School Board Meeting News

The Springdale Public Schools School Board met May 14, 2024.

Regular monthly School Board meetings are held at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the District Administration Building at 804 W. Johnson Ave.

Meetings are livestreamed HERE monthly.

The School Board had an opportunity to meet Archer Leaning Center student Luis Flores at the top of the May meeting.

Flores said his favorite class is Jobs for Arkansas Graduates.

“This class has helped me with being able to explore careers, building resumes and doing mock interviews,” he said.

When he’s not in school, the student said he enjoys fishing, playing or refereeing soccer, camping with his family and traveling.

Flores, a senior, is planning to work for Marrs Electric following graduation to become a journeyman electrician.

“After earning my journeyman license and gaining experience, I would like to have my own company,” he said. “With all this knowledge and experience, I hope to one day build my own house for my future family.”

Flores has also attended Parson Hills Elementary School, Sonora Middle School and Springdale High School. His sister, Jennifer Flores, is a third-grader at Parson Hills, while his sister, Katya Flores, is a seventh-grader at Sonora Middle School.

His parents are Luis Flores and Delia Lopez.

The School Board voted to approve adjustments to the 2024-25 district salary schedule.

The salary schedule was projected by considering local property taxes and the per-pupil increase in State Foundation funds for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The approved salary schedule adjustments are as follows:

Certified Salary Schedule: $600 will be added to the base of the schedule at a cost of about $1.3 million. The beginning salary for a certified teacher with a bachelor’s degree and no experience will increase to $53,600.

All Classified Salary Schedules: Add 50 cents per hour to classified salary schedules at a cost of approximately $1.4 million.

Maintenance and Journeyman: Increase of an additional $1.75 per hour to be comparable with area school districts.

Secretary, Registrar and District Technician: Increase of an additional $2 per hour to remain competitive with regional school districts.

Bookkeeper: Increase of an additional $2.50 per hour to be comparable with surrounding school districts.

Nurse: Add three lanes to account for the different education levels of RN-Diploma/ADN/ASN, BSN and MSN.

The School Board celebrated the Don Tyson School of Innovation 1616Y Team, which earned the opportunity to compete at the world championship level, and the Hellstern Middle School Herobotics state competition team!

Twenty-nine retiring employees from 16 Springdale schools were honored for their service to the district at the May meeting.

Please join us as we recognize:

• Bayyari Elementary School: Vicki Campbell, Teacher

• Central Junior High School: Cindy Cornelison, Teacher; and Stacy McGaugh, Teacher

• Central Junior High School and Har-Ber High School: Kathy Hall, Teacher

• Elmdale Elementary School: Lisa Colwell, Teacher; and Stephanie Hines, Teacher

• Har-Ber High School: Sandra Jones, Teacher; Lael Lynch, Teacher; Lisa Mangham, Teacher; and John Stewart, Teacher

• Helen Tyson Middle School: Melody Ball, Teacher

• Hellstern Middle School: Sherry Durley-Dyer, Teacher; Hope Matthews, SPED Teacher; and Nancy O’Brien, Teacher

• Hunt Elementary School: Kelley Barnard, Teacher

• Jim D. Rollins School of Innovation: Gloria Passmore, Teacher; and Joy Thomas Sawyer, GT Teacher

• Kelly Middle School: Scarlett Morris, Teacher

• Lakeside Junior High School: Margaret “Marg” Moore, Teacher

• Smith Elementary School: Cathy Miller, Teacher

• Sonora Middle School: Teresa Murphy, Teacher

• Southwest Junior High School: Joshua Granderson, Teacher

• Springdale High School: Linda Button, Teacher; Don Eichenberger, Assistant Principal; LaWonna Hellwig, SPED Teacher; Patricia “Diane” Hinton, Counselor; and Kathleen Johnson, Teacher

• Walker Elementary School: Teresa Oliger, Teacher

• Young Elementary School: Karen Swalley, Teacher

Peter "Pete" Joenks has returned to Springdale Schools as the new assistant principal for Elmdale Elementary School.

Joenks said he’s excited about the opportunity to work at Elmdale.

“I like to think of myself as a ‘lifelong learner,’ and I look forward to learning from Ms. Hutton and the entire Elmdale faculty and staff,” Joenks said.

Read the full story HERE.

Kimberly Glass, Federal Program Coordinator, shared the strategic action plans for the district's 31 schools with the board.

Explore school strategic action plans HERE.

With the passage of the LEARNS Act, Arkansas is continuing its commitment to supporting academic outcomes of students statewide. The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is launching the Arkansas High-Impact Tutoring Grant Program, a new program that will provide additional instructional support to students through High-Impact Tutoring.

The School Board congratulated Hellstern. Helen Tyson and Sonora middles schools at the May meeting, which were all re-designated as Schools to Watch.

The National Forum established criteria for the basis of the Schools to Watch Program. The program is active in 18 states and focuses on school improvement efforts characterized by a continuous trajectory toward success.

The School Board likewise congratulated Sonora Middle School for earning the Promising Practices School designation.

Promising Practices schools demonstrate a commitment to the Professional Learning Community at Work process, implement the concepts for at least one or two years, present clear evidence of student learning and explain the culture, practices and structures of their school. Additionally, 1-2 years of consecutive data showing student improvement is submitted.

Earning the Promising Practices designation is the initial step in becoming a Model PLC at Work School.

Rodney Ellis, Workforce Development director, shared information on district participation in the Be Pro Be Proud Draft Day, a CTE Signing Day and upcoming CTE summer camps.

• Be Pro Be Proud Draft Day is a skilled technical career event designed to match regional employers with skilled, graduating high school seniors with the interest and experience to pursue their chosen careers.

Students from Springdale & Har-Ber high schools, Don Tyson School of Innovation and Archer Learning Center participated in the event, to include meeting and getting interviewed by area business representatives to discuss regional career opportunities.

• More than 50 Springdale Public Schools students from Archer Learning Center, Don Tyson School of Innovation and Har-Ber and Springdale high schools participated in the second annual Career and Technical Education Signing Day May 2 in the Springdale High School gymnasium.

Read the full CTE Signing Day event story HERE.

• CTE summer camps will be offered in the areas of welding, agriculture mechanics, floriculture, animal science and food science.

Camps will be offered at Don Tyson School of Innovation and Har-Ber and Springdale high schools.

All district summer camp opportunities are available HERE. Featured camps will be updated as information is received.

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE

Email: communications@sdale.org
Website: https://www.sdale.org/
Location: PO Box 8 Springdale Ar 72764
Phone: 479-750-8800