Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott Board Approves Raises

Most teachers in the Prescott School District will have an increase in salary thanks, to act 917 of 1995 and the Prescott School Board.

Arkansas Legislators passed act 917 to levelize minimum salaries for teachers across the state during its 1995 session.

Board members approved the raises during its regular board meeting Tuesday, March 18.

Starting salaries for teachers begining in the 1996-97 school year were $20,000 for a bachelor's degree and $23,000 for a master's degree.

The act would have required districts raise the second and third year's experience pay for those teachers by $400 increments and a minimum of $30,000 for teachers holding a master's degree with 14 years experience.

The rest of the salary, based upon experience, could have been phased in.

The district, forced to this salary schedule, went with implementing it all for the 1997-98 school year, though the district has 19 teachers who will not get a raise.

Superintendent Don Johnston told board members of those 19 teachers, 15 are already making more than the state's minimum required salary.

This raise could be retroactive, if approved by teachers, for the 1997-98 school year, because the board approved the raises during the course of the current year.

The board approved not only the rate scale, but also set an index scale for certified personnel (principals, etc.).

Teacher's contracts, which were also approved during the meeting, will reflect their salaries at the new schedule or what they made in 1995-96, whichever is greater. Certified staff salary cannot be reduced once it is in place.

Board members raised the amount of pay to $1,500 from $500 for the cheerleader sponsor - and an undetermined number of days to be added the sponsor's contract.

Johnston told board members he had talked with the district's attorney in the fire case, Ed McCorkle, and found none of the district's records was lost in the Arkadelphia tornado.

Johnston said McCorkle's office was damaged, while another office dealing with abstracts was totally destroyed.

The district hired McCorkle to help lead them through the collection procedure from USF&G following the April 1, 1996, fire which destroyed a good part of the main high school building.

Johnston told board members the district still had only received 55% of its money from its claims.

He informed board members McCorkle was to have talked with the insurance company one last time in an attempt to avoid litigation.

The district is considering a lawsuit to settle fire claims. It could take two to three years for the suit to come to fruition.

Board members studied enrollment numbers and found the district has 40 to 45 fewer students enrolled currently than it did when the school year began.

Johnston told board members the district lost 10 students in February. The district began the school year in August with 1,173 students.

There will be very few changes in the district's 1997-98 school year calendar.

Board members approved the calendar during its meeting, noting the first term will end again before the Christmas holidays.

Phyllis Ary's resignations was accepted by the board following its executive session.

Two bus drivers were hired by the district, and three out-of-state trips were approved by the board, according to its policy.