It was a long night for the Mountain Home School Board Thursday night as they spent over three hours interviewing and deciding on whom to choose to fill a vacant spot on the board prior to taking another hour moving through the regular July agenda.
The board spent one hour and forty minutes in open session interviewing the candidates who applied for the position vacated when Bob Chester resigned June 25. Then after 90 minutes in executive session, the board voted to bring back a familiar name. Neal Pendergrass was unanimously voted to fill the vacancy until the next school board election in May.
Pendergrass spent 24 years on the Mountain Home School board but did not seek reelection last year. He completed 500 hours of school board member training through the Arkansas School Boards Association (ASBA) and received the ASBA Presidents award last fall. During his tenure on the local board, he served as president twice. He also served on the ASBA Board of Directors and once served as that boards president.
Pendergrass will be sworn in at the boards next meeting.
Other candidates for the position were Tony Chamberlain, Cheyla Leaming, Hap Meyers, Marsha Partney and Bud Zorman. Tommy Knight had originally submitted his name for the position but pulled out of consideration during the day Thursday.
During the regular session, the board learned from Superintendent Allyson Dewey they have received a cell phone free grant for just over $11,000 from the state. The grant will help the district purchase cell phone storage areas for class rooms.
The board approved multiple updates to board and personnel policies and also approved food service bids for the upcoming school year.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI