GOSNELL -- Len Whitehead will remain assistant secondary principal and senior boys basketball coach at Gosnell School District.
In its regular meeting, Thursday the Gosnell School Board read and accepted Whitehead's letter declining the principal position the board hired him for at its meeting last month. In his letter to the board Whitehead said he was honored to be offered the position of high school principal but he wished to remain in his current position. The board approved Whitehead's request and unanimously agreed to rehire him as assistant secondary principal and senior boys basketball coach.
Filling the vacancy of high school principal will be Brian Carter. The board vote unanimously to move Carter from assistant high school principal to high school principal. The board also approved the rehire of assistant principals Freddy Bowen, Ken Finch and Tiffany Kennemore, as well as the hiring of Bart Branum as psychological examiner. The Gosnell School Board voted unanimously to accept the resignations of Brian Bell, lunch room monitor, and kindergarten teacher Karen Sullivan, who after 30 years or service to the district is retiring.
Also Thursday, Gosnell Elementary School faculty member Elizabeth Brice spoke to the board about the Elementary School's K-2 literacy program. She said students no longer are assigned to a standard reading group and a whole class reads the same book.
"We have guided reading in flexible groups," Brice said. "Students are broken up into groups of four to six students forming three to four groups per class. Students can move between groups. The books are also different. Back when Mr. Williams was in school he read books like Dick, Jane and Spot and reading groups focused on one book and one action verb per week. With this program students are given a wide variety of books with different characters and actions. The books they are given are fiction and non-fiction and include a lesson in science, social studies or math."
Brice passed around to the board a week's worth of books for a first-grader reading on level. Board members looked at a books and received a copy of a sample lesson plan for a first-grade teacher using the guided reading program. Brice said feels the variety of authors and books will help persuade students to be lifelong readers.
In other business the board approved purchasing furniture from Arkansas Correction Industry for Gosnell High School's new Jedi Lab and new multi-purpose computer lab.
The board also voted to allow Wendy Evans, director of special services for the district, to spend NSLA, Rural Education and ARRA funds to purchase three new computers for each kindergarten classroom, new computers for the Gosnell Junior High Library as well as some new tables and desks for the Junior High Library, and other equipment.
In his report to the board, assistant superintendent Bonard Mace asked the board to agree to participate in the College Preparatory Enrichment Program again this year. The program helps incoming seniors and seniors getting ready to go to college prepare for the ACT exam. The board unanimously approved Mace's request.
Mace then updated the board on the district's facilities partnership program projects, saying the district's new four-classroom addition looks good and is really close to being finished. The board also accepted a bid of $7,950 to run hot water for the district's elementary restroom renovation project, and Mace said the district will be getting bids on renovating the blue gym.
The board then approved Central State Bus Sales bid of $102,830 on an 84-passenger bus with air conditioning and approved changing the mileage rate to 50 cents per mile, the same as the IRS uses. Board president Donnie Wright then excused himself from the meeting, while the remaining board members voted to accept Superintendent Stan Williams' recommendation to a adopt a resolution to enter into a contract with NET Incorporated, where Wright is an employee.
Before adjourning, the board agreed to hire Bonard Mace as the district's superintendent next school year with a two-year contract and a salary of $90,000.
czolman@blythevillecourier.com