All students in the Eureka Springs School District will receive free breakfast and lunch in the coming school year.
At Monday night’s school board meeting, Supt. Bryan Pruitt said the district is now eligible for the program under the Community Eligibility Provision. At the April meeting, Pruitt had explained that 60 percent of students in the district are typically signed up for free or reduced-price meals. Recent reductions in the requirements made the school eligible for the assistance program.
The district will have to contribute part of the cost of the program, but Pruitt pointed out the time currently spent on filling out eligibility forms. In addition, many parents of children eligible for lunch assistance have not applied for that assistance in the past. The district applied for the three-year program in April.
In other business:
- The board re-elected its current slate of officers, with Chris McClung as president, Al Larson as vice-president, and Gayla Wolfinbarger as secretary.
- The board will maintain its current meeting schedule, at 5:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month.
- A comparison of student enrollment showed little change over the past 10 years. The district had 619 students in 2015. Enrollment fell as low as 565 during the Covid years of 2020 and 2021, and the current total stands at 606. The district’s figures also showed a nine-percent average absentee rate, and Pruitt said those absences create problems for educating students.
- As in past years, the board approved a written resolution acknowledging that board member Gayla Wolfinbarger is a part owner of the Inn of the Ozarks, and the school does some business with that organization. If the board considers any business with the Inn, Wolfinbarger will have to recuse from the discussion and the vote.
- Pruitt gave an update on the new cafeteria, which will serve the middle and elementary schools. He said the project has not yet reached the punch-list phase, “but they’re getting things narrowed down.” Pruitt said some lights have not yet been installed, and landscaping is under way. In response to a question about whether the cafeteria project will be complete in time for the upcoming school year, Pruitt said, “I sure hope so!”
- The state legislature has once again changed the term of service for school board members. The term will change from five to six years in future elections.