GF board approves Connect 4 program

Posted Date: 11/22/2022

The program will provide career and technical training to local students through a partnership between the Berryville, Eureka Springs and Green Forest school districts. The courses will be taught in the former Berryville Readiness Center, known as the old armory. Superintendent Matt Summers said the board still needs to approve a memorandum of understanding before the district is financially obligated to help fund the program. “We do have a memorandum of understanding our attorney has prepared. We did not approve it because it just came to us, and it’s a first draft,” Summers said. “We’re already seeing things we may need to add or delete.” He continued, “We just wanted to approve the program as a sign of good faith for all three school districts. We are all in favor of this program. It’s the right thing to do.” The board voted to approve the legislative audit. “There were no findings this year,” Summers said. The board voted to approve the removal of some buses from the district’s fleet to be sold at auction in June. “We’ve got some buses that are no longer feasible to use,” Summers said. “We’re going to end up spending more on them than they’re worth to keep them on the road. It’s a health and safety issue, so we’re removing them from our rolls and insurance.” Also at the meeting, the board voted to approve the North Arkansas College RN Programs Agreement, the Special Education VI B Budget, the 2017-18 purchase service agreement with a physical therapist at an hourly rate, the 2017-18 Alternate Education Program and the 2017-18 Migrant Education Summer School. “The migrant education program is fully funded by the Boston Mountain Educational Cooperative,” Summers said. “We have to approve it because we have personnel involved and the program is using school facilities.” The board also voted to approve the following personnel actions: the addition of a fourth-grade teacher and fifth-grade teacher position, the transfer of Glenda Ayers for the ELL/Curriculum position and the hire of Jack Welborn as groundskeeper, Micaela Chaney as nurse, Carl Steigman as middle school math teacher and Tim Booth as full-time bus driver for the 2017-18 school year. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, June 19, in the high school library.