June 2025 Report Card

Report Card June 2025 www.arsba.org

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association

High school/ college student

Hope High School’s Micah Bradley is like other students. She plays softball and has hopes and dreams for the future. What’s different is that she plans to graduate high school with a two-year associate’s degree through the Hope Collegiate Academy. Juniors and seniors take college courses at the University of Arkansas HopeTexarkana. Bradley and 36 other students recently completed their sophomore years, known as “boot camp.” Sophomores take high school credit classes at UAHT while being taught by professors and being immersed in college life. All the students still can take classes and participate in extracurricular activities at the high school. Texarkana has the same program and has seen similar successes. Both high schools are located within a short drive of a college campus. But Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva says any school district can give its students the same opportunity.

Report Card

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association

News and Features 8

12

Six receive ASBA scholarships

Six children of Arkansas school board members received ASBA Educational Foundation scholarships this spring. The awards are based on a student’s academic record, leadership and community service.

ACCESS, ‘No Cell’ laws mark session

Bills pertaining to public education in the 2025 regular legislative session included Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ comprehensive ACCESS Act and numerous laws affecting school board members.

Those included one allowing board member recalls, another moving all board elections to March, and another requiring the public to be given a chance to speak at all school board meetings.

24 Dylan Johnson graduated this spring

with both a high school diploma and an associate of arts degrees through the Hope Collegiate Academy’s partnership with the University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana. The Texarkana School District has a similar program. A total of 143 students from the two districts have graduated with two-year degrees.

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Schools graded on success paths

24

Cover / Earning a diploma – and a degree

32

Executive session with Rochelle Redus

Departments 5 ASBA News and Notes 5 Advertisers Index 6 President’s Column 11 Finance Corner 11 Calendar 22 Commercial Affiliates 36 Marketplace 39 Cody Kees’ Column

4 June 2025 Report Card

Arkansas’ new school letter grade system will focus on achievement, growth and producing success-ready graduates, attendees of the annual ASBA/AAEA Joint Leadership Conference were told.

High school students in Hope and Texarkana are earning associate of arts degrees in high school at no cost to them thanks to a concurrent credit partnership between their school districts and the University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana.

ASBA ending property insurance coverage program

ASBA will no longer offer school property insurance as a result of a new law creating a state captive insurance program.

ASBA Executive Director Shannon Moore announced the association’s decision in an email to property members on May 19. ASBA will still offer auto coverage for the upcoming policy year.

The change comes from the passage of Acts 560 and 779 by Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, and Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett. Those two identical laws created the state captive property insurance program available to all schools, state institutions of higher education, and state real property. School districts wanting to receive partnership funding are required to participate.

Prior to the change, ASBA has brokered property insurance for more than 70% of the state’s school districts, while the state of Arkansas has handled almost all the rest.

But the property insurance business has become a challenging one in the wake of rising costs fueled by changing weather patterns and natural disasters.

The tornado that destroyed much of Wynne High School in March 2023 was one of many causes for insurance rates to rise nationally and to skyrocket in

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Arkansas last year. The increase was so large and unexpected that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders helped districts cover 30% of the cost increase.

ASBA’s program has been self-funded, which means it could not cover disasters the size of Wynne’s in-house. For those, it purchased re-insurance from a small list of companies big enough to handle such claims. Moore, in her previous role as director of risk management and workers’ compensation programs, has traveled overseas to negotiate rates with Lloyd’s of London.

ASBA school law books available for pre-ordering now

With the conclusion of the 95th General Assembly, the next edition of the Arkansas School Law Annotated is ready for pre-order.

This comprehensive guide, edited by Lucas Harder, ASBA’s Policy Services Director, will be the go-to resource for navigating the sweeping changes to Title 6 of the Arkansas Code and beyond.

This publication is available in print or electronic form. Copies are $85 each, including shipping. Preorder by visiting bit.ly/lawbooks25 or find the link to order on ASBA’s website, www.arsba.org.

Orders will ship by October. E-Books are not available until print copies ship.

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Key updates include: • Accelerated learning programs: School districts are now mandated to offer accelerated learning courses in math, English, science, and social studies. This initiative aims to boost student achievement and prepare students for future academic challenges.

• School board member election changes: The law requires school boards to choose between four- and six-year

ASBA News and Notes continues on page 7

DON TYSON SCHOOL OF INNOVATION | SPRINGDALE, AR

ASBA News and notes

Report Card June 2025 5

Report Card Letter from the President ...

by Jeff Lisenbey

Bring it on!

Every year when I was in school, students stressed over report card day.

It was a day that we wanted to get high marks to please our parents and our families. It was not truly a measure of how smart we were, but it did give us something to indicate what progress we had made toward the educational standards that were put before us.

Today’s school district report cards and letter grades are no different. We should not fear the results. Instead, we should look at them and decide how we can help our students progress toward the highest academic achievement possible.

As a graduate of Sheridan Schools and a 25-year board member, I want to celebrate one of our stories. Three years ago, the board was presented a recommendation to hire a young principal named Heather Williams. We were all told how great she was and that she had won awards locally and nationally for her work inside her building at her previous district. Little did we know what an absolute “rock star” we were getting for the Sheridan School District.

As Ms. Williams (now Dr. Williams) started her tenure, our assistant superintendent had the unfortunate task of sitting down with her to explain that the building she was taking over was our only “D” letter grade in the district. For many new administrators, this would have been discouraging and overwhelming, but her response was, “I laughed and said ‘Bring it on!’”

What happened in the next two years was amazing! Dr. Williams said that probably the hardest part was telling a dedicated staff that they were at a near failing level. However, their response was simply that this is not who we are, and they embraced the need for change.

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It is hard to turn a ship around that quickly, but that is what determined leaders do.

Under Dr. Williams’ leadership, there were three clear first steps. First, change the building’s culture. Second, be clear on who we are and why we are here, which helped us craft a perfect mission and vision statement. Third, get everyone to commit completely to the task at hand.

The results were phenomenal. Expectations were clear and aligned, and a safe and collaborative culture was created. Everyone was now moving in the same direction toward the same targets and goals. It was not easy, but each goal was visited and revisited throughout the year to keep focus on what mattered most: the growth of our students!

You know that “D” school I mentioned earlier? Less than two short years later, East End Middle School in the Sheridan School District is now an “A” school with some of the best student growth in the state. Maintaining and improving are now the focus, and teachers are supporting each other across the curriculum and challenging themselves to continue to see growth and raise achievement across all our student populations.

I write this article for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I am so proud of Dr. Williams, her administrative team, and every teacher in the building. I am also proud of every teacher in our district and all the support from the community.

Second, I wanted to share this story to let every district know that it can be done. Hard work and collaboration will drive results for all of our students.

Change can be difficult but is NEVER IMPOSSIBLE!

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association Vol. 19, Number 2

June 2025

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: Jeff Lisenbey, Sheridan President-elect: Doris Parham, Bearden Vice President: Nikki King, Pangburn Secretary-Treasurer: Travis Warren, Farmington Region 1: Suzanne Spivey, Rogers Region 2: Jason Jones, Yellville-Summit Region 3: Joe Sheppard, Jonesboro Region 4: Beth Ulrich, Paris Region 5: John Gibson, South Conway County Region 6: Keith Baker, Riverview Region 7: Shane Bell, Cross County Region 8: Graham Peterson, Mt. Vernon-Enola Region 9: Donna Dunlap, Barton-Lexa Region 10: Lonell Lenox, Hot Springs Region 11: Carl “Buddy” Puckett, Poyen Region 12: Laura Clark, Blevins Region 13: Renee Skinner, El Dorado Region 14: Debra Barnes, Crossett

Staff

Executive Director: Shannon Moore Deputy Executive Director/Board Development Director: Tammie Reitenger Finance Director: Diana Woodward Policy Director/Staff Attorney: Lucas Harder Database Administrator: Kathy Ivy Commercial Affiliates/Board Liaison Manager: Angela Ellis Communications and Technology Director: Jessica Prothro Programs Coordinator: Robyn Keene Receptionist: Kimberly Strom TIPS-TAPS Project Manager: Stacey McPherson General Counsel: Jay Bequette Risk Management Program & Workers’ Comp: Krista Glover Misty Thompson Melody Tipton Linda Collins Lisa Wigginton Kara Quinton Julianne Dobson Tamra Polk

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 2025 by the Arkansas School Boards Association and Steve Brawner Communications. All rights reserved.

ASBA News and notes terms and provides how term lengths will be staggered moving forward.

• Bell to Bell, No Cell: The new law generally prohibits the use or possession of personal electronic devices by students during the school day outside of provided exceptions.

• Free breakfasts: The law provides one student a free breakfast each school day.

The Arkansas School Law Annotated goes beyond Title 6, encompassing a wide array of legislative changes that impact school districts. Here are some noteworthy acts: • Act 323 strengthens regulations on prohibited activities by public servants.

• Act 329 exempts leased textbooks from the state sales tax.

• Act 369 authorizes an employer to inform an individual’s potential employer that the employee was terminated or resigned due to sexual harassment or during a sexual harassment investigation.

• Act 419 recodifies Title 19, affecting various administrative procedures so that the statutes governing professional services and other fiscal investment programs have new statutory numbers.

• Act 456 updates the administration of the oath of office.

• Acts 560 and 779 create the state captive property insurance program.

• Act 573 mandates the display of the state motto and Ten Commandments in schools.

• Act 590 creates a new statute prohibiting the use or possession of tobacco and vape products on school campuses.

• Act 592 enhances ethics and campaign finance laws.

• Act 649 establishes the Public School Access and Transparency Act. • Act 655 updates human resource poster requirements to include information for veterans.

• Act 669 provides civil immunity for confiscating nicotine products from minors in schools.

• Act 683 strengthens laws against sexually grooming a child.

• Act 748 amends the length of time law enforcement agencies are required to pay for training provided by another agency.

• Acts 505 and 992 update the Freedom of Information Act to enhance transparency.

Rogers’ Spivey is Region 1 director

Rogers School Board member Suzanne Spivey is ASBA’s new Region 1 director.

The Executive Committee appointed Spivey in Spivey accordance with ASBA’s by-laws. Composed of the

board officers and the executive director, it fills any vacancies in regional director positions until elections are held at the next Fall Regional Meeting.

Spivey was appointed to the Rogers board in March 2020 to fill a vacant Zone 3 seat and then was elected to complete the remaining four years in May 2021. She retired in 2011 after nearly 30 years in education, most of it at Rogers. She taught at Elmwood Junior High School and led the Freshman Academy at Heritage High School.

RETIREMENT CELEBRATION. After 15and a-half years of dedicated service, ASBA is celebrating the retirement of Dwayne McAnally, loss control consultant. McAnally has helped countless school staff across Arkansas stay safe, informed, and compliant. At ASBA, he’s earned the unofficial title of “Facilities Fixer-in-Chief.” ASBA staff members, including Executive Director Shannon Moore, honored him with a lunch in May.

Report Card June 2025 7

ASBA Foundation Scholarship

Six receive ASBA scholarships Checks were to be presented at ASBA’s New Board Member Institute

Six children of Arkansas school board members received ASBA Educational Foundation scholarships this spring.

The one-time awards are based on a student’s academic record, leadership and community service. Financial need may be considered. This was the 32nd consecutive year the scholarships have been awarded. Checks were to be presented at ASBA’s New Board Member Institute on June 17.

Alexis “Lexy” Cannon of Concord received the statewide $5,000 Marshall R. Hughes Scholarship, while four other graduates, one from each of the state’s congressional districts, each received a $2,500 scholarship. They were Cayla Schaefer of McCrory, Owen Nelson of

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ASBA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS this page from left are Alexis “Lexy” Cannon of Concord, who received the Marshall R. Hughes Scholarship, and Cayla Schaefer of McCrory in the 1st Congressional District.

Bryant, Mason Meador of Green Forest, and Reese Montgomery of Mena.

In addition, Lydia Bishop of Trumann received the $2,500 J.K. Williams Scholarship. It is awarded to a student who is at least a college junior and is pursuing an education degree. It is named for the former executive director who led ASBA for 14 years.

Cannon, the daughter of Concord School Board member Jody Cannon, received the Marshall R. Hughes Scholarship. Hughes was a First Security Beardsley vice president who died of cancer in 2020 at age 41. He had conducted board trainings across northeast Arkansas.

First Security Beardsley provided the award’s initial $50,000 in funding.

Cannon graduated first in her class with a 4.0 grade point average and 19 hours of concurrent credit. She played softball, basketball, cross country and track. She was a member of the Beta Club and FCCLA and was a class officer. She has been active in her church youth group, with which she has packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child, provided lawn care to elders, and packed food for people during holidays. She plans to enroll in the radiologic technology program at North Arkansas College to become an ultrasound technician.

“Personally, I really enjoy doing volunteer work within my community,” she wrote in her scholarship award application. “Being able to give back to my teachers, other administration, church family, and people in need feels amazing and encouraging. The happy and uplifting feeling that surges through your body when you help someone is a big part of why I have always wanted to have a career in the medical field.”

Cayla Schaefer of McCrory, the daughter of McCrory School Board member Angela “Nikki” Schaefer, received the 1st District scholarship.

She graduated first in her class of 37 with a 4.0 grade point average. She was a Girls State delegate, FBLA president, and softball team manager. A member of the McCrory Senior High band, she won the Outstanding Woodwind Award along with five first place medals and one second place medal for solo and ensemble. She has been an active member of Brinkley First Baptist Church. She plans to major in poultry science at the University of Arkansas then later attend medical school and become a surgeon.

“Growing up, I was always fascinated by the world around me, especially when it came to biology,” she wrote in her application. “This curiosity led

OTHER ASBA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS included, from left, Owen Nelson of Bryant in the 2nd District, Mason Meador of Green Forest in the 3rd District, and Reese Montgomery of Mena in the 4th District.

me to explore subjects such as genetics and environmental science, and I have enjoyed many opportunities to learn and grow academically.”

The 2nd District recipient was Owen Nelson of Bryant, the son of Bryant School Board member Tyler Nelson.

Nelson graduated with a 4.1 grade point

average and scored a 31 on his ACT exam. He was on the honor roll each high school semester, was a member of Continues on next page

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ASBA Foundation Scholarship the National Honor Society, and took four years of engineering classes. He competed all four years on the track team, and he was involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Geyer Springs student ministry.

Owen plans to study mechanical engineering at Ouachita Baptist University, then later pursue a master’s degree.

“From a young age, I have been passionate about building and understanding how things work,” he wrote in his essay. “In middle school, I competed with our school’s robotics team, sparking my love of engineering. Throughout junior high and high school, I have taken engineering classes each year, strengthening my skills and deepening my passion for the subject.”

Mason Meador of Green Forest, the son of Green Forest School Board member Alechia Meador, received the 3rd District award. He was an All-State starting pitcher and an All-Conference quarterback this past year.

He works daily at Meador Manor Farms, his family’s poultry and cattle farm, and was active in FFA, Student Council, Youth Alive and Arkansas Talent Search. He plans to earn a degree in agriculture, starting at North Arkansas College before transferring to a fouryear institution. His ultimate goal is to

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J.K. WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP WINNER. Lydia Bishop of Trumann received the scholarship that is awarded to a student who is at least a junior in college and is pursuing a degree in education. She is a student at Arkansas State University.

manage his own farm and work in the agriculture or wildlife industry.

“My parents have a passion for agriculture that has passed on to me,” he wrote. “They both have agriculture degrees and had a dream to become a firstgeneration farmer. I have witnessed their countless hours of hard work starting

a farm to make that dream happen. My goal is to further my education so I can one day manage my own farm and become a second-generation farmer.”

Reese Montgomery of Mena, the daughter of Mena School Board member Clint Montgomery, received the 4th District scholarship. She graduated with a 4.06 grade point average and was a member of the National Honor Society.

She was an All-State volleyball player her junior and senior years and was team captain. She also was a Student Council president and vice president, was a member of the FBLA and FCCLA, and has been active in The Crossing Church and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“I have taken an active role in shaping our school environment,” she wrote in her essay. “One of my proudest accomplishments was helping to implement a mental health awareness week, where we provided resources and support for students struggling with stress and anxiety. I believe that leadership is about more than just holding a title; it is about making a difference in the lives of those around you.”

She plans to major in nursing and play volleyball at John Brown University.

The J.K. Williams Scholarship winner was Lydia Bishop, the daughter of Trumann School Board member Kevin Bishop. She is seeking an elementary education degree at Arkansas State University. She graduated from Trumann High School in 2022 with a 4.12 grade point average. She has a 4.0 grade point average at ASU and is on track to graduate in December 2025. At ASU, she has been a member of the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Board. She also has been active in the Delta Zeta sorority and was the Red Wolves for St. Jude’s fundraising director.

“My chosen path in Elementary Education reflects my passion for helping others succeed,” she wrote in her essay.

“Aspiring to become a sixth-grade English/Reading teacher and cheerleading coach, I recognize the declining number of educators and the financial challenges they face. By pursuing a career in education, I hope to make a meaningful impact.”

ASBA News and notes

Finance Corner ...

ASBA has finance training now that formula is set

by Robyn Keene As districts wind down the school year, school finance professionals are working diligently to finalize the 202425 books and build the 2025-26 budget.

Act 909 of the Arkansas regular legislative session set the funding amounts for the next biennium. Here are the founda-

tion and categorical funding amounts for the 2025-26 school year: • Foundation Funding – $8,162 • Alternative Learning Environment – $5,212 • English Language Learner – $375 • Enhanced Student Achievement in districts with 90% of students qualifying – $1,653 • ESA funding with 70% qualifying – $1,103 • ESA funding with under 70% qualifying – $551 • Professional Development – $41 • Teacher Salary Equalization – $185 ASBA understands the importance of proactive financial planning and transparency. We are available to provide school finance training or assistance. If you have any questions about the funding calculations, school finance, or audit training, don’t hesitate to contact Robyn Keene, ASBA programs coordinator & school finance trainer. Reach out at 501.372.1415 or rkeene@arsba.org.

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Report Card June 2025 11

Legislative session

GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS announces the filing of the Arkansas ACCESS law, her signature education legislation this past session, in the Governor’s Conference Room at the Capitol. Among those with her are Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva, left, and Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, right, one of the bill’s primary sponsors.

ACCESS, ‘No Cell’ laws mark session Lawmakers also pass laws for school board member recalls, March school elections, and required public comment

Bills pertaining to public education in the 2025 legislative session included Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ comprehensive ACCESS Act and numerous laws affecting school board members.

Those included one allowing board member recalls, another moving all school elections to March, and another requiring the public to be given a chance to speak at all school board meetings.

Another law created a captive property insurance program for state entities including schools, which will lead to ASBA’s ending its service for the 202526 policy period.

The laws were discussed in a presentation at the ASBA/AAEA Joint Leadership Conference May 6 by Lucas Harder, ASBA Policy Services Director, and then-Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators Executive Director Dr. Mike Hernandez. Hernandez has since become superintendent at the Hot Springs School District.

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ASBA released its model policy updates in response to the legislative changes May 2.

The biggest education bills– both in size and in consequence – were Acts 340 and 341, the 123-page ACCESS Act

by Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, and Rep. Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado. The law was a sequel to the LEARNS Act of 2023, which increased the statewide minimum teacher salary to $50,000 and created educational freedom accounts providing public school funds to non-public school students.

While LEARNS focused on K-12 education, ACCESS affected both K-12 and higher education.

Among its many provisions pertaining to K-12 public education were those related to accelerated learning in high school. It expands accelerated high school coursework beyond Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs to include concurrent credit and other offerings. It bans the charging of tuition, materials and fees to students taking a concurrent credit course. Relatedly, it replaces the Concurrent Credit Scholarship program with

the Access Acceleration Scholarship Program, and it sets a maximum tuition amount per concurrent credit hour that must either be paid through that program, by the district, or by an agreement between the district and the institution of higher education.

ACCESS also creates the Arkansas Direct Admissions Program, which will create a common online college application so students can complete one form used by all public colleges and universities. It also increases the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship’s first-year award from $1,000 to $2,000.

It allows public school students with parental consent to be granted an excused absence when engaging in social and public policy advocacy.

Another provision of the law requires letter grades to be developed for districts and education service cooperatives.

Relatedly, another new law, Act 474 by Rep. Keith Brooks, R-Little Rock, and Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, requires the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a new accountability system to issue letter grades for the 2024-25 school year. No

official letter grades will be assigned for the 2023-24 school year.

Another major piece of legislation is Act 122, the Bell to Bell, No Cell Act by Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, and Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris. A priority of Sanders, it prohibits a student’s use of a personal electronic device during the school day except in certain circumstances. Those include an emergency, when the device is required by the student’s Individualized Education Program or 504 plan, during a special school event such as a pep rally, and when the device is issued by the district for the student’s use. ASBA’s updated model policy advises districts to send notifications to parents and students when they can use their phones at an event.

Breakfasts will be free for all students, whether or not they qualify under the National School Lunch Act, under Act 123 by Sen. Dismang and Rep. Zack Gramlich, R-Fort Smith. Medical marijuana proceeds will fund the costs.

Act 909 sets funding amounts for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

Per pupil funding for 2025-26 will be $8,162, a significant increase from the current $7,771. The next year, funding drops to $8,037. The decrease is occurring because the state will take over the responsibility for contributing to school employees’ health insurance plans.

School districts can still contribute money to reduce employee contributions, as some do now.

Elsewhere in the matrix: – Alternative Learning Environment funding will increase from $5,086 in 2024-25 to $5,212 in 2025-26 and to $5,341 in 2026-27.

– English Language Learners funding will increase from $366 to $375 to $384 over the next two years.

– Enhanced Student Achievement (ESA) funding for schools with 90% of students qualifying for free and reduced price meals will increase from $1,613 to $1,653 to $1,694.

– ESA funding for schools with 70% of students qualifying for free and reduced price meals will increase from $1,076 to $1,103 to $1,130.

– ESA funding for schools with below 70% of students qualifying for free and reduced price meals will increase from $538 to $551 to $565.

– Professional development remained at $41.

Acts 560 and 779 by Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, and Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett, create a captive property insurance program for all schools, state institutions of higher education, and state real property. School districts wanting to receive partnership funding must participate. As a result, ASBA is ending the school property insurance program it has managed.

New laws affect school boards Numerous new laws directly pertain to school board members.

Continues on next page

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Legislative session Among those are Act 503 by Rep. Brit McKenzie, R-Rogers, and Sen. English, which moves all school elections to March. All board members will be elected in even years only, while millage elections will still be held annually. Boards will select either four- or six-year terms. Runoff elections will be held in November. When vacancies occur, boards will appoint the successor for the remainder of the term, not until the next election as is currently the case.

Meanwhile, Act 399 by Sen. Justin Boyd, R-Fort Smith, and Rep. Gramlich would allow districts to avoid holding districtwide odd-year elections when there is no change to the millage.

Instead, districts can request the county election commission to hold the election through a qualified elector selected by the board.

Another new law, Act 912 by Rep. Austin McColllum, R-Bentonville, and Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, allows voters to circulate a petition calling for the recall of a school board member. If 35% of the registered voters in the area the board member serves sign the petition, the recall question will be placed on the ballot at the next school board member election. If a majority vote to recall, the position immediately will be declared vacant, and the board may not appoint the person recalled to fill the vacancy.

Act 902 by Sen. English and Rep. Brooks requires school boards to allow any member of the public to offer at least three minutes of public comment at a school board meeting. Boards can prohibit comment on personnel and student disciplinary matters on the agenda.

If the public comment period would last more than 30 minutes, the board may require further comments for items not on the agenda to be held after the other agenda items are completed. The board may require those wishing to provide public comment to use a sign-up sheet at the meeting.

Under Act 120 by Sen. English and Rep. Brooks, each school board member’s name, email address, position and term length must be posted on the district’s website. Harder said the email address should be the member’s district address, not a personal one. The follow14 June 2025 Report Card

SEN. JANE ENGLISH sponsored laws that moved all school elections to March, required public comments to be allowed at board meetings, and that required board members’ names and email addresses to be posted on the district’s website.

ing information also should be posted to the district’s website: agendas for all regular meetings at least 24 hours in advance, agendas for all special meetings at least two hours in advance, and board meeting minutes within 24 hours of the minutes being approved.

Terms in Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act were defined in Act 505 by Sen. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock, and Rep. Eubanks including “background and nondecisional information,” “deliberation,” “informal meeting,” “poll” and “public meeting.” The act also requires that agendas for regular meetings be posted on the website at least three days in advance. It allows the board to enter executive session to discuss cybersecurity breaches. It also requires that if more than one board member is attending remotely, then the public also is allowed to attend the meeting through remote means. It statutorily prohibits the use of polling members before a meeting. It allows board members to receive background information but not to deliberate outside of the public meeting.

In addition, it statutorily allows a circuit court to void an action that is taken by means of an illegal meeting.

School boards have 90 days to fill any board vacancy under Act 726 by Sen. Irvin and Rep. McCollum. The district must provide notice in the media and on the district website that a vacancy exists, when the board will fill it, and how someone is considered for appointment. A person who wants to be considered must collect the signatures of at least 20 eligible voters. All discussions on appointments must be done in open session.

Two laws pertained to employee waivers. Act 197 by Sen. Kim Hammer,

R-Benton, and Rep. R.J. Hawk, R-Bryant, establishes that a waiver the school board provides for a classified employee who has a disqualifying offense will be effective as long as the employee remains at the district and does not receive another disqualifying offense. Act 304

by Rep. Wade Andrews, R-Camden, and Sen. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville, repeals all processes to employ an individual under a licensure waiver. Instead, individuals who do not have a license will be placed on individual licensure plans.

No more minority recruitment In other legislative business, districts no longer must have minority teacher and administrator recruitment and retention plans under Act 116 by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, and Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville. The act also renames the Equity Assistance Center as the Equality Assistance Center and limits it to assisting districts with desegregation obligations and non-discrimination, the latter of which it doesn’t define.

Two new laws relate to student participation in athletics and interscholastic activities. Act 644 by Sen. Dees and Rep. Randy Torres, R-Siloam Springs, allows private school students to participate in an interscholastic activity at their resident public school if their private school does not offer the interscholastic activity. Students may be required to enroll in either the course that corresponds to the activity or a non-academic course if the interscholastic activity does not have an associated course. Act 475

by Brooks and Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, standardizes the timeline for transferring homeschool, private school and public school students to be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities. Any student who wishes to participate in an interscholastic activity that is not at the student’s resident district must enroll by June 1 of the year prior to their 7-10th grade year in order to avoid sitting out for 365 days. Students who enroll later could qualify for a hardship exemption.

Act 565 by Rep. R. Scott Richardson, R-Bentonville, and Sen. Dees adds “violent” to the reasons a teacher may remove a student from the classroom. It requires that a removed student may not

be returned to class until the principal or designee holds a hearing regarding the reason for the removal. The student must be placed in an appropriate interim learning environment until the hearing can be conducted. They must remain there for the remainder of the school year if they are removed from the classroom three times during the same school year. The law prohibits a removed student from being returned to the same classroom of the teacher to whom the student was violent or abusive.

Other legislation includes the following, among others.

– Acts 732 and 913 by Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, and Rep McCollum allow students to use school choice to transfer to another school within their district. It also allows districts to reject a school choice application if the school or district is at or above 95% capacity.

– Act 118 by Rep. Sonia Eubanks Barker and Sen. Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers, repeals the requirement that school

board members sign off on the application for board-to-board transfers.

– Act 911 by Rep. Steven Walker, R-Horseshoe Bend, and Sen. English makes it optional for a district to provide an alternative learning environment.

– Act 904 by Rep. Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock, and Sen. Davis requires all district employees to be eligible for up to 12 weeks of maternity leave. The state will cover all of the costs above the district’s paid leave.

– Act 721 by Sen. Matt Stone, R-Camden, and Rep Howard Beaty, RCrossett, requires school boards to adopt policies prohibiting antisemitism.

– Act 573 by Sen. Dotson and Rep. Alyssa Brown, R-Heber Springs, requires that a durable poster or framed representation of the Ten Commandments be placed in each public school classroom and each school library if funds are available. The posters are required to have been donated or purchased with private funds.

– Under Act 917 by Rep. Richard McGrew, R-Hot Springs, and Sen. Matt McKee, R-Pearcy, a school library where students in grades K through five are enrolled must store non-ageappropriate sexual content in a locked compartment. Students are prohibited from accessing materials without the librarian receiving written permission from the parent or guardian. The act sets forth penalties for violations.

– Act 119 by Rep. Bentley and Sen. Bryant allows a coach of the opposite sex to enter a team’s locker room if the coach is accompanied by another adult and all individuals in the locker room are fully clothed at all times.

– Act 908 by Rep. Brooks and Sen. Dotson requires that an audio recording device be installed in each locker room and changing room located on campus by the 2027-28 school year. Only district administrators or a parent who is making an allegation of wrongdoing may request a copy of the recording.

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ASBA-AAEA Joint Conference

HOPE SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT ALVIS HAMILTON makes a comment that draws laughs from his fellow panelists at the ASBAAAEA Joint Leadership Conference. Pictured from left are Hope Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Crossley, Barton School District Superintendent Dr. Bruce Guthrie, and Barton School Board President Donna Dunlap. The four were part of a panel discussion about board-superintendent relations.

Schools graded on success paths Goal is a diploma ‘that means something when they leave us,’ ADE’s Worsham said

Arkansas’ new school letter grade system will focus on achievement, growth and producing success-ready graduates, attendees of the annual ASBA/AAEA Joint Leadership Conference were told.

The conference brought together school board members and members of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators to discuss areas of common concern on May 6. Other topics covered were school board member/ superintendent relations, school finance, the state’s new school cell phone ban, the national political scene, and the 2025 legislative session. (Story, page 12.)

Hope Worsham, the Arkansas Department of Education assistant commissioner for public school accountability, said the department is simplifying its school letter grade system to focus on three indicators. Those are student achievement, student growth with a focus on the bottom 25% of test-takers, and producing success-ready graduates ready for employment, enrollment in further educational opportunities, or enlistment in the military.

“This is about kids earning something that means something when they leave us,” she said.

School districts have received simulated letter grades for 2023-24, 16 June 2025 Report Card

but they won’t be official because the State Board has not approved the rules.

Districts should receive an official letter grade for 2024-25 in the late summer or early fall.

“What we are trying to do is give you data to inform decisions to drive change,” she said. “That’s the point. It’s not to slam schools, although it feels that way a lot of times.”

She said the data should be used to drive questions and should be only one part of a body of evidence for determining if a superintendent is meeting the school board’s goals.

The achievement indicator ranks students at four levels based on their performance on state assessments in English language arts, math and science.

Level 1 students demonstrate limited understanding of grade level standards, while Level 2 students have a basic understanding. Level 2 is a “rigor issue” indicating that classroom instruction should be deeper, Worsham said. Large numbers of students at that level means teachers need more coaching and support. Level 3 students have a proficient understanding of grade level standards and are on track for career and college.

Level 4 students have an advanced understanding and are ready for accelerated content at the next grade or course.

Growth has a prominent place in the formula. It is measured for all students as well as the lowest performing 25%.

The latter group’s importance means

schools should ensure they spend their funds correctly to meet the right goals.

“Now the first thing people say to me is, ‘You’re telling me my low kids count against me twice?’” she said. “I’m telling you, if you do the work with them and you support them, they count for you twice. That’s the mind shift we have to make.”

The success-ready graduates indicator includes an expectation that high school students will graduate in four years with an emphasis on graduating with merit or distinction. The department has created success-ready pathways that begin in the eighth grade and lead to high-wage, high-demand jobs.

“The second half of high school is about what are we doing as a high school to ensure that they are prepared to go do something.” Worsham said.

“Now, it is not the job of a high school to determine Hope’s going to be a teacher, and we’re going to lock her into being a teacher at 10th grade. That is not the job of a high school. But it is the job of a high school to say, ‘Hey, Hope has shown an interest in teaching. That may be something she wants to do. Let’s help her commit to something, explore that, do the right coursework and leave high school at least knowing if she wants to be a teacher or not.’ I would rather her waste three classes in high school than waste $20 or $40,000 in college or more to determine after (her) sophomore year, ‘Now I want to change course.’”

Board-superintendent relations In another presentation, three superintendents along with one board member from each of their districts discussed superintendent-board relations. Dr. Jeff Perry, Rogers superintendent, compared the relationship to a marriage that should be based on open communication about expectations.

After being a superintendent for 20 years in four states, he’s learned that most boards don’t know what they value or what they want their superintendent to accomplish.

“If you don’t know what you want out of your superintendent, he or she is probably not going to deliver that for you,” he said. “And if you don’t know what your values are, if you don’t know what your expectations are, that’s going to be the basis of all the trouble. Because if you want a football state championship or you want a Blue Ribbon school or if you want all your schools to be an ‘A,’ if you don’t clearly communicate

TOSHIBA PUGH, center, Osceola assistant superintendent, speaks with Hope Worsham, Arkansas Department of Education assistant commissioner for public school accountability, while Osceola School Board member Jacqueline Baker, left, looks on.

that to your superintendent, there’s going to be trouble.”

Perry said he has climbed to every state’s highest point and has climbed 48 of the 14,000-foot peaks. There’s a concept in climbing called “the brotherhood of the rope” where climbers must trust their companions. Superintendents need that trust, and board members need to trust superintendents.

Other participants also emphasized the importance of cultivating those relationships. Hope Superintendent Dr.

Jonathan Crossley said that when he was hired, he began meeting with each board member at least an hour at least once a month. Creating more understanding in private creates more positive relationships in public.

Dr. Bruce Guthrie, superintendent of the Barton School District, said he had to build trust when he first arrived at the district. One of the first events that happened was a committee hiring a new football coach, who didn’t succeed. The

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ASBA-AAEA Joint Conference

DR. JEFF PERRY, Rogers superintendent, speaks at the ASBA-AAEA Joint Leadership Conference while board member Suzanne Spivey listens. Guthrie, a mountain climber, described the “brotherhood of the rope” to illustrate the importance of trust.

next time, he told the board he had 26 years of experience and 17 in coaching, so they should let him hire the coach and blame him if it weren’t successful. Now there’s more trust by the school board.

Barton President Donna Dunlap said “the chain of command is a beautiful thing. And when you take yourself out of that equation and allow the process to work, most of the time it doesn’t get to the board. Most of the time, it’s just a communication thing that could be handled prior. So it’s easy for me to stay out of the lane of the superintendent.”

Perry emphasized the importance of school board members not trying to do the superintendent’s job. It prevents them from raising community expectations about their role and taking on responsibilities they don’t want.

“Every time you get out of your lane, you erode his or her authority to run the district,” he said. “And every time you erode that authority, people outside in the community are empowered that they can get you to do things.”

The three superintendents keep board members and their staffs informed in a variety of ways. Rogers board member Suzanne Spivey said Perry sends a Friday afternoon message to board members as well as reports to staff and faculty that end with a corny “dad joke.” When the board tours one of the district’s 17 schools, board members sit down with five or six teachers and hear their needs and concerns. Guthrie publishes a monthly newsletter and meets with board members monthly for lunch and a walk around the campus. He 18 June 2025 Report Card

and Dunlap talk by phone almost daily.

Hope President Alvis Hamilton said Crossley keeps board members constantly informed via text.

Crossley said he wants board input.

Board member Bill Hoglund laid the turf on the football field when he was high school principal, so Crossley wants to hear his perspective.

“I want my board members to care about things,” he said. “I want them to have opinions. I don’t want them to be a ‘yes man’ or a ‘yes woman’ all the time.

We have 7-0 votes a lot, but we don’t always, and it doesn’t hurt my feelings a lick because we all should have different opinions.”

Monitor salaries closely In another session, Trumann School District Superintendent Brandie Williams and Jonesboro Public Schools Business Manager Ashten Black presented a session on financial literacy.

Williams said superintendents should continually educate board members, not wait until the annual meeting. Doing so prevents the “water hose effect” where too much information comes too quickly.

The two emphasized that school districts’ biggest price tags are facilities and staffing. Black said that salaries compose 80% of a district’s budget, while districts must spend 9% on maintenance and operations.

Williams emphasized that each teacher costs the district $70,000.

Research does not show that smaller class sizes increase student performance.

Furthermore, she said having more football coaches does not correlate with winning more games. The district previously had a number of dyslexia paraprofessionals, but reading scores weren’t improving. Now, classroom teachers are trained to work with students during acceleration periods. The district saved money and increased academic performance.

“As a superintendent, I can tell you, more people does not equal more work,” she said. “It’s the people that you have.

I don’t want people so short-staffed they can’t function, but I’m not going to have a whole lot of people where it seems like everything has to be done in twos. I used to have one person do it. Now they always have a sidekick. Those things are real. And I very much am constantly watching people, talking to people, observing, getting to know them, and over time, you don’t have to be really crass to kind of cut back, but you just have to (pull) those weeds as you go along in your budgeting.”

Williams said staff members are like board members in that they interact with the community from their own perspective, so they must be kept informed.

“Tell your staff first. Respect them.

They love to be respected,” she said.

“That’s really been my key phrase for life. I’d rather be respected than liked. ‘Liked’ fades really fast. Respect doesn’t. And over time, (if) people respect you, they grow to like you. And how do you build respect? You do what you say. You actually follow through when you say you’re going to. It builds integrity. That takes work over time, and that’s what this process is really about.”

No cell phones in school The conference also featured a discussion about restricting student cell phone use. It was a timely topic given the passage of the Bell to Bell, No Cell Act this past legislative session that prevents K-12 students from using personal digital devices during the school day. The discussion featured participants from two districts that had already restricted cell phone use: Bentonville Superintendent Dr. Debbie Jones and board Vice President Jennifer Faddis; and East End-Bigelow Superintendent

Heidi Wilson and her board president, Heather Fulmer.

Jones traced Bentonville’s journey to the COVID lockdown when the district sent 10,000 Chromebooks home with students in junior high and below. When they returned, school leaders noticed there was less face-to-face interaction.

Now, it doesn’t send Chromebooks home with any students below the high school level. Bentonville West High School restricted cell phone use during the 2023-24 school year, and this year the district as a whole participated in Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ pilot project using pouches to store phones.

Jones said in the junior high this past year, truancies were down 23%, attempts to fight were down 66%, and fighting was down 10%. Tobacco and e-cigarette use were down 56% because students weren’t able to communicate via Snapchat.

“We’re not taking anything away from you,” Jones said of the message to

HEIDI WILSON, superintendent of the East End-Bigelow District, speaks about her district’s cell phone-limiting experiences while her board president, Heather Fulmer, looks on. Wilson said the school secretary must be willing to relay messages from parents who have grown accustomed to being able to easily communicate with their children.

students. “We’re giving you back freedom to learn, freedom to socially engage with your friends. Now, the principals say our lunchrooms are loud. Great!

They’re in junior high. They need to be loud.”

Faddis, a mental health professional, said parents’ concerns about the bans should be validated, but students’ mental health is worth the sacrifices. She noted that she is accustomed to texting her daughter during school hours.

“I like that, and I’m used to that, but there’s not a person in this room who went to school with cell phones, and our parents did it,’ she said.

Bentonville educates about 20,000 students. East End-Bigelow has 350.

Wilson said her district stopped sending home Chromebooks with students through eighth grade post-covid and also implemented “No-Tech Tuesdays” where teachers were asked to put down

Please see CONFERENCE, page 23

Report Card June 2025 19

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Commercial Affiliates

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

Premier Partners

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22 June 2025 Report Card

ASBA-AAEA Joint Conference

Conference Continued from page 19

anything with a cord. Next year will be a challenge when the phones are taken away during lunch. The district is considering how to fill the time and has purchased booth seating to encourage student interaction.

Wilson said the school secretary is a key person to making cell phone bans work. When a parent calls the school with a message, the secretary should relay it.

COSSBA describes D.C. scene Attendees received a national political perspective from Jared Solomon.

He is a senior policy advisor with Bose Public Affairs Group, a public advocacy firm employed by COSSBA, the Consortium of State School Boards

Associations, of which ASBA is a founding member.

Solomon, a former educator, noted that some of President Trump’s executive orders have pertained to education, including winding down the Department of Education and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government.

COSSBA has been watching Supreme Court cases. One legal issue to watch is related to Plyler vs. Doe, the 1982 case that mandated that school systems must educate all students regardless of their citizenship status. Several states have passed laws requiring proof of citizenship in order to challenge that case.

COSSBA has not taken an official position. However, Solomon said, “We do not want our public schools to become immigration enforcement officers.”

Solomon also discussed the budget reconciliation process in Congress. One issue COSSBA is watching is the proposed cuts to Medicaid, which provides

health coverage to nearly 30 million children and reimburses schools for medical services and counseling.

“And so what this means is Medicaid now supports over $7.5 billion in school health services each year, which makes it actually the fourth largest source of federal funding for K-12 schools, which most folks don’t really think about,” he said.

COSSBA is also following proposals to change the tax exempt status of municipal bonds, which fund infrastructure projects.

Solomon invited attendees to complete an advocacy survey at https://bit. ly/COSSBADCSurvey. Boards also can send letters to or meet with their elected representatives, and they can pass resolutions. They can reach out to local press outlets with data from their school system. Posting on social media and collecting data and stories can personalize a story to show how budget cuts affect the school district.

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Report Card June 2025 23

Hope Collegiate Academy

Earning a diploma – and a degree High school students in Hope and Texarkana are earning associate of arts degrees thanks to a partnership between their school districts and the University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana. Under the newly passed ACCESS Act, more students across the state could be joining them.

By Steve Brawner Editor

Micah Bradley played shortstop and third base for the Hope Bobcats softball team this past year as a sophomore. She wants to go to college to become a nurse anesthetist, and she’s getting a head start. If all goes according to plan, she’ll graduate high school in two years with an associate’s degree, for which her family will have paid nothing. If things progress as state policymakers hope, there soon will be a lot more like her statewide.

Bradley is a student at the Hope Collegiate Academy, where she and 36 others spent their sophomore year taking high school credit courses from college professors at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana’s Hope campus. They will then spend their junior and senior years at the college earning the 60 concurrent credits needed for an associate of arts degree. This year, 14 Hope students received that degree three days before they received their high school diploma. Sixteen students are on track to do it next year.

Since the academy’s founding in the 2018-19 school year, 89 Hope students have earned a two-year degree through these concurrent credit classes. A sister program in Texarkana, the Arkansas High Collegiate Academy, has seen similar success. Started the year after Hope, it has graduated 54 students with associate’s degrees, including 18 this year with 23 expected to do it next year.

Both programs are well established.

The Hope Collegiate Academy had 67 participating students in grades 10-12 24 June 2025 Report Card

STUDENT AND TEACHER. University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana biology teacher Nicole Rogers helps Hope Collegiate Academy student Aiden Hartness with a lesson during a college level class. Sophomores take high school credit courses from college professors on campus and then take college level courses their junior and senior years.

this past year, including 37 sophomores.

Texarkana had 65.

The programs are available free of charge to any qualifying student, not just the highest academic achievers. Students must have scored a 16 on their ACT test to participate as sophomores. To take college courses as juniors, they must score a 19, which is a state requirement to take any course. No students at either of the two programs have ever failed to raise their ACT score to a 19 before their junior year.

“The majority of our students are just your average students. … It is not just a program for high-achieving students.

As long as the kids are able to put in that work, they can be successful,” said Dr. Mikki Curtis, the UAHT dean of

secondary programs who oversees both districts’ academies.

The programs are saving students and their families a lot of money. An associate of arts degree costs Hempstead County residents attending the UAHT’s Hope campus $8,955 counting tuition and fees.

Students not only save money, but they also gain time. With their basics under their belt, students can graduate college much quicker than they otherwise would have, or they can use that time to work on multiple or advanced degrees. Even with their associate’s degrees, they are considered to be incoming freshmen if they enroll in a four-year university, so they are eligible for the same scholarships available to

other students. Students who transfer to the University of Arkansas will pay UAHT’s rates instead of Fayetteville’s through the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship.

Curtis noted that the effort is a partnership between the college and the districts. Administrators understand that the students are still in high school, so they make the high school experience available to them. Many students participate in high school extracurricular activities such as sports, band and robotics. In Hope, classes and activities are available during the first and last periods of the day for 10th graders. College classes for juniors and seniors typically start at 9 a.m. and end around 1 p.m. The students can work around that schedule to pick up elective classes at the high school, participate in extracurricular activities, or go to afternoon jobs.

This year’s 32 associate of arts graduates from Hope’s and Texarkana’s programs represent a significant percentage

of the state’s total number. Figures for 2025 are not yet available, but in 2024 it was 189 statewide, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.

This year, UAHT produced seven other associate of arts graduates: six from Blevins High School and one from Genoa Central High School. Another big producer is Palestine Wheatley High School, which produced 18 this year in partnership with University of ArkansasEast Arkansas Community College, as reported by the Arkansas DemocratGazette.

Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva hopes the statewide number increases to 2,000 or 3,000. Under the Arkansas ACCESS Act passed by lawmakers this past legislative session, concurrent credit courses for all high school students and their families must be free.

The “A” in “ACCESS” stands for “acceleration.” The law also replaces the Arkansas Concurrent Challenge

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DR. JACOB OLIVA, Arkansas secretary of education, would like to see the number of high school students graduating with associate’s degrees increase to 2,000-3,000 annually.

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Hope Collegiate Academy Scholarship with the ACCESS for Acceleration Scholarship. It increases concurrent credit funding from $42 per credit hour to $65 and increases the amount of credit hours a student can take from six to 15. That’s still short of the cost for many courses, so districts will have to make up the difference through their own funds and through arrangements made with higher education institutions. Under ACCESS, starting in 2025-26 the per credit hour tuition rate will be an agreed-upon amount between districts and institutions that can’t exceed 2.5% of per pupil state foundation funding and can’t exceed the institution’s standard tuition and fees.

Hope and Texarkana both have been paying for the program’s cost using Enhanced Student Achievement funds, which the state distributes to districts based on their percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch prices.

Eighty-six percent of Hope’s students are eligible.

What if the money doesn’t add up, and districts can’t afford the cost of sending students to college? Arkansas School Boards Association Policy Services Director Lucas Harder noted that school districts must have an agreement with a higher education institution. No agreement means no requirement – but then, the district won’t be offering concurrent credit classes to its students.

“As with many things, this is likely going to need to end up being something that districts over-budget for that could then get moved to another use by the district each semester once courses get finalized,” he said.

Oliva said districts should be able to overcome funding challenges. While districts are funded for a full day of instruction, last year 47% of high school seniors – more than 13,000 – didn’t have a full schedule. Data shows that if a student takes any math during their senior year, their likelihood of success grows.

“They’re going home at noon, and it’s become this rite of passage that your senior year, you don’t have to challenge yourself,” he said. “Well, we need to debunk that. We want students to challenge themselves.”

Oliva said the acceleration should start occurring at earlier grades. He 26 June 2025 Report Card

STUDENT-TEACHER. Hope Collegiate Academy student Juan Arroyo helps his fellow students with a math problem during a study hall. Director Heather Flowers said students help each other succeed.

wants more students earning high school credit while in middle school so they can have more opportunities in grades 10-12. Last year, 17% of Arkansas eighth graders took Algebra 1. The data shows that more than 50% are ready.

“We’ve got to have the belief that our kids can do it, and when we raise expectations for our students, they will exceed it,” he said.

ACCESS contains other provisions encouraging acceleration. Students who earn an associate’s degree can qualify for scholarships such as a Governor’s Scholar scholarship worth $2,500 a semester. It also will create a unified course code directory so that credits earned at one institution will transfer seamlessly to another. ACCESS also creates a universal college application.

Students will only need to complete one form accepted by all state colleges.

The seeds for the Hope and Texarkana academies were planted when former UAHT Chancellor Chris Thomason became aware of a charter school in Florida where students from several districts were taking courses on a college campus. Dr. Curtis was brought in from Fountain Lake High School, where she was an administrator for two years.

Prior to that, she had been an administrator at Hope High School in her hometown. Administrators adapted Florida’s program to Hope, where many students came from lower-income backgrounds,

and where Hope High School at the time was not scoring well in state ratings.

‘Boot camp’ is critical Thirty-seven Hope sophomores this past school year participated in what organizers call the first year “boot camp.”

Students spend the year taking high school credit classes on the UAHT campus that are taught by college professors. The year immerses them in college expectations and the college experience.

Starting their junior year, the students are full-fledged college students taking classes with other collegians as they work toward an associate of arts degree.

That sophomore year is critical, Curtis said. Professors beef up the material so students can succeed once they start the college courses. The school week is designed to mimic the college experience. Classes occur over the course of a semester, not a year, so every assignment is important. Furthermore, classes are held on Monday-Wednesday-Friday and Tuesday-Thursday schedules. Students have a syllabus. They take College Life Skills, an introductory course that teaches them how to navigate a college campus and thrive in the college environment. They also take a class in cybersecurity that fulfills their computer science high school graduation requirements. If a student scores a 19 on their ACT before their spring semester starts, they can take a core college course then.

Curtis and the director at each campus meet with students to discuss issues and challenges they might be facing.

“There is a huge mind shift that happens with students and with parents when a child goes to college” Curtis said. “The student at that point is responsible for their education. They’re responsible for being an advocate for themselves, and so we treat our students, even though we know they’re high school students, we give them the full college experience so that they’re better prepared for a transition to a four-year university if that’s what they want to do. Or, they’re able to go straight to the workforce. So that 10th grade year is very crucial, which is one thing that makes the Collegiate Academy so different than any other type of concurrent credit program that you’re going to see across the state. We are the only one like our program in the state of Arkansas.”

The importance of that boot camp year was demonstrated when Texarkana

HOPE SCHOOL BOARD President Alvis Hamilton, an Army veteran, said the “boot camp” year helps students see that the Hope Collegiate Academy is “serious business.” School Board members have met with UAHT’s chancellor and board of visitors.

began its program a year after Hope did.

Texarkana had a number of incoming juniors who had scored a 19 on their ACT, so the district wanted to give those

students a chance to participate. More than three-fourths did not succeed even though they had sufficient ACT scores.

Since that first year, Texarkana, like Hope, has required the boot camp.

“You’re talking about a full college load of 15 college credit hours for a student who’s never been taught those soft skills or had that level coursework. That was a big, big adjustment for those kids, and a lot of them couldn’t handle it,” Curtis said. “And so we really learned that 10th grade year is vital to the success of the student. There were a handful who could handle it, but the majority of them, it was just too much for them.”

Hope School Board President Alvis Hamilton has seen the program’s benefits personally. His niece graduated with a two-year degree and then completed her four-year degree in psychology in two-and-a-half years. He spent 30 years in the military and appreciates the importance of a “boot camp.”

Continues on next page

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Hope Collegiate Academy “First and foremost, I think that those kids who are leaving Hope for the Collegiate Academy need to by all means be on campus so they get that formal discipline and understanding that it’s serious business,” he said. “That initial impact of being there, I think, is important because it sets the stage of discipline.”

Curtis said students who need or want to return to the high school usually do it at the end of the semester. Because they’ve been taking a full credit semester course, they don’t get behind on their requirements. In fact, they are ahead of schedule.

More ready than older students Melanie Dillard, a math instructor and distance delivery coordinator, teaches Algebra II, a high school course, to 10th grade Hope Collegiate Academy students and then teaches college algebra to them the next year as college students. That 10th grade year, she teaches high school standards but spends more time on certain areas and in certain optional standards that she knows the students will need the next year. By the time they finish, they are ready for their college algebra course – better prepared, in fact, than many of the college students who may be returning to school after five or six years away from the classroom.

“If they take Algebra II with us and then they take college algebra, they almost sail through college algebra because Algebra II has almost all the topics that college algebra does, but it’s spread out over a year, and it goes more in depth in some things,” she said.

Dillard said sophomores are nervous when they come to her class as new students in August. Some may have done well in high school without having to work too hard. In college, they have to work hard in every class.

“It’s almost every year, it takes until about the middle of October before they realize, yes, it’s going to be harder, but they can actually do it,” she said.

“And that’s just giving them feedback and keeping on top of them, getting them to do their homework. And that’s a struggle trying to get them to do it.

Right now, I probably have about a 95% rate of every homework getting turned 28 June 2025 Report Card

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE GRADUATE. Former Hope Collegiate Academy student Dylan Johnson graduated in May with both a high school diploma and an associate of arts degree. He hopes to become a history professor and share his love of the subject with college students.

in, every single time, and they’re turning in homework nearly every day, and so that’s huge.”

She said students for the most part have the emotional and social maturity they need to succeed in her class. Some have to mature, but they figure it out.

Her own daughter is a junior in the program. Biology was hard for her in the 10th grade. Now she loves it and wants to work in a related field.

Curtis said the program has never had any issues with high school students being in the presence of older college students. To the contrary, the students step up, mature quickly by their 11th grade years, and meet the higher expectations.

“Most of our instructors would not be able to tell that these kids are Collegiate Academy kids by their behavior, that they’re high school kids by their behavior because they step up to the standards that are set for them,” Curtis said. “I’m a believer in high expectations, and I believe that students will rise up to that if you set those, and so I’ve been able to see that with these students.”

Nicole Rogers teaches 10th grade biology and also teaches college level biology, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology in Hope. She said students are doing well and that immature behaviors get nipped in the bud.

“The key to success, I think, is the students,” she said. “They have to want to be here. They have to want to put forth effort. Like I said, it’s a lot more work than probably what they’re used to as far as studying and homework and projects go, and having a good support system at home probably plays a role in it.”

Micah Bradley, the incoming junior, said the classes force students to stay organized and ahead of things.

“It’s been a little of a struggle compared to high school because there’s more expected of you than what is expected at the high school, which is something that you should know before coming here,” she said.

The Collegiate Academy’s serious nature has another upside – a reduction in teenage drama.

“There’s not a lot of that here,” Bradley said. “I think it’s because everybody’s really focused on their education and not all the extra outside things.

They’re really focused and dialed in on their education.”

While Bradley is early in her Hope Collegiate Academy experience, Dylan Johnson recently finished his. He joined the Collegiate Academy after his grandmother told him during his ninth grade year that it could benefit him.

Interviewed in April, he was planning to earn a sociology degree at Henderson State University followed by a master’s degree and then become a history professor. He started developing an interest in the subject about seven years ago and would like to share his love of it with others.

“That’s one of the key takeaways from being in the Collegiate Academy,” he said. “It gave me a more clear segue into where I’m going to go and an idea of the life, the college life. … It helped basically solidify where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, how to do it and all that good stuff.”

Johnson said the increased workload “is something we’ve all seemed to

yearn for.” Students are energized by the challenge. Peers at the high school have supported their efforts. Many are taking concurrent classes themselves.

“It’s different from high school,” he said. “You know that now, you’re not on your own, but you know you’re going to have to do a lot more for yourself. You can’t just sit back and expect things to come to you. You have to go get them yourself. And so I would say that was at first overwhelming, but you get used to it after a while. You get used to earning your way here, and I would say that’s also a benefit. The work here, you have to get it done, and so it puts in a good work ethic for you.”

Social sciences instructor John Hollis helped develop the Hope Collegiate Academy. He believed in the idea from the beginning. He estimates the first class probably lost three or four students. For some, it just didn’t fit their schedule. One student wanted to be active in the FFA, and it just didn’t work.

HOPE COLLEGIATE ACADEMY students Oswaldo Alvarado, left, and Riley Bramlett act out a skit while instructor Hollis Thompson looks on.

He said parental support is a critical part of the program.

“We understood that probably we were going to have to convince families

and parents before we convince the students,” he said. “We can go talk to the students all day, and, ‘Oh, yeah, this

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Hope Collegiate Academy is a great idea.’ But we were going to have to make sure that the families and the parents understood that this was a different concept, and it was a different level of learning, and that it was going to take their support of that student once they start on this path. And we struggled. That first semester we struggled.

Students were 16-17-year-olds. They were not prepared for college level instruction.”

Communication is a key to the program’s success. All the students sign in when they come on campus. Teachers communicate with administrators when a student misses class. Students are required to email teachers, Dr. Curtis and their academy director when they expect to be absent. When communication is lacking, an instructor will reach out. Curtis said faculty understand that high school students will occasionally be absent for school business, and they work with them. Hollis will provide Powerpoint presentations and study guides. Dillard records her classes.

Heather Flowers is the director of the Hope Collegiate Academy and is employed through Hope Public Schools.

In many ways, she serves as a liaison – keeping up with things on the high school campus, taking care of transportation and food, doing grade checks with students each Monday where they inform her how they are doing, and student testing. Students will seek counseling. They might share a struggle they are having, or she might help them with college preparation or scholarships.

“I personally feel like I have the very best job of anybody in Hope school district because I get to do so many aspects of teaching that I’m not just in a classroom teaching one subject,” Flowers said. “I’m not having to be just a principal and working with discipline, or being just a counselor and working with scheduling. I kind of get to do the best aspects of all of those things, and so it keeps every single day active and interesting.”

Students are doing well, she said, but there’s a mandatory study hall for those whose grades are less than 70, and tutoring time is offered with instructors.

In the study hall, students must turn in their phone. They’ll organize into study 30 June 2025 Report Card

DR. JONATHAN CROSSLEY, Hope’s superintendent, wants 80% of the district’s students to earn a “diploma-plus” – an associate’s degree, a technical certificate, or Advanced Placement college credit.

Currently, 68% of the district’s students are trending in that direction.

groups. One student might approach the white board and help his or her fellow students understand a concept.

She said the students are in a unique situation. They “want to stay together, and they do not want to see another student fall behind, and so they will throw a life net out just with the kids coming in and help do tutoring,” she said. “They will throw a life net out to a student. If they’ve got a classmate drowning, [then] no, we’re doing this together. Even if a student doesn’t particularly reach out for tutoring, they’re going to give it to them anyway.”

Diploma-plus the larger goal Hope Superintendent Jonathan Crossley said the Hope Collegiate Academy is part of a larger goal related to enhanced student achievement. The district’s long-term priority is to have 80% of its students graduate with a “diploma-plus.”

Currently, 68% of the students are trending in that direction. The goal is for 150 of the district’s 650 students to be part of the Collegiate Academy while another 150 would be earning technical certificates at UAHT’s Secondary Career &

Technical Education Center. Seventy-six Hope students participated in that program this past semester to gain skills in HVAC, industrial maintenance, information technology, medical professions and welding. Advanced Placement classes are another pathway to a diploma-plus.

“I think that we have not always aligned the standards of education to where the market is going,” he said.

“It’s not about we’ve held kids to a low standard. I think that we just haven’t been laser-focused about the expectations. Kids will rise to the expectations just like employees, teachers, superintendents do as well. So I think the conversation we’re having right now about expectations, outcomes and achievement is heading in a very positive direction.”

Crossley said the school board is “super supportive.” One key is making sure the high school and the college are aligned. The school board and UAHT’s board of visitors have had joint meetings for that purpose.

Students in Texarkana likewise are looking for a challenge, and they get one, said Dr. Lloyd Jackson, superintendent. They want to be introduced to college while saving their parents thousands of dollars.

“We have students who are first generation college students,” he said.

“We have students who are low socioeconomic status. We have students who both parents have gone to college. We have students who are, again, affluent, and so it is a very good mix of students that’s out there.”

Jackson said districts that follow Hope’s and Texarkana’s lead must make sure they can do it.

“My advice would be that, one, it’s a great opportunity for students,” he said.

“It’s a great partnership between the district and the university or college, but I will encourage them to count up the cost because the program, while certainly beneficial, does come with a cost. And you’ve got to figure out how can you pay for it and how can you sustain that particular expenditure as the district, or what does that look like in partnership with the college and our families?”

Curtis said some high-achieving students haven’t participated in the past because rules have discouraged it. They

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS. Heather Flowers, left, is director of the Hope Collegiate Academy. Much of her work is focused on student services. Dr. Mikki Curtis, University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana dean of secondary programs, oversees both the Hope and Texarkana academies.

haven’t gotten weighted credit on their grade point averages, potentially penalizing them in their class rankings and causing them to miss out on scholarships.

That shouldn’t be a problem for students in any district under the ACCESS Act. It creates a standardized weighted course code directory ensuring all concurrent students will get full honors credit. In the past, automatic honors weight was

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given only to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. In some school districts, a student’s grade point average could be lowered if he or she took concurrent credit classes. While preparing for the legislative session last year, Secretary Oliva spoke to a high school senior who was only taking two courses. She was a National Merit Finalist in line to be valedictorian or salutatorian, and she didn’t want to lower her grade point average and potentially lose a scholarship.

“That shows me the system was broken because we had barriers in place that disincentivized our best and brightest students to not take more rigorous coursework, which is what ACCESS is eliminating,” he said.

Hope has an advantage other districts don’t enjoy in that it has a college campus only two miles from the high school.

Texarkana’s high school and college campus are also within a short drive from each other.

Oliva said other districts might have to be creative. If a high school teacher can teach Advanced Placement calculus, he or she also can be credentialed to teach college algebra.

Districts can take hybrid approaches with some instruction done in person and some done online. Some districts could contract with an adjunct professor.

“That’s one of the tasks that we’re working on this summer is removing those obstacles and barriers,” he said. “A zip code or logistics shouldn’t open or close doors to students being able to have an accelerated opportunity.”

Curtis believes any district could have a similar program.

Student transport is one of the keys. Once students get on the college campus, they are there for most of the rest of the school day, so there’s not much going back and forth.

“I think you could duplicate this model anywhere. …

You’re going to have to tweak it for your circumstances and where that college is,” she said. “My goal is to always do what is best for kids, and if I truly think something like this is best for kids, I’m going to do whatever I can to make that happen.

Jump over those hurdles.”

50 Report Card June 2025 31

EXECUTIVE SESSION with

Rochelle Redus

By Melissa Brawner Contributing writer

Dr. Rochelle Redus, Ed.D., grew up in North Little Rock and graduated from the North Little Rock School District, as did her children. She lives five minutes from the administrative building where, as the school board’s president, she feels right at home.

Redus has been both a North Little Rock School District employee and school board member. She was hired to supervise the in-school suspension in 1994, but that position later was eliminated. She returned to the district to work as a secretary and computer lab facilitator at Boone Park Elementary School, then resigned in 2000 to work at the Boys and Girls Club so she could serve on the school board. She served until 2006, when she resigned from the board to accept a newly created position as a human services worker. She earned a degree in that field while she worked. She returned to board service in 2018. Meanwhile, at age 56 she earned her fourth degree as a doctor of education in organizational leadership with an emphasis in behavioral health. In her memoir, titled No Longer Broken, Redus wrestles with the difficulties of being sexually abused, with traumatic events, and with the death of a child while continuing to live life.

Report Card met up with Redus in North Little Rock’s boardroom to talk about the district where she grew up and where she remains deeply invested.

When did you first decide to run for school board?

32 June 2025 Report Card

“Actually, it started in 1999, while I was working for Boone Park. Tracy Steele was a board member. He’s in the House of Representatives now. We went to school together; he graduated a couple of years before me. He knew who I was. I never thought about politics in any shape, form or fashion. When he talked about the school board, I thought, ‘That’s not what I do. I don’t get into politics.’ He explained it, and I decided to run. … I didn’t have any opposition, so it was like, ‘You’ve just got to go vote for yourself, and you’re on.’

“From 2000 to 2006, that first term, I didn’t know what I was doing.”

What was your purpose in running?

“To make a difference. Like I do everything in life, to be a voice for those who may not feel like they have a voice.

When you have mental illness, when you deal with anxiety and depression, all of that, you tend to not feel like you can speak up for yourself. And so I wanted to be that person to do that.

“In my area, in my zone, I have a lot of parents that may not have graduated and don’t know how to go to the school and talk to the principal or what the processes are. They don’t want to share the needs that they have, in shame or (in fear of) being stigmatized. So I wanted

to be that person that, I’m not ashamed, it is what it is, I am who I am, and I’m going to do this.”

You had a career that focused on student services. You were a human services worker for the North Little Rock School District. You were a school-based therapist with Pathfinder. Then you moved to higher ed, where you were a disability services counselor. Why were you drawn to these types of service positions?

“Because it helps people. It helps people.”

What is in your background and in your heart that draws you to these types of positions?

“Because there were points in my life that I felt I needed help, and I wished I would have had somebody to push me along, to be my voice. But then I had to find my own inner voice. So I want to be that voice for those who can’t. It’s been a little scary at times – even being the inner voice for someone else, because I still have my own insecurities.”

What parts of these jobs have brought you the most joy?

“Seeing the children. We have an opportunity once a month to go have lunch at one of the schools. They have ambassadors, and they always impress us. It’s almost like a competition to see who’s going to treat us the best. [Laughs.] I

just love it. It’s such a joy to see them. … I ask questions, and usually the first thing they always say is that they love their teacher; they love their school. I always ask the fifth graders, ‘Are you ready for sixth grade?’ And they almost always answer, ‘No, I want to stay at my school.’ It’s heartwarming for a child to be happy to be at their school. I love seeing that.”

What are some of the challenges?

“North Little Rock is landlocked.

Most of our money comes from residents’ personal property taxes. So I would love, love, love, and let me re-emphasize, I would love to be able to give all of our teachers and all across the board, our bus drivers, the secretaries, everybody a raise and pay them their worth. Because I don’t know if I could make it off what we pay our support staff.”

How have your experiences in your career, in your careers really, how have they helped you as a board member, and how have they helped you contribute as a board member?

“I believe in protocol and policies and time management and ‘know your job, do your job.’ And that is because of my work experience. I’m not a micromanager. I feel like I should be able to give you a task, (and you) go forth and do it. But, if you can’t, come back to me to ask for assistance. But at the end

of the day, know your job and do your job. Because that’s what was expected of me. Either I could do it, or I could get assistance with it. But I knew what my expectations were. Now let’s get the ball rolling.”

As a board member, do you try to make a special effort to ensure that these types of student services are available?

“I would say, not directly. (I do) indirectly, in that I know my role. I stay in my lane. … I give the expectation to him (Superintendent Dr. Gregory J. Pilewski) to make sure that it gets carried out.

“At the beginning of each school year, we go with him to each campus.

Last year was the first year we had two or three schools together. He does a presentation, and he talks about the expectations. The expectations he’s talking about are the expectations that we’ve given to him to give the feedback to the staff. And we go with him as a reinforcement. …

“I do want to mention, Dr. Pilewski and I have done several presentations to other boards about communication between the superintendents and the board.

One thing other boards are surprised about, we have one-on-one (meetings), individually, with our superintendent every month. He has an open door. …

I love it. Because I have my little book

Continued on next page

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Report Card June 2025 33

Executive Session

“

I believe strongly in peace. My motto is, ‘Intentional peace.’ Every day, to be at peace. I’ll be 61 this year. How do I get by? Intentional peace. No stress, no mess.

Those are my mottos. I try to keep that behavior with the board. I hope they’ll see my peace, and their peace will come.

”

where I have my notes, and if I have questions or if I hear something or see something in my one-on-one, it can be addressed. I love it. That’s the best communication ever.”

What kinds of student services are the higher priority to you? Are there any services that schools need to do more of, not just here, but in general?

“Mental health. We need more counselors. I don’t know a school in Arkansas, or anywhere, that counselorto-student ratio is proportionate. When I was working at the Boys and Girls Club, I zeroed in on those students who didn’t have a two-point (grade point average), but they could. The problem is those students are not the ones who go see the counselor. It’s the already two-point-five or three-point. They know to go see the counselor. But if we had more counselors, they would be able to zero in on those who aren’t at a two-point to show them how to get where they need to be.

“We’re in the process. We have academies now, which is wonderful, because not everyone wants to go to college.

They may want to be a hairdresser or get into welding. Some things don’t require a college degree. I wish we had more counselors or career coaches to be able to help those who just aren’t quite there.

They want to be, they can be, but they’re just not quite there, and they’re not going to go seek. I want people who will go seek them, meet them where they are. In an ideal world, that’s what would happen.”

North Little Rock has a very longserving board. How have the board members maintained a sense of cohesiveness, even after working together all of these years?

34 June 2025 Report Card

“It is challenging sometimes. … But the main thing is respect. We’re not going to always agree on everything, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t respect everybody’s decision and opinion.

“I’m board president this year. …

I believe strongly in peace. My motto is, ‘Intentional peace.’ Every day, to be at peace. I’ll be 61 this year. How do I get by? Intentional peace. No stress, no mess. Those are my mottos. I try to keep that behavior with the board. I hope they’ll see my peace, and their peace will come.”

The district has a $5.1 million deficit due to declining enrollment and losses in state and federal funding.

The school board voted to approve a plan by Superintendent Pilewski that would address the deficit. The plan divides administrative duties into two geographical areas, each with an assistant superintendent, along with a third assistant superintendent in charge of special services. Do you see any danger in dividing the district administratively?

“No, because of the way that the reorganization has been devised. Let me first say, it was a hard, hard decision to back, for me personally, to back the reorganization. First and foremost, because I’ve been (let go) before … I’ve had a position … and it went away, and I had to scramble to figure out what I was going to do. And I never wanted to

wish that on anyone else. So it was hard for me, (along with) the fact that there were people that I personally knew who were going to be affected. But what I had to personally do was to look at the facts. We need $5.1 million. How are we going to get it? So I had to remove the people that I knew out of my mind. I had to remove positions out of my mind, and just look at the reorganization and ask, ‘Can it get us to where we need to be?”

That was hard.

“Did it? I’m able to sleep at night simply because that’s what I had to do. I had to remove my feelings out of it, pray for those people who were affected, pray that God places them where they need to be, and that everything will work out.

“As far as the plan, things are going to be great in the sense that we have 14 schools. … And the way (the new system) is divided, since we have between eight to 10 elementary, and you just don’t have that many middle-secondary, to me that’s not proportionate responsibility-wise. This way, we’ll have seven (schools) under one (administrator), seven under another.

“And they all work K-12, so they can collaborate all together. Teamwork.

‘This is what works over here,’ or ‘This school is doing this,’ and everybody can be on the same page. And the responsibility will be equally distributed, except for the (special services) category. It has a little more responsibility because you have coordinators, and it’s a different dynamic. But, when you’re looking at the school itself, having one person over seven schools, and another person over seven schools, everybody has the same responsibilities. I know if I were in that position, that would be great. I could ask, ‘So what are you doing over here?

Share with me. And we can all get together, and we can all be in one accord.’

“If you have K-12, you will be able to help the fifth grade and elementary know what they need to do to get to the middle school, and help the middle school know how to prepare for the elementary that’s coming to them. Everybody can be cohesive.”

Do you think this current plan can address the deficit sufficiently, or is it a first step?

“With anything, I would want to say it’s the first step. The reason is because, we have to put it in place; it has to do what it’s going to do. But then, there’s always going to be a need because we’ve got to get our reading scores up.

We’ve got to get our graduation rate up.

And children evolve and change. As they change, we have to keep changing.

We have to be able to meet them where they are.”

The vote to restructure was 4-3 in March. That’s a close vote. You’ve had a board meeting since then. Is the board able to continue to work together cohesively?

“Yes. Because you agree to disagree.

The main thing is to keep your feelings out of it. But that’s hard, it’s really hard, when you’re invested in the district and you’re invested in your community. It’s hard when you’re invested in the people.

Again, and I mean it sincerely, heartfelt: If I had the money, no one would be leaving. But I don’t. And that’s the reality. It’s unfortunate that somebody has to leave. It’s like a sacrifice. Someone has to leave so we can fund the rest.”

Those are hard calls. … Is there anything you would advise other districts to do who are facing similar challenges as well?

“That’s hard because we’ve got to find a way to service our students but find money. And, you know, money

doesn’t grow on trees. And the economy, the way it is, the world … until things change in the world, it’s going to be a struggle.”

Editor’s Note: Dr. Redus answered the following questions by email after her patrons approved a 4-mill increase from 48.3 to 52.3 mills May 13.

North Little Rock recently passed a 4-mill increase for a new middle school and other improvements. What led to the decision to ask the voters to approve the request?

“I’m overjoyed that the millage passed. I’ve lived in this zone for 34 years, graduated from Northeast [High School], and both of my children went through the North Little Rock School District from kindergarten through 12th grade. I also had the privilege of working in the district from 1995 to 2000, and again from 2006 to 2009, so I’m deeply invested in NLRSD. “What really drove the decision was seeing the condition of the current middle school. That building was my high school, and many of the facilities – like the auditorium, classrooms, and gym the sixth graders use – haven’t changed since I graduated in 1982. The previous millage funding covered the construction of new buildings, but it simply wasn’t enough to address the much-needed upgrades at the middle school. It was long overdue.”

Was it difficult to make the request considering voters had rejected a millage request in November?

“Personally, I leaned on the old saying, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’ The need didn’t go away just because the vote didn’t pass the first time. It wasn’t just about the middle school – it was also about preserving and renovating Old Main. These improvements were necessary, and we had to keep advocating for them.”

What did you do differently?

“This time around, the district did a better job of communicating the ‘why.’

They shared powerful testimonial videos featuring students and teachers, and they gave the community a clearer look at the condition of the buildings. Seeing those visuals really helped people understand the urgency and importance of the improvements.”

What do you think the improvements will mean for the district?

“It’s about creating a better experience for our students – plain and simple.

These upgrades will help boost both student and staff morale, strengthen our sense of community pride, and most importantly, support academic growth and success. When our environment improves, everything else tends to follow.”

Note: Executive Session is edited for length, style and clarity.

REAL TRANSFORMATION TAKES A STRONG TEAM We deliver. No excuses.

Report Card June 2025 35

Marketplace

The latest news from Report Card’s advertisers For more information about Strategos, contact Steve Anderson, retired superintendent, at sanderson@strategosintl.com or at 501.617.4718, or go to strategosintl.com.

Nabholz apprentice program gives students job paths

Graduating high school students are increasingly exploring career paths in trades instead of pursuing a traditional college degree. Nabholz’s Youth Apprenticeship Program provides these students with hands-on experience working on construction sites, with the opportunity to become a full-time Nabholz employee upon graduation.

During the program, students learn different carpentry skills and safety procedures directly under a mentor’s supervision. They also further develop their ability to manage tasks and communicate effectively – both crucial skills in and out of the construction industry.

Common duties include rough and finish carpentry, layout assistance, painting, installing doors and hardware, building forms, and more.

Nabholz prioritizes recruiting from schools under construction or with a nearby project to minimize student travel. It has previously hired apprentices from Springdale, Conway, Bentonville, and elsewhere across Arkansas.

While the 2025 program is full, schools can learn more at nabholz.com/ careers/youth-apprentice-program. Starting December 2025, schools can contact Sheila Burroughs at sheila.burroughs@ nabholz.com to discuss bringing the program to their students.

WER designs The Hub for Arkansas Virtual Academy

WER Architects worked closely with Arkansas Virtual Academy leadership to design a first-of-its-kind space where 36 June 2025 Report Card

students, teachers, leadership and parents come together. The Hub was designed to provide valuable space for one-on-one tutoring, group study and special projects, standardized testing and teaching training, and special events.

The historic 1940s building located in downtown Little Rock was completely transformed. The space now features natural light and flexible furniture and is an overall bright and colorful space.

For more information about WER Architects, go to werarch.com.

Strategos exhibits at COSSBA’s 2025 National Conference

Strategos International exhibited at the Consortium of State School Boards Associations’ 2025 National Conference March 20‑23 in Atlanta.

Representatives Steve Anderson of Arkansas, left, and Tracy Kemp of Missouri welcomed a steady stream of visitors, sparking conversations about practical approaches to campus security.

Board members, eager to fortify their districts against emerging risks, gathered at the booth to explore Strategos’ active shooter response training, threat assessment coaching, and comprehensive physical security assessments. The turnout underscored a nationwide commitment to safer learning environments and affirmed Strategos International’s role as a trusted resource for K‑12 protection solutions nationwide.

Entegrity helps Hope realize $250K energy surplus

Hope Public Schools is seeing results from its Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Entegrity. The district upgraded seven facilities – totaling nearly 584,000 square feet – with HVAC, LED lighting, water conservation measures, and a 1.125 MW solar array.

In the first year, the district generated more than $250,000 in combined utility savings, surpassing its guaranteed savings target of $155,000 by nearly $94,000. That surplus can be reinvested into classrooms, programs, or additional improvements.

The project created more comfortable, reliable learning environments while reducing operational costs and environmental impact. Completed with no upfront capital, the ESPC allowed the district to make meaningful upgrades without a tax raise.

Entegrity offers a free preliminary assessment to identify savings opportunities with no strings attached. Email info@entegritypartners.com or go to entegritypartners.com to learn more.

WDD Architects designs Brinkley High School

Brinkley Public Schools broke ground on its new replacement high school designed by WDD Architects.

Southern Tire Mart’s tire program serves Bergman schools

The new school (grades 7-12) prioritizes collaborative academic space and is designed to attract new students to the district.

The project represents a multiyear effort by Brinkley Public Schools, WDD, Baldwin & Shell Construction, Dr. Charles Stein, and the district’s voters who supported the millage campaign.

For more information, contact: bradc@wddarchitects.com or visit www. wddarchitects.com

C.R. Crawford exhibits at NWA career day

C.R. Crawford Construction exhibited alongside multiple partners and industry professionals at this year’s “Build My Future NWA,” a dynamic career day and industry showcase for high school students. It was proud to have been among the amazing companies that made this event the success that it was.

“We are excited to engage with students and demonstrate the diverse opportunities available in the construction industry,” said Becky Gosnell, internal marketing director at C.R. Crawford, pictured above. “It’s crucial to empower students to follow their passions, whether that leads them to academia or hands-on careers in the trades.”

For questions about K-12 construction, go to www.crcrawford.com or contact Leigh Ann Showalter at lshowalter@crcrawford.com.

Architecture Plus designs new Springdale Jr. High

Architecture Plus worked with Springdale Public Schools and Baldwin & Shell to construct Central Junior High School.

The third and final phase was completed in March. Throughout each phase, the students were kept safe from all work areas. The main entry is rotated 90 degrees from its original location, taking it away from a local busy street. This allowed for expanded parking lots that also greatly improved traffic flow.

The new school has teaching stairs, a secure outdoor artificial grass courtyard/ play area, a larger media center, a larger commercial kitchen, and classrooms that allow for growth. It will be able to serve Springdale Public Schools for 50 years.

For more information about Architecture Plus, Inc.’s K-12 projects, contact Craig Boone at craig@archplusinc.net or go to archplusinc.net.

Cadence Insurance joins Gallagher global brokerage

Cadence Insurance has joined Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage that shares its core values and commitment to employees, clients and community. While the company’s name has changed, its team hasn’t, and it will continue offering the same high-quality products with experienced professionals who understand public education. This partnership allows it to bring greater resources and support to Arkansas school districts.

For more information, go to www. ajg.com/industries/government-publicentities-k-12-schools-insurance.

Southern Tire Mart is teaming up with the Bergman School District Transportation Department to improve operational readiness and safety.

The Bergman School District has started a tire dismounting/mounting program with the help of Southern Tire Mart that will keep the district supplied with maintained tires and wheels.

The new program will eliminate the need for the Bergman School District to take buses off campus for tire replacements. This will allow fleet mechanics to concentrate on core maintenance and reduce the need for additional shop equipment.

For more information, go to stmtires. com or call 877.786.4681.

Cromwell completes construction of new Searcy High gym

Cromwell recently completed a new 3,400-seat arena for Searcy High School, replacing the outdated 60-yearold gym.

Designed for sports, tournaments, and graduations, it features 2,800 chairback seats, floor seating for 600, and a portable stage. Amenities include seven locker rooms, officials’ changing rooms, training and weight rooms, coaches’ offices, concessions, audiovisual and hospitality rooms, a cheer/dance practice space, safe room, and golf simulator.

The design also highlights school history and achievements.

For more information about Cromwell, go to cromwell.com.

Continued on next page

Report Card June 2025 37

Marketplace TIPS encourages members and vendors to review the law with legal counsel and to consider waiver requests when appropriate. Read the full TIPS statement at https://mabeenterprises. sharepoint.com/sites/ConstructionTeam/ Shared%20.

For more information about TIPS’ offerings, contact Stacey McPherson at stacey.mcpherson@tips-usa.com or at 870.565.6178. Learn more about TIPS at www.tips-usa.com.

National Safety Shelters safe-rooms protect students American Fidelity “This is real protection where you need it the most – in the classroom” offers retirement according to Mark S. James, director of the Missouri Department of Public seminars for members Safety when asked about the Hide-Away

classroom shelter, a mini-safe-room offered by National Safety Shelters.

He added, “Its unique design puts the shelter right in the classroom where it provides instant bullet-proof and tornado protection.”

Classroom shelters are a preferable alternative to single large safe-rooms because they offer immediate protection from tornadoes and active shooters at about one-third the cost. Plus, they take up less than 5% of classroom space, require no construction, and can be installed throughout an entire campus in just 2-4 weekends, depending on the number of classrooms.

National Safety Shelters has installed classroom shelters at the Quitman, Lawrence County, Danville, Pangburn, White County, Concord and Ouachita River school districts.

More information can be found at www.nationalsafetyshelters.com or by calling 772.672.3331.

TIPS: Members should review cooperative procurement law

TIPS is aware that Arkansas House Bill 1508 was codified into law as Act 419. It limits cooperative procurement of construction services to public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. These purchases are capped at $1 million per fiscal year, with waivers available through the Executive Subcommittee of the Legislative Council.

38 June 2025 Report Card

American Fidelity is a service provider for retirement seminars for all ASBA member school districts. Topics include HSA/FSA education, 403b/457, compliance, state health plans and retirement. Member districts can call 800.688.4221 to schedule a professional development seminar.

Learn more at americanfidelity.com.

Baldwin & Shell sponsors Craig O’Neill’s Reading Road Trips

Baldwin & Shell Construction sponsored beloved Arkansas media personality Craig O’Neill as he visited more than 40 schools this year through his Reading Road Trip in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

O’Neill has spent more than 20 years promoting childhood literacy through his Reading Road Trip. Baldwin & Shell’s commitment includes more than 30 employee volunteers. Together with Genesis of Conway, it is helping O’Neill inspire a love of reading in Arkansas’ next generation.

To learn more about Baldwin & Shell, go to www.baldwinshell.com.

ARBuy Marketplace helps school districts, agencies save money

ARBuy Marketplace helps school districts and education agencies buy what they need faster, smarter, and at better prices. By leveraging statewide contracts, they can save time, stay on budget, and focus on supporting students and staff while ensuring full compliance with state procurement requirements.

ARBuy simplifies the procurement process, boosts accountability, and encourages collaboration across districts.

With publicly bid prices, districts and agencies can get great, hassle-free deals knowing their purchases meet compliance standards. Schools across the state use ARBuy to access better terms, deeper discounts, and peace of mind.

To learn more, go to arbuy.info.

Stephens can help board members with annual training

As a reminder, Stephens can assist school board members with obtaining their required professional development hours. Arkansas law generally requires that school board members obtain up to six hours of certified professional development on topics related to school operations.

ASBA has deemed Stephens’ financial advisors as certified ASBA trainers who are able to provide up to four hours of school finance training annually toward ASBA’s Boardsmanship Awards Program. Normally held in the evening or on a weekend, this free training workshop will address topics ranging from state and local funding revenue sources to debt financing of capital projects.

Stephens believes that this type of workshop can be particularly useful if boards are considering how to finance future capital projects.

To learn more about how Stephens can assist your district, contact Michael McBryde of Stephens Public Finance at 501.377.2641. More information about Stephens can be found at www.stephens. com/public-finance.

FOIA changes: What you should know The Arkansas General Assembly enacted Act 505 of 2025, making several important updates to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that affect how school board members conduct business. While these changes clarify certain practices, the best legal advice remains unchanged: Conduct all substantive school-related discussions at lawfully called and properly noticed public board meetings.

Below is a summary of key updates and practical legal guidance.

– One-on-one board member communication is permitted – but with limits. Under Act 505, board members are now permitted to communicate directly with one other board member to exchange “background and non-decisional information.” However, this communication cannot: • Involve deliberation on any matter likely to come before the board; • Solicit or share positions or votes; • Attempt to build consensus outside of a public meeting.

The line between permissible communication and a violation can be subtle. The rule of thumb: You may share context, but not strategy or persuasion.

– Be mindful of public settings. Casual, public encounters between board members – at school events, community functions, or the grocery store – should be limited to conversational remarks, such as “The graduation ceremony was great.” Avoid discussing pending issues, potential votes, or upcoming board decisions. If the matter could foreseeably come before the board, discuss it only at a public meeting.

– Superintendent communications are still permitted – within bounds.

Administrators may continue to communicate with board members one-on-one to discuss agenda items or provide information. However, they must not poll board members about their positions or relay how other members plan to vote.

Such activity could be seen as orchestrating a consensus outside of a public meeting, which remains impermissible.

– Scheduling and logistics ≠ public meetings. Act 505 explicitly states that ministerial communications, such

by Cody Kees Bequette, Billingsley & Kees, PA as finding a mutually agreeable date and time for a board meeting, do not constitute a public meeting. Logistical arrangements are not subject to public notice or access requirements as long as they do not evolve into substantive discussions about board business.

– New FOIA rules for virtual attendance. Boards are increasingly using technology for meetings, and Act 505 addresses this trend. If any board member attends a meeting virtually, the board must ensure that the public is also provided a virtual link to observe the meeting in real time.

Importantly, executive sessions must still be attended in person. Virtual attendance is not allowed when discuss-

ing personnel matters or other subjects permitted in executive session.

– Executive session is now permitted for cybersecurity breaches. Act 505 expands the permissible purposes for executive session to include discussion of a cybersecurity breach involving the district’s data, systems, or infrastructure. As always, no final decisions may be made in executive session. Only discussion is allowed.

– Mediation is not a public meeting. Finally, the law now makes clear that when a school board participates in a court-ordered mediation, that process does not constitute a public meeting under FOIA. This change provides legal clarity and protects the confidentiality of settlement efforts in ongoing litigation.

Although Act 505 provides useful clarifications and modernizes some aspects of the FOIA, the foundational principle remains: When conducting school business, do so publicly. When in doubt, keep board business at the board table and avoid deliberative conversations outside of meetings. Contact your district’s legal counsel with questions.

Protecting transparency avoids legal pitfalls and fosters public trust in the board’s decisions and integrity.

Report Card June 2025 39

WE BUILD

spaces to encourage student growth At Nabholz, we’re proud to help equip students with the tools they need to succeed — and that goes beyond building educational facilities. As careers in the trades continue to grow in popularity, we strive to open doors for high school students through the Nabholz Youth Apprenticeship Program. From carpentry to task management to effective communication, our apprentices gain valuable skills that prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation.

1.877.NABHOLZ | nabholz.com