With the start of the new school year less than a month away, the Piggott School Board handled a variety of financial and personnel matters at the regular meeting Monday night. The meeting, which had been postponed from the previous Monday, was attended by all members of the body along with superintendent Ed Winberry, district bookkeeper Sheila Mayberry and campus principals Leean Mann and Barry DeHart.

During the course of the meeting the board approved several changes to the student handbooks for both campuses, and clarified an earlier rule concerning piercings. In turn the board instructed DeHart to insure that the clarified regulations are enforced.

At issue was a perceived loophole in the district's regulations that prohibits students from having piercings, with the exception of those in the ears. Last year students with facial piercings were replacing their jewelry with clear "spacers" intended to keep the piercing open. The board reviewed the handbook entry at Monday's meeting, and noted that the word jewelry is not used in the description and agreed that any piercing would be against the rules. DeHart insured the board that the measure would be enforced to the letter of the rule when classes commence next month.

Another addition to the handbook at both campuses will be a new change in the way bus routes are conducted. For safety reasons the board voted to set a policy that no children shall be dropped off at a place of business, only homes or designated bus stops decided by transportation director Fred Hicks. It was pointed out that many children ride the bus to the post office each day, a practice that Winberry says will continue since it is a designated stop.

Other changes to the elementary handbook deal with dropping off and picking up kids at the campus. Beginning with the new school year any child dropped off after 8 a.m. must be escorted to the office and signed-in by an adult. The campus will also cut the amount of time that children are dismissed by 10 minutes, adding more time to the school day. Beginning this year the car riders will be dismissed at 2:55 p.m., bus riders will be dismissed at 3:05 and walkers will be dismissed at 3:15. The board also discussed the problem of parents parking in the pickup area on school property well before classes are dismissed, and are discussing ways to end the practice.

The elementary handbook was also updated to read that, when a student has been absent eight days in a semester, that a parent conference will be held and stipulates that the proper authorities will also be notified of the absences. It further reads that after 10 tardies in a quarter that a Family in Need of Services petition may be filed with the county juvenile office and a report may be made to the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline for educational neglect.

In reference to the dress code, the handbook at the elementary school now specifies that jeans with holes above the knees cannot be worn. There were also minor changes in the remediation of students and their participation in the Benchmark exams.

The board also passed a resolution that stipulates the annual school election this September will be by early voting only. The law allows districts to save the expense of an election if there are no contested races and this fall only Trent Holcomb has filed the necessary paperwork. By conducting the annual election by early voting only the district will save about $2,500, according to Mayberry.

Late in the meeting, and following a 20-minute executive session, the board accepted the resignations of agriculture teacher Casey Rogers, systems tech coordinator Tamara Carr and fifth grade teacher Rebecca Cooper. The board then voted to hire Casey Simpson as the new agriculture instructor, Marilyn Small as an elementary teacher, Brandy Smart as a custodian and promoted Joseph Crittenden to systems coordinator. Smart and Crittenden were already with the district. Small was a teacher at the ABC school and Simpson comes to the district from Nettleton.

In other business the board:

--discussed the latest correspondence from GAG Construction concerning the gym building project, and heard that the state facilities board has shown an interest in the ongoing disagreement with the Piggott district.

-- approved the regular monthly expenditures and the financial report for June.

--accepted the low bids on milk, bread, ice cream and student accident insurance.

--accepted the low bid from Cross Custom Siding for replacement of the covered walkway that was damaged by storm winds earlier this year.

--discussed the formula for mileage reimbursement for the district, but tabled the matter.

--approved the transfer of Kiefer Gunn from Rector to the Piggott district under the School Choice Act.

--approved the annual budget and tax levy for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010.