The Camden Fairview School Board held its monthly meeting Tuesday evening and passed motions renewing the School Resource Officer contract with the Ouachita County Sheriff's Office, transferring funds to district's building fund and approving facility rentals.
Three Ouachita County Sheriff's deputies will be placed, respectively, at Camden Fairview High School, one at Camden Fairview Middle School and one will split their time at the district's three elementary schools.
According to the contract that was renewed Tuesday, the OCSO deputies' time will be billed to the school district bi-annually. For the high school officer, the 2021/2022 school year contract is for $25,000, and for the other two officers, the contract is for $70,000 for both.
Renewal of the contract passed unanimously.
School board members also discussed needed roof repairs, and a motion to move money to the district's building fund for the repairs passed unanimously.
Requests to rent facilities from the school were also granted. Among these were a car show to be held in the high school parking lot and the Camden Bulls requesting to rent Coleman Stadium. The Tate Barn Sale Committee also wished to use the stadium to hold the annual barn sale.
Finally, School Board member Nick Tuberville requested to amend the agenda to put forth a motion that meetings be livestreamed, so the public can have a chance to view them.
CFSD Superintendent Johnny Embry said that it was possible. Tuberville's motion passed unanimously.
At the start of the meeting, Tuberville had attempted to amend the meeting's agenda to allow time for a group of parents in attendance to speak, but his request was denied.
Embry stated, "After consultation with Lucas Carter, who is the legal counsel and attorney for the Arkansas School Board Association -- he quotes, 'a vote to allow open public comment would be in direct violation of Policy 1.14 of Camden Fairview School Board policies, which lays out the process of how people can communicate with the board.' There's a process laid out, there were requests to be placed on the agenda. Reverend Moore and I received those requests and act on them accordingly, we denied those requests because they were administrative questions. I talked to both groups that sent that information and answered their questions accordingly."
However, Embry went on to stay after the meeting to field questions and concerns from present parents.