By B. KAY RICHTER
NEA Town Courier
Assistant Editor
The Gosnell School District Board met Monday evening to approve several bids and to fill vacancies in anticipation of the start of the new school year.
One of the first agenda items for the board included a review of 2022-2023 Ready for Learning Plan for the Gosnell Elementary School and Gosnell Secondary School. According to staff members of the district, the plan was essentially the same minus the additional cost of the ScreenCast program which was for remote learning. Staff members advised the board that they now use Google products to replace the ScreenCast programs. All board members unanimously approved the changes to the Learning Plan.
The board also approved several competitive bids for milk and bread products for the school district.
Bryant Bread of Jonesboro was approved by the board with a price of $1.90 per whole grain sandwich bread, $2.25 per whole wheat hamburger buns and$1.95 per whole wheat hot dog buns. Turner's Diary of Paragould was approved by the board as well for their milk products for the district. Another expenditure for the district was the cost of the toner ink for the computer printers. The contract approved unanimously by the board went to H&H Business Machines for $30,547.
The contract renewing a subscription to the AirMedCare Network was also renewed by the board members. The AirMedCare Network essentially operates air ambulance providers for the Gosnell School District and is paid for by payroll deduction.
Board members accepted resignations but also approved new staff members as well. Names of the new staff members and their positions are: DeJean Brown,
Assistant Principal 4-6; Garrett Idlett, Second Grade; Emily Brewer, Fourth Grade - Literacy; Abby Hurley, Paraprofessional; Kathy Baxter, Kindergarten; Chelsea Teeter, Third Grade -Math/Science; Karma Blount, Fifth Grade - Math; Morgan Dickson, Speech; Elizabeth Richey, Junior High Assistant Principal; Shirley Watson; Seventh/Eighth Grade - ELA; Mary Davey, Special Education; Madison Ring, Seventh/Eighth Grade - Math; Marcus McClain, Social Studies/PE Girls Basketball Coach; Keelan Newsom, Second Principal; Corbin Clark, Secondary Assistant Principal; Hunter Hicks, Secondary Math; McKenzie Bryeans, Music/Band; and Amanda Bottenfield, CTE Business.