Magnet Cove School District board approves $512,415 field house bid, budget and multiple contracts

The Board of Education of Magnet Cove School District No. 8 unanimously approved a $512,415 low bid from Brody Richardson Construction for a Field House and weightroom and adopted the district's Budget of Expenditures with Tax Levy for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, at its regular meeting on July 21, 2025.

The Field House/weightroom motion was made by Board Member Karen Scott and seconded by Board Member Mike Hughes; the board also authorized staff to begin seeking sponsorships for the project. The budget adoption, moved by Mike Hughes and seconded by Samantha Nuckolls, likewise passed 5-0; the approved fiscal year runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and related election documents were approved.

The board approved a number of additional contracts and policy actions. It renewed a lawn-care contract with Dyer Enterprises for $24,000 for the 2025'26 school year and approved the Magnet Cove Athletic Handbook for 2025'6. The board adopted ASBA (Arkansas School Boards Association) Model Policies as student handbook policies for elementary (K'6) and high school (7'12) and adopted ASBA Model Policies as district policies for sections 1, 2, 6 and 7; sections 3 and 8 were approved as district proposals to be considered. Each of those motions passed 5-0.

On school safety and professional development, the board voted to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Hot Spring County Sheriff's Department to provide two school resource officers for the 2025'6 school year. The board also approved an MOU with the Dawson Education Cooperative for professional development activities.

Personnel and administrative items approved included conditional hiring of Lorenza Garcia as a custodian pending all background checks, authorization of electronic fund transfers with StormWind LLC, deletion of presented fixed assets, approval of School Improvement Plans and the District Support Plan, and the appointment of Liz Pfieffer to cast a ballot concerning the district's unchanged annual ad valorem property tax rate. The board also approved two student transfer petitions submitted by parents Crystal Mullins and Keith Hanscom.

All formal motions recorded in the minutes were unanimous (5-0). The meeting opened at 6:00 p.m., included reports from building principals and the athletic director, and adjourned at 6:38 p.m.

Votes at a glance: Approve minutes (5-0); Approve financial statements (5-0); Accept low bid $512,415 Brody Richardson Construction (5-0); Renew Dyer Enterprises lawn care $24,000 (5-0); Approve Athletic Handbook (5-0); Adopt ASBA student handbook policies (5-0); Adopt ASBA district policies (sections 1,2,6,7) (5-0); Approve ASBA proposals (sections 3 & 8) (5-0); MOU for two SROs with Hot Spring County Sheriff's Department (5-0); MOU with Dawson Education Cooperative (5-0); Approve Parent/Family Engagement Plan (5-0); Approve SIPs and District Support Plan (5-0); Appoint Liz Pfieffer to cast ballot on tax rate (5-0); Adopt Budget FY 2026'027 with tax levy (5-0); Approve two student transfers (5-0); Authorize EFTs with StormWind LLC (5-0); Delete fixed assets as presented (5-0); Hire custodian Lorenza Garcia pending background checks (5-0).

The board meeting materials in the minutes list the named board members and several district vendors and partners; individual principals and the athletic director provided reports but were not named in the minutes.