Eureka Springs School Board heard a report about the pre-school program Monday evening as teachers Nicole Winters and Taylor Dannenfelser said the pre-K program has earned a solid rating from the state, and that rating is expected to improve during next year’s review. The pre-K currently has 30 students, with space for 10 more. Winters noted that 22 of the 30 students will move up to kindergarten in the fall, leaving plenty of space for new arrivals.
Registration for pre-K in the fall begins from 3:30–5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. Winters said they hope for a large turnout, and reminded parents that they can still enroll eligible students for the remainder of this school year.
The two teachers also explained how the pre-K curriculum has been aligned with kindergarten lessons. “We work hard to get them ready for kindergarten,” said Winters. She listed several areas of focus, especially early reading readiness.
In other business:
- Jayme Wildeman is the only board member up for re-election this year. She is unopposed, and the board adopted a resolution to affirm that the polls will be only open for absentee and early voting in advance of the May 9 election. Neither of the other two school boards in the county has a contested election this year.
- The board approved the calendar for 2023-24. The school year will begin on Aug. 14, and students will have 179 days in class. The schedule includes five snow days, and Supt. Bryan Pruitt said students may not have the option of using Alternate Methods of Instruction packets if additional snow days are needed. Students will end the year on May 21, unless extra days are required to make up for snow days.
- Pruitt said bids for a new cafeteria to serve the elementary and middle school came back too high. The architect and the construction manager will meet to re-evaluate the project and look for ways to lower the cost.
- Pruitt led the board through a review of legislation currently under consideration in Little Rock. Act 237 has become law, creating a $50,000 starting salary for teachers. The state will help with the extra pay for two years, but local districts will have to find the additional funds thereafter. Another provision of Act 237 calls for retaining third-grade students who cannot read near grade level. Those students would be eligible for additional tutoring. A proposed bill would have required school board members to declare party affiliation, but that provision has been removed. School board members may be limited to two four-year terms.