The Watson Chapel School District held its first school board meeting of the 2022-2023 school year with interim superintendent Tom Wilson Monday. All board members were present at the meeting and approved all of the items on the agenda that required action.
Those items approved on their agenda included notice of approval of the district’s ARP Retention Plan, the district to use ASBA to handle districts unemployment claims, and the Arkansas Department of Education Statement assurances for programs under the elementary and secondary education act.
The ARP Retention Plan includes a $4,000 bonus for non-certified staff and $5,000 for certified staff in the district. Those payments will also be paid in two increments.
During the meeting, the board elaborated on the number of students they lost during the pandemic which amounted to over 200 students. Wilson spoke about the loss of students and what that meant for the district.
The board was also updated on the Coleman Elementary Improvement Project including HVAC gym installation, updating paint, and other upgrades for the facility. The district also has six new cameras and is having ongoing maintenance on the ones that are already installed.
Wilson also talked to the board about that process.
The board approved three resignations and one retirement for the district and expelled two students one from the Jr. High and the other from the high school both for a level III offense.
