The Blytheville School District will strongly recommend students and staff wear masks, but by law cannot require them to do so, according to interim superintendent Jennifer Blankenship.
During Monday night’s school board meeting, Blankenship reported the district will continue Covid-19 protocols such as social distancing, temperature checks, desk dividers, sanitizers, etc.
She said fully-vaccinated students and staff will not have to quarantine; only the unvaccinated would if they are exposed to the virus or have Covid-19.
There will be a Covid-19 vaccination clinic on Aug. 3 at the new Chickasaw Arena for anyone wishing to be vaccinated, and Blankenship encouraged those not vaccinated to take advantage of it.
According to Blytheville School District facilities director Brandon Harper, the district has everything it needs to combat the virus, including more than 20,000 adult and youth disposable and cloth masks, as well as disinfectants.
“Our inventory is stocked, and we’re ready for the school year,” Harper said.
Also Monday night, the board tabled roof repair proposals for the Blytheville High School 500 hall and ALE building. An architect from Brackett Krennerich provided estimates of the repairs, with the 500 hall roof job expected to cost $78,000 and ALE $59,400.
The ALE roof is in immediate need of repair, according to Harper.
“It’s an emergency situation,” Harper said. “There is no way I would recommend putting students back in this classroom if we don’t address it.”
“Every heavy rain we get, we are having material literally wash out on the floor,” he added, noting an area of the roof is no longer load bearing.
Harper said one classroom is directly affected, but mold and mildew makes it unsafe for other rooms in the building as well.
Board member Desmond Hammett suggested moving ALE to the old Blytheville High School gym temporarily and doing a thorough assessment of the ALE building to determine any other issues before spending money on the roof. Board member Billy Fair agreed the district should consider moving ALE to the old gym and suggested tearing down the ALE building and making a parking lot.
Board member Tobey Johnson said the community was promised use of the old gym when leaders pitched the millage hike that built the new gym, among other projects. Hammett noted community members would understand the need to use the gym for classroom space temporarily.
Board member Michelle Sims also suggested using the gym temporarily until the roof is repaired. She added school is about to start and they need a decision soon.
Blankenship said she would meet with assistant director of ALE Cliff Miller regarding where to relocate ALE.
The current estimates to repair the flat roofs do not include slope, something board members want to be considered.
In other news, the board tabled a parking lot expansion at Blytheville Elementary as it sought more information.
Michael Boggs of Tralan Engineering provided a drawing of the plan, which he anticipates will cost around $131,205.
The estimate does not include the engineering fee. The parking lot project is expected to improve drainage and add parking spaces.
Hammett said he did not want to approve the parking lot proposal until getting firm numbers.
“I think we’ve had our run with plans that are incomplete and come back and have to spend $750,000 on architect fees that were not included,” Hammett said, referring to the omission of the $750,000 architect fee from the total cost to build Chickasaw arena, a new track and put turf on Haley Field. “So, I’m hesitant…What prevents you from next month saying, ‘well, I told y’all it wasn’t full and I need to throw $25,000 more in…’We’ve been burned before.”
Boggs said he did a thorough evaluation of the numbers to make sure they would be as close as possible to what is bid.
“I know I want to get the parking lot done, Mr. Harper,” Hammett said. “I just, you’ll get me once but the next time.”
Harper took exception to the comment.
“What you referred to earlier was before my time, Mr. Hammett,” Harper said of the architect fee being omitted.
Hammett told Harper not to take offense, to which Harper replied, “when you make a comment like that in a public setting that’s untrue” it offends him.
Hammett said he wasn’t referring to Harper.
Meanwhile, board member Erin Carrington suggested adding green space and landscaping to the parking lot plan as well as a lighting component.
Carrington asked if there is second lien bond money available, and Harper believes former superintendent Bobby Ashley set aside money for the parking lot. Harper agreed to check on the balance of the second lien bond, which was approved to build the track after the shortfall from the architect fee oversight.
In other news, board member Carlony Lewis expressed concerns about students not attending school last year.
Harper said because of Covid restrictions, making in-home visits was a last resort during the 2020-21 school year.
Blankenship noted the district sent a number of truancy cases to the court whose process was slowed by the virus.
Board president Barbara Wells said it is the parents’ responsibility to make sure their children are at school.
Lewis asked if the Blytheville Police Department is providing an officer to be on campus, and Harper said Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson is working on a plan.
The board also discussed mowing Sandy Ridge cemetery. There was some debate on whether the property belongs to the school district, and Harper agreed to research it. Carrington suggested contacting the school district’s attorney Bobby Coleman to determine if any deeds on the property were done properly.
Meanwhile, Blankenship introduced new curriculum director Lauren Starks who provided a report to the board.
Blankenship also introduced new school improvement specialist Ebony Wells Brown, who is the niece of school board president Barbara Wells’ husband.
Later in the meeting, the board approved Barbara Wells’ niece, Brooke Aldridge, as Blytheville Elementary School assistant principal. Wells said the law permits both hires and she does not have to abstain from voting.
The board did go into executive session for 40 minutes before approving all but one of the personnel recommendations, with a 7-1 vote.
Fair motioned to approve all personnel recommendations, but he did not get a second.
Then, Hammett motioned to accept all personnel recommendations except promoting Blytheville High School teacher Amanda Haynes to assistant director/instructional support at Chickasaw Academy.
Fair was the lone dissenter, saying he supports all the recommendations and doesn’t believe the assistant director of Chickasaw Academy should have been removed from the list.
The approved personnel moves include:
— The appointments of Aldridge, Elroy Brown (Blytheville Primary School teacher), Latricia Dority (BHS teacher), Michelle Harper (BPS teacher), Arnida King (BPS teacher), Patricia Metcalf (BPS teacher), Jacqueline Morris (BES teacher), Erica Rogers (BES teacher), Carolyn Smith (BMS teacher), Yolanda Taylor (BMS teacher), Bobby Cook (paraprofessional), Haylee Harris (food service), Tammy Harris (paraprofessional), Bridget Myrick (paraprofessional), Brittnay Morehead (food service), Jevion McGehee (maintenance), Brandon Partee (paraprofessional), and Clint Walker (food service).
— The resignations of BES assistant principal Shayla Adelowo, who is the new BES principal; teachers Zin Ali, Kristy Brasfield, Rosetta Kelly, Melissa Lampe and Orissa Williams; paraprofessional Latricia Dority; and food service worker Renetha Jordan.
The board approved the district and family community engagement plan, policy revisions, and Air Evac memberships for its 275 employees at a cost of $16,500.