The Eureka Springs School Board met Monday evening, just ahead of the first day of school on Aug. 14. The principals’ reports were abbreviated, as students had not yet returned to the campus. The three principals spoke with an air of optimism about the start of the school year.
Elementary Principal Clare Haozous said 23 students have enrolled in pre-school, and the school has room for seven more. She said those slots may fill up, and if additional demand creates a waiting list the state may allow the district to accept more students.
Current enrollment in the elementary school is 233. Haozous said the kindergarten enrollment is low, but those numbers may change. Haozous said she was “looking forward to Wednesday,” and complimented all elementary staff members. “The new teachers are amazing, they’re bringing fresh energy and creative ideas,” she said.
Middle school enrollment stands at 190, similar to last year’s number of 188. Principal Caen Dowell emphasized the importance of safety, as he described lockdown drills. Supt. Bryan Pruitt spoke of the need to have a school resource officer on campus until 5:30 p.m., when the after-school program ends. The district sometimes pays an off-duty officer as contract labor to extend that protection.
High School Principal Jacob Hayward also commented on safety training. The high school enrollment stands at 229, with more students in grades nine and ten than in the upper grades. Hayward said the golf team would start its season the following day, and volleyball will start soon.
In other business:
- Open houses were scheduled for Tuesday from 3 – 5 p.m. across the campus.
- The district will continue its cell-phone policy this year, which calls for students to turn off their phones during the day. Other districts have experimented with collecting phones and keeping them in a central location. Pruitt said schools collecting phones have encountered a variety of problems. He said cyber-bullying is not as big a problem in Eureka Springs as in some other schools.
- With some new faculty faces on campus, Pruitt narrated a slide show with pictures and brief introductions of new teachers. Pruitt told the board they would have the opportunity to meet the teachers at an upcoming walk-through, scheduled for Aug. 23.
- The board discussed ways of growing a $26,000 donation into a renewable endowment.
- J.D. Eckman, an Eagle Scout candidate, described a planned project to build chess tables for the school.
- The board heard from Evan and Kameron Agresto, who attended nationwide skills competitions in Atlanta. Evan placed third in the nation in plumbing skills, and he described a rigorous 12-hour experience. Aiden Barker and Riley Chapman also competed at the national level.