Helen Mansfield/The Baxter Bulletin
Cotter Superintendent Vanessa Thomas-Jones presented the Master Plan Narrative for 2021, along with the Master Plan Planned Projects to the Cotter Public Schools Board of Education during their regular monthly meeting Thursday night.
The comprehensive report contains the following:
• The narrative describes the district as encompassing roughly 35 square miles.
• Baxter County, has a current population of 41,427 with 13.1 percent living below the national poverty level; while Cotter has a population of 906 with 22.2 percent of the residents living below the national poverty level 1.
• The median income in the area is $35,417; the district is on the Community Eligibility Provision program due to the poverty level, which allows all children to eat breakfast and lunch for free.
• The Cotter School District pulls students from the surrounding communities of Gassville and Mountain Home, with over 80 percent of the student body coming from Gassville.
• The district has a current enrollment of 773 with 38 pre-Kindergarten. Current enrollment exceeds the State’s projected enrollment numbers.
• Currently, the district is above the state's projections for the 2021-22 school year; and anticipates new projections to show a continual increase over the next 10 years.
• The district has an existing debt service mil of 7.67.
• The district tried unsuccessfully to pass a millage twice in the past 10 years for the construction of an auditorium and gym; future construction projects will require another attempt at a mil election.
• The district has identified a current major need across the district, which is suitability with increasing enrollment.
• The district applied for and was funded from Partnership to expand the high school with classrooms for science and special education.
• This will allow for the seventh and eighth grade to move over under their proper LEA and then allow for the elementary to move fifth and sixth grade into those classrooms.
• The district will repurpose the 1977 metal building to house pre-Kindergarten, which will allow for expansion in the elementary.
• This is all dependent on the Division accepting our change of scope, Thomas-Jones' report said.
• With the new Master Plan guidelines, released on Oct. 3, 2014, districts are to “self-assess” every building within their district on a rating scale of “Good to Replace.”
• What has been presented is a Condition Survey of every building in the district.
"These condition surveys provide estimated costs for the 11 primary building systems to be replaced over the next 20 years," the report said. "This, as with the original assessment, is not an indicator that the district will spend this said amount, but is to be utilized for future planning in regards to renovations and replacement of older structures in the district."
• To date, the Cotter School District has received a total of $1,829,076.19 in Academic Facilities Funding, and $532,761.00 in Facilities Partnership Funding was turned back after two failed millage attempts in 2009.
• The district has a current Building Fund Balance of $1,480,613.
• The plans for the balances in the district’s building fund shall be used for construction, renovation, repair or other planned building fund expenditure or project allowed within building fund coding specifications in the latest version of the annual financial report and budget expenditures fund specification of the Arkansas Public School Computer Network.
• If the construction, renovation, repair, or other planned building fund expenditures or projects are canceled or revised, such that the funds are no longer dedicated to the construction, renovation, repair, or other planned building fund expenditure or project, the public school district may transfer the funds back into the fund from which the transfer was made unless transferring the funds will result in the net legal fund balance exceeding 20 percent of the public school district's current year net legal balance revenues; or spending funds on, including without limitation:
(A) Pre-Kindergarten programs; (B) Remediation programs; (C) Career and technical education or workforce readiness programs; or (D) Any other program or for any other purpose authorized by law.
• The district has completed the installation of a district-wide fire alarm system through the Partnership Funding Program. The district will continue to actively maintain all the facilities to the highest level for adequacy.
The board approved the Master Plan Narrative for 2021.
Superintendent Thomas-Jones presented the Master Plan Planned Projects to the board which includes a planned addition for the middle and high school, district-wide HVAC upgrades and a possible solar farm and construction of a new Pre K-4 at building Gassville.
Thomas-Jones presented the 2021-22 6-Year Master Plan Resolution to the Board which was unanimously approved.
Cotter District Technology Coordinator Shane Lively presented to the board a quote from White River Services and Solutions out of Batesville for 175 Dell Chromebooks in the amount of $51,138.56. The board approved the Chromebook purchase as presented.
Lively also presented a decision letter from the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) to the board. The district will receive $51,138.50 from ECF which comes from the Federal Communications Commission in order to purchase the new Chromebooks.
The program is designed to help schools and libraries provide help with remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period. The program will cover reasonable costs for items such as laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems and routers for off-campus for students, school staff and library patrons.
Thomas-Jones presented to the board the District Zoning Resolution in which the board member zone plan, which includes a map showing the boundaries of the five single-member district zones created and documentation showing the population by race in each zone.
The board approved the zone plan and map, subject to the approval of the Baxter County Board of Election Commissioners; and upon being advised by the Baxter County Board of Election Commissioners, that the zone plan is approved, it is the intent of the Board to officially submit the zone plan to the Baxter County Clerk.
Upon filing the approved zone plan with the Baxter County Clerk, the Board shall cause elections to be held for all five of its single-member zones or as many of its zones and/or positions as are necessary to comply with the requirements of the Voting Rights Act at the May 2022 annual school election, in accordance with the zone plan and applicable by law.
The board approved the zoning resolution as presented.
Thomas-Jones reported the elementary enrollment is at 373 and high school enrollment is at 357 for a total enrollment of 730 students.
In other business, the board:
• Established Fund 7268 as The Tribe Pep Club Activity Fund.
• Approved hiring Travis Lyon as a custodian and accepted the resignation of Nikki Guthrie as volleyball coach.
• Received an update from High School Counselor Kathleen Holder on the Emergency School Pantry and Food Box Program Grant.
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November 23, 2021 at 11:27PM
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Cotter Board approves master plan - Baxter Bulletin
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