At Monday night’s school board meeting, a plan was approved to divide the Eureka Springs School District into five voting districts. Voters will cast ballots for the five districts in May. In addition to representatives from each district, two board members will serve at large.
The board had voted last month to hire a company to compose a map to divide the district. The minority population in the district now stands at 12 percent, exceeding the 10 percent level which requires districting. The district’s total population is 8,500, although the school population is only 600.
Board members Jayme Wildeman and Gayla Wolfinbarger were selected by lot to serve as at-large members. They will not run for election in May. The length of the term for each board member will be decided after the election.
During the discussion, Wolfinbarger asked what would happen if no one ran from a district. Supt. Bryan Pruitt said he would have to take a list of eligible people in that district to find someone willing to serve.
The resolution must be approved by the Carroll County Election Commission., and the district map will be posted on the school’s website.
Masks optional
Students have been required to wear masks, but the board voted Monday to rescind the mask mandate. Pruitt acknowledged that masking has helped the school avoid the outbreaks encountered elsewhere, but acknowledged the growing dissatisfaction with masks. “I’m getting a lot of calls,” he said, “and parents in all the schools want to get rid of them.” After a long discussion, the board voted to remove the mask mandate. The school will still have distancing requirements, and sanitizing efforts will continue. Masks will be recommended, but not required.
The item will remain on the agenda for each monthly meeting, but some board members expressed concern about an outbreak. They will call a special meeting if necessary to address changing circumstances. The board heard that schools in Conway had done away with masks, but within two weeks, cases began to rise.
Wildeman, who had voted last month to rescind the mandate, said the kids see each other outside of school, without masks or distancing.
Reading, writing, sports and graduation surging
The principals’ reports all acknowledged the ongoing struggle to remediate the learning loss brought about by Covid restrictions, while continuing with the regular curriculum. The principals reported many bright spots, however. Elementary Principal Clare Houser mentioned that students and staff are learning a promising new method of writing instruction. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops are active, and all students are reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.
The junior high boys and girls both won at the district cross-country meet. The high school harriers participated at state, and recorded some personal best times. High School Principal David Gilmore said the school is in the top 10 percent for growth in graduation rates. “For a small school, we have a lot to offer our kids,” Gilmore explained, citing an extensive list of extracurriculars, along with assets like the Connect 4 trade education program.
Gilmore said basketball is off to a good start, with the boys currently holding an 8-0 record, while the girls have posted a 5-2 start. Both teams were scheduled to play in a tournament this week.
In other business:
- In response to a question about supply problems, Pruitt said the school’s nutritionist told him that not a week goes by without a menu change because of some shortage. “We had problems getting hamburger buns this week,” he said.
- The board approved a recommendation from the personnel policies committee to extend a $1,000 bonus to every contracted employee who has worked at least 100 hours between July 1 and Nov. 1. The bonus checks are expected to go out in time for post-Thanksgiving shopping.