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Hazen High School Homecoming (See p. 8)
Volume 118 Number 34 - USPS 225-680
Community Events Calendar
Prairie County, Arkansas
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Hazen Schools hold homecoming coronation
Thursday October 5 10:00am-Noon PC Hope Chest open DeValls Bluff Junior High Hornets VS Carlisle Bisons Hornet Field 7:00 p.m. Friday October 6 Hazen Senior Hornets VS Carlisle Bisons Bison Field 7:00 p.m. Sunday October 8 HHS Art Club 3rd Annual Chilli Cook Off Hazen Methodist Church Fellowship Hall 12:00-3:00pm Monday October 9 Columbus Day Prairie County Courthouses will be Closed Monday October 9 Hazen Chapter #5 OES Lodge Hall 6:15p.m. Thursday October 12 Hazen Masonic Lodge Lodge Hall 7:30 p.m. Tuesday October 17 Retired Teachers Unit El Amigo Hazen 1:00 p.m. Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank, 255-3042 to list events.
Queen Jenna and her court... The Hazen School District held its homecoming festivities last Friday beginning with the coronation ceremony at 2 p.m. Queen Jenna Ronquest, escorted by #77 Cayden Glover, was crowned by last year’s homecoming queen Kayla Robinson. The coronation was followed by a parade and the football game against the Brinkley Tigers (story on p. 4) Pictured right of Queen Jenna are the Maids of Honor Senior Brayden Williams, escorted by #7 Luke VanHouten, and Senior Whitney Strohl, escorted by #68 Hayden Williams and Maids Junior Kayla Gladish, escorted by #15 Ford Seidenschwartz and Freshman Madelyn Bokker, escorted by #53 Logan Dulany. The Junior High Maids (from left) were Freshman Cayli Crosby, escorted by #77 Trenton Dixon; Freshman Nicole Holmes, escorted by #14 Donavan Harris; Freshman Gracen Scroggins, escorted by # 56 Anthony Wilson; and Freshman Kylie McCune, escorted by #33 D’varie Jemerson. The flower girl and football bearer (center front) were Kami Perry and Payton Glover.
School Board approves district 2017-1 18 budget The Hazen School Board elected David Strohl to be their president at the September 25 held in the high school library at 6:00 p.m. Davey Williams was elected as the board’s vice-president, and Vickie Skarda was chosen to continue to be the board secretary. Present at the meeting were David Strohl, Vickie Skarda, Freddie Rogers, Richie Ingle, and Sandra Penn. After reorganizing the board, the members approved the new district budget. The beginning balance for 2017-18 was listed as being $1,248,810.67 and expected revenues are predicted to be $2,569,000 from local tax revenue and other local revenues, just $3000 short of last year’s
actual local revenues last year. State foundation funds are expected to be $196,756,000, down from $215,781.46 in 2016-17. The district expects $2,380,598.00 in student growth money, a little less than last year, but the district will not be receiving the $18,277 in declining enrollment money that was given to the district by the state last year. The district expects to receive almost $100,000 less in other state aid and around $1000 more unrestricted federal aid is expected. The total revenues reported by the superintendent for this school year will be $5,167,620, just shy of last year’s $5,309,497.68 by $141,877. Major expenditures for
New Princess Rice pageant for 2017 Time for an update to the Princess Rice Pageant For forty years the Princess that reigns over the fall Hazen Rice Festival has been selected in a beauty pageant. It has been open to girls in all the counties in Arkansas. Year 41 (XLI) brings in a new era. The contest will only be open to Prairie County girls in grades 9-12. The GFWC of Arkansas Ruth Barrett Fox Club of Hazen has sponsored the pageant since the beginning. Due to trend changes in today's society, beauty pageants are slowly disappearing in popularity. The organization decided to update the agenda by doing away
with the beauty pageant and adding a short essay contest. The essay is due on later than October 12, 2017. The winner will be notified and their picture will be printed in the Grand Prairie Herald the following week. The winner will receive a crown, sash, and cash. She will reign the week of the Rice Festival. The writing topic is: "Why is volunteering in your community important?" The one page essay should be submitted by email to JudyFoot@gmail.com no later than Oct. 12th. Please be sure to include your name, age, grade level, address and phone number.
the district are certified salaries and benefits,
fund are below. Teacher salaries and
2016-17 budget (actual) and 2017-18 budget (proposed) 2016 - 2017 actual
Category Classified salaries
$ 326,963.96
Classified benefits
89,623.83
Instructional/ pupil support
257,653.16
General administration
28,625.29
Maintenance & operations (m&o) salaries/benefits
146,166.67
2017-2018 budgeted $ 350,809.40 90,420.50 311,274.71 102,061.94
145,077.88
M&O expenditures
300,583.99
280,890.28
Transportation salaries & benefits
138,974.94
143,784.88
Transportation 152,975.96 expenditures
153,538.00
M O E / S P E D 249,580.98 salaries & benefits
312,176.96
MOE/SPED Building fund transfer Debt service
91,300.87
78,760.00
437,679.87
388,022.74
357,485.26
388,022.74
Total
$5,306,420.27
$5,382,906.67
Ending Balance
1,248,810.00
1,033,534.00
which are budgeted as $2,671,968, down $56,837.40 from last year. Other expenditures to be taken from the operating
benefits are expected to decrease, but the salaries and benefits of classified staff are expected to increase by around
$24,000. The largest difference is found in the general administration costs, going from $28,625.29 this past year up to a predicted $102,061 next year. In the action items, the board voted to approve Superintendent Bill Crowder’s recommendation to enter into a contract with Davidson Facilities Consulting, LLC for master facilities planning services for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The firm writes plans for the maintenance of the district’s present buildings and also helps with the planning of short- and long-term goals for the facilities. The cost of the services to the district will be $3000. The board members also approved the superintendent’s recommendation to participate in the Arkansas Public School U n e m p l o y m e n t Compensation Account through the Arkansas School Board Association. They also agreed to allow the school participate in Entergy’s Cool Saver Program. The program will help pay for HVAC maintenance, which will be done by Derden’s Heat and Air. The district cost for the cleaning and maintenance of the school heating and airconditioning units will be $5500, and Entergy will pay $13,150. Crowder said that the district has almost 80 such units to maintain.
(See School on p. 4)
Mass flu clinics planned for Biscoe and DeValls Bluff Mass Flu Clinics will be held in Biscoe and DeValls Bluff on Monday, October 16, according to Rose Marie Knupp, RN Administrator of the Prairie County Health Unit. Flu vaccinations will be given at Biscoe City Hall at 274 W. Sportsman Dr. in Biscoe from 10:00 am until noon and at the
DeValls Bluff City Hall at 977 E. Cypress St. in DeValls Bluff from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. People should bring their insurance cards with them to the flu vaccine clinic. If they do not have insurance, or the insurance does not cover flu shots, the vaccine will be available at no charge.
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