West Side’s Board of Education conducted business Monday without Superintendent Russell Hester. Hester did not show for what would have been his last meeting before his contract expires on June 30.
At Monday’s meeting, West Side Elementary Principal John Long announced that West Side won a $10,000 Reader's Digest Good Food Garden Grant. The grant will be used to continue the Junior Master Gardener program at the school. Long said he would release more details about the grant at a later date, but he told the board that people from all over voted online for West Side to win. “There were some people up all night voting over and over,” Long said.
In other business, the school’s custodians pleaded for larger raises. They weren’t satisfied with their 30-cent raise. “I don’t understand why cooks get a 50-cent raise and we get 30,” one custodian said.
Board President Greg Gilmore told the custodians they need to go through the proper channels before the board could address the issue. He said they must first present it to the Personnel Policy Committee. Then it must go through the superintendent and then the board.
“It’s kind of late in the game,” Gilmore said. “New contracts start Wednesday.”
In unrelated business, the board added three teachers to the substitute teacher list. Board Member Paul Moore also expressed concern about the amount of money spent on food and hotel stays for athletes. “I know this is kind of a touchy subject, but isn’t the amount we’re spending on bills for meals a lot?” Moore asked. “Why don’t they use Wendy’s or McDonald’s?”
“They do utilize Wendy’s and McDonald’s,” Gilmore said.
Moore stressed again that the district is paying too much for food and lodging. “This is something we may have to look at eventually,” Moore said. “2- or 3,000 at a time for tourneys for meals and hotel seems like quite a bit.”
Greers Ferry, Ark. —
