At the March meeting of the Eureka Springs School Board, Elementary Principal Clare Haozous explained a new standard for promoting students from third to fourth grade. At the April 13 meeting, she elaborated on that.
The LEARNS Act now requires third-grade students to meet state-defined standards for reading before moving on to fourth grade. The school has taken steps to identify students who may need help in meeting those standards, and targeted support is offered to those students. Haozous said the school communicates with families, and individual reading plans are created. The students most in need now receive intervention twice a day.
Haozous explained that some students who do not meet standards will be eligible for exemptions. Students who have already been held back a year may move to fourth grade, to avoid large age discrepancies in the classroom. Other exemptions are available for students learning English, or those with documented learning difficulties.
Haozous concluded her presentation with other elementary news. An art show is scheduled for May 1. All students are preparing for upcoming standardized tests, and Haozous said results from those tests will come back more quickly this year.
Middle School Principal Trina Bonham also described efforts to prepare students for upcoming Atlas testing. Students in need have received additional intervention, and some students have come to school on Saturday mornings for extra instruction. Bonham said teacher evaluations are almost complete, and the middle school calendar will include some “fun stuff” after the testing is completed.
High School Principal Caen Dowell said the district has been awarded for its Alternative Learning Environment program, which creates a separate instructional approach for students who may struggle in a traditional school environment. The high school sent 34 students to recent skills competitions. Graduation is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, and 48 seniors will cross the stage.
In other business:
- This was the first meeting for newly elected board member Ginger Johnson. She was elected to the seat formerly held by Al Larson, who did not file for re-election.
- The board voted to keep the current meeting schedule, at 5:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Chris McClung will continue as president, with Jayme Wildeman as vice-president and Gayla Wolfinbarger as secretary.
- FFA Adviser Cheyenne Fortson gave an update on the chapter’s activities. A recent plant sale was a big success. Fortson listed some of the student accomplishments at district competitions. The chapter was awarded for overall excellence and documentation. A date has not been set for the FFA banquet.
- The legislative audit for 2024-25 was received, with only one small negative finding. The board members and Supt. Bryan Pruitt praised the efforts of Treasurer Pam McGarrah.
- The calendar for the current school year was revised, with the last day falling on May 19. The district has lengthened the school day by 15 minutes to build up snow days. That schedule banked seven days, and the district only had four snow days, so the calendar was shortened by three days.
- The classified salary schedule was revised to allow hiring a speech language pathologist.
- The district has adopted a stipend salary schedule that will simplify future adjustments. Each recipient of a stipend will be evaluated on the basis of the time involved, and an index value will be assigned to that position. Using this approach, the school board will not have to formally adjust each stipend when those stipends are increased.