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Pine Bluff School District board approves purchases, reviews high school progress and election timeline
Summary
At its regular meeting the Pine Bluff School District board approved purchases for Chromebooks, curriculum, playground equipment and a virtual-course license, authorized an HVAC purchase up to $50,600, heard construction progress on the new high school and reviewed finances and an election-timing change under Act 503.
The Pine Bluff School District board on Tuesday approved a set of routine purchases, authorized a capped HVAC purchase, and received updates on district finance, student data and the new high school construction.
Superintendent Barker told the board the district closed the year having received about $1,400,000 in June local tax receipts and $26,362,309 in total local tax revenue for the year, compared with a budgeted target of $26,891,000 based on a 94% collection assumption. "The state sent us a check for $922,000 to make sure that we got our 98% collection rate," Barker said. Board members voted by voice to accept the financial report as presented.
Barker also announced that federal funds that had been pending were released to the district, including a one-year continuation of the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21 CCLC) after-school program and allocations of Title IV funds. "We're very, very happy to report that the federal government has released federal funds," Barker said.
On capital projects, architects shared drone footage and a 3-D "working documents" model of the new Pine Bluff high school. Clayton Bacon of Lewis Architects walked the board through the arena and auditorium framing, cafeteria volume and secure entry courtyard, saying the building is sized for roughly 900 students and that the team is moving from steel framing into roofing and decking. The construction account shows $31,883,556 spent to date on the new high school; bond proceeds held in the building fund have also accrued interest of about $3.02 million, the superintendent reported.
New-business approvals included: - Teacher Chromebooks from CDW (paid from Title I funds). - A computer-science curriculum purchase for the 21 CCLC after-school program (grant funds). - Playground equipment for the kindergarten academy (Pro Playgrounds), selected after three quotes. - Authorization for the superintendent to purchase a 25-ton HVAC unit (currently budgeted up to $50,600) if that proves to be the lowest responsive bid; staff said they will accept a lower quote if one is later received. - A virtual-course license (Edgenuity/Imagine Learning) for credit-recovery and supplemental course delivery, to be paid from restricted funds such as Title I or ESA.
Each procurement item was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript records 'ayes' but does not include roll-call vote tallies or the names of individual voters.
On policy and governance, Barker briefed the board on Act 503 and implications for local school-board elections. The district intends to shift elections to even-year March elections and recommended six-year staggered terms so that elections will be held in a 3-2-2 pattern in 2026, 2028 and 2030, consistent with legal guidance the administration sought.
Barker highlighted early-year student support and instruction priorities tied to the district vision and a new "classroom recipe" intended to make core practices consistent across classrooms. He said the district welcomed more than 200 kindergartners on the first day and described implementation of a no-cell-phone pouch system in several campuses. "We welcomed over 200 kindergartners to Pine Bluff School District today," Barker said, noting that the system helped with transitions and morning procedures.
A public-comment sign-up item and a brief parent participation council (PPC) update were included in the meeting packet; the PPC representative said nominations and elections for building-level representatives will be conducted by Google form with the goal of having a full PPC in place by September.
The board closed the public session and planned to move into executive session at the end of the agenda.
Next steps: staff will finalize vendor quotes for the HVAC work and return any lower bid information to the board as required; the superintendent will continue monthly updates tied to student-data indicators and the construction team will provide further progress reports as the project approaches remaining milestones.
