Gosnell extends contract of superintendent Mace

The Gosnell School Board extended the contract of superintendent Bonard Mace for an additional year, Monday night, during its regular monthly meeting.

Mace’s three-year contract now expires on June 30, 2023.

“You do a great job; we appreciate you — all of you,” Gosnell School Board president Donnie Wright said, while looking at Mace and the leadership team. “We don’t stress that very often in these meetings, but we do appreciate you. You’ve got a great staff, and it makes our job so much easier. We don’t have to deal with a lot of headaches because y’all are taking care of it.”

Mace complimented the leadership team, saying they are not afraid to share their thoughts.

“You’re only as good as the people around you,” Mace said.

Meanwhile, Gosnell assistant superintendent Len Whitehead provided an update of the junior high cafeteria project.

The district plans to bid out the job around spring break.

Whitehead said Entergy will have to move some electricity, though the main concern is whether crews can work around the fiber optic lines.

Mace noted engineers believe they can.

In other news, curriculum coordinator Anita McKinney reported that students are showing growth on practice tests for this spring’s state-mandated testing.

She said students have shown growth in 28 of the 32 areas.

“In all my years that I’ve been here, I have not seen consistency across the board like this with growth,” McKinney said. “I’m very excited about what our teachers are doing. The things that we’re trying and working on are working and they’re buying in. It’s very exciting to see that.”

She added there has been a lot of growth in reading, which “has been our big push.”

In other news, the board heard a presentation from the Future Farmers of America (FFA) members who attended the national convention in Indianapolis in October.

Students shared their favorite experiences from the convention, which had 75,000 attendees representing each state in the nation.

The board also recognized the county spelling bee winners. Gosnell finished first, second and third in the Mississippi County spelling bee earlier this month.

Eighth grader Keaton Brasfield won the county bee for the second time in three years, and he will represent Gosnell and Mississippi County at the Arkansas State Spelling Bee, which will be held Saturday morning at Cabot High School.

Gonsell sixth grader Nathan Grady was second, and his sister, Gosnell fourth grader Isabella Grady, was third.

Also Monday night, the board:

— Approved the school leadership insurance at a cost of $8,410;

— Reviewed the proposed school calendar for the 2020-21 school year. Under the proposal, the first day of school would be Aug. 17 and the last would be May 27, 2021. Mace asked board members to get feedback and perhaps vote on it at the February meeting;

— Approved a report on school board training hours;

— Agreed to purchase a tour bus at a cost of $20,000, along with a $1,500 delivery fee. According to Mace, the bus will be used for student activities such as baseball games, EAST, etc. He noted the bus has 400,000 miles but the life expectancy is 2 million miles. It holds 55 people. Wright noted the purchase keeps the district from having to use route busses on trips. He added community members have bragged on the last bus they purchased.

— Agreed to participate in the ASBA Unemployment Compensation Participation program;

— Approved the resignation of fourth grade teacher Michelle Baker effective May 18 and agreed to rescind the motion to hire eighth grade English teacher Tracy Menard;

— Approved the hiring of Denise McHan as assistant high school softball coach;

— Heard from Mace that the district began taking school choice applications on Jan. 14, and thus far there have been 27 submitted;

— Heard from Mace that Entergy is interested in signing up the district for solar energy. He said it would be a one-year renewable contract. A representative is expected to present at the February school board meeting.