The construction industry in this area has seen profound changes in the past year, with spiraling costs for materials and labor. The Eureka Springs School District has been planning a new cafeteria to serve the elementary and middle schools, and the school board heard that recent trends may bode well for the project.
Supt. Bryan Pruitt explained that higher interest rates have moved the economy toward a recession. People have begun scaling back on construction projects, and contractors may take more interest in a job that will get them through the winter. However, he added that costs may continue to rise, and the original estimated cost of $2.5 million could rise significantly.
The architect has almost completed design work on the cafeteria. The design would then go to the state for approval, and back to the board for final approval. The school would then take bids on the project. Pruitt also mentioned some other work on campus, including a new floor in the Middle School gym. New playground equipment, paid for with Covid money, is being installed at the elementary school.
In other business:
- The school has offered free lunches for all students during the Covid crisis. In the coming school year, students will still be eligible for free or reduced-price meals, but others will return to the payment schedule in place before the pandemic. Some school districts, with more than 70 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, will continue to offer free meals to all students. Eureka Springs schools have never had more than 60 percent eligible. Parents can help the district by going online to fill out the confidential form, which also determines the amount of federal funding the district receives.
Pruitt said the school can only guess what food will cost, but the board approved meal prices with slight increases from the 2020-21 school year. Student breakfasts will increase from $1.25 to $1.35. Lunches for high school students will increase from $2.55 to $2.75, and other students will see an increase from $2.35 to $2.50 for lunch. Pruitt said the school district will take necessary steps to maintain quality. “Our meals are still going to be good,” he said.
- By resolution, the board approved an annual requirement under Act 1120 of 2013. The act requires school boards to explicitly approve any salary raises in excess of five percent. Pruitt explained that this situation would usually arise if a part-time employee goes to full-time, or a teacher completes a master’s degree and receives a pay increase.
- The board annually passes a minority recruitment and retention plan. The minority population in the school district has grown to nine percent, but the district still only has one percent minority representation among teachers. Pruitt said the school will continue to actively recruit minorities, and students graduating from the school will be encouraged to return as teachers.
- The board passed a new fiscal operations policy, with changes to expense reimbursements. Pruitt said the district is moving toward cash-free operations, which will avoid some cash-handling problems for fundraisers.
- Music teacher Alexis Newman is taking a position in Springdale. Donesa Mann, who formerly occupied the position, will return. “We’re excited to have her back,” Pruitt said as he mentioned the contributions Mann has made above and beyond her regular duties.