PES bids come in over budget

PRESCOTT – Bids for the new elementary school have come in higher than expected.

This is what the Prescott School Board was told at its September meeting Thursday night. Robert Poole, superintendent, said the district is working with the vendors to get the price down as the project came in over budget, especially for asphalt. He told the panel the district should have the final numbers on the project next week, adding the district is trying to get the best bang for its buck. A special meeting will likely be called, he added, for the bid approval and the final costs on the project.

In other business, the panel approved addendums to its sexual harassment and COVID emergency leave policies.

The board was told of changes to a section of the district’s minority teacher/administrator recruitment program. The plan has seven sections, with six having been approved prior to the meeting. Willie Wilson, Dean of Students, said the short term goal is to get qualified minority teachers and administrators to come to the Prescott School District, pointing out a lot of districts in the state are doing the same thing, which makes it more difficult.

He stressed the district is looking for qualified candidates, not just minority candidates, telling the board simply being a minority candidate is not an “automatic hire”. He talked about the importance of community support, saying the PSD has great support in the community, adding this needs to be accentuated  when recruiting candidates. Wilson also talked about the importance of the district “growing its own” teachers, helping direct those students with an interest in teaching toward reaching their goals. He said people from Prescott are likely to stay if they return, whereas others might stay for a few years and leave for other districts.

An important need, he added, is affordable housing locally and being able to offer “stimulus” packages to new hires with the help of church and civic groups to make it easier for them to come to Prescott. The board approved the changes.

Enrollment in the PSD is 937, with 346 in Prescott elementary, 296 in Prescott junior high and 295 in Prescott high. Poole said this is up around 30 students from last month as people keep coming in. Some had to be sent back to their former districts as they hadn’t followed the proper procedure to change.