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Report Card June 2022 www.arsba.org

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association

Shoulder to shoulder Six school districts joined forces to support a 3/8ths-cent sales tax to construct the Saline County Career and Technical Education Center. It’s a satellite of Arkansas State University Three Rivers Career Center, one of 30 such career centers across Arkansas. Students learn welding, auto mechanics, industrial engineering and other trades in a new, fully equipped, 134,000-squarefoot facility. The number of school districts not served by a career center has fallen from 54 to one since 2015, and that one, Piggott, will soon be served. Saline County’s is unique because it’s a county-led effort. The superintendents are members of the center’s board of directors and work through issues like scheduling and student handbook differences. It’s just starting, and there’s room to grow. Pictured are, left to right, Heath Bennett, Harmony Grove; Dr. Kim Anderson, Benton; Dr. Karen Walters, Bryant; Matt Donaghy, Bauxite; Dr. Jerry Guess, Sheridan; and Tim Holicer, Glen Rose.

Are today’s kids smarter than we were?

committee has had the pleasure of awarding the scholarships, with the total amount awarded so far reaching $100,250. These scholarships provided by the ASBA EduGraduation tassels have been flipped, cational Foundation support students with school board elections have happened, and educational expenses. the beach is calling. May was such a blur as Starting this year, six scholarships are I enjoyed graduation festivities and awards awarded annually to the children of school programs and took part in my ninth graduaboard members. Four go to students in each tion ceremony since joining the board. This of Arkansas’ congressional districts. Another year had a special significance to me as my goes to a student engaged in an upper-level by Tad Margolis son, George, graduated summa cum laude undergraduate or graduate study in the field from Valley View High School. ASBA President of education. It’s given in memory of J.K. As I heard the names called and watched Williams, who led ASBA for 14 years. In 2021 a scholarkiddos that I have known since the age of 2 cross the stage ship was established in memory of Marshall Hughes of First and receive their diplomas, I started to ponder, “Are kids Security Beardsley Public Finance. Marshall was known to today smarter than we were?” Three valedictorians and three many of us as he guided us in navigation through the waters of salutatorians would argue yes indeed. A third of the class was school financing. high-achieving enough to warrant honor graduate status and a 4.2 grade point average, landing my son ninth in a class of Bigger scholarships, more applicants 215. Wow, what did it take to be number one? This year, due to the contributions of ASBA’s Sherri Fite, ASBA always remains student focused. Empowering the application was streamlined and paperless, the selection students and supporting educational endeavors are particucommittee was expanded, and the awards were increased from larly important to all of us, and scholarships are one way we $650 to $2,500. Our efforts were rewarded with 60 applicants can support, encourage and honor the high school seniors in across the state, compared to previous years when 18 to 20 Arkansas. The ASBA Board through its scholarship selection students might apply. We were able to award $17,500 this year

Graduation ceremonies, ASBA scholarships show how much students are achieving these days

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through the foundation and the generous support of Beardsley Public Finance. I asked earlier if kids are smarter. If this year’s scholarship applicants are any indication, then again, the answer is yes, indeed. The recipients are all children of current elected school board members across the state, and these kids are smart! There were several valedictorians in the bunch, and many had more than 200 hours of volunteering and community service. Several held jobs, played multiple sports, and had many extracurricular activities, all while competing at the highest level academically. Whether or not they are smarter than we were, I know they are good jugglers! We want all our dedicated school board members to know of these scholarship opportunities for their family. We know how proud you are of your students, and we want to show our appreciation for their efforts as well. Please read about the winners and their accomplishments in this edition. The National Center for Education Statistics lists Arkansas as having a graduation rate of 87% and said pre-covid rates were at an all-time high. This May, 32,221 students were expected to walk across the stage and graduate high school. One of the factors that contributes to a high graduation rate is regular school attendance. Post covid, the absenteeism has tripled according to Attendance Works Director Hedy Chang. The month of September is Attendance Awareness Month, and we all need to take a look at the plans in our district for reducing truancy. Have a great summer break. See you in the fall.

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Report Card

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association

News and Features 12

Panel: Communicate intentionally

Empathy a discipline strategy

Empathy can help teachers reach students by inspiring them to “touch the lines,” said Arkansas Teacher of the Year Susanna Post at the Joint Leadership Conference.

22 Harmony Grove student Scott Howard

grinds the coating off a piece of metal so he can weld it at the Saline County Career Technical Campus. The SCCTC is a satellite of the Arkansas State University Three Rivers Career Center in Malvern. There are 30 career centers across Arkansas. The SCCTC is the only program funded by a countywide sales tax.

Departments 2 6 8 9 11 16 36 39

President’s Column Letter from the Executive Director ASBA News and Notes Calendar Advertisers Index Cody Kees Column Marketplace Commercial Affiliates

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Cover / Career tech county

Partnership helps students peak

The six school districts with students in Saline County came together to support a sales tax funding a state-of-the-art career center. Now those districts are working together to teach students skills that will make them employable out of high school and beyond.

A new career center in Fort Smith is giving students an opportunity to learn skills in robotics, nursing, IT and more. Funded partly by Fort Smith taxpayers, it’s open to all the school districts in the 22-member educational cooperative.

Executive Session with Jerry Daniels

Report Card The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association Vol. 16, Number 2

Letter from the Executive Director

by Dr. Tony Prothro

A new era begins with COSSBA

The ASBA Board of Directors voted to end its membership in the National School Boards Association in December 2021. Board member delegates from across Arkansas affirmed that decision in the Annual Conference’s Delegate Assembly by voting to remove NSBA from the ASBA bylaws. So what has happened in the interim? There is an obvious need for an organization at the national level. Several states (approximately 22 at this time) have been working toward the goal of forming a new national organization to meet the needs of state associations and their members. COSSBA (Consortium of State School Boards Associations) has been created to meet that goal. COSSBA is a voluntary, non-partisan, national alliance of state school boards associations. It is based in part on the belief that the governance of public schools by highly effective, locally accountable school boards is critical for the advancement and success of public education throughout the United States. Some of the work of COSSBA will be focused upon: • Support for the work of state school board associations through effective staff collaboration, networking and shared resources • Networking opportunities for local school board members and association board members to enhance the effectiveness of their work • Tracking and advocating for federal education issues and policies impacting local school boards and public education

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June 2022

P.O. Box 165460 / Little Rock, AR 72216 Telephone: 501-372-1415 / 800-482-1212 Fax: 501-375-2454 E-mail: arsba@arsba.org / www.arsba.org

Board of Directors President: Dr. Tad Margolis, Valley View President-elect: William Campbell, McGehee Vice President: Randy Hutchinson, Springdale

aligned with a statement of core values and beliefs of COSSBA • Federal judicial advocacy impacting local control and public education

Sec.-Treasurer: Jeff Lisenby, Sheridan

COSSBA’s guiding principles are to be: • Focused and responsive • Transparent and efficient • Reflective and relevant • Representative and accountable • Unified

Region 5: Clint Hull, Pottsville

The Arkansas School Boards Association is a founding member of COSSBA with voting rights thereto. A transition steering committee has been formed to make decisions moving forward. William Campbell, ASBA presidentelect, is the Arkansas board member representative on this committee. Plans are already underway for the annual national networking conference for the spring of 2023. In the interim, we encourage board members to join us in New Orleans on July 24-26 for the Southern Region Leadership Conference. Many Arkansas board members have already registered for the conference. Registration is still open on the ASBA website at www.arsba.org. There is still much to be accomplished in the upcoming months; however, we are definitely excited and optimistic concerning the future of the new COSSBA and its potential positive impact on our school boards, school districts, and ultimately our students.

Past President: Rosa Bowman, Ashdown Region 1: Travis Warren, Farmington Region 2: Mitchell Archer, Bergman Region 3: Dr. Julea Garner, Highland Region 4: Kyle Cannon, Mena Region 6: Nikki King, Pangburn Region 7: D’James Rogers, West Memphis Region 8: Jereme Carter, Carlisle Region 9: Joey Astin, Forrest City Region 10: Mark Curry, Lake Hamilton Region 11: Carl “Buddy” Puckett, Poyen Region 12: Laura Clark, Blevins Region 13: Doris Parham, Bearden Region 14: Jerry Daniels, Warren

Staff

Executive Director: Dr. Tony Prothro Board Development Director: Tammie Reitenger Governmental Relations Director: Dan Jordan Finance Director: Diana Woodward Communications and Technology Director: Sherri Fite Staff Attorney: Kristen Garner Policy Director: Lucas Harder Database Administrator: Kathy Ivy Commercial Affiliates/Board Liaison Manager: Angela Ellis Bookkeeper: Kayla Orr TIPS-TAPS Project Manager: Stacey McPherson General Counsel: Jay Bequette Risk Management Program & Workers’ Comp. Program: Shannon Moore, Director Krista Glover Dwayne McAnally Misty Thompson Melody Tipton LaVerne Witherspoon Linda Collins Lisa Wigginton Kara Quinton Julianne Dobson

TO CONTACT THE MAGAZINE

Please contact Steve Brawner, Editor 501.847.7743; brawnersteve@mac.com Report Card is published quarterly by the Arkansas School Boards Association. Copyright 2022 by the Arkansas School Boards Association and Steve Brawner Communications. All rights reserved.

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ASBA News and notes

Plans being made for first COSSBA spring conference

The Consortium of State School Boards Associations is making plans for its inaugural conference in spring 2023 and is also planning other events. The 22-state Consortium was birthed in late 2021 by state school boards associations that left the National School Boards Association following an unauthorized letter requesting federal law enforcement help to protect school boards and school personnel. State associations, including Arkansas, were not consulted about the letter, which many saw as unnecessary and counter to their commitment to community involvement. The letter followed years of financial mismanagement on the part of the NSBA.

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The Consortium will support state school boards associations through shared resources, providing networking opportunities, tracking and advocating for federal education policies, and engaging in federal judicial advocacy regarding local control and public education. It seeks to be focused and responsive, transparent and efficient, reflective and relevant, representative and accountable, and unified. In addition to the spring conference, COSSBA will also organize a leadership and executives symposium each January for state board presidents, presidentselect, and state executives. A federal advocacy conference will be held each fall in Washington, D.C. A staff collaboration network is also being formed so state associations can share communications, search services, educational trainers and other resources. The association also will enable associations to share the legal expertise of their internal and external attorneys. An inaugural conference of the Urban Boards Alliance is being planned for the late summer or early fall of this year. The first meeting of the Consortium’s 22 founding state associations occurred April 10-11 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Each state association will have two representatives on the committee, including a state executive and a member of the state association board. Campbell For ASBA, those individuals are Dr. Tony Prothro, executive director, and William Campbell of the McGehee School Board, who is serving as ASBA’s president-elect. The Illinois Association of School Boards was elected to serve as chair. A permanent board, bylaws and other policies will be established prior to January 1, 2023. The founding members come from school boards associations serving the following states: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mon-

tana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming. More information about COSSBA can be found at its website, www. cossba.org.

Southern Region meeting taking shape for July 24-26

Registration is available for the Southern Region Leadership Conference, which will be in New Orleans July 24-26. The conference in the past has brought together board members from Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. This year, members of some of the roughly 22 states that have joined the Consortium of State School Boards Associations, or COSSBA, could attend. Those states, like Arkansas, have left the National School Boards Association in recent months. The cost of the full conference is $495, with a registration deadline of July 8. No on-site attendee registration will be available. A limited room block at the Hilton Riverside is available at a rate of $189 a day for standard accommodations plus taxes. Attendees can register online at www. lsba.com/events?id=10506150. The conference will be held at the Hilton Riverside Hotel and will start with three early bird sessions July 24. Those are: – Poverty Simulation: A Hands-on Experience of Living Life in Poverty – The Legal Landscape: What’s New? – Unfinished Learning: How to Bridge Student Achievement Gaps Through Individualized Opportunities Concurrent sessions will cover technology transformations, effective governance, school safety, student welfare, community and relationships, and education in action. The keynote speaker will be Mickey Smith Jr., an international speaker, saxophonist, author and master development coach who works with elementary and middle school band directors.

Online registration for NBMI in Hot Springs ends on June 28

Online registration for the New Board Member Institute will close at noon on June 28, but participants can register onsite the date of the workshop June 30. The NBMI provides initial training covering school board basics for new board members. The cost to register to attend in person is $205 after June 16. For virtual attendees, the cost is $155 through June 28 and $170 afterwards. The Institute will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Hot Springs. Board members earn six hours of boardsmanship training credit. The day begins with a full buffet breakfast at 7:30 a.m., followed by a session on school board governance by ASBA President-Elect William Campbell of the McGehee School Board. Dr. Greg Murry, former Conway superinten-

dent, will present on school boards’ role in district finance. After lunch, ASBA General Counsel Jay Bequette and Cody Kees will discuss critical legal issues. The Institute will end with a session on school safety and student discipline. To register, go to ASBA’s website, arsba.org, or contact Tammie Reitenger at treitenger@arsba.org.

Six receive ASBA college scholarships worth $17,500

The ASBA Educational Foundation this year increased its scholarship awards for children of current school board members from $650 to $2,500 and added a new $5,000 award. The increased award amounts helped attract 60 applicants. This year, the application process was made paperless. The one-time awards are based on a stu-

dent’s academic record and leadership potential. This year is the 29th consecutive year for the awards.

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ASBA calendar June 30 New Board Member Institute Hot Springs DoubleTree by Hilton July 21 Administrative Assistant Training Wyndham Hotel Little Rock July 24-26 Southern Region Leadership Conference Hilton Riverside New Orleans

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ASBA News and notes

A new award, the $5,000 Marshall Hughes Scholarship, was given for the first time to a statewide winner. It is named in honor of Marshall R. Hughes, a former Beardsley Public Finance employee who died in 2020. Beardsley Public Finance is helping fund the award. The scholarship was given to Tara Young, a graduating senior at Van Buren High School and the daughter of Carman Young of the Van Buren School Young Board. She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then attend graduate school to study in a specialized psychology field. She was secretary/treasurer of the National Honor Society, was an officer of the National History Club, and was secretary of Delta Beta Sigma. She also participated in Mu Alpha Theta, Psi Alpha, International Thespian Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Pointer Prancer dance team. She won first place for senior musical theater dance solos at Hollywood Dance Jamz in Branson, and was chosen Arkansas All-State Cast at the 2020 State Thespian Festival. A $2,500 award, the J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship, is given to a board member or a board member’s spouse, son, daughter, grandchild, legal ward, or immediate family member who is pursuing an advanced degree in the field of education. It is named in honor of J.K. Williams, ASBA’s former executive director who led the association for 14 years. This year’s winner was Tyson Davis, an English and history teacher at Ram Academy, a Paragould School District alternative school. Davis is seeking his master’s Davis degree in administration at Arkansas State University and hopes to become the alternative school 10 June 2022 Report Card

principal. He is the Paragould Personnel Committee president. His mother, Stephane Davis, is a Greene County Tech School Board member with almost 30 years of teaching experience. As in past years, four of the awards were given to graduating high school seniors who are a son, daughter, or legal ward of an Arkansas school board member and who will attend a two-year or four-year Arkansas institution of higher learning in the fall. One award is given to a student in each of the state’s four congressional districts. Zoey Taylor, a senior at Trumann High School, received the scholarship for the First Congressional District. She is the daughter of Scott Taylor, a member Taylor of the Trumann School Board. Taylor plans to attend the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and pursue a degree in social studies education. Taylor served on the Student Council, was vice president of her sophomore class, and was a member of the National Honor Society for three years. She was also a cheerleader and volleyball player. She won the Trumann High School Academic Achievement Award and the Advanced Placement U.S. History Award. Emma Reaper, a senior at Pangburn High School, received the award for the 2nd Congressional District. She is the daughter of Jack Reaper III, a member Reaper of the Pangburn School Board. Reaper plans to attend the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and pursue a degree in agricultural business. She will have more than 26 college credits when she begins her studies. She was a leader at Pangburn High School, serving as FBLA president, FFA treasurer, cheer captain, and high school ambassador. She advocated for the agriculture

industry as Miss Arklahoma United States, was selected as an Arkansas Rice Rep by the Arkansas Rice Federation, and was selected to attend the Arkansas Farm Bureau Youth Leadership Seminar. Outside of school activities, Reaper raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, created a prom for the special needs adults at The Community School of Cleburne County, worked with foster families and children through Imagine & Believe, was a senior citizen volunteer, and volunteered at Pangburn Museum. Kara Ponder, a senior at Bergman High School, received the award for the Third Congressional District. She is the daughter of Jason Ponder, a member Ponder of the Bergman School Board. Ponder plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas and pursue an undergraduate degree, with plans to earn a doctor of physical therapy degree. She completed high school with over a 4.0 grade point average and as a distinguished highest honor graduate/valedictorian. She accumulated more than 30 hours of concurrent college credit, and earned all-state in basketball and tennis. Ponder was active in many school sports and organizations including basketball, tennis, volleyball (all-conference), softball, Key Club, National Honor Society, Student Council, yearbook editor, FBLA, Spanish Club, and journalism. Ashlyn Courtney, a senior at Hope High School, received the award for the 2nd Congressional District. She is the daughter of Jimmy Courtney III, a member of the Hope School Board. Courtney plans to attend the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and pursue a nursing degree with the goal of becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist. She will graduate from Hope Collegiate Academy with an associate’s degree in general education. She was recognized on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana and was a

member of the National Honor Society. She was a cheerleader for five years and competed on the varsity competition team for three years. She also Courtney played on the Hope High varsity girls golf team. Outside of school activities, Courtney participates in her church youth group, youth choir, D101, and Mission Venture, which was a 10-day mission trip where she worked with the Salvation Army and hosted a Vacation Bible School.

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ASBA debuting new database, platform for engagement

ASBA will debut a new database in the fall of 2022 that will replace the association’s aging eMembership AMS platform. ASBA staff members conducted extensive research, reviewing potential database platforms. Since 2021, ASBA has been working with the Tennessee School Boards Association to redevelop its Claris FileMaker platform for ASBA’s use. Tennessee has been instrumental in ASBA’s ability to move forward with the implementation of this database.

bers. Specific information about this process will be emailed in the fall. For school district staff, informational webinars will be hosted before launching to outline database changes and to ensure district board members’ information has transferred successfully. School district staff will receive an invitation to join Tradewing, too. Meetings will be hosted on the platform. There will be no charge for these informational online seminars. As ASBA moves forward with the project, having up-to-date email addresses for staff and board members is more important than ever. If you have questions, please contact Kathy Ivy, database administrator, at kivy@arsba.org or Tammie Reitenger, director of board development, at treitenger@arsba.org.

Correction

In addition to a new database, ASBA will roll out Tradewing, a member engagement and event platform, to complement communications and events. Tradewing was highly recommended by the Nevada School Boards Association. Hybrid events will be hosted through the Tradewing platform when it is launched. Database onboarding will be conducted via Tradewing for school board mem-

A caption about President’s Award recipients in the March 2022 Report Card left out Debbie Ugbade of the Hot Springs School District. Ugbade, who Ugbade did not request this correction, earned the award by achieving 500 hours of boardsmanship training. It was presented at the Annual Conference in December.

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Joint Leadership Conference

Panel: Communicate intentionally At the ASBA-AAEA Joint Leadership Conference, the message was: Tell your story, or someone else will

School districts must take proactive, intentional steps to communicate their messages to their communities and stakeholders. As Hot Springs superintendent Dr. Stephanie Nehus explained, “It’s our job to tell our story, because if we’re not telling our story, someone else is telling the story for us.” Nehus made that comment during a panel discussion on communications best practices on May 3 at the 26th Annual Joint Leadership Conference. The conference brings together ASBA and the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. Also on the panel were Little Rock School District Communications Director Pamela Smith and Bentonville School Board President Eric White. The superintendent is the district’s primary spokesperson, but the district should have processes in place at lower levels of leadership. Nehus said the best decision she made was repurposing and adding a public relations coordinator. The district’s communications funnel through the coordinator with Nehus ultimately approving them. Smith said school districts can have subject matter experts who can talk about certain topics, but communications should go through a chain so the expert doesn’t communicate a message that goes beyond the superintendent. White said school boards should make one member a spokesperson so they can share a consistent, unified message. Social media platforms can help districts communicate, but they must be intentional about how they use them. The Hot Springs School District has social media designees in each building who receive a small stipend. Nehus said district leaders should have conversations about what educators can post, even on personal pages, because they are held to high standards. Districts need to train staff on the appropriate use of social media, especially when it can af12 June 2022 Report Card

ers criticize the district. “The best thing you can do is, get into the habit of a single point of truth, and if you have a really active communications program with the district, you’ll almost always drown out those stories,” he said. Nehus said districts in a crisis situation don’t have much time to craft a message before word filters to the community and patrons start calling the district, so it’s important that the district already have relationships developed with families. After a BUCK STOPS HERE. Dr. Stephanie Nehus, Hot Springs School bomb threat was District superintendent, said she ultimately approves all commumade recently, nications coming from her district, but she relies heavily on her within 15 minutes public relations coordinator. the district had fect the district’s brand, Smith said. She sent out its communications about what advised waiting 10 seconds before click- was happening. ing “send,” particularly when it concerns “You have to have a concerted effort, an emotional topic. While social media a plan in place and a team in place to is the place to have conversations, the make sure you’re communicating acdistrict’s website is the place to post curate information as quickly as possible policies, White said. He encouraged and that your stakeholders understand districts to make student handbooks that that’s your goal,” she said. available on the site. A school district should make stakeWhite said school board members holders aware of how it will communishould direct communications to the cate with them, Smith said. Little Rock district’s social media accounts. They has a system that allows it to quickly should keep in mind that if they engage push out a lot of information through in a social media conversation regarding a variety of platforms, including the the board’s activities, they have created district website’s front page. When a a limited public forum because they shooting occurred in a neighborhood are an elected official. That means they near a school, the district was trying to can’t block someone without potentially communicate information as quickly as triggering a Freedom of Information Act possible, but it was already on social complaint. media. It was a reminder to reinforce He emphasized the importance of training to building leaders and staff. telling positive stories, which create Building leaders are the voices parents trust so that patrons question when othtrust, and parents want to hear from

them. Information travels quickly, and districts want to tell their own story, even if it’s not positive. “They want to hear from us, and they want to know what happened, and we want to be the ones to tell them,” Smith said of parents. “We don’t want them to see it on the 5 o’clock news. … What they’ll do is they’ll take the microphone and stick it in a parent’s face and say, ‘Did you know about this?’ And of course, if you’ve got a great relationship with your parents, they’re going to say, ‘Oh, the school already told me. I’m aware.’ But the worst feeling is to have a parent say, ‘I didn’t know anything, and they didn’t even call me. They didn’t even notify me.’” The three agreed that whoever is speaking for the district should never say, “No comment.” However, Nehus said a spokesperson can say an issue is under investigation and that further information can’t be provided at this time.

In another session, participants learned how the Early Development Instrument is being used in Independence County to prepare students for kindergarten. Ellie Wheeler Hill, project director of the Arkansas Research Center at the University of Central Arkansas, said the program is a way to measure how well communities, rather than just schools, are supporting early development. Excel by Eight – formerly the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading – says students need family, community, health and education support systems in order to develop appropriately. The Early Development Instrument, or EDI, is a tool whereby kindergarten teachers complete a questionnaire about each of their students’ physical well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills. Results are tracked by census tracts but never on an individual level. Hill said the tool does a good job

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of predicting future outcomes. Participating counties have been able to use the EDI to apply for grants. Communities are often surprised at the results. Excel by Eight brought EDI to Arkansas as a pilot program serving six counties in 2018. A grant program from the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education will allow it to expand statewide in 2023. Arkansas’ will be the first statewide program. Representatives from two Independence County school districts, Batesville and Southside, described how they had used the tool. Jennifer Douglas, a Batesville assistant superintendent, said the entire county and its four school districts worked together to use the data as part of its community engagement. Novella Humphrey, director of curriculum and federal programs at the Southside School District, said the program demonstrated that her community had a deficit in oral health. In response, the

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Joint Leadership Conference

EARLY DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENT. Jennifer Douglas, a Batesville assistant superintendent, right, and Novella Humphrey, director of curriculum and federal programs at the Southside School District, describe how the EDI helped Independence County educators identify where more student supports are needed for their youngest students.

district recruited a dentist to its schoolbased health clinic, returned to the practice of brushing teeth in preschool, and started educating parents at community events about the importance of oral health and how it impacts learning. To meet other needs, an age-appropriate curriculum was adopted for early childhood centers throughout the county. One three-year-old’s parents are divorcing, which has been traumatic for him. The curriculum gives teachers tools so they can be a source of stability for him. The data also helped lead the local hospital to add a mental health first aid trainer to its staff. Humphrey said the new data about kindergarten readiness has enabled the district to successfully apply for grants and expand programs in a targeted way. “It’s not just, well, we hope this helps. We hope this helps get them ready for kindergarten. Maybe this will work,” she said. “We know exactly what our families need to help prepare for kindergarten readiness.” Legislative panel discussion In another session, Rep. Bruce Cozart, R-Hot Springs, chair of the House 14 June 2022 Report Card

Education Committee and a building contractor, said he didn’t know when the cost of building materials could drop. He said he was struggling with the issue himself, but districts will have to do the best they can and perhaps “beg, borrow and steal” to complete their projects. Asked about the next gubernatorial administration, Rep. Bryan Evans, R-Cabot, said he hopes the focus will be on raising the education level schools Evans are providing. He expects there to be an increased emphasis on career and technical education, technology, mental health, and special needs students. Cozart expects school choice to be a big issue and that vouchers will be expanded. Rep. Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna, warned that school choice can produce another form of segregation. Jerry Don Woods, a school board member from Dardanelle, asked if

lawmakers were planning to hold private schools accountable as they receive more tax dollars. Cozart said he hopes so. Asked by Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, if public schools would prefer to have lower standards or if they would prefer private schools to reach public school standards, Woods said public schools want higher standards for everyone. “Make the playing field completely level,” Woods said. “Don’t lower it. Raise it up, and hold us all to a high standard of education in Arkansas, and then if you want to fund it, then we’ve got true competition.” Asked how districts can be supported with their student mental health challenges, Hammer said more support is needed from families and churches. Evans, who served on the Cabot School Board, said teachers, faculty members and counselors are not trained in mental health issues, and the General Assembly should take action to address that. He said school advocates shouldn’t wait for a crisis to contact their legislators. Lawmakers were asked how schools will be affected by tax cuts passed in the last session. Cozart said the state of Arkansas has been a good steward of its money and that many Arkansans support tax reductions. Hammer noted that triggers would prevent the cuts from going into effect if revenues taper off and the state’s obligations haven’t been met. Those triggers would prevent Arkansas from experiencing what Kansas experienced when it cut taxes deeply and then was forced to make deep cuts to schools and other state programs. Murdock said teacher salaries are too low and should be raised before taxes are cut. Cozart noted that the Legislature has been raising salaries in recent sessions. Clarksville’s diverse FFA In another session, the Clarksville School District discussed its FFA program. In 2020, it was featured on the cover of the FFA New Horizons magazine and was described as the nation’s most culturally diverse chapter. Agriculture teacher Libby Vaught, the program’s sole teacher, said the 2,500 students in Clarksville come from 26 countries and speak 14 languages, with 41% speaking

CLARKSVILLE FFA. Libby Vaught, agriculture teacher at Clarksville High School, and Lakan Williams, the chapter’s president, described how their diverse membership has benefited everyone concerned. Williams, an incoming senior, owns and manages 40 head of cattle.

a language other than English in their homes. Many are refugees. Displaying a photo of her diverse chapter, she said,

“Some might see that as a challenge. I see that as awesome because I learn so much from my kids every day, and I

wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. So if your FFA chapter doesn’t look like this, you need to talk to your ag teacher to find out why because we teach to everybody and we include everybody in everything that we do because agriculture applies to everybody. We all have to eat and we all have to wear clothes, and we all have to have somewhere to live.” The chapter recently received grants from the Arkansas Division of Career and Technical Education for CASE animal science and CASE natural resources and ecology classes – CASE being an acronym for Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education. The chapter adopted a stream in 2019 where students perform nine water quality tests. An Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologist told them streams are healthier when their ecosystems are more diverse, which Vaught said also applies to her FFA chapter. She wrote a grant she used to purchase 12 kayaks for water quality

Please see Conference, page 17

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How to avoid special ed litigation Watch for indications of parental dissatisfaction; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure In the past few years we have seen a significant uptick in the amount of special education litigation in Arkansas, referred to as due process proceedings. When a parent is unhappy with the special education services their child is receiving (or not receiving), they can file a due process complaint through the Arkansas Department of Education, and the matter is assigned to an impartial hearing officer for a full evidentiary hearing. The proceedings are governed by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”), which is a very nuanced federal law that provides the framework for how school districts provide special education services to those children in need. Special education law is arguably the most complex of the education law areas, as it not only includes the IDEA, but also administrative regulations, a myriad of federal court cases, and state rules and regulations unique to Arkansas. Further complicating a district’s special education compliance is the extensive procedural requirements that must be followed. Those include the district’s obligation to locate students who have a disability and are in need of special education services (Child Find), the district’s obligation to evaluate the student and then hold an evaluation conference within a specific time frame, and the district’s obligation to use a cross section of various testing to ensure all areas of suspected disability are uncovered. All this testing culminates in the development of the centerpiece of the special education framework, which is the Individualized Education Program (“IEP”) of the student, which must have detailed goals for the student’s progress. And, accompanying all this is an unforgiving stack of paperwork. 16 June 2022 Report Card

by Cody Kees Bequette, Billingsley & Kees, P.A. In my experience, most parents are thankful to be getting additional support at school for their special student, but contention is sometimes impossible to avoid, and lawsuits arise. Here are a few things to look for to help avoid the litigation process: • Are the parents bringing an advocate to IEP meetings? While advocates are allowed to attend and should be welcomed, this typically indicates parents may not be comfortable advocating alone, or do not feel that they are being heard, and that advocates are needed to alert school administration that additional attention should be given to that particular student. • Are parents requesting additional testing be performed on their student? The number of tests available to uncover suspected disabilities and needed programming is extensive. If parents are asking for additional testing, this should cue the district that parents are not happy with what the district has provided, which is typically a precursor to litigation. • Are parents asking for different placement options? Placement is where the student is receiving his or her special education services (general education classroom, resource classroom, self-contained room, or a private therapy center). There is a continuum of placement options available to districts. No one size fits all. If the parent is asking about alternative placement options, then obviously they are not fully content, which should cue the district that a potential complaint may be on the horizon.

• Are parents asking about related services? These are additional services provided outside the classroom, such as occupational, physical and speech therapy, which are all available to better help the student access their education in the school environment. Related services are sometimes overlooked because they are not the direct educational services districts are accustomed to, and they come with additional costs. However, with IDEA, cost is rarely a legitimate consideration, and related services cannot be overlooked. If parents are asking for related services to be added to the IEP, this should give some indication that the district may have missed something in the programming. •And, of course, if parents start talking about contacting a lawyer, then you should certainly have your antennas up and review the student’s file to determine if any potential pitfalls exist. If you see any of these indicators, take a closer look at the student and, if necessary, contact your school attorney to get feedback. End disputes by doing more Avoiding litigation is the goal. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in the special education business. So often a special education dispute can be resolved by simply providing additional resources to the student, which saves you so much time and hassle on the back end. If a dispute does lead to litigation, a parent is entitled to receive not only additional services, but the district could also be ordered to pay for private placement for the student, and parents are entitled to their attorney’s fees if they are the prevailing party. The biggest issue with special education litigation, in my experience, is the emotional toll a due process proceeding takes on your staff. If the district has an opportunity to resolve a dispute before litigation, it is typically a win-win for all.

Conference Continued from page 15

sampling and boater education. She’s also offering a class in “outdoors adventures” covering areas such as hunter education, all-terrain vehicle safety, and outdoor dutch oven cooking. She said she started teaching hunter education after a foreign-born student arrived one day with two bears in the trunk of his car. Hundreds of students have been certified in hunter education, boater education, and other areas. Incoming senior Lakan Williams, the president of the Clarksville program and the Arkansas FFA state secretary, was one of several students speaking at the conference. She owns and manages 40 head of cattle. She manages her own breeding program and plays an active role in artificial insemination and embryo transfers. She told attendees that she wants to have a career in agricultural education and said the program’s diversity has made her a better leader. “It’s allowed me to be able to talk to people who come from different backgrounds in agriculture whether it be row crops, whether it be livestock, whether it be just leadership development events,” she said. “It’s allowed me to see that even though we all do something different, we are still one as a team, and Clarksville FFA has taught me that

BANKING TEACHER OF OZARK. Tracy Lewis, an Ozark School District business teacher, described her school’s banking program, where students earn 12 hours of college credit going to banking classes and working as interns at Bank OZK. The school offers the classes as part of a partnership with the bank and with Arkansas Tech University – Ozark.

through the diversity that I see each and every day in the classroom.” Tracy Lewis, an Ozark School District business teacher, described her district’s banking program. It’s offered in partnership with Arkansas Tech University – Ozark and Bank OZK, which started in Ozark. Students earn six hours

of college credit through ATU – Ozark for taking two classes and earn another six hours of college credit for working as interns. The students work full-time during summers and part-time during the school year. A former banker, Lewis said she wanted students to have real-world experiences through their internships rather than perform menial tasks. Will Timmerman, a 2020 Ozark High graduate, told the conference he worked in the credit disputes department resolving customer payment discrepancies. He’s now the senior member of the collateral team responsible for answering emails over collateral questions. He was about to graduate with an associate’s degree in banking services – an education funded by Bank OZK – and was planning on earning a degree in agriculture business. Daniel Elder, another alumni, said his time as an intern was split between loan operations and insurance. He’s now working practically as a loan assistant at the Ozark branch of another bank. Participants also heard how DeQueen students are learning TV production while serving their community as a media source of information. Students are producing daily, weekly and monthly shows. Presentations also were made about afterschool programs by the McGehee Boys and Girls Club, the Mansfield School District, and Arkansas Life Skills for Youth in southwest Little Rock.

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Joint Leadership Conference

Empathy a discipline strategy Arkansas Teacher of the Year says building relationships is the key to reaching challenging students

Empathy can help teachers reach students by inspiring them to “touch the lines,” said Arkansas Teacher of the Year Susanna Post at the Joint Leadership Conference. The high school math teacher at the Belle Point Alternative Center in Fort Smith said she had known project-based learning can help close students’ opportunity and achievement gaps, but she believed something more was needed. She realized what was lacking when she heard a speaker describe empathy as a discipline strategy. “This was the big a-ha moment for me when I began to understand that the beauty of what was happening in my classroom went way beyond closing the opportunity gap. … It was about building relationships with kids,” she said. “And when she talked about empathy as a way to discipline rather than suspending kids, kicking kids out of class, that if we could just sidle up next to them and try to understand their trauma, try to understand their lived experiences, then maybe we could come up with creative ways to keep them … engaged.” Post said she realized she needed to get involved in students’ lives outside of the classroom. Students weren’t returning to class after spending time in a juvenile detention center, so she would go to them while they were still detained and give them what they called the “Mama Post talk.” She would sit on a stool, and they would put their hand on the glass to make a connection with her. There, she would tell them she expected them in class. “When the kids realized that I was willing to do life with them and go meet them in places like that, places where they could be really vulnerable, and when they realized that, yes, my expectations were here, no, you didn’t meet them, you screwed up again, but I want you at class in the morning, they rose to those expectations.” 18 June 2022 Report Card

TEACHER OF THE YEAR. Susanna Post, the Arkansas Teacher of the Year, said teachers must meet students in the places where they are vulnerable. The high school math teacher at the Belle Point Alternative Center in Fort Smith visits students when they are being held at the juvenile detention center. There, she gives them the “Mama Post talk,” explaining that she expects them back in class when they are released.

One such student was Amarious Owens, who had been kicked off the basketball team. He seemed to be doing OK in his credit recovery math class, but one day he bragged to her that he had developed a system for answering multiple choice questions that would get him to 60%. Post told the principal what she learned, which angered Owens because she had “snitched.” Post won back his trust by telling him the story of her own basketball coach – named Coach Murders – who made her and her teammates lift weights and touch every line when the players ran line drills. Post wanted Owens to learn integrity and perseverance, so he would start over and “touch every line” when it came to his own studies. After about a week, he told her he was ready. He wanted to play basketball his senior year. The end of his junior year, he was able to return to regular school, but he wasn’t sure if he would be allowed back on the team. Together, they composed the email he would send the coach. Owens wrote “Touch the line”

in the subject line. The coach accepted him back with the condition that he not miss any summer practices, which Post knew would be difficult because of his challenging home circumstances. Nevertheless, he succeeded and played his senior year as the point guard alongside future Razorback Jaylin Williams. When Post was nominated to be Teacher of the Year, she asked him to write a letter of recommendation for her. Post took an unlikely route to being Teacher of the Year. Intending to be a teacher, she had earned a math and education degree from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville in 2002. She then taught a year in North Carolina, but when she and her husband moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, she couldn’t land another teaching job and ended up working as an engineering technician in the oil and gas industry. She loved it and was making much more money than she had been as a teacher. When her husband got a job in Arkansas, they came home and she spent another five years working in that industry.

But when she taught Algebra II at a homeschool educational cooperative, she was rebitten by the teaching bug. At age 34, she told her husband she wanted to earn a master’s degree in teaching. She accepted a position teaching high school math at Belle Point, an alternative learning environment for students who had been kicked out of other schools, in the summer of 2016. She was entering unfamiliar territory. A minister’s wife, she had never known anyone who had gone to alternative school or been to jail. After her first day of teaching, she felt nauseous, she cried, and she told her husband she wanted out of her contract. But she also was determined not to be a quitter. She survived the quarter and soon was thriving. “I started building relationships with kids, and everything changed,” she said. “I wasn’t just surviving anymore. We were operating from a position of mutual respect. And after that first year, I knew I’d made the right choice, and

I would never go back to the business world.” Belle Point had received School Improvement Grant money for projectbased learning. Despite her lack of experience, she knew she wanted to teach students in a way where they were creating something, preferably with the involvement of community members, and it had to be engaging and relevant. She went to Orlando to learn how to do it and felt overwhelmed. She and the other math teachers were given two hours to come up with a project. She sat in a hallway in a comfortable chair trying to create one. Across the hallway, she saw a note written with the words “tattoo parlor.” She decided her students would learn geometry by designing tattoos. Artists came into the classroom, helped them with their designs, and educated them about the industry. “The adults that came into my classroom had experienced life in a way that I hadn’t, so they were able to teach my

students lessons that I could not,” she said. The students were engaged. They were coming into the classroom during their free time to do extra work. The end of the unit featured a competition where the winning design would be tattooed on Post’s mentor teacher. The winner was given information on a tattoo apprenticeship and taken to a restaurant. “That child was one of our most frequently incarcerated students,” Post said. “He was actually fresh out of jail, and he came in and was able to catch up on the math, create this tattoo and win. And that day that we went to lunch, he was there opening doors, responding with ‘yes, ma’am,’ ‘no, ma’am.’ He pulled out my chair. “I want to pause for a second and say that these students want to rise to meet our expectations. They have it in them. They want to do it – even the worst ones. But sometimes they just need a minute in the sunshine.”

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Cover / Saline County Career Campus

JOB SKILLS. Bryant High School seniors Caleb Heimbach, left, and Josh Bouley work on a student’s car that wouldn’t start because a rat had gnawed through the wiring. The commercial-grade garage features 10 lifts and modern diagnostic equipment. Bouley plans to become an automotive technician out of high school, while Heimbach will join the Navy and work on jets on an aircraft carrier.

Career tech county The six school districts with students in Saline County came together to support a sales tax funding a state-ofthe-art career center. Now those districts are working together to teach students skills that will make them employable out of high school and beyond. By Steve Brawner Editor

Bryant High School seniors Caleb Heimbach and Josh Bouley were repairing a student’s car that wouldn’t start because its wiring had been gnawed by a rat, and they were doing it in a new, state-of-the-art facility as part of their school day. 22 June 2022 Report Card

“Basically, we’ve spent this entire time looking at wire diagrams to find out which wires were chewed up, and then there was one wire that was stopping it from starting that wasn’t even on the diagram,” Heimbach said. “And it’s tucked under in this wheel well underneath all the plating down there. We’ve hunted down that wire, and it solved their issue.” Bouley wants to be a mechanic out of high school, so he’s getting a good start on his career. Heimbach ships out to the Navy July 27 to work on F-18 fighter jets stationed on aircraft carriers. “Same principles, different engine,” he said. The two are furthering their educations in a commercial-grade garage with two bays with five lifts each and modern diagnostic equipment.

But it’s not being operated by the Bryant School District. Instead, the two were learning alongside students from five other Saline County schools at the Saline County Career Technical Campus (SCCTC). The $43.5 million facility, which opened last fall, is the result of a unique partnership between the six districts, their administrators, the county, and Arkansas State University Three Rivers. Covering 134,159 square feet over four floor levels, it was constructed through a bond issue funded by a 3/8ths-cent sales tax that county voters passed in 2018. The SCCTC is a satellite of the Arkansas State University Three Rivers Career Center in Malvern, one of 30 career centers across Arkansas that are funded by a $20.4 million vocational center aid fund. Enrollment funding

that’s distributed to the schools helps cover instructional costs. The six school districts commit money according to their allotted head counts based on their student populations. Career centers everywhere Stephanie Isaacs, associate director of the Arkansas Office of Skills Development, said those centers make possible programs that can’t be offered even by large school districts. Most career centers are connected to community colleges where students can earn college credit at no cost. Some can earn associate’s degrees. Isaacs said one of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s initiatives when he came into office in 2015 was to ensure every district had access to a career center. At the time, 54 districts were unserved. Now there is one left, Piggott, but a satellite center managed by Black River Technical College will offer manufacturing and welding in a refurbished facility starting

hopefully in January. Those classes will be especially useful in a part of the state where manufacturing, particularly the steel industry, is growing. It’s the only career center funded by a county sales tax, but it’s not the only one that’s different. The Fort Smith School District operates the Peak Innovation Center, where 22 school districts can send students. Like Saline County’s, it’s affiliated with a college, the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, but unlike Saline County, it’s run by a single district. (Story, page 30.) Isaacs said the Saline County and Fort Smith centers offer advantages over their peers because they are bigger, newer and nicer. “They look to be the largest centers in the state just because you have beautiful new facilities where students want to go,” she said. “They want to go and get the very latest in technology. When you’re doing advanced manufacturing, you want to do it in a building where

you’ve got the latest technology, you’ve got beautiful lighting, just like the manufacturing facilities that we see across the state. Because it’s not your grandfather’s manufacturing anymore. Most of our manufacturing facilities across the state look like Peak, and they look like Saline County’s career center.” The SCCTC has an enrollment of more than 400 students, sophomore to senior. The goal next year is 600, but with returning students and a new cohort, 700 is a real possibility. Three groups of students attend class two hours a day; how they are transported is up to each individual district, as is how they are enrolled. It offers classes in seven program areas: health professions; computer networking; industrial technology; and what the school is calling its four “heavy trades” programs – welding, automotive, HVAC, and construction. Next year it will be adding two tracks, cybersecurity Continued on next page

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Cover / Saline County Career Campus and advanced manufacturing, which will be closely related to industrial technology. Advanced manufacturing students will take the same classes as industrial technology students for a year and then take their own classes in robotics, program logic controls and other subjects. All of the classes provide college credit, and students who complete a program earn a certificate of proficiency. In health professions, students can become certified nursing assistants. In industrial technology and HVAC programs, they become certified in AC/DC electric. In fact, the SCCTC had awarded just under 500 nationally recognized certifications in less than a school year when Report Card visited April 21. Students who complete the program receive a 50% scholarship to go to college at ASU Three Rivers. Scott Kuttenkuler, assistant vice chancellor, said industry professionals have said that OSHA 10 (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certifications can put students at the top of their hiring piles. “You give them an OSHA card, man, they’re taking selfies with it,” he said. “They’re fired up, because they’re like, I have a certification. I can put that on my resume today.” Kuttenkuler said employers are contacting the school looking for prospective employees. Officials from Hot Springs Village were scheduled to visit the school the same day Report Card visited. As the school evolves, officials will be bringing in industry to visit with students and help them sculpt their futures. Kuttenkuler said interest in workforce development programs has been increasing. “People are looking at some of these fields differently than they ever have,” he said. “Maybe it’s Mike Rowe with ‘Dirty Jobs.’ It’s just got people thinking about it because he’s a huge champion for the programs, and he’s saying, ‘Listen, you do not necessarily have to have a four-year degree. There are other paths with less debt, absolutely as much career reward, and demand out the wazoo.’” The SCCTC’s 12 faculty members have 234 years of industry experience between them. The school focused on 24 June 2022 Report Card

they miss, school officials will know to engage them. At the end of the program, the school will have a still-inthe-works endorsement regarding the students’ attendance. Kuttenkuler said a key to the school’s success is the fact that the six participating districts have committed to maintaining enrollment based on their student populations. Those include the four districts located entirely in Saline County: fastgrowing Bryant, which enrolls roughly 39% of the school’s students in each of the various programs; Benton, which has 23%; Bauxite, which has 10%; and Harmony Grove, which has 6%. It also includes two school districts headquartered in adjacent counties that have students living in Saline County: Sheridan, which has 17% EDUCATOR, EDUCATION TOOL. Assistant Vice Chancellor Scott of the SCCTC’s Kuttenkuler shows off the $43.5 million Saline County Career & student population; Technical Center. The building was designed to be a teaching tool in itself, with pipes left exposed and color-coded according and Glen Rose, to function. which has 5%. The distribution will change every two years hiring professionals who understand the based on changes to the districts’ sizes. trades, and then providing support for them to learn classroom management. No rivalries, no turf wars “The guys and gals that work here, With six districts sharing the SCCTC, they’ve lived in these worlds,” Kuttenthere could have been rivalries and kuler said. “They’re not reading a textturf wars. But so far, so good. The six book. They have been in the industry.” superintendents are part of an operatThe school has added a biometric finger scanner to help it take attendance. ing board chaired by the county judge and including three local business and School personnel will know if students industry leaders. They meet in a bright, were on time or if they missed a day. If

multi-colored room that at one time was nicknamed the “Skittles room.” After Kuttenkuler was hired, he scheduled one-on-one interviews with all the superintendents. “They all have the same view of the mission,” he said. “They know the commitments that they have made to be a part of it. I asked them, ‘What does winning look like?’ … They said, ‘A wait list in year two.’ Every single one of them. I mean, they knew what the goals were, and they’ve been nothing but supportive.” Having to mesh six districts could be a challenge, but Glen Rose Superintendent Tim Holicer said he has “not heard one cross word.” He said the program had “very typical, not-unusual-at-all first-year learning curves that have been, I think, gobbled up pretty nicely regardless of what we’re talking about.” Those challenges have included marrying the ASU system with the six high school systems, each of which may have

slightly different policies in areas like absenteeism, cell phones and masks. “When you look at how the school districts took up for what was important, which was the kids, the opportunities, things like this, never one time did I ever hear any rivalry whatsoever, ever. … In the long run, and I’m speaking from the superintendency only, it has been one of the easiest groups to work with that I have ever been around, ever. And this is the end of my 37th year,” he said. Holicer said the number of Glen Rose students interested in a career/technical education is probably doubling from about 25 this year to more than 50 for next year. Most will go to the SCCTC, while a few will go to the career and technical center located on the ASU Three Rivers campus in Malvern. The longstanding rivalry between Bryant and Benton, played out once a year in the Salt Bowl football game at War Memorial Stadium, is one of the most intense in the state, but that’s a

football game. Bryant’s superintendent, Dr. Karen Walters, said the superintendents have good professional and personal relationships. “We all get along well,” she said. “Salt Bowl is the one night of the year when we’re on opposite sides, but other than that, we hope each other’s kids do well.” For Bauxite, the 25-minute drive hasn’t been an issue. The school did some test runs beforehand to make sure it would work. It’s mostly juniors and seniors who will have enough credits to graduate, and the bus has wi-fi, so they can do schoolwork on their way. Previously, the district was sending career ed students to University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, so they were already traveling. Superintendent Matt Donaghy said the SCCTC has enabled Bauxite to offer classes it never would have been able to offer on its own. The district wants

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Cover / Saline County Career Campus students to treat the classes as work. Students are screened so that only those who are ready for that environment are sent. Donaghy said a couple of students withdrew from classes, which was fine. He sees it as just another step in their journey. “It’s a success to me if they go out there and they realize that they don’t want to spend the rest of their lives welding, or they don’t want to spend the rest of their lives doing HVAC work,” he said. Even a large school district like Bryant could not offer all the programs offered by the SCCTC. Bryant kept its own welding program because the number of slots at the SCCTC is limited for safety reasons. “I hope we max out all of our seats and have a waiting list,” Walters said. “I hope we’ve got partnerships with our local businesses because they’ve really been supportive in this endeavor.” Kuttenkuler said the automotive and welding programs fill up quickly and have waiting lists. Industrial technology tends to fill up more slowly, but he blames the name. It’s actually premechanical engineering where students gain electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, robotics and other skills. “Here’s somebody who wants to work with your hands and you want to know how the world works,” Kuttenkuler said. “That’s the program you want to be in.” The week after Report Card visited, high schools were scheduled to send groups of prospective students every day but Friday. Enrollment is ultimately expected to plateau at 850-900. Kuttenkuler said the student body is composed of a mix of students planning to go to college, to the workplace, or to the military. Matthew Cummings, assistant director and the school’s success coach, helps the students plan their next moves. In this first year, Bauxite had a few spots that it paid for but did not fill. Donaghy is hoping that’s not the case next year, and he’s trying to get the word out. At the beginning of this first year, the district took all certified and classified staff members for a tour of the SCCTC so everyone would better 26 June 2022 Report Card

SPARKING A FUTURE. Harmony Grove student Scott Howard grinds the coating off a piece of metal so he can weld it. Welding is one of center’s most popular programs.

understand its offerings. Many were parents and grandparents who could spread the word. It recently led next year’s 10th and 11th graders on a tour. At the moment, it’s not offering associate’s degrees. With the travel time and two-hour blocs of time, it’s hard to

get enough hours to do that and still earn a high school diploma. Some seniors need only to gain three credits: Math 4, English 4, and the SCCTC’s program. School officials have had conversations about offering the math and English credits on campus in its eight general

education classrooms, and then feeding students into an internship program where they work in an industry. The building itself serves as a teaching tool. The metal structural work and infrastructure are exposed. Welding students can evaluate the welds, while HVAC students can study the pipes. All the pipes are color-coded by function; there are 14 colors total. Informational plaques have been ordered that will be posted. The boiler-chiller room, the electrical room, and the data center are in a prominent place in the building and all behind glass so they can be seen. Recently, the boiler-chiller room had an issue with the condensate valve, which drains condensate from process lines and storage tanks. “Our industrial technology guy, he identifies it,” Kuttenkuler said. “He takes students with him to empty the condensate, whatever was going on. They fixed it. It’s up and running again, but our students are involved in that. Any time we have a contractor come out, whether it’s routine maintenance or a repair or something, we try to say, ‘Listen, work with our students. Take a couple of students with you. Just let them see you in action.’ And again, we use the building as a laboratory.” Names of famous Americans who’ve made significant contributions to society without earning a traditional four-year college degree are posted on the exterior walls. Murals depicting those same

types of people along with inspirational quotes from them are prominent in classrooms. The SCCTC plans to open the building to the community in the afternoons, weekends, and summers. A practical nursing program began in May, with hopes to grow it into a registered nurse program the next year. This summer, the school is offering college level welding classes. It’s partnering with local industries to offer certifications in various workforce areas. It’s also planning to offer community education classes within the next year to teach noncredit skills for personal enrichment. The program is still developing. Kuttenkuler and Cummings plan to take outof-state road trips to visit other career training centers this summer. “We want to go find these one-of-akind, world-class programs, learn about them, and then we call it ‘R and D’: ‘rip off and duplicate,’” he said. How it began The SCCTC got its start a decade ago as a local effort by the business community known as Saline 2020. Lamont Cornwell, executive director of the Saline County Economic Development Corporation, said the goal was to look ahead to what the county could be in 2020. Del Boyette, the former head of the Arkansas Economic Development Corporation, was hired to produce a report. After months of interviews and

study, in June 2013 his firm produced six proposals related to education, economic development, and other areas. The report sat on a shelf for about six months until Cornwell contacted the six chairs and suggested they focus on one of the six. They along with Jeff Collum, then the Benton School District superintendent and now the Conway superintendent, decided it would be career and technical training, reasoning that it would touch all six areas. Community leaders hired a consulting firm that spent about 18 months interviewing more than 180 businesses and working with local school districts along with nearby higher education institutions. “We found out that the business community wasn’t really talking to the educators, and the educators weren’t really talking to the business community,” Cornwell said. The consultants brought everyone together. Related entities were combined into groups that met with local employers, including a well-known local HVAC company and a large auto dealership. The groups imagined 8-10 programs for grades 10-12. Meanwhile, community leaders traveled to career centers in surrounding states, including an impressive facility in Frisco, Texas. From there, the effort had to overcome numerous hurdles. Since the process began, a new county judge has been elected and superintendents have come

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Report Card June 2022 27

Cover / Saline County Career Campus and gone. The concept had to be associated with a post-secondary institution. Cornwell contacted Steve Rook, chancellor of what is now known as ASU Three Rivers. It had the right to serve Saline County students for job training purposes, but it was in the process of being taken over by either the Arkansas State or University of Arkansas systems, so that uncertainty had to be resolved. The Department of Career Education board had to approve the formation of a satellite campus. With help from the governor, it happened. Legislation had to be passed to allow a center not attached to a school district or higher education institution to receive vocational center aid funding. Rep. Lanny Fite, R-Benton, Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, and others pushed the legislation through in 2021. “I just can’t even begin to tell you how many times we got off in the ditch along the way to get this thing done,” Cornwell said. To pay for the facility and the initial equipment, Saline County citizens would be asked to pass a $43.5 million bond issue funded by a 3/8ths cent sales tax. The quorum court agreed to include the tax increase on the ballot in 2018 but declined to do it through a special election. The tax amounted to 37 cents for every $100 spent at a store. That was the sales pitch, along with the mantra, “Train Saline, Stay Saline.” At time, Saline County was one of only two in the state that didn’t have a county sales tax. Bryant’s Walters noted that no one in Saline County wants to pay higher taxes, but voters were persuaded through the campaign. At public meetings, patrons were shown a schematic drawing and told how the programs would prepare students for high-wage, high-need jobs. “It was one of those things that kind of sold itself,” she said. “We didn’t really have to do a lot of convincing.” The tax passed with more than 54% support. Stephens Inc. floated the bonds. Supporters chose to do a taxable bond with a slightly higher interest rate that gave them more freedom to accept donated equipment and make other decisions. The 30-year bond was expected to be paid off in 12-15 years, but with Saline County’s population and economic 28 June 2022 Report Card

CAREER PREP. Top, Bauxite High School senior Andy Paschal, a student in the industrial technology program, controls the speed of a motor. He wants to go into industrial engineering after earning an engineering degree. Above, Kennedi Miller of Bryant works with a “patient” in the health professions program.

growth, it’s now expected to happen in about eight years. When the bond is paid off, the tax sunsets. Cornwell said the effort waited almost a year before starting construction to allow 100% of the drawings to be completed. It didn’t want change orders and wanted to come in under budget. A

27-acre plot of land was selected that was affordable, had utilities, and would be centrally located to all the participating districts. Ground was broken in January 2020. The building was designed to be flexible and adaptable as workforce needs change. Five acres remain undeveloped and ready for expansion.

“A lot of these projects, they stumble in three places,” Kuttenkuler said. “One is the debt service on the building. The Saline County voters covered that for us. Then there’s the cost of the equipment. Saline County voters, at least this first wave, they covered it. And then it’s enrollment, and the schools have committed to the levels of enrollment. So the biggest three challenges that similar places to us run into, we have with a unique design tried to solve for that.” Asked how other counties could duplicate Saline County’s success, Bauxite’s Donaghy said they should tour successful career and technical centers, as Saline County did. He said leaders should be passionate and patient; it can take years to make something like this happen. The school districts need to work together at various levels. “There’s a lot of big rivalries out there, and unfortunately sometimes those rivalries get in the way of what’s best for students and communities, but that’s definitely not the case here in Saline County,” he said. John Westbrook, the industrial technology instructor, has 27 years in industrial engineering experience, but in high school he wanted to be a history teacher. Instead, he started working as an electrical apprentice and never went back. Now, he gets to do both. In his industrial technology program, major subjects include hydraulics, pneumatics, motor control, electricity,

blueprint design, and automation. To solidify what they were learning, students built an obstacle course for the Arkansas 4H STEM underwater robotics program simulating a battery charge on the International Space Station. One room features a mini-plant that simulates areas of manufacturing. Westbrook described his six students as “very self-directed.” One wants to be an engineer, one wants to be an electrical linemen, three want to be electricians, and one “wants to work on everything we have here in the plant,” he said. Carter Roberts, a Bryant High School senior, plans to work in an industrial plant after he graduates from high school. He said the SCCTC has given him experience and training that will benefit him later. He already had interviews lined up and said he “can’t wait” to enter the workplace. “This is what I enjoy,” he said. “It’s not necessarily for the money. It’s just … my passion, really.” Bauxite High School senior Andy Paschal wants to go into industrial engineering after earning an engineering degree. “This is the class that I wish I had had a long time ago,” he said. In another part of the building, students were working with high-end welding tools. Thirty-six stations are ready for students to learn. Electrical substations were installed in the middle

of each of the bays so new equipment can be added quickly. Students learn all types of welding in the two-year program. Instructor James DuBose said he tries to strike a balance between preparing future welders for the workplace and not setting the bar so high that he discourages students who just want to learn a skill. “I tell them I don’t want to hold them back,” he said. “We’ll go as far as they want to go. I’ve got this core structure that they have to complete to pass the course. If a student keeps going, they want to keep going. I’m not going to hold them back. … But if I set the bar too high, my students that are just wanting to learn as a hobby, it’ll set them up for failure, so I don’t want to do that. I try to meet everybody’s needs on that.” The automotive program is served by a commercial grade garage with 10 lifts, five on each side. Students are being taught how to read an instrument panel, write tickets, send them to the work station, work on the vehicle and then report back. A final exam involved taking apart and reassembling the brakes on five cars, one at a time, all of them with different setups. “In traditional education, it’s A, B, C, D, F format,” Kuttenkuler said. “[The instructor’s] is, it’s really more of a pass-fail approach. If you’re a mechanic, you don’t want 70% quality of work. You either did it right, or you didn’t.” UA Little Rock Library Learning Commons werarch.com

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Report Card June 2022 29

Peak Innovation Center

Partnership helps students peak A newly opened career center in Fort Smith is giving students an opportunity to learn skills in robotics, nursing, IT and more. Funded partly by Fort Smith taxpayers, it’s open to all the school districts in the 22-member educational cooperative.

Fort Smith students are preparing for their futures in a newly renovated career center that’s funded partly by a local millage increase and shared with 21 other districts. The Peak Innovation Center serves all the school districts who are part of the Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative. About 200 juniors and seniors spent either the first half or the second half of the school day at Peak this spring. Students this year could earn concurrent credit and earn certifications in one of eight pathways that are part of three programs, and those opportunities will grow in the coming years. The advanced manufacturing program includes pathways in computer-integrated machining, robotics and automation, and electronics technology. The health sciences program includes licensed professional nurse and certified nursing assistant pathways. Next year, an emergency medical technician certification will be offered. Finally, Peak offers an information technology program where students can study network engineering technology and unmanned aerial systems. A fourth program, visual arts, will start in the fall of 2023. Peak exists as a partnership between Fort Smith Public Schools, the Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative, the Western Arkansas Technical Center, or WATC, and the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. Fort Smith Public Schools and WATC each year develop a memorandum of understanding for the concurrent classes program. The school district provides the building, equipment, maintenance and operation. Classes are taught by UAFS instructors. Construction was funded in part by a 5.558-mill increase passed by Fort 30 June 2022 Report Card

PEAK’S HOME. UAFS instructor Randy Kent, right, assists London Starr, middle, and Miguel Solis as they program an ABB robot during their Robot Programming 2 course at the Peak Innovation Center. Photo courtesy of University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.

Smith Public Schools patrons in May 2018 that will raise $121.6 million for safety and security needs, technology and other priorities. Of that amount, $13.7 million was dedicated to Peak. The millage passed with more than 60% support. Other school districts in the cooperative can participate, even though the millage was levied only on Fort Smith district residents. Not every district participates, and some send only a small number of students. Those districts contribute to the program’s instructional costs by paying a fee to WATC. “People who are employed here come from all around this region, and I think the attitude we’ve had is that rising tides raise all ships,” said Dr. Gary Udouj, Fort Smith Public Schools’ director of career education and district innovation. “So if we can do this and we can provide this, and we can serve those students who eventually are going to come work in Fort Smith, it’s going to be good for the whole region.” Udouj was on the team that hired the machining and information technology instructors. In both cases, the team was

looking for professionals with industry experience who maybe had a teaching background. The information technology professor was from Arkansas and had both: He had worked in the field, and he had taught at Arkansas Tech University – Ozark. He also is from Arkansas. The machining instructor had spent 20 years in the industry and was passionate about training the next generation. After a nationwide search, it came down to a choice between a candidate from Van Buren and a candidate from North Carolina. The committee chose the local resident. Udouj said the school extended the application process for those positions. “You have to find the right person that has a passion for it and maybe is looking for a change, or [wants] some of the other quality-of-life things that education can offer, like some time off in the summer or not having to work 18hour days,” he said. Peak is housed in a 180,000-squarefoot former shoe factory that was donated by the estate of William Hutcheson Jr. So far, half has been renovated. The facility was supposed to open

at the beginning of the school year, but construction issues delayed its opening until March 28. Until then, students had attended classes at UAFS. The building has also benefited from numerous major donations, including a $1.4 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration, $1 million from local motor manufacturer ABB for construction and equipment, and another $1 million from the Gene Haas Foundation to expand the computer-integrated machining lab. Mercy Hospital and Baptist Health jointly donated $1 million to the health sciences program. The construction includes a community room funded with help from a $1 million donation from ArcBest, a freight and logistics company headquartered in Fort Smith. It will serve as a space where student meetings and expos can be held. Udouj said the room will bring local residents to Peak so they can see what programs are available. “There’s a lot of misconception and just older, outdated thinking about what manufacturing looks like, and so we’ve got to win over parents and community members on the value of this,” he said. Peak is the result of Vision 2023, a community-wide effort by Fort Smith Public Schools to set a course for the district’s future. A 57-person Citizens Committee focused on issues facing the region. The Chamber of Commerce hired a consultant to do a study on

careers in Fort Smith. Issues that emerged included an aging workforce, selective migration with millennials, and key sector areas where growth was needed to close the skills gap. One area of focus was the need for career planning, and one idea to address that need was a career and technical center. WATC and UAFS were already offering a concurrent credit and tech- PEAK’S HOME. Students moved into the Peak Innovation Center March 28. Photo courtesy of Fort Smith Public nical certification program. Schools. Rather than compete, Udouj for them as they enter the ninth grade. said the district decided to partner. Sixth grade students take a nine-week Some students will graduate high school with 30 hours of college credit or class, Career Awareness. Seventh graders take a semester class known as Camore. One student completed an associate’s degree in high school in unmanned reer Exploration. Eighth-graders spend a year in a Career Connections class. The aerial systems. three classes build on each other and “He actually graduated from the help the district work with students to university with an associate’s the week create their state-required student sucbefore he got his high school diploma,” cess plans. Students undergo an interests Udouj said. and aptitude assessment to help them For now, the focus is on letting students earn industry recognized certifica- explore potential careers. Students can have a four-year plan tions and the technical certificates and with room to explore and change their certificates of proficiency that proceed mind. In the ninth grade, they can take them. Uduoj said awarding more associate’s degrees is part of Peak’s future foundational classes that will prepare them for more advanced classes at Peak plans. their junior and senior years. The district In fact, Fort Smith Public Schools is is even considering moving the career trying to make earning an associate’s exploration process down to the elemendegree a district-wide initiative where students would have a clear path laid out tary level in the future.

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Report Card June 2022 31

EXECUTIVE SESSION with

Jerry Daniels

By Steve Brawner Editor

When Jerry Daniels does something, he does it for a long time. The president of the Warren School Board has been serving his school district for 32 years. He retired last year from Potlatch Deltic, a timber company, after 44 years. He’s been a basketball referee for about 25 years. He and his wife recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. Daniels has seen a lot in his 32 years on the school board – especially lately. Last year, voters approved a 5-mill increase to pay for a new elementary school and arena. On March 30, Warren High School was damaged by a fire. The next day, Warren graduate and former Arkansas Razorback Treylon Burks was drafted in the first round by the Tennessee Titans football team. Report Card sat down with Daniels in the district’s administration building and then accompanied him on a tour of the campus, including the arena that’s being built and the high school that recently burned. We talked about what he’s learned in 32 years, about the fire, about Burks, and about why he wanted to make sure this article mentions his granddaughter, Audrey. You were born and raised here. What was it like growing up? “The typical South. You grew up in segregated neighborhoods. I went to a segregated school until I was sixth grade. … We integrated, I want to think it was ’70, 1970 or ’71. Well, actually, the law integrated us before that. We just actually did it then. So it was OK. Even when we got together, it was good. 32 June 2022 Report Card

We’ve got a good mixture of people here. We get along.” Why do you think it went well? “I think at that time because of our leader, Mr. [Thomas] Brunson, who was the superintendent of the black school. I think he did a good job of preparing us for when the integration actually came. Then he ended up being the assistant superintendent, so we had somebody in place in a position of power, and that made it better for us. … We’ve still got one of our schools named after him.” What was your childhood like? “My dad worked at the [Potlatch] mill; all of my uncles and family worked

at the mill. When I graduated from high school, I went to [University of Arkansas at Monticello] for a couple of semesters. I came home one day, and my dad says, ‘I’ve got you a job.’ I said, ‘I wasn’t looking for a job.’ He said, ‘You need a job.’ I go out, and then I start at the mill. No interview, no nothing. He just told them, ‘I’ve got a son that needs a job,’ and I started work.” Did you go back to UAM? “I went back to UAM probably for another year or so, and then a job came open that I wanted and thought would be a great job. That job lasted three years and then it left, so I started back over again in the mill working.”

What did you start out doing the second time you went to work for Potlatch? “The second time I went to the drop sorter. That’s where the lumber comes out. We keep it straightened, we empty the buggies, and when we get it empty, we push it back in. Then it starts back dropping lumber back in it again.” How many years were you total at Potlatch? “Forty-four years. … I retired last year.” What do I not know about the lumber industry that I should know about? “[Laughs.] I’ll tell you what you don’t know about it. When I initially got started, there were 1,200 people working for the mill. Now, there’s less than 300, and it puts out three times more lumber than it did with the 1,200.” You’re really big on longevity, right? “I’m big on longevity. I spoke at a church once, and I mentioned the fact that I had been married about 34, 35 years at that time. Just Monday, my wife and I celebrated our 41st anniversary. I referee high school basketball. I’ve done that for 25 years. ... School board service, at that time it was 20-something years. Then I told them that, ‘And I’ve been black for 50-something years,’

however it was, and they kind of had a little laugh about that. But yeah, everything I’ve done, it’s been longevity.”

The abuse, yeah. You completely slough it off your shoulder? “Off my shoulder.”

Is it becoming harder to be a referee? “Yes.”

Doesn’t it ever bother you? “No. Now, if I think I missed one, that bothers me, but it doesn’t bother me when they think I missed one. There’s a difference in what they think and what I think.”

How’s that? “It’s due to parenting more than anything because everybody wants their kid to be a star. There was a time referees were respected, and now we’re not. I think that came with the time as the more TV exposed basketball, it showed how people actually act at games. They take what they see on TV, and they take it to high school games, and it’s not really necessary. I used to call a lot of AAU ball, but ... I decided to quit that.” How do you make those decisions on the court so quickly? You could call a foul on every play if you chose to. How do you make the judgment call? “You have in your mind what needs to happen for you to make a call. You have in your mind, did he bump the player before the shot? Did he bump him during the shot? Was there a bump bad enough to cause him to miss his shot? It’s just judgment. You replay it over and over in your head, and we watch film.” Does it ever hurt your feelings? “That they boo?”

You’re OK with them expressing that opinion. “Yeah. As a matter of fact, sometimes I actually, back in my younger days, I actually liked it.” Why’s that? “You don’t do what I do unless you have a bit of cockiness. [Laughs.] You have to have some cockiness, and I’ve had to tone that cockiness down.” You don’t strike me as being very cocky. “I’ve been cocky. I’ve been cocky.” Why have you stuck with school board service so long? “I got on it initially because I was asked. My daughter started school the first year I was a board member, and I just stayed there. I said I was going to stay there till she got out of school. Well then, nobody would ever run against me, so I just stayed there.

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Executive Session “Initially, I think I was involved in some major decisions by being on it. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Andrew Tolbert. He was a superintendent here for 13 years. He came and he really taught us how to be a board member because we didn’t know.”

The elementary school that we “ have is maybe two or three years

older than I am. We’ve patched and patched and patched, and we just got to the point where you have to do something. The Warren people are some proud folks. They’re proud, and they love their school system. They want to see our kids in nice buildings and nice arenas, and they don’t mind paying the millage increase for it.

You have a veteran board. Is it a good thing to have everybody there for a long time? “I think so. I think so. You don’t have board members with agendas. These guys don’t have agendas. We just want to make the school run as smooth as it can, assisting the superintendent as much as we can, however much he needs us or what he needs us to do.” Tell me about the fire. “The fire, it was kind of odd. It was one of those days with thundering and lightning going on. Then I heard sirens. In Warren, you can hear a siren in every part of town that you’re in, so you hear the siren go off and then I get a phone call that said the school’s on fire. I said, ‘The school’s on fire?’ So I get down there, and that back end of it … it was smoking really bad, and then we started to see the fire come out the top.” So you were watching it burn? “I was watching it burn.” What were you thinking at the time? “I was thinking, ‘Wow.’ What are we going to do to get these kids back in school, and how quick can we get it done? But our superintendent did a marvelous job, he and his staff, of getting the right people in, getting the things that we needed. We had some space in places. We had classes in the multipurpose building, in the little dressing room down at the football field.” It happened during the day. “It happened during the afternoon. There were three people in the building. Two of our janitors and one of our maintenance men were in the building when it caught, and that building’s so old, we didn’t have a sprinkler system in it.”

34 June 2022 Report Card

”

How did it catch fire? “Through the thermostat on the wall, and it was just some mats where cheerleaders flip and turn in that gymnasium, right down under that thermostat. You could see the fire falling down on it when we replayed the cameras. You could see it.” So you had class? “We shut down all of the classes for a while because all the electricity over there is hooked up together, so we got that done. Then we were out of class for maybe a week, and then we were back in class.” Did you go to remote learning? “No, no, no. We just got ourselves in position to get back in class.” What are you going to do? I guess get the plans together and build a new high school? “Well, I don’t think we’re going to be able to build a new one. We’re going to rebuild that one. A new high school would cost us about $25 to $30 million, and our insurance won’t cover that.” You can renovate what you’ve got. “We’re going to renovate what we’ve got. That’s what they’re telling us we can do.”

You can’t go to the state and get partnership money? “Well, I’m sitting there yesterday listening to these legislators. … I got a little warm and wanted to say some things, but I just held on that. It seems that you ought to be able to get some kind of catastrophic money or something for something like that.” Schools have had to be so flexible the past couple of years. Did that help you be flexible this time? “I think it did. We struggled with getting teachers there during the pandemic. We had teachers out, but we found a way to make it work, and we taught kids. That’s one of the things that I admire most about our leadership was that we stayed in school and we found a way to have teaching and learning, so that was good.” You did not have remote learning this year. Why not? “We trusted administration. We trusted our superintendent, and he kept us focused. Every month we would decide what we were going to do, were we going to stay open or go remote or whatever. In our area, virtual is really not that good, not for us, not here. … Internet activity is weak, so we tried to keep them here as much as we could.” In addition to the high school, you’ve got another school going up. “Got an elementary school, yes.” How did you all decide to build an elementary school and an arena? “The elementary school that we have is maybe two or three years older

than I am. [Laughs.] We’ve patched and patched and patched, and we just got to the point where you have to do something. The Warren people are some proud folks. They’re proud, and they love their school system. They want to see our kids in nice buildings and nice arenas, and they don’t mind paying the millage increase for it.” How hard was it to ask your patrons for a millage increase? “It wasn’t hard at all because every time you talked to somebody, [they said] ‘When are y’all going to replace some of those old buildings?’ That’s the conversation we had.” Typically when you include an arena or an auditorium or fine arts with a millage request, the chances of it passing go down. Did including the arena make it harder? “I think the gymnasium, which I’d like for you to see it, you’d see why we needed a gymnasium.” And your patrons were aware that other districts … “Our patrons, yes. Fordyce has a nice gymnasium over there. Hampton has built one over here. Star City has built a gymnasium. We needed an arena for, say, graduation, when it rains. We usually do it out on the football field. Then if it rained, we had to go to the … cultural center over here. We’d have to do it there, and then half of the people can’t get in for graduation.” You’re the first Executive Session subject since ASBA joined the Consortium of State School Boards Associations. What are your hopes for the Consortium? “I hope we can do a good job of educating board members because it takes time to actually learn everything about being a board member. Because I came in with that cockiness. I was going to change the world. I didn’t care. We were going to do stuff the right way, and you don’t even know what’s right until you’re taught what’s right. Now I’m that guy that everybody calls and says, ‘This happened here. What do we need to do?’”

What was Treylon Burks like as a student? “Treylon was the perfect kid from the beginning. He was an honor student all the way through junior high and elementary school. He was one of those kids that came and really worked hard to be as good as he is, and then when he got the size and the speed and all, he was just an unbelievable athlete. We’ve had three other guys go to pros before him, but he’s the best of the litter. He’s pretty good.” What do you think about Warren and the school system helped him get to where he is? “I think Warren was ideal for him because we nurtured him and we took care of him. His grandpa worked for the school for forever, so everybody knew him, and we made sure that we took care of him.” I guess the whole community’s really proud of this? “Yes, yes. We’re already thinking about a Treylon Burks Day. I had one of the representatives ask me about that the other day. He said, ‘We’ve got to have one,’ and I said, ‘We’ll get one started.’ And he said, ‘Don’t worry about the money. We’ll take care of it.’”

You’ve spent 32 years on the school board. How many years are you going to keep doing this? Are you going for 40? “I don’t think I’ll go for 40. I think once we get everything constructed, I think I’m going to go away. Go away. Let them have it. I think I’ve paid my dues. I think I’ve given the best I could give for this board, this school, and this community.” You have kids? “I have kids. I’ve got a son, Patrick. Let’s see. I’m 64. That means he’s 45. And I’ve got a daughter, Ashley. Patrick’s in Milwaukee. Ashley’s in Little Rock. She works in HR at Simmons Bank. “I’ve got a granddaughter, and please make sure you mention Audrey, my granddaughter. She’s seven, and if I’ve talked to somebody and her name’s not mentioned, I’m going to be in trouble. Audrey’s my grand.” So she’s got you kind of wrapped around her little finger? “That’s it. That’s my girl. That’s my girl.” Note: Executive Session is edited for length, style and clarity.

FRENCH ARCHITECTS ARCHITECTS I DESIGNERS I INTERIORS 827 CENTRAl AvE ST. B I HOT SpRINGS I AR I 71901 DAVID@FRENCHARCHITECTS.NET

FRENCHARCHITECTS

Report Card June 2022 35

Marketplace

The latest news from Report Card’s advertisers

Nabholz’s service group helped construct the Fayetteville Montessori School’s courtyard.

Nabholz can help schools incorporate natural elements

Nabholz’s service group specializes in small-scale renovations such as incorporating natural elements into school design, a trend that is gaining traction in K-12 design. Besides being esthetically pleasing, data backs up the value of prioritizing natural materials in design. A study by the Heschong Mahone Group in 1999 found that students with the most natural daylight in their classrooms progressed 20% faster in mathematics and 26% faster in reading tests during a year’s time than students with less natural daylight. Integrating natural elements doesn’t have to equate to tearing down facilities and starting from scratch. Rather, making manageable changes still has positive effects. Students can benefit from LED lights that mimic the sun, changing their color over the course of the day, wall art with natural themes, incorporating planter boxes, and painting walls green. Summer is the perfect time to make these design changes. Partnering with an established contractor like Nabholz can help school districts reap the most benefits while working within their budget and time frame. For more information about Nabholz, go to nabholz.com or call 877.NABHOLZ.

McPherson leads TIPS in Arkansas

TIPS’ Mickey McFatridge has retired after a long career of service to educa36 June 2022 Report Card

tion. Now his legacy has been passed to Stacey McPherson, who shares Mickey’s passion for helping others. TIPS sales continue to grow in Arkansas thanks partly to its partners who promote TIPS contracts to the schools of Arkansas: the Arkansas School Boards Association and its executive director, Dr. Tony Prothro; and the Dawson Education Cooperative and its executive director, Darin Beckwith. McPherson For more information about TIPS, contact Stacey McPherson at 870.565.6178 or stacey. mcpherson@tips-usa.com.

American Fidelity now serving Drew Central, Springdale

American Fidelity has recently added two school districts, Springdale and Drew Central, to its list of Arkansas partners. The company helps school districts with Section 125 plan benefits that use payroll-deducted pretax money to pay for various employee benefits. Among the benefits offered are flexible spending accounts, dependent care reimbursement, health savings accounts, cancer and accident indemnity benefits, hospital indemnity benefits, disability, life insurance, and 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity plans, which are available for public schools and certain charities. For more information about American Fidelity’s offerings, call 800.688.4421.

Farmington breaks solar farm ground with Entegrity’s help An energy savings project managed by Entegrity will help the Farmington School District reduce costs – guaranteed. The board and administrators gathered April 8 to break ground on one of the district’s new solar arrays. Located

adjacent to the high school, the 499-kW array is one of three renewable energy installations underway that will help the district accomplish its goals to operate sustainably and create savings for salary initiatives. With the implementation of solar and other key energy-efficient upgrades, the project is guaranteed by Entegrity to produce savings of nearly $300,000 annually. To learn more, contact Entegrity at info@entegritypartners.com or visit www.entegritypartners.com.

Baldwin & Shell wins construction excellence awards

Baldwin & Shell Construction took home seven 2022 Excellence in Construction awards given annually by the Associated Builders & Contractors of Arkansas Four of the awards were for educational projects across the state. Those were Fort Smith Southside High School’s additions and renovations; Fort Smith South Side’s arena; the Don Tyson School of Innovation – phase 2; and, pictured above, Sylvan Hills High School’s new classroom and dining buildings, indoor practice facility, performance arts center, and multi-purpose arena. In March, ABC Arkansas announced the winning categories. For more information about Baldwin & Shell, go to baldwinshell.com

ARBuy helps local agencies shop statewide contracts

The state of Arkansas has implemented ARBuy, a new e-procurement system, with the goals of transforming the procurement and purchasing processes for state departments, state entities and local governments, and helping vendors do business with Arkansas government more effectively by creating efficiencies and eliminating paper-based documents. ARBuy features an innovative procurement tool called the Marketplace, which includes a plethora of statewide contracts for local governments to shop at no cost. The Marketplace shopping experience will provide easy searching and buying from statewide contracts, resulting in good spend data for strategic sourcing and savings to the state. ARBuy increases competition by making it easy and transparent for suppliers to do business with the state. To learn more about how to shop statewide contracts through ARBuy and Marketplace, contact Reid Hall, government account manager, at 844.470.5021 or at www.periscopeholdings.com/arbuy.

Architecture Plus designs Springdale junior high school

Architecture Plus is designing a new 850-student Central Junior High School for the Springdale School District to replace the current facility.

The work will be accomplished in four phases to allow teaching to continue during the construction process. The new two-story classroom wing will be constructed first and will house 50 classrooms. Phase 2 includes administration, student dining, and vocal and band rooms, along with a P.E. gym and locker rooms. Phases 3 and 4 will include a new media center and renovations to the existing competition Conceptual Designgym. For more information about Architecture Plus, Inc., visit archplusinc.net.

EXTERIOR VIEW 1

grade classrooms, media center, computer lab, administrative offices, music and art classrooms, kitchen/student dining, and a gymnasium and PE4Life room. The second floor plan includes third grade through fifth grade classrooms, collaboration space, and professional learning space. For more information about Hight Jackson, call 479.464.4965 or go to www.hjarch.com.

French Architects designs addition at Centerpoint

French Architects has designed new classrooms at Centerpoint Elementary School that will be added to the existing school designed by French Architects in 2015 and completed in 2016. Using CARES Act/ESSER educational emergency relief funding, Centerpoint has added four new classrooms to its elementary campus, including two new kindergarten classrooms and two new first, second, or third grade classrooms. For more information about French Architects, email David French at david@frencharchitects.net, or check out the firm’s Facebook page.

Hight Jackson designs elementary school for Rogers

Hight Jackson designed Rogers Elementary School #17, which is in the final design phase and is scheduled to open in August 2024. The 92,840-square-foot school will be home to kindergarten through fifth grade students. The first floor plan includes kindergarten through second

C.R. Crawford, NWA Nationals honor area teachers

As a tribute to thank teachers for the incredible impact they have in their communities, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and C.R. Crawford Construction recently recognized a teacher from 10 different area school districts on Opening Night at Arvest Ballpark. Each nominated teacher received a prize pack of goodies and a fun night at the ballpark. “Our educators deserve endless appreciation,” said Leigh Ann Showalter, C.R. Crawford K-12 industry project executive. “And we are thrilled to partner with school districts across the state to honor teacher excellence in any way we can.” For questions about C.R. Crawford contact Leigh Ann Showalter at lshowalter@crcrawford.com or Jordan Ligon at jligon@crcrawford.com.

Continued on next page

Report Card June 2022 37

Marketplace

BXS Insurance rebranding as Cadence Insurance

BXS Insurance recently announced the organization will undergo a rebrand to Cadence Insurance in July 2022. The change is subject to regulatory approval. It follows the merger of Cadence Bancorporation into BancorpSouth Bank, with BancorpSouth as the surviving company, in October 2021. BXSI President and CEO Markham McKnight said that while the BXSI name is changing, “our team is not.” “Our clients and industry partners won’t see a disruption as the same teams they’ve known and worked with are still here to serve their needs,” he said. “The Cadence Insurance name reflects an evolution in our organization and an exciting future that is grounded in our commitment to our clients.” For more information about BXS Insurance’s offerings, contact Bill Birch at 800.358.7741 or at Bill.Birch@bxsi. com.

Texarkana Recreation Center. We also use our food truck for other community outreach purposes like feeding kids at P.R.I.D.E Academy sponsored by the Texarkana, Arkansas Police Dept.” Chartwells has many innovative ways to address school districts’ specific summer feeding program needs. To learn more about Chartwells, contact Kellye Neal at 501.615.3660 or at kellye.neal@compass-usa.com.

SchoolEats’ What’s Cooking teaches nutrition lessons

What’s Cooking? Well, if you ask Des Arc, Hoxie, or Rivercrest school districts, they might say delicious fruit pizzas or veggie sushi by SchoolEats’ Chef Jonathon Koon. SchoolEats programs such as What’s Cooking educate students on the importance of good nutrition and invite them to try something new while interacting with a professional chef. To learn more about SchoolEats and what it can do for your school district, contact Kellye Neal at 501.615.3660 or at kellye.neal@compass-usa.com.

Chartwells helps Texarkana meet summer food needs

If you visit Texarkana this summer, it won’t be hard to find the Texarkana School District food truck managed by Chartwells as it makes its rounds distributing summer meals to students. “Besides using two of our cafeterias as locations where students can come in and pick up a meal this summer, our food truck will be setting up and serving meals where our students are out in the community,” said Chartwells District Manager Erica York. “We plan for the food truck to stop at multiple locations each day – places such as apartment complexes, housing authorities, and the 38 June 2022 Report Card

modus studio designs Greenland central office

Greenland School District has completed construction on its new

3,200-square-foot central office building designed by Fayetteville architecture firm modus studio. The new facility includes five offices, a work room, and a board room that also serves as a multi-purpose space for the district. A double-height lobby connects to a “front porch” entry space while dividing the private office functions from the board room. A modernly composed brick facade complements the character of the other buildings on campus, while the interior spaces are flooded with natural light through the use of etched glazing. For more information about modus studio, go to www.modusstudio.com or call 479.455.5577.

Stephens can help schools with filings for disclosures

Continuing disclosure annual report filings are due by September 28, 2022, and Stephens Inc., can help school districts with that task. When most districts issue bonds, they agree to provide certain annual financial information to investors. This is known as a continuing disclosure agreement. If a district fails to comply, it is in breach of the CDA and could possibly face adverse consequences from investors and/or regulators. Increased enforcement of securities regulations makes it imperative that districts stay current with their financings’ continuing disclosure requirements. As part of its services, Stephens offers dedicated continuing disclosure services for school districts. Once engaged, Stephens collects and compiles data and prepares an annual financial information report to meet a district’s requirements. It helps the district be certain that all filings are in compliance with regulations. By entering into a legal contract with Stephens, the district can demonstrate to investors and regulators that it has taken formal steps to engage a third party to provide these services. For more information about this requirement, districts should contact their Stephens advisor or Michael McBryde at michael.mcbryde@stephens.com.

WER Architects designs alternative roof to save funds

Working with school districts to maximize projects over summer break is a process that the WER Architects design team is very familiar with. Over the past few months, it has been working closely with Little Rock School District leadership on the replacement of the roof at Jefferson Elementary School. As everyone is aware, the supply chain market is a challenge for everyone right now. With its knowledge and experience, the WER team has been able to design the project with alternative roofing systems and materials to make it both cost efficient and work in conjunction with the district’s

ESSER-funded project schedule. For more information about WER Architects, go to www.werarch.com.

Homeland says schools should have security plan

The 2021 School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) has $53 million available for funding. The SVPP is a competitive award program that provides funding to improve security. The funds must be used for the benefit of K-12 schools and must fall under the following purpose areas: coordination with local law enforcement; training for local law enforcement; place-

Commercial Affiliates

ment and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and any other measure that may provide a significant improvement in security. Homeland Safety Systems, LLC, emphasizes continuous security assessments, routine trainings, and system reviews with law enforcement/security providers to maintain an up-to-date security plan. Homeland encourages schools to implement these emergency preparedness strategies to promote and maintain a safe learning environment for all staff and students. Visit HomelandSafetySystems.com or call 888.909.2261 for more information.

ASBA thanks its premier partners and other commercial affiliates for their support.

Premier Partners

Contact

Phone

Website

American Fidelity

Lisa Boone

800.688.4421

Lisa.Boone@americanfidelity.com

americanfidelity.com

Apptegy

David Rutledge

501.613.0370

David.rutledge@apptegy.com

www.apptegy.com

Baldwin & Shell Construction Company

Bobby Gosser

501.374.8677

bgosser@baldwinshell.com

www.baldwinshell.com

BXS

Bill Birch

501.614.1170

bill.birch@bxsi.com

www.bxsi.com

Entegrity Energy Partners

Madeline Shamburger

501.414.0058

madeline.shamburger@entegritypartners.com www.entegritypartners.com

First Security Beardsley Public Finance

Scott Beardsley

501.978.6392

scott@fsbeardsley.com

fsbeardsley.com

Homeland Safety Systems, Inc.

Mike Elliott

888.909.2261

mike@hssems.com

www.homelandsafetysystems.com

Jackson Brown Palculict Architects

Randall Palculict

501.664.8700

randy@jbparchitects.com

www.jbparchitects.com

Stephens Inc.

Jason Holsclaw

501.377.2474

jason.holsclaw@stephens.com

www.stephens.com

The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS)

Stacey McPherson

866.839.8477

stacey.mcpherson@tips-usa.com

www.tips-usa.com

Exhibiting Partners

Contact

Phone

Website

ACE Sports

Mark Bridges

501.909.9173

mark.bridges@acesports.com

www.acesports.com

All-Clean USA

Danny-Jo Crofford

501.646.6500

dcrofford@allcleanusa.com

www.allcleanusa.com

ARBuy

Reid Hall

936.635.1291

rhall@periscopeholdings.com

www.periscopeholdings.com/arbuy

Architecture Plus

Craig Boone

479.783.8395

craig@archplusinc.net

archplusinc.net

C.R. Crawford Construction, LLC

Becky Gosnell

479.251.1161

bgosnell@crcrawford.com

www.crcrawford.com

Capital Business Machines, Inc.

Ben Higgs

501.375.1111

bhiggs@capbiz.com

www.capbiz.com

Chartwells

Kellye Neal

501.615.3660

kellye.neal@compass-usa.com

www.chartwellsk12.com

Curriculum Associates

Valecia Ootsey-Marshall 440.334.3303

VMarshall@cainc.com

www.curriculumassociates.com

ESS

Tammy Winn

870.236.2350

twinn@ess.com

ess.com

Hight Jackson Associates

Liz Cox

479.464.4965

lcox@hjarch.com

hjarch.com

Kinco Constructors

Clay Gordon

501.225.7606

cgordon@kinco.net

kincoconstructors.com

KLC Video Security

Bill King

903.792.7262

billking.klc@gmail.com

www.klcvideosecurity.net

McPherson & Jacobson, LLC

Thomas Jacobson

888.375.4814

mail@macnjake.com

www.macnjake.com

Musco Sports Lighting, LLC

Lesley Lyman

800.825.6030

lesley.lyman@musco.com

www.musco.com

Nabholz Construction Company

Andrew Adlong

870.934.4817

andrew.adlong@nabholz.com

nabholz.com

SchoolEats

Kellye Neal

501.615.3660

kellye.neal@compass-usa.com

www.schooleatsconsulting.com

Southern Bleacher Company

Chandler Cruse

940.549.0733

info@southernbleacher.com

www.southernbleacher.com

Strategos International

Steve Anderson

501.617.4718

sanderson@strategosintl.com

strategosintl.com

Van Horn Construction

Chad Weisler

479.968.2514

cweisler@vanhornconstruction.com

www.vanhornconstruction.com

VS America

Scot Morris

402.215.8610

s.morris@vsamerica.com

vsamerica.com

WER Architects

Russell Fason

501.374.5300

rfason@werarch.com

werarch.com

Supporting Partners Grasshopper Company

Contact Brent Dobson

Phone 620.345.8621

Email bdobson@grasshoppermower.com

Website www.grasshoppermower.com

Report Card June 2022 39

CO N ST RU C T ION

IN DUST R IA L

E XC AVAT I O N

ENVIRONMENTAL

WE BUILD

SPACES THAT HELP STUDENTS EXCEL When the McGehee School District needed to expand their junior high, they teamed up with Nabholz. Three new buildings added nine classrooms, a media center, teachers’ work room, girls’ field house with a turf field and batting cages, as well as a 5,050-square-foot STEM building, which included a new home for the McGehee Owls state champion robotics team.

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