JASPER — The Jasper School District Board of Education met in regular session Tuesday, July 23, rescheduled from July 15, and took action on several items in preparation for the first day of school on Aug. 14. That included dealing with school personnel assignments.
The board accepted the resignation of Oark teacher/librarian Tresa Yarbrough, also the resignations of aides Brianna Sampey, Oark, and Stacey Reynolds, Kingston.
Re-hired for 2024-25 without changes, Jasper teacher Colin Thomas.
The board earlier in the meeting approved a new position of district career coach who will be an adviser to students preparing them for post-high school life. Jasper School District is one of 10 districts statewide to receive a 3-year pilot grant from the parental resource organization RootEd Northwest Arkansas and Heartland Forward, a think tank organization based in Bentonville that focuses on entrepreneurship and business development. The board hired Leah Villines to the position.
Other new hires are classified staff members Christopher Walker, janitor, Jasper; Amy Tiemann, aide, Oark; Logan McNeil, aide and Dustin Phifer, bus driver, Kingston.
Transfers include Sandra Allen, Oark, from teacher to library media specialist/teacher and Nick South, Oark, from maintenance to teacher; Brad Chalmers from half-time bus driver to full-time bus driver and Les Murphy, Jasper, from aide to full time maintenance.
Contract addendum was approved for Tammy Treon correcting her step on the salary schedule.
Summer workers were hired retroactively for the food service program, Katelynn Murphy, summer feeding program and Caden Reynolds, student summer labor. Tammy Treon also worked as a summer labor employee.
Superintendent Dr. Candra Brasel announced certified staff will report for teacher professional development sessions Aug. 6-9, but all staff will be called to attend District Day at the Jasper campus on Aug. 8.
The board took care of some final housekeeping matters including:
• Approving an updated Financial Handbook. The handbook was developed last year providing office staff with uniform directions and procedures designed to meet requirements and preferences of state auditors.
• Renewed the purchase of GoGuardian Safety and Security software used by teachers to monitor, control and secure school electronic devices such as Chromebooks. The cost is $24,755.70.
• Approved the purchase of Inspire Science curriculum for grades 3-8, 9th grade physical science, 10th grade biology, and also environmental science and chemistry. This will be a pilot program district-wide as most administrators and teachers believe the grade-appropriate materials will help prepare students to meet new state standards in science education. The cost to the district is $38,757.40.
The board entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office to provide the Oark School campus with a School Resource Officer (SRO). Johnson County will pay 57% of the cost for this officer. Jasper School District's share will be $25,000.
The SRO will be assigned to the Oark campus during the portion of the school year when's students are present. However, the county retains the right to call this officer to duty should occasion dictate.
The SRO's work schedule during this time will be determined by the school district with all compensable overtime accrued during the school year being taken during the school year.
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office will furnish a vehicle for this officer; the Jasper School District will furnish an office space for this officer that can be utilized as an annexed office for the Johnson County Sheriff's Office to dually provide service to the Oark community, the agreement states.
