The Eureka Springs school district’s annual report to the public was delivered prior to the regular board meeting on Oct. 12.
Rachal Hyatt currently serves as Middle School principal, but she previously served as director of programs for the district. She began the presentation with an explanation of federal programs. She listed scores from Atlas testing in spring, broken down by grade and content area. Students in first and fourth grade showed the most improvement.
High school juniors taking the ACT test averaged a score of 20, compared to a state average score of 18.
Jerry Wells reported on gifted and talented educational programs. All students in the elementary school receive enrichment and early assessment from the GT teacher.
A variety of programs serve students in grade four or above. The program leads into advanced-placement courses for high school students. Of the students taking AP classes, 75 percent received college credit for their courses after testing.
Mandy Elsey described the district’s efforts to deal with dyslexia. She discussed mandatory screening to assess reading skills, along with spelling and phonological deficits. The numbers of students receiving dyslexia intervention has grown as state guidelines have expanded. Gail Hunter spoke about the district’s special education programs, which serve 84 students.
District Treasurer Pam McGarrah gave a financial report, showing progress on paying off the construction of the high school. Total debt has dropped steadily, she said. Property tax assessments have shown significant growth in recent years, and property taxes provide more than 80 percent of the school’s funding.
Supt. Bryan Pruitt said the student population stands at 570. He said that number is usually higher, but more students are taking state subsidies to participate in home schooling programs.
Pruitt noted that the district feeds all students for free, without regard to financial ability. He said the district has nine percent Hispanic students, down from 11 percent. He also noted that the school had not had any bullying incidents.
A safe shelter remains as part of future planning, and Pruitt said that project will come next, after the district completes a new bus barn. The bus barn project should start in spring, as the architect and contractors are currently assessing the site.