Watson Chapel School District board members have approved proposals for stipends for a special education director and new volleyball coaches, as well as increases in stipends for coaches who drive buses.
With the proposals, members of the district’s personnel policy committee will vote on a salary schedule for the 2025-26 school year to present to the board for final approval either during a special board meeting or in May’s regular meeting. The proposals could save the district about $102,403 in special education staffing in comparison to 2024-25 salaries and $20,000 to $25,000 in overtime costs for drivers of athletic buses.
Superintendent Keith McGee recommended a stipend of $15,000 to $20,000 for a special education director in lieu of establishing a full-time administrative position. This would allow the district to assign responsibilities of a director to “a qualified current staff member, ensuring program continuity, IEP (individualized education plan) compliance, and support for students and staff – without the financial impact of adding a new full-time administrative salary and benefits package,” according to a memo outlining the proposal.
The position of special education director previously offered $102,878 in salary and benefits, and a special education designee would make $82,025. With the changes including the recommended stipend, a lead special education teacher would make $62,500 in salary and benefits.
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Assistant and head coaches who obtain and maintain commercial driver’s licenses to transport student-athletes to and from athletic events would receive increases in their stipends from $500 to $750 each.
McGee said in order for Watson Chapel to remain in its athletic conference, the addition of junior high volleyball is necessary. Watson Chapel competes in the River City Conference, which includes school districts in Pulaski, Jefferson and Grant counties, on the junior high level and in Conference 4A-8 for non-football sports in high school, but no 4A-8 teams sponsor volleyball.
The head volleyball coach would earn a $2,600 stipend and the assistant coach would earn a $1,800 stipend.
HODGES’ BOOK SERIES ADDED
The district has added Phyllis Hodges’ “8 Years of Unforgettable History” and “Girl Power” to its standards-based instruction.
Hodges, a Little Rock-based author, visited the district in December to introduce her books, which cover Arkansas, American and African American history. “8 Years” covers the two terms of Barack Obama’s presidency, and “Girl Power” celebrates leading ladies such as Beyonce, Princess Meghan and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
“Teachers and media specialists will utilize excerpts from the books to teach comprehension skills, writing strategies, responding to text, main idea and details, etc.,” said Traci Holland, the district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction. “Media specialists will also advertise and market these books for students during independent reading. An extension we are considering is to utilize the content and highlighted people in the books as part of project-based learning opportunities with students.”
Hodges has also written “Girl Power 2,” which the district has yet to adopt.
PERSONNEL MOVES
The district accepted letters of resignation from cafeteria worker Barbara Lamb, special education designee Denise Simmons, special education paraprofessional Vera Smith and teacher Chenda Stennis.
Letters of resignation or retirement, effective the last day of the school year, were received from secretary Debbie Bateman and teachers Jean Austin and Ebony McLaurin.
Tylene Dickie has been hired as gifted/talented teacher and coordinator.