The Eureka Springs School Board met Monday evening, and board members heard details of a new grant for tutoring that the school district will receive.
Elementary Principal Clare Haozous said a pilot grant will pay for tutoring during the school day. She assured the board that tutored students would not miss any core subjects. Haozous said as many as 100 students could benefit from the program, which uses retired or inactive teachers as tutors.
Eligible students will receive three sessions per week of tutoring over an eight-week period. The grant totals $162,000, and Haozous said the school may be eligible for the same grant next year. Supt. Bryan Pruitt noted that Eureka Springs was one of 50 districts to receive the grant.
Middle School Principal Caen Dowell discussed some of the scheduling changes the school has made, and how thay have affected students. He also noted that office referrals are significantly lower than last year, his first as principal.
High School Principal David Gilmore said the coming months will bring a fresh round of competitions for students. As an example, he mentioned the regional competitions for Future Farmers of America. He said the district basketball tournament had been scheduled for the night of the board meeting but was postponed for a day.
In other business:
- Students and faculty are preparing for the writing component of the standardized Atlas testing, scheduled for March 5-6.
- The board renewed the district’s parent engagement policy. A teacher in each of the three schools focuses on ensuring positive communications between the school and parents.
- Pruitt said extending the school day by 15 minutes a day has helped the district make up for snow days. He said the adjustments have mostly been smooth, although there was some initial turbulence among car riders. Pruitt also noted that the district will not have to make up a late start on the day of the meeting, as school districts can have up to five late starts or early releases during a school year.
- The state has set an Aug. 19 date to start the 2024-25 school year, although districts can apply for an earlier start. Pruitt said an Aug. 14 start date would help ensure that exams would end before the holiday break. The early start would also give the district more flexibility in responding to weather issues. Some board members asked about just starting a full week early, on Aug. 12, but Haozous said a full first week can take a toll on young students.
- Several students from Future Business Leaders of America gave a presentation for the board. The students attended with advisor Billie Reed.
- Following an executive session at the end of the meeting, the board extended Pruitt’s contract through June 2027.