Eureka Springs School Board met Monday for the last time in 2019 and moved quickly through a light agenda.
Supt. Bryan Pruitt said the district must publish a proposed budget for 2021-2022, and after the meeting, told the Independent the proposed budget may have some revisions by the time the board officially adopts it early in 2021. The proposal basically uses current budget figures with some increases.
The school’s legal notice, in early January, will also include a listing of the candidates for the March 3 school board election. Chris McClung, Al Larson, and Travis Holloway are unopposed for re-election. The district’s millage will not change.
The meeting began with Pruitt thanking local merchant Jim Nelson, who offered $25 gift certificates to all school employees. This will mark the third consecutive year that Nelson has made this gesture. Pruitt said 88 district employees plan to use the gift certificates, for a total of $2,200. Nelson pointed out that many items in the store will go to half price after Christmas, potentially making the gift certificates worth twice as much. “This is a great thing Jim and Susan do for our employees,” McClung said.
During principals’ reports, Elementary Principal Clare Lesieur relayed the thanks of staff for Christmas bonuses. She said some had used the bonus for holiday shopping, but others reported more mundane needs, such as new tires or paying off medical bills.
Lesieur said students have all read Zoey and Sassafras, a story in which a young girl has to use logic to heal magical animals. She said students and their parents liked the book, and a new book is coming in January.
Fourth graders took an educational field trip to Hobbs State.
The music program in the elementary school “has been busy,” Lesieur said, with a performance at the Hedgehoppers event at the Aud. The Singing Scotties will perform at area nursing homes this week, and the Christmas program at the Aud is Dec. 19.
Gideon Keas delivered a report for the middle school. He teaches social studies and language arts and explained to the board how those two subjects work in partnership. Students learn research techniques in social studies, such as how to evaluate the quality of a source. In language arts, students have all read The Hobbit after a previous period of independent reading.
Jerry RunnerSmith spoke on behalf of the high school. He said the 191 students have been busy with service projects and preparing for semester tests. All students now take semester tests, since previous exemptions were eliminated for students with high grades.
Students helped assemble Thanksgiving baskets, and National Honor Society students are working on Angel Tree requests. The band performed in the Christmas parade, and a band concert is planned for Dec. 12. The choir will have a concert on Dec. 17, and the choir will also perform for the Rotary on Dec. 19.
Students will take a preparatory test in advance of the Aspire testing in April. RunnerSmith said the test results will help school staff to offer remediation in needed areas. “It makes a great difference for the kids,” he said.