Ethics panel fines
employees union
The Arkansas Ethics Commission has issued a public letter of caution and fines totaling $300 against the Little Rock Education Association for violations of campaign law in the recent Little Rock School Board elections.
Teresa Gordon, president of the union of school district employees, has signed a consent order accepting the decision of the commission in regard to the association's donations to three candidates for election at a time when the association was not a state-registered political action committee.
The contributions were made to Evelyn Hemphill Callaway in Zone 3, Vicki Hatter in the Zone 6 and Ali Noland in Zone 5. The three were elected to the board.
The contributions were returned by the candidates to the association after Gary Newton, director of the Arkansas Learns organization, filed complaints with the Ethics Commission about the union's lack of registration as a political action committee.
Callaway rapped
over tardy report
Evelyn Hemphill Callaway, a newly elected member of the Little Rock School Board, was issued a public letter of caution by the Arkansas Ethics Commission for violations of state laws in her campaign.
The commission concluded that Callaway failed to file a timely campaign contribution report and accepted a contribution from the Little Rock Education Association, which was not on the state's list of acceptable contributors to a campaign.
Callaway signed a consent order acknowledging the violations and the letter of caution.
Ethics Commissioner Director Graham Sloan in a final letter to Callaway recapped the complaint and resolution of the case.
"It is noted that you filed your pre-election contribution and expenditure report on Oct. 29, making it two days late," Sloan wrote. "It is also noted that you accepted a contribution from the Little Rock Education Association but wrote a check back to it in the amount it contributed to you."
Allegations of campaign violations were submitted by Gary Newton, executive director of the Arkansas Learns organization that financially supported one of Callaway's three opponents in the election.
LISA Academy
OKs staff bonuses
The governing board for the LISA Academy charter school system that has campuses in Central and Northwest Arkansas voted last week to give $1,250 bonuses to all full-time employees in January.
The board further asked school system leaders to review the possibility of offering pro-rated bonuses for part-time staff members and will include that on next month's meeting agenda.
"Our teachers, administrators and staff have done an exemplary job of providing quality education to our students, even in the middle of the pandemic," Superintendent Faith Bogrek said in a news release. "I am so appreciative of all of their hard work and dedication, and I am delighted that we were able to identify enough savings in our general budget to provide these much-deserved bonuses."
District to receive
masks from Ford
The Pulaski County Special School District will receive 36,480 disposable masks from the Ford Motor Co. for staff members, school district leaders announced.
"During the height of the pandemic, such support for our students and staff is deeply appreciated and a blessing" Superintendent Charles McNulty said last week.
The Ford Motor Co. has been making disposable masks to support its employees since early summer. The masks have three layers, a plastic or metal nose piece, and elastic fabric ear loops, according to the school district.
The company also has been making extra masks and donating them to school districts across the country that are affiliated with Ford Next Generation Learning initiative. The Pulaski County Special district, along with the Little Rock, North Little Rock and Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts, are participating in the Ford Next Generation Learning program that is called the Academies of Central Arkansas.