El Dorado School Board approves bonuses, facility bid, veterans program

Licensed and classified staff in the El Dorado School District will receive a one-time non-recurring payment this season.

“What you would call a Christmas bonus,” Superintendent Jim Tucker said.

The El Dorado School Board unanimously approved the bonus during its Monday meeting.

Licensed staff will receive a “one-time non-recurring payment of $600” and 1.64%, not to exceed $600, for classified staff based on their contracted salary.

The board also unanimously approved the Veteran’s Diploma Program; the bid on the maintenance, transportation and food services facility; a petition for transfer request for a student from Parkers Chapel; and Renee Skinner, president of the board, to represent El Dorado to the Arkansas School Boards Association annual conference.

Katie Sandifer, digital media and marketing manager for the district, said this is the second year the district has participated in the Veteran’s Diploma program with Tucker as superintendent.

The program was created by the Arkansas State Department of Education to recognize the service of military veterans by giving them the opportunity to receive a high school diploma. Veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War are eligible for the program.

A veteran must also meet the following qualifications: have been honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces; be a resident of the state of Arkansas; and have served a minimum of 18 consecutive months in active duty or have been discharged with a service-connected disability during one of the wars mentioned above.

For the application, veterans will need to present any of the following: a war department adjutant general’s office form (WD AGO), a naval personnel discharge document (NA VPERS), a report of separation from active duty or a DD Form 214 (DD-214).

Sandifer said last school year, two veterans were awarded diplomas and their families bought them class rings.

“I think, for everybody, it was a very moving experience,” Sandifer said during the meeting. “They were very excited. We were so excited to be able to do that for them and we still hear from them.”

The board also approved Tucker’s recommendation to accept a $2.7 million bid from Moser Construction in Bryant, to construct the maintenance, transportation and food services facility. The bid totals at $2,718,868. The board approved the facility design in March, according to a previous News-Times report.

Tucker said during the meeting that it would be more expensive to fix the separate facilities.

“This will consolidate those three groups into one building, one location, and hopefully it will be much more effective and efficient,” Tucker said.

The board also recognized the student, classified employee and teacher of the month from Northwest Elementary School: student Autumn Kingery, classified employee Cherisa McGhee and teacher Roddie Calloway.

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