HOPE – The Hope Public Schools Board of Education took care of a long list of year-end business Monday night as it re-organized for the new academic year that begins in August.
Linda Haynes was re-elected board president as were Alvis Hamilton again named vice president and Kathryn Dickinson was chosen as board secretary. Viney Johnson was renamed as financial designee for the board.
The Board also congratulated Hope High School Senior Richard Ware on his election as Arkansas Boys State Governor and nomination as Boys Nation U.S. Senator from Arkansas. Hope Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hart said Ware joins former Arkansas Boys State governors Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty III and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in representing Hope and HHS as the top elected official of Boys State.
“I can’t tell you how extremely proud we are of you and your accomplishment,” Dr. Hart said.
Ware will travel to Washington, D.C., to represent the state at Boys Nation in late July.
“I see a lot of familiar faces here tonight and that is good,” Ware said. “In our small town of Hope we need more familiar faces to say, ‘We support you.’ I owe it all to you and want to return it all to you.”
Ware is the son of Adrienne Ware and Eric Ware; he is a student in the concurrent credit program at the University of Arkansas-Hope and is an award-winning instrumentalist in the HHS Bobcat Band.
Hart also recognized Clinton Primary School classroom teacher Travell Green, who was named Hope/Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year recently. Green is a fourth-year teacher at CPS, a graduate of Nashville High School, and a 2005 graduate of the University of Arkansas-Hope. He received a BS in Human Services from Kaplan University and an MA in Education from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. He entered public education following his father’s 40-year career as a teacher and he is active in youth athletics as a coach and official.
Hart also announced the award of a $25,000 technology grant to the Beryl Henry Elementary School campus which will be used for the purchase of computer hardware and software designed to encourage students to pursue computer sciences. The Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education grant will include teacher training, Hart said.
Board actions Monday night included:
--Approval of an “illness absence” provision for board members regarding board meeting attendance.
--Approved the final reading of district and campus handbooks for 2021-2022.
--Adopted certified policy revisions upon recommendation of the HPS Personnel Policy Committee with the exception of a proposed increase to district insurance contribution. Hart said the HPS currently pays a greater contribution to certified staff insurance than required by law; and, that contribution will increase with a base salary increase set to become effective in 2021-2022.
--Adopted classified policy revisions with the exception of proposals regarding dental benefits and modifications to the classified personnel salary schedule, which already reflects state law.
--Adopted legislative changes in district policy as reflected in the Arkansas School Boards Association model policies.
--Approved an electrical utilities easement for Hope Water and Light.
--Approved two sets of technology-related bids from Howard Technology Solutions, of Laurel, Miss., at a cost of $77.979.85 and $65,167.38 for replacement of classroom and student technology devices.
--Approved a facilities-use request for a summer youth basketball tournament Aug. 7-8.
--Revised the district COVID-19 policy to remove mandatory usage of face masks in keeping with Arkansas Department of Health and CDC guidelines.
--Adopted a one-year extension to the district’s food services contract with Aramark Food Services.
--Adopted personnel recommendations.
Arkansas Boys State Governor 2021 Richard Ware, left, a senior at Hope High School, is congratulated by Hope Public Schools Board of Education Zone 3 Representative Margaret Moss, center, and HPS Superintendent-designate Dr. Jonathan Crossley after recognition by the Hope School Board. Ware will attend Boys Nation as one of two Senators from Arkansas in July. – Ken McLemore/Hope Public Schools\r\n