a tenth grader.
Ms. Strickland made a motion to approve the administration’s recommendation for reinstatement. Mr. Berkley seconded the motion and it carried 6-0. The student will remain on strict probation for the remainder of this school term.
IV. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board,
the meeting adjourned at
5:50 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Berkley, seconded by Dr. Daugherty.
The regularly scheduled agenda meeting was held
immediately following the action portion of the agenda.
APPROVED:
_ 11-20-03 __ Originals
Signed by:
Tony
Rose, President
R. Micheal Daugherty, Secretary