Teachers' salary increases start with new contracts

Eureka Springs School District will have to find more than $120,000 to pay state-mandated raises to teachers in the 2004-05 school year.

Superintendent Reck Wallis told the school board last Tuesday the state's new minimum salary schedule for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree will be $27,500, up from $21,860.

"This new schedule came out of the special legislative session. Our starting salary is $26,000 now," he said.

"The top of our schedule, for someone with 25 years' experience and a master's degree is $44,125. That is our schedule, but we do go beyond that with our salaries.

"I think we should just bite the bullet and go ahead and accept the adjusted salary schedule so I can offer these new salaries as I start hiring new teachers for next year."

Wallis said meeting the new state salary schedule with this year's teachers would cost the system approximately $120,000 more. Next year, with the adjustments and the annual salary increases, it will cost approximately $180,000 more.

The district will spend $2,296,000 on salaries this year. The increase will push that amount to $2,416,000, according to Wallis.

The board agreed to go ahead and make the salary schedule adjustment now.

Wallis said the district will be receiving more state funding from in the fall from the 3-mill property tax increase and from the sales tax that will go into effect March 1.

"I don't have any idea, yet, of how much more money we are going to get," he said, "but the millage and the sales tax are for education."

He said the legislature will have another 3-mill increase on the November general election ballot.

"We raised the millage to 25 mills this year to make sure everyone had that amount in maintenance and operation," he said. "The new three mills will also go for maintenance and operation. It is all part of the state supreme court's ruling to provide equal education for all children."

The board accepted resignations from seven elementary school staff members: Kim Westphal, kindergarten; D'Evelyn Willis, first grade; Jane Magness, second grade; Michelle Hall, third grade; Gail Peterson, literacy coach; Nancy Thompson, librarian; and Jan Brown, counselor.

Elementary Principal Debbie Davis resigned in November. She will be starting a job as principal of a new elementary school in Springdale this summer.

These seven staff members will be join Davis' staff in Springdale. All of them have cited salary differences as the main reason for leaving Eureka schools.

The board extended the contracts for Wallis, high school principal David Childers and middle school principal Dr. Teresa Ballard for another year.

They also agreed to hire Robin Cook as a special education aide.

As the meeting started, Mila Powell presented two of her EAST Lab students to the board and showed them the plaque and some of the equipment the group won during the fifth annual EAST partnership Conference in Little Rock Feb. 17.

The Eureka Springs students won the first Founder's Award, recognizing the most outstanding EAST Lab program whose students best exemplify EAST goals of community service and collaboration integrated with innovative technology.

The fifth grade Jeopardy Team took first place at the annual Math Carnival in Valley Springs the past week. More than 800 students from 17 school districts competed in several categories of mathematics.

Dr. Ballard introduced the winning team of Joey Chatterton, Emily Payne, Chelsea Shaffer and Ben Windle to the board.

The seventh grade Jeopardy Team of Emily Deitchler, Kelly Clark, Megan Handley and Lucas Scarrow won second place in their competition rounds.

The fifth grade problem solving team - Ian Reynolds, Zach Cole, Dakota Pouncey and Patrick McKenzie - took fourth place at Valley Springs.

Wallis presented certificates from the state School Board Association to Becky Smith and Rusty Windle as Honor Board members and to Robert McCormick for having completed his certification training as a school board member.

Soccer fields, parking lot getting wooden light poles

Wooden light poles will be used for the lights at Lake Leatherwood soccer field and parking lot. Metal poles will be used for the baseball field, if funding outside the Parks and Recreation Commission budget can be found.

Neighbors' opposition stops CUP for apartment units

An application for a conditional use permit (CUP) for a four-unit apartment house at 245 Spring St. was turned down by the Eureka Springs Planning Commission Thursday evening.

Teachers' salary increases start with new contracts

Eureka Springs School District will have to find more than $120,000 to pay state-mandated raises to teachers in the 2004-05 school year.

HIPC approves expanded permits without fees

The Holiday Island Planning Commission (HIPC) approved two changes to permits Friday without charging fees.