Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

ASP Program, Officers Make Donation For Emmet Scoreboard

Members of the "Cops for Kids Program," of the Arkansas State Police helped the Emmet School District.

ASP Troopers Darren Neal and Bobby Carlton presented the Emmet School Board a check for $3,200 to help purchase a scoreclock for the new gym, once it's built. The donation was made during the regular monthly meeting of the board Monday, May 5.

Carlton said the money came from the "Cops for Kids Program" the ASP has. All money donated to this program, he told the board, goes to help benefit children in some way. None is used for administrative costs. The money, he said, is raised through telephone solicitation.

"When you lost the gym," he told the board, "we wanted to come up with something to help." The donation of $3,200 is what the ASP came up with.

Carlton said while the ASP has other benevolent programs, "Cops for Kids" is his favorite.

The Emmet district had a budgetary problem to deal with, forcing it to increase expenditures in some areas. However, none of the board members complained because the reason for the increased costs were due to more students enrolling.

James Henson, school principal, said there are 88 students in the high school at this time, while Dr. Gene Ross, superintendent, added there are 140 in the elementary school.

Dr. Ross said the district is still gaining students and doing well number-wise.

The board was supposed to open bids for its new gym, but heard only two contractors had bid on the project. Dr. Ross said the architect, Dewell Arey, of North Little Rock, and Jerry Simmons with Twin River Architects in Arkadelphia, suggested they delay bid opening until more can be received.

This, they said, is because two bids aren't enough for competitive bidding and the best prices.

Arey, Dr. Ross said, contacted three or four other contractors who said they would have bid if they had more time.

The board agreed to the extension, with a bid opening planned for Thursday, May 29.

According to Dr. Ross, the Arkansas Department of Education, the carrier of the district's insurance policy, was hesitant about paying off the claim. But, he said, Nate Coulter, the district's attorney, contacted the ADE's insurance advisory committee and convinced them to pay off their debt.

Dr. Ross said the district has the check in hand, with it having been invested already and earning interest.

In addition, he said, the district received two checks Friday, May 2, for contents lost in the gym fire and interest for the time difference in getting the claim settled. The checks were for $2,240.

Dr. Ross also informed the board the district may get even more money from the insurance policy. He said the district was promised another adjustment when bids are opened.

He said the district asked for replacement costs of $47 per square foot for the gym, which it should get, less the special projects such as air conditioning and a public address system.

The old gym, he said, had more than 12,000 square feet of space. This is more than was originally thought by all involved.

Dr. Ross said the district has asked the Bank of Prescott for a donation to help with the cost of score clocks.

The sale of candles in a jar netted more than $1,900. School children and parents sold the candles for $5 each to raise money to help replace items lost in the fire.

The district also has $150,000 in the bank from the revolving loan program. Dr. Ross said this will be the last moneys used in paying for the new gym, and if all of the $150,000 isn't needed, what isn't used can be returned.

He said it was hoped the dirtwork for the gym could have begun already, but the recent wet weather has caused delays. The University of Arkansas Community College at Hope's heavy equipment class had agreed to do the dirtwork, but was slowed by the weather.

The board approved hiring a teacher and aide for summer school in the district. Summer school for kindergarten through grade three will be 25 days and begin the Tuesday after the regular school session ends. The summer classes will run from 8-11:30 a.m. Students will go on field trips during the extra session.

In addition, the district will have an ABC summer program for pre-kindergarten children.

The classes will run the same time as the K-3 summer school, but are geared toward helping children get better prepared for kindergarten.

While it has been a beneficial program, it is not required. Students involved learn their colors and letters during the summer, and get more instructional time than they can during the regular school year and be better prepared for first grade.

Students in the pre-K program will enjoy themselves on a planned field trip to the Little Rock zoo.