The last 2022 meeting of the Eureka Springs School Board played to a small audience, with only an Independent reporter in attendance. The three principals were listed on the agenda to give reports, but a busy campus schedule sidetracked all three Monday evening.
The most significant item on the light agenda concerned acquiring a new school bus. Board members joked about buying an electric bus, which have a price tag in the neighborhood of $450,000. Supt. Bryan Pruitt said some schools, including Alpena, have received grants for electric buses, but those schools have not yet received the buses.
The school district has a bus on order, which is expected sometime in spring. The district plans to retire one bus every year, and the fleet covers eight routes and a regular run to vocational training in Berryville. Some schools have had trouble finding buses to replace aging vehicles, and Pruitt said he has received calls from other districts asking about buying old buses. He further explained that the district needs to act now to order a bus for the 2023-24 school year, and the board voted unanimously to enter that purchase.
Jim Nelson, owner of Nelsons, annually makes a donation to school staff at Christmas. This year, his gift cards to staff have increased in value from $25 to $35, and Pruitt said 85 percent of staff members have accepted the cards. During the discussion, Pruitt also pointed out Nelson’s artwork on the boardroom walls.
The board adopted a policy to align employee meal reimbursements with the recommended United States General Services Administration rate. That will save the board from making regular updates to the schedule of meal payments for those traveling on school business.