School Board Meeting News

The Springdale Public Schools School Board met Aug. 13, 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.

Student Services Director Damon Donnell provided the School Board with an update on Springdale School’s potential participation in the Phone Free Schools Pilot Program.

A Division of Elementary and Secondary Education grant provides financial assistance to districts participating in the program, Donnell said.

Administrators, teachers and staff of districts that opt to participate in the grant agree to ensure students will place personal electronic devices into pouches or lockers at the start of each school day to keep them secure when students are in the classroom, he said.

Cell phones would only be accessible for emergencies and during approved non-academic times.

The initiative seeks to foster a phone-free environment, enabling an evaluation of its impact on student learning, engagement and overall student health, Donnell said.

“Over the last month, our middle schools, junior highs and high schools have developed grade-band-consistent procedures that parallel the phone-free school expectations,” he said.

Current district school procedures are as follows:

Middle school students may possess personal electronic devices at school. However, the devices must be turned off and stored in their locker from arrival to dismissal. Cell phones and personal electronic devices may not be used during the school day.

Students in junior high school may possess personal electronic devices at school. However, the devices cannot be used during instructional time. Cell phones may be used before school, at lunch and after school.

High School students may possess personal electronic devices at school. However, the devices will be placed in a cell phone garage during instructional time. Cell phones may be used before school, during passing periods, at lunch and after school.

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has approved Springdale Schools’ participation in the pilot grant program, which would provide the district with $420,000 to purchase pouches or other locking mechanisms to store student cell phones during school hours, Donnell said.

The grant would impact 12,454 district students, which include 2,904 middle schoolers, 2,916 junior high school students and 6,634 high schoolers, he said.

Springdale may opt out of participating in the grant at any time and is still in the process of evaluating district participation in the program, Donnell said.

“We have not moved forward with that because our middle schools, junior highs and highs schools have come up with procedures that accomplish that same thing without actually locking up a phone all day long,” he said.

District administrators and the School Board will revisit how effective current school cell phone polices are following the first nine weeks of school to see if proceeding with purchasing pouches with available grant funds is an option Springdale Schools wants to pursue, Donnell said.

There's currently no time limit on when the district may utilize the grant funds, he said. It would take from three-six months to receive the pouches, in the event Springdale Schools opts to participate in the pilot program.

The Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators has selected Dr. Stacey Plumlee as the 2024 Administrator of the Year.

Plumlee serves as Springdale Public Schools’ Gifted and Talented director and Learner Supports assistant director.

The AAGEA recognizes an outstanding Arkansas gifted education administrator or coordinator to receive this award annually. The nominee must be a practicing gifted education administrator with at least five years of experience and a member of AAGEA.

The School Board unanimously approved pay increases for substitute staff members at the August meeting.

Substitute teachers, custodians, secretaries, paraprofessionals and maintenance, transportation, technology and cafeteria positions will all be impacted by the pay increase.

The pay scales are effective as of July 1, 2024.

Read detailed information about the pay scales HERE.

Apply to work for Springdale Public Schools HERE.

The School Board celebrated seven 2024 graduates who earned International Baccalaureate diplomas.

The students have all gone on to attend college and include:

• Mikayla Barker, Northwest Arkansas Community College
• Stephanie Batres-Sandoval, Vanderbilt University
• Kiley Brock, Oberlin College
• Tony Calderon Barrientos, Northwest Arkansas Community College
• Neida Galdamez, Northwest Arkansas Community College
• Sandra Gonzalez, University of Arkansas
• Lauren Smith, University of Central Arkansas

Springdale High School International Baccalaureate students often take college-level classes that institutions may accept as credits towards a bachelor's degree. This can help students transition from high school to college more smoothly. IB programs are also recognized internationally, so students can apply to programs in other countries.

Springdale Athletic Foundation Executive Director Donald Tucker shared how the foundation is serving the district’s some 4,000 student-athletes and families.

The foundation raises money to help supplement athletics based on the requests of district administrators by way of pledges and donations from families and businesses, by selling advertising that airs during athletic event livestreams, by selling digital game programs at sporting events and by selling advertising on district stadium video boards.

“There’s no expense to the district or taxpayer for athletic foundation projects,” Tucker said. "All that money filters back to the kids in the district.”

Recent foundation initiatives included purchasing video screens for the district’s indoor and outdoor high school athletic facilities.

The foundation is currently working toward raising $4 million in support of district athletics and aspires to raise $60 million long term.

“We’ll get there,” Tucker said. “The community of Springdale is really good about stepping up and helping when they believe in our cause.”

The School Board voted 7-0 to accept a bid of some $2.25 million from Jacob's Crossing for 28.07 acres of land for sale at Don Tyson Parkway and George Anderson Road in Springdale.

Six offers were received for the property, which included bids of $1.5 million from Ozark Juniors Volleyball Club, about $1.8 million by DRP Holdings, about $2.1 million from both Screen Door Adventures and Bentley Holdings and about $2.22 million by Brittenum Construction.

The Board approved marketing the land sale at its July meeting.

(Front Row) Melvin Vicen, Angel Lemus, Elias Lemus, Osiel Ortiz, Jamie Alanias

(Middle Row) Chad Burkett, Yolanda Williams, Brian Noel

(Back Row) Troy Holloway, Gary Jaworski, Russ Kirkpatrick

Russell Kirkpatrick of APAC Central received a certificate of appreciation for his support of district students and five Springdale Schools’ students were recognized for earning or working toward their commercial drivers licenses.

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE

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