Insurance rates for Arkansas teachers are going up in January, but that’s not going to affect teachers in the Eureka Springs School District.
At its regular monthly meeting held Monday, Sept. 8, the school board voted to continue to pay for insurance for staff and accept the $115 per employee increase.
“This January they are going to raise teachers’ insurance $115 a month, so the board approved us to match that,” Eureka Springs Superintendent Bryan Pruitt said. “In Eureka, we pay everybody’s insurance. That’s kind of one of our benefits is that we pay for everybody’s insurance. So, I’m glad we get to do that for employees.”
The district has been paying just under $400 per employee, Pruitt said, adding that it will now go up to $515 a month.
“Normally, the state pays half of that insurance and then the employee pays the other half,” Pruitt said of other districts. “Well, of course, you know we’re a little different in Eureka because we don’t get the foundation funds and they include that in foundation funds the state does to pay that insurance We don’t get that because we’re based off local taxation, so we pay it all.
“Now, other districts like Berryville, Green Forest it really doesn’t affect them any because they don’t pay their employees’ insurance and the state pays half of it so the employee will have to kick in and pay the raised amount.”
To help with the costs, the board approved a budget increase of about 6 percent to just under $15 million.
“We had an increase in our taxation,” Pruitt said. “Since we had that increase in our tax revenue that allowed us to be able to comfortably budget for the insurance increase.”
OTHER ITEMS
The board also approved spending $158,000 on a new school bus that won’t be paid for or received until next summer, Pruitt said.
“We order it, the board approves the purchase and then I sign a contract for a P.O., but we don’t pay for it until they deliver,” the superintendent said.
The price was about $5,000 higher than the last bus ordered a year ago, Pruitt said.
“We buy one every year,” he said. “We have nine different routes so that way our oldest bus is like nine years old and is coming off the rotation.”
LARSON NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION
Longtime Eureka Springs board member Al Larson announced at the end of Monday’s board meeting that he won’t be seeking re-election.
“I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I won’t be running for School Board next year,” Larson said at the meeting and in an email statement to Pruitt. “I’ve held Position 5 for 14 years and it’s time to turn it over to the next generation.
“I’m proud and honored to have worked with this Board. We’re from different backgrounds and have different skills but come together in our one objective: to do what is best for the students. Our list of accomplishments is long and I won’t mention them all because I would surely forget some. Briefly, we can be proud of our progress with our many Capital Improvements and our excellent standings with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and our U S News rankings.”
Larson specifically mentioned Pruitt, who has been superintendent for 11 years of his service on the board.
“Especially, I’d like to honor Bryan Pruitt for his part in those matters and more. He was instrumental in launching the highly successful C-4 Program and shepherding us through multiple construction projects. He has been the steady hand at the tiller when we navigated rough seas: there were tragedies and the devastating effects of Covid-19. His leadership has helped us develop a spirit of cooperation among the staff and a supportive and loving atmosphere for our students.
“It’s been an honor and thanks to you all: Board, Administrators and Staff,” Larson’s email said.
Larson concluded his comments by endorsing Ginger Johnson, who indicated she was going to run for Larson’s position.
“I was kind of a bit surprised,” Pruitt said of Larson’s announcement. “Al’s been a great board member.”
