The Pine Bluff School District Board of Directors approved a bid of $22,193 for 240 classroom desks as recommended by interim superintendent Linda Watson during a special called board meeting Thursday evening.
Watson said that 200 of the desks will go to Jack Robey Junior High School and 40 will go to Southeast Middle School.
Board member Ellen Nichol asked if the desks would arrive in time for the fall semester which begins Aug. 20 and was told by Watson that they would.
Board secretary Freddie M. Johnson had an observation and a question.
“I am glad that we are getting new desks for Jack Robey and Southeast but if I’m not mistaken the desks at Pine Bluff High School right now are the same ones that I used when I was there in 1984,” Johnson said. “Have there been any requests from the high school for new desks?”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
District deputy superintendent Rudolph Howard replied that no requests had been made.
Board member Chandra Griffin asked what would be done with the old desks once they are replaced.
“I understand that some of them are broken but I am sure that we will use as many of the old desks as possible,” Watson said.
The desks are being ordered from Alfax Furniture LLC of Farmers Branch, Texas.
The unit price per desk is listed as $88.32 on the bid quote received by the school district from Alfax.
Personnel
In other business, the board approved a series of personnel recommendations made by Watson.
The board approved the hiring of certified personnel effective Aug. 3, including: Felicia Dotson as a literacy coordinator/coach at Pine Bluff High School; Paula Findley as a literacy coach at Greenville Elementary School; and Cindy Finstrom as a reading recovery teacher, location to be determined.
The board approved the hiring of certified personnel effective Aug. 6, including: Emalee Clark as a P-4 teacher, location to be determined, replacing a teacher who was transferred; Gwendolyn McGhee as an English teacher at Jack Robey Junior High School, replacing Amy Anderson who resigned; Whitney Moss as a fourth grade teacher at Broadmoor Elementary School, replacing Ester Coleman who transferred; Rita Porter as a P-4 teacher, location to be determined, replacing a teacher being transferred; Dana Shavers as a first grade teacher at 34th Elementary School; Sondra K. Stambaugh as a grade 4-8 teacher, location to be determined, replacing a teacher being transferred; and Dudley Webb as a grade 4-8 teacher, location to be determined, replacing a teacher being transferred.
The board approved the hiring of certified personnel in the new positions of math and literacy coaches effective Aug. 3, including: Octavia Benjamin, who is being transferred from elementary teacher at Oak Park Elementary to a math coach, location to be determined; Anne Block, who is being transferred from elementary teacher at W.T. Cheney Elementary to a math coach, location to be determined; Virgil Cato, who is being transferred from remediation coach at Southeast Middle School to literacy and remediation coach at Southeast; Jimmie Jones, who is being transferred from teacher at Belair Middle School to literacy coach at Southeast; and Gregory Moore, who is being transferred to a math coach, location to be determined.
The board approved the hiring of classified personnel effective Aug. 13, including: Ronald Adway, Linda Ballinger, Craig Lee, Aricka Smith and De’Asia Smith as custodians with auxiliary services.
The board approved the hiring of classified personnel effective Aug. 20, including: Enerese Sims as a paraprofessional with special services at Pine Bluff High School.
The board approved the transfer of classified personnel Michael Woods from lab technician at 34th Elementary to technician in the technology department effective Aug. 3.
The board approved the termination of classified personnel Reginald Moore from the position of technician with the technology department effective Aug. 2 for abandonment of job.