FARMINGTON -- Farmington School Board accepted the resignation of board member Doug Williams last week and then turned around and voted to appoint retired Farmington educator Lori Blew to serve out the remainder of his term.
Williams has served on the school board for about 13 years. His term will end in 2022.
In a Nov. 2 letter to board President Travis Warren and school Superintendent Jon Laffoon, Williams said it was time to move on and give someone else the opportunity to serve the district and community.
"I've served with three superintendents, who have proven to be excellent leaders for our district, Mr. Wright, Mr. Law and now Mr. Laffoon," Williams said in his letter.
Williams thanked Warren for his leadership of the board and thanked Laffoon for his leadership role under difficult circumstances.
"The way you've led the staff and students through these times, has proven to me that you're the right one for the job," Williams said to Laffoon.
The board presented Williams with a plaque of appreciation at the Nov. 16 board meeting.
"It's been an honor to serve," Williams said at the meeting. "It's been a true blessing to me."
Warren told Williams that he respected him as a father, community man, business man and a friend.
"You've done a lot for this community and this school and I know you'll continue to do a lot," Warren said.
Board member Jeff Oxford also thanked Williams for his service.
"I appreciate everything you've done," Oxford said. "Your heart has always been in the right place when it comes to this district."
Warren said Blew contacted him with an interest in filling the vacancy and he knew she would be the right person to recommend for the position.
Blew, who is the wife of former athletic director Brad Blew, worked for Farmington School District for 38 years, including 24 years in the classroom, mainly teaching sixth grade. She was an instructional facilitator when she retired.
Blew said last week that she was interested in serving on the board as a new way to be involved in the school and the community.
"I've been a part of this community for 40 years and after I retired, I felt I was missing something," Blew said.
She said she believes her experience in instruction and curriculum and being in a school everyday will help her as a board member and also provide the "lens" of an educator for the others on the board.
Blew's children graduated from Farmington and her oldest grandchild now attends a Farmington elementary school.
New Date For Special Election
In other action, the board approved an amending resolution for a special election to ask voters to allow the district to restructure debt by refunding two bond issues and issuing new bonds.
The board voted Sept. 21 to petition the Washington County Election Commission to call a special election on Jan. 12, 2021. As part of the ballot, the School Board had to submit to voters a tax rate that would be sufficient to fund the district's budget, including paying the debt for new bond issues.
Since that Sept. 21 vote, the district's millage rate has been rolled back from 42.6 mills to 42.4 mills because of a countywide reappraisal.
Laffoon said the district is amending its application for the special election so that taxpayers can benefit from the rollback.
The amended budget shows that the school will collect a property tax rate of 42.4 mills. Of this, 25 mills would be used for general maintenance and operation and 17.4 mills for debt service.
Because of the change, the election has been moved to Feb. 9, 2021.
If voters approve the request on the ballot, the district would refund two bond issues totaling about $6.7 million and then offer a new bond issue of a maximum of about $16.5 million. The additional money generated from a new bond issue would be used for expanding the junior high and possibly Folsom Elementary.
The resolution authorizes the school superintendent to accept or reject the bids submitted in connection with the public sale of the proposed bonds.
Bonuses Approved
In other business, the board approved bonuses for school employees: $1,000 for certified employees and a 2.43% bonus with a maximum of $1,000 for classified employees. The bonuses, including retirement and taxes, will cost the district about $296,000, according to Mandy Uher, district treasurer.
Supporting Military Families
In addition, the board approved a resolution to support the district's military children and families.
Laffoon explained that all districts in Arkansas with more than 3,000 students or with 20 military families are qualified to apply to become a Purple Star Military District. Farmington has 21 military families and 27 military children.
Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Pinkerton has received training to serve as Farmington's military coordinator. The district will set up resources through the district website to help those families.
Future Energy Savings
The board also had a presentation from Entegrity Energy Partners about future energy savings.
John Coleman with Entegrity said Farmington School District is spending about $600,000 per year on electrical, gas and water costs. A preliminary proposal from Entegrity showed the district could save 20-35% in utility expenses with energy upgrades.
Laffoon said the district is in a position to need major HVAC and lighting upgrades.
"I think this is an opportunity for big changes that will make an impact," Laffoon told board members.
Thursday, Laffoon said the district will ask Arkansas Energy Office to conduct a free energy audit of the district to look at ways to save costs. The district will look at upgrades based on any recommendations that come from the audit report, Laffoon said.
The board also approved a recommendation to purchase 120 Chromebooks for about $40,000 including licenses.