Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Salaries, Lawsuit From Fire Is Discussed By Prescott School Board

Patrons of the Prescott School District will know by the school board's next meeting when and where a lawsuit will be filed against USF&G for non payment of fire claims in the district.

This information was presented during the regular school board meeting Tuesday, April 15.

Arkadelphia attorney Ed McCorkle, hired to represent the district in negotiations and a lawsuit, was to have met with Prescott Superintendent Don Johnston this past Tuesday to discuss the suit.

USF&G has only offered and only paid 55% (55 cents on the dollar) of the total amount claimed by the district for the April 1, 1996 fire which destroyed a large portion of the high school.

The district has since borrowed funds for part of the rebuilding project and will borrow other funds to finish the remodeling and construction.

The lawsuit will probably have to be filed against the selling agent, the local insurance company selling the policy and USF&G.

Two teachers (out of 15 in the district) not getting a raise due to the new state mandated salary schedule voiced their concerns over the "unfairness" of the schedule.

Prescott Elementary School teacher Ruby Hart and Prescott High School teacher Joyce Gibson told board members they should not hide behind Legislative Act 917 in determining raises.

Legislative Act 917 was passed in 1995 to level teachers' salaries across the state.

First year teachers will be paid $20,000 with a bachelor's degree while first year teacher with a master's degree will earn $23,000.

The schedules top out at $30,000 for a teacher with a master's degree and 14 years experience and $26,000 for a teacher with 14 years and only a bachelor's degree.

The district has 15 teachers who are already making more than the maximum on the new schedule.

Board president Jim Franks told staff members present the district had certain legal responsibilities in paying the salaries and had no control over state mandated laws even if the pay scale seems insensitive.

The district has estimated it will take an additional $100,000 a year to make sure all staff members have a raise.

The district will deficit spend by $150,000 for this year and those figures do not include expenses from the fire.

The district did begin the year with a $700,000 reserve, but has borrowed money twice and will borrow more to get out from under the expenses incurred in the fire.

Besides Hart and Gibson, the only other two staff members present at the meeting were Reba House and Jane Purtle.

The board accepted the high bid of $21,040 for 10 acres of land and timber located just out of Bluff City.

The other bids were for $16,025 and $18,000.

The district reviewed a report on parent-teacher conferences for the spring.

Prescott Elementary School had 90% of its parents show for the conferences while Prescott High School had 79% of its parents attending.

Prescott Middle School only had 78% of its parents attending the meeting, though that number is up from 52% the year before.

The elementary school's percentage was down from 93% a year ago. No figures were available for attendance at the high school for last spring.

The board accepted three resignations following its executive session.

Michael Yarberro, Ann Stockton and Mary Walters all resigned from the district. Two are taking other jobs, while Walters is retiring.