With winter weather threatening, the Eureka Springs School Board moved quickly through an abbreviated agenda Monday evening.
Licensed and classified personnel throughout the school district will receive a $1,000 bonus at the end of this week, just in time to help with holiday expenses. The personnel policy committee recommended the bonuses, and Supt. Bryan Pruitt agreed. “They’ve earned it, and it’s a pleasure to be able to do this for them,” he said.
Board member Al Larson asked how many employees would be affected, and Pruitt said the bonuses would apply to bus drivers, part-time workers, and anyone else working for the district, about 100 people in all. Larson paused to consider the total, but said, “I’m glad we can do it.”
Maintenance Plant Manager Mike Dwyer earned a $2,000 raise by completing his certification process. “He keeps a keen eye on our facilities,” Pruitt said, in recommending the raise. The board approved the raise unanimously, making it retroactive to the beginning of the school year.
The district currently maintains its building fund at Cornerstone Bank, and that bank again provided the best bid to retain the account. The 2.65 percent rate will mean an additional $140,000 for the district this year.
The agenda would ordinarily include reports from the three principals, but Pruitt told the board he had encouraged them to go home and avoid the weather. “They were ready to go sit by the fire,” he said.
The superintendent gave a brief financial report, listing the legal balance at $1.3 million and the bank balance at $8.3 million. The district has about $12 million in bonded debt.
Board members and administrators will conduct a walk-through of the schools at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27, open to the public.