March 2024

March 2024

www.arsba.org

Taking off Report Card

Mountain Home High School students Judith Lloyd and Trace Bailey practice taking off and climbing under varying barometric pressures and temperatures on one of the district’s eight flight simulators. Students can earn their certification to fly a drone right out of high school and get a good-paying job in a highdemand field. They also can pass the knowledge section for their private pilot’s license before they graduate. And with help from local pilots who volunteer their time, they’re getting to fly for free.

Also inside:

Mountain Home medical program partners with local hospital, Harvard

Annual Conference covers generational differences, artificial intelligence

Performance targets now the law

Under LEARNS, school boards must include them in new superintendent contracts and renewals

The LEARNS Act requirement that performance targets be included in all superintendent contracts executed after July 1, 2023, is no small procedural matter. Instead, it’s a significant addition to contract law that will impact just about every Arkansas superintendent and school board this year.

Now is the time to discuss and include performance targets in superintendent contracts. Failure to include them could render the contract null and void. If that happens, the school board would have no obligation to pay out any of the remaining terms if a dispute were to arise between it and the superintendent. However, since the school board is the party that prepares and offers the contract, it is obligated to ensure those performance targets are included. The superintendent’s input is strongly encouraged, although not required.

Take a broad approach for now

The statute is fairly broad and to date there are no administrative rules, so we advise that school boards take a fairly broad approach to the performance

by Cody Kees

Bequette, Billingsley & Kees

targets until we have the benefit of rules and time to work out any unintended consequences. We know that every superintendent contract must have a student achievement goal for the entire district. This might include raising the district’s overall letter grade, literacy rate or state testing scores the next year or over the course of multiple years. Any district that has a “C,” “D” or “F” school will need a separate student achievement goal for each of those schools. The contract also must include a goal for the district graduation rate.

The targets can be developed after the contract is entered, as long as all targets are in place by July 1 when the contract term typically begins, and as long as both parties agree to the contract addendum. That might be a good option

for some districts, especially those offering a new superintendent a contract for the first time.

Performance targets must be included in any superintendent contract extension, even if the school board is simply adding a year to the contract term but not otherwise altering any terms. For example, if your current superintendent is on her first year of a three-year contract and you just offered her a one-year extension at your January board meeting, then you need to execute a new contract reflecting the three-year term, and this contract needs to include performance targets.

Performance targets are ultimately a decision between the board and superintendent, but input from stakeholders is acceptable. The board will have to decide if it wants to provide an incentive payment to a superintendent who reaches the performance targets. If so, such incentive payments should be listed on the contract.

Once the performance targets are in place, they generally cannot be altered during the term of the agreement unless both parties agree. So, make sure the board and superintendent are clear on the expectations and that a review of the performance targets is part of the superintendent’s annual evaluation, which also is required by law.

Report Card

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Randy Hutchinson of Springdale became the new ASBA president while Past President William Campbell of McGehee was honored at the Annual Conference Dec. 6-8.

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School board members will be subject to complaints to the Arkansas Ethics Commission, and standards that govern their behavior will change. The changes are coming as a result of Act 883 of 2023, which goes into effect May 1.

How to speak to each generation

Each generation of Americans was shaped by common experiences and tends to have common values and traits. School districts that understand that reality and employ the right generational strategies will better communicate with each age group.

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AI in schools: Benefits, challenges

How can artificial intelligence be used in schools? Tarver Academy’s Tyler Tarver told breakout session attendees at ASBA’s Annual Conference how AI helps students and teachers, as well as how it can be misused.

Mountain Home students are getting a taste of opportunities in manned and unmanned aviation – and, with help from the community, spreading their wings.

Students in Mountain Home’s White Coat program are preparing for nursing and other medical professions by working with the local hospital and with Harvard University. White

SPACE works everywhere. And for every student. SPACE cuts clutter. Extends resources. Enhances student agency. Invites collaboration. And stores 40% more than casework. What you need. Where and when you need it. See it in motion at vsamerica.com/space

by Randy Hutchinson

Letter from the President ...

What’s our ‘Why?’

As I begin my term as president of ASBA, I want to thank our membership for having confidence in me to lead this association for the next several months. It is truly an honor and privilege to be a part of an association that cares for kids the way ASBA does.

As I was considering the subject of my first article, I had a chance to reflect on how my journey as a school board member has progressed over the past 15-plus years and how my “Why?” has evolved.

When I was first approached by a high school classmate about running for his spot on the Springdale School Board, I wasn’t sure what to think. He was moving to the other side of town and thought it was important to replace himself with someone he felt was qualified to run for and hold such a meaningful position.

Leading up to the day we had that discussion, I had been very involved in PTAs and booster clubs at the schools my three sons attended. While I truly wanted to help everyone, there was an element of selfishness to my service. As all parents do, I wanted what was best for my kids and wanted them to have the best possible experiences while in school. I felt one way to ensure that happened was to be in leadership positions within the schools so I would always know what was going on and could develop better relationships with the teachers, coaches and administrators of the schools.

After much consideration, talking to my wife and a few administrators

I had befriended, and some prayer, I decided to run for our local board. Despite not fully comprehending what I was about to commit to, I did it and was elected. I’m sure the first couple years I served, nobody really knew who I was. I was fortunate to serve with six other strong leaders, giving me the opportunity to observe, listen, and learn. Any selfish reasons I had previously were soon replaced by feelings of being overwhelmed by the immensity of the position of board member of one of the largest school districts in the state. The thought of being responsible for millions of dollars, tens of thousands of children, and a few thousand employees was intimidating. Thankfully, after a couple years of observing the other members of our board and attending ASBA training sessions, I learned the key to being a great school board member. That key was to make sure every decision made was based on the simple question: “Is this what is best for the kids in our district?”

Once I started using that lens to make my decisions, any feelings of being overwhelmed disappeared. That’s because my “Why?” was now laser focused on making sure all my decisions were based on producing the biggest positive impact for all the kids in our district. As we all move toward the end of this school year, I would encourage each of you to focus all your decisionmaking on what is best for the kids in your respective districts. Doing what is best for all kids should be our mission and our “Why?” as board members.

Report Card

arkansas school Boards associaTion

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: Randy Hutchinson, Springdale

President-elect: Jeff Lisenbey, Sheridan

Vice President: Doris Parham, Bearden

Secretary-Treasurer: Nikki King, Pangburn

Past President: William Campbell, McGehee

Region 1: Travis Warren, Farmington

Region 2: Mitchell Archer, Bergman

Region 3: Joe Sheppard, Jonesboro

Region 4: Beth Ulrich, Paris

Region 5: Clint Hull, Pottsville

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: Mark Curry, Lake Hamilton

Region 11: Carl “Buddy” Puckett, Poyen

Region 12: Laura Clark, Blevins

Region 13: Renee Skinner, El Dorado

Region 14: Jerry Daniels, Warren

Staff

Executive Director: Dr. Tony Prothro

Board Development Director: Tammie Reitenger

Governmental Relations Director: Dan Jordan

Finance Director: Diana Woodward

Communications and Technology Director: Sherri Fite

Staff Attorney: Kristen Garner

Policy Director: Lucas Harder

Database Administrator: Kathy Ivy

Commercial Affiliates/Board Liaison Manager: Angela Ellis

Bookkeeper: Kayla Orr

Receptionist: Kimberly Strom

TIPS-TAPS Project Manager: Stacey McPherson

General Counsel: Jay Bequette

Risk Management Program & Workers’ Comp. Program: Shannon Moore, Director

Krista Glover

Dwayne McAnally

Misty Thompson

Melody Tipton

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 2024 by the Arkansas School Boards Association and Steve Brawner Communications. All rights reserved. Vol. 18, Number 1 March 2024 The

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ASBA News and notes

Riverview’s Baker elected as ASBA Region 6 director

Keith Baker, a member of the Riverview School Board that serves part of Searcy and nearby areas, has been elected as ASBA’s Region 6 director. It is his second time to serve on the ASBA Board of Directors.

May

housing options for teachers and staff in a district where the average home price has reached $435,000.

Presenting another session were Dr.

Baker, who is retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has served on the Riverview School Board since he was elected in 2010 and last year served as president. He is a native of Kensett, a community served by the district, and is

ELEVATING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.

a member of the Kensett City Council. His father, William Baker, was a school custodian for what was the Kensett School District for more than 30 years.

Two Arkansas districts present at COSSBA meeting

The Bentonville and West Memphis school districts presented breakout sessions at the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s Annual Conference in Dallas Feb. 21-25.

COSSBA is a coalition of 25 state board associations formed in late 2021. Arkansas is a founding member.

The Bentonville School District presented on “Building Bright Futures: Affordable Housing Solutions for Teacher Recruitment and Retention.” Presenters were Dr. Debbie Jones, superintendent, and school board members Jennifer Faddis and Kelly Carlson. The three discussed the district’s partnership with the Excellerate Foundation in creating affordable

Brown, superintendent of the West Memphis School District, and Dr. Kimberly Wolfe, a school board member. The two presented on the topic, “Grab the Chalk and Preview the Destination: Leveraging the Role of Superintendent as Education Leader to Maximize Board Relations and Stakeholder Involvement to Drive Student Achievement.”

Speakers at the conference included Sam Glenn, a motivational speaker who spoke at the Southern Region Conference in Hot Springs last year.

Baker

ASBA leadership changes hands

Campbell saluted after eventful leadership; Hutchinson new president

ASBA’s presidency changed hands for the first time in a year and a half at a well-attended Annual Conference Dec. 6-8 at the Statehouse Convention Center and Little Rock Marriott Hotel.

The new president, Randy Hutchinson of Springdale, accepted the reins from William Campbell of McGehee, who served not only his term but part of the previous one after his predecessor moved out of state for personal reasons.

“William never missed a beat,” ASBA Executive Director Dr. Tony Prothro told the annual Delegate Assembly that opens the conference. “He dropped everything, filled his calendar with events and meetings, and did the work of a true servant-leader.”

Campbell’s time as an officer has been eventful. He has been a board member of the new Consortium of State School Boards Associations, the group started by states that departed from the

“It has been an honor and privilege to sit at the table with 21 other states and form this organization to help improve the lives of our students because that’s what we’re here for,” Campbell said.

DELEGATE ASSEMBLY. School board members vote in the Delegate Assembly that opens every ASBA Annual Conference. Attendees approved the by-laws with no changes.

National School Boards Association. In his remarks at the Delegate Assembly, Campbell thanked God, the McGehee School Board, the ASBA Board of Directors, and Prothro.

ASBA PAST PRESIDENT WILLIAM CAMPBELL of McGehee is applauded for his year and a half of service as president. Pictured from left are Jeff Lisenbey of Sheridan, ASBA president-elect; Rosa Bowman of Ashdown, 2022-23 past president; and ASBA Executive Director Tony Prothro. Photo by Lifetouch.

Campbell now serves as ASBA’s past president. Other officers elected by the Delegate Assembly were Jeff Lisenbey of Sheridan as president-elect, Doris Parham of Bearden as vice president, and Nikki King of Pangburn as secretary-treasurer.

Still 100% membership

In his 11th annual report, Prothro told the Delegate Assembly that ASBA continues to enjoy 100% membership among Arkansas school boards. It has 256 members in the workers’ compensation program including all school districts and others. Member districts will receive a reserve distribution credit on their bill for 2024, with a slight decrease on the front-end discount with continued rising claims and medical costs. But rates in Arkansas have decreased,

216 participants. Every school district is participating in ASBA’s Model Policy Service, although the number of subscribers decreased from 252 to 251 because of one school consolidation. Participation in ASBA’s Risk Management Program has increased to 179 members. Premiums increased significantly this past year in both that program and one operated by the state of Arkansas as a result of devastating natural disasters.

Prothro praised school board members as unique in that they are elected without pay and are focused entirely on students.

“The decisions board members make shape the course of the education of our citizenry and ultimately define the destiny of our state and of our nation,” he said. “Board members’ service is a noble role of servant leadership that must be embraced and protected for the betterment of our society. We as your organization will carry that torch for you

STUDENT SPEAKERS. Rachel Saulsbery, left, a senior from Bentonville High School, won ASBA’s Student Speaker Contest and received a $1,000 award. Tooba Sehr, a junior from County Line High School, placed second and received $750. The two spoke at the Annual Conference about “Exploring the Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence.” Photo of Rachel Saulsbery by Lifetouch.

Student speakers talk AI

Attendees heard from the two top finishers in ASBA’s Student Speaker Contest: first place winner Rachel

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DR. DAN WINNER. Danna Johnson, a member of the Brookland School Board, was this year’s winner of ASBA’s Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award for outstanding contributions to public education. Johnson received the award not only because of her school board service but also because of her active volunteerism in the district.

Saulsbery, a senior from Bentonville High School, and second place finisher Tooba Sehr, a junior from County Line High School. The students spoke about “Exploring the Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence.” The third place winner, Arianna Williams, a Little Rock West High School of Innovation junior, was unable to attend and speak. The honorable mention winner was Benton High School senior Natalie Weems. The students submitted a recorded version of their speech and an essay that were judged by volunteer judges. Saulsbery won a $1,000 cash prize, while Sehr earned $750. Williams earned $500, and Weems earned $250.

Two reach 40 years of service

The annual Awards Luncheon honored school board members for their extended service. Two board members have served 40 years: Kenneth Harris of Arkadelphia and Robyn Roach of Riverview. Five received the President’s

Photo by Lifetouch.

ASBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Pictured are the 2023-24 ASBA Board of Directors. Front row, left to right, Doris Parham, Bearden, vice president; Rosa Bowman, Ashdown, 2022-2023 past president; Dr. Tony Prothro, executive director; Nikki King, Pangburn, secretary-treasurer; Beth Ulrich, Paris, Region 4 director. Second row, Mark Curry, Lake Hamilton, Region 10; Donna Dunlap, Barton, Region 9; Renee Skinner, El Dorado, Region 13; William Campbell, McGehee, past president. Third row, Shane Bell, Cross County, Region 7; Jerry Daniels, Warren, Region 14; Clint Hull, Pottsville, Region 5; Travis Warren, Farmington, Region 1; Jeff Lisenbey, Sheridan, president-elect. Back row, Randy Hutchinson, Springdale, president; Graham Peterson, Mt. Vernon-Enola, Region 8; Carl “Buddy” Puckett, Poyen, Region 11; and Joe Sheppard, Jonesboro, Region 3. Not pictured are Mitchell Archer, Bergman, Region 2; Keith Baker, Riverview, Region 6; and Laura Clark, Blevins, Region 12. Photo by Lifetouch.

MASTER BOARDS. Three school boards achieved Master Board member status because all board members have attained at least 50 hours of professional development: Hot Springs, North Little Rock and Greenwood. At left is Hot Springs. Pictured are Dr. Stephanie Nehus, superintendent; ASBA Executive Director Dr. Tony Prothro; board President Dino Lenox; and board member Dr. Cindy Rogers. Not pictured are board members Linda White, Debbie Ugbade, and Ann Hill. At right is the North Little Rock Board. Pictured are Dorothy Williams, Dr. Rochelle Redus, Valerie McLean, and Angela Person-West. Not pictured are Tracy Steele, Natalie Wankum, and Cindy Temple, board president. The Greenwood School District is not pictured. Photo by Lifetouch.

Liles of Searcy, and Raymond Jones of White Hall. Five were honored with the Platinum Award for attaining 400 hours of professional development. They were Meyer, Ricky Ward of Ashdown, Johnny Brown of Lafayette County, Jacqueline Baker of Osceola, and Joel Tolefree of Warren.

Three school boards were honored as Master Boards because all of their members have attained at least 50 hours of professional development. They were the Hot Springs, North Little Rock and Greenwood School Districts.

Danna Johnson is Dr. Dan winner

Award for serving 30 years and attaining 500 hours of professional development. They were Springdale’s Randy Hutchinson, Billy Fair of Blytheville, Kenneth Graves of DeWitt, Neal Pendergrass of Mountain Home, and Jerry Daniels of Warren. Five were honored for serving 30 years: Eddie Moore of Camden Fairview, Donnie Wright of Gosnell, Connie Meyer of Lincoln Consolidated, Michael

Danna Johnson, a member of the Brookland School Board, was this year’s winner of ASBA’s Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award for outstanding contributions to public education. Johnson not only has been a school board member but also does 50-100 hours of school volunteer work each month. She has

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ASBA BOARDS OF EXCELLENCE. The Springdale School Board received the ASBA Board of Excellence Award in the over-900-student category, while the Magazine School District received the award in the under-900-student category. Pictured at left is the Springdale School Board. From left are Dr. Jared Cleveland, superintendent, and board members Kevin Ownbey, Clinton Bell, President Randy Hutchinson, Michelle Cook, and Nick Emerson. Not pictured are Debbie Creek and Eddie Ramos. Pictured at right is the Magazine School Board. From left are Superintendent Beth Shumate, President Steven Schlinker, and board members Michael Springer and Brandy Young. Not pictured are Wayne Corbitt and Alfonso Vasquez. Photos by Lifetouch.

Annual Conference

EXHIBITORS. Top right photo, Stephens Inc.’s Jack Truemper, second from right, visits with Watson Chapel School Board member Alan Frazier. Also pictured are Stephens’ Michael McBryde, right, and Jason Holsclaw, background. Second row left, Architecture Plus’s Michael Johnson visits with Osceola School Board member Jacqueline Baker. Second row right, Grant Matthews with Pan America man’s American Fidelity’s booth while two conference-goers visit. Third row left, C.R. Crawford’s Becky Gosnell and Leigh Ann Showalter visit with a conference-goer. Third row right, Alexas Kain and Ben Carrillo with Arkansas Public Safety Solutions talk with Spencer Parker with the Wynne School Board. Bottom row left, Little Rock School Board member Anna Strong speaks with Baldwin Shell’s Kevin Yarberry while Drew Williams and Tori Mooney look on. Bottom row right, All-Clean’s DannyJoe Crofford visits with Blytheville School Board member Billy Fair, left, and another conference-goer in Exhibit Hall.

been PTO president and a member of the High School Advisory Board, Brookland’s Wellness Committee, the Parent & Family Engagement Committee, and

the School Handbook Committee. She helped establish the Be Buddies Not Bullies program and leads the district’s Make-A-Wish program.

Two school districts received the ASBA Board of Excellence Awards. The Springdale School Board received the award in the over-900-student category, while the Magazine School Board received it in the under-900-student category. Recipients provide evidence of excellence in eight criteria: supporting student achievement; supporting educational improvement projects; commitment to a code of ethics; maintaining harmonious and supportive relationships among board members and the superintendent; adhering to adopted policies; overseeing district finances consistent with the district’s strategic plan and policies; participating in improvement programs; and supporting public relations and community awareness efforts.

Springdale collaboration

The Springdale School Board, along with Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland, led one of the breakout sessions,

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SPRINGDALE SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT RANDY HUTCHINSON, right, speaks while fellow board members look on. Sitting from left are Kevin Ownbey, Clinton Bell, Nick Emerson and Michelle Cook. Dr. Jared Cleveland, superintendent, is standing.

Annual Conference

“Strengthening Schools Through Superintendent and School Board Collaborations.” Cleveland said board members spend time together and know each other personally. Veteran board members mentor new board members. He described board members as his “critical friends.” In last year’s annual evaluation, one told Cleveland that he didn’t always communicate what was happening in the district, so he started sending weekly communications. He emphasized the importance of listening to board members. They provide a valuable perspective because, as a superintendent, he might be personally defensive because of all the criticism he hears about the district.

“Quite frankly, I learned a long time ago that in every district, the people that are on the board care more about that community and that district than you do,” he said. “You

MORE EXHIBITORS. Top right photo, Nabholz’s Brock Cline, left, and Flint Richter with Entegrity, right, visit with a conference-goer. Second row left, Jeff Overton, center, and Hamoudi James with Cromwell Architects Engineers visit with an attendee. Second row right, Clark Contractors’ Michael McGrew, left, visits with Brad Chilcote with WDD Architects. Third row left, Rob Branscum with Johnson Controls visits with Randall Williams with Van Horn Construction. Third row right, Larry Perkin with Hight Jackson Architects speaks with a conference goer. Bottom row left, Michael Springer, Magazine School District school board member, left, visits with Sarah Bartz and Chris Lankford with modus studio.

might say, ‘Well, I’m from there.’ I don’t care. You get paid. They don’t. They’re serving. They’re doing the work.”

Every week, school board members personally visit one of the district’s 31 schools for lunch and visits to classrooms. School board member Kevin Ownbey had told Cleveland that he didn’t want these visits to be dog-andpony shows. Instead, board members want an accurate representation of what’s happening in schools. They want to eat in the cafeteria with the students and learn about the challenges schools are facing. They have become so familiar that teachers comfortably invite them inside to observe.

Board meetings always start by celebrating students, which Ownbey said encourages board members and reminds them of their purpose. Board member Michelle Cook said the focus on students reduces tension and conflict that could occur if unhappy community members are in the audience. Recently

the board celebrated a student who earlier had repeated a grade level in school. He’d gotten involved in the industrial maintenance program and after graduating was hired by Tyson with a starting salary of $80,000 as a 19-year-old.

“Every student in our district is celebrated in a way that meets their genius, whatever that is,” Cleveland said. “And I think that the secret sauce of the Springdale School Board is, it doesn’t matter what the potential is of a child, if they meet that potential, they’re celebrating that.”

Avoid ADA non-compliance

In a pre-conference workshop, attendees were told that schools can avoid a costly Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuit by looking for deficiencies before one is filed. School attorney Cody Kees and Palestine-Wheatley Superintendent Ryan Halbert said the district will spend about $1 million to

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HOT SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THE 2ND DISTRICT IN ARKANSAS TO PURCHASE A CONCEALED WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEM

Next Generation School Safety

PALESTINE-WHEATLEY SUPERINTENDENT RYAN HALBERT speaks during a pre-conference workshop about his district’s $1 million response to an Americans with Disabilities Act-based lawsuit.

address problems after a family sued, mostly because they wanted a handicap parking space closer to their daughter’s elementary school building.

Kees said the ADA requires that no one be discriminated against because of a disability, including students and school employees. All students have a right to equal facilities access as well as a free and appropriate public education, or FAPE. Employees must be accommodated not only for obvious physical handicaps but also for other disabilities such as allergies.

“Chances are, all of you have an older school that is not equally accessible, and we just haven’t been called on it yet,” Kees said. “But when a mom or a dad or a loved one files a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights … when they file a complaint, we’re going to have to respond, and we’re going to have to put up the funds at that point to make the facilities accessible.”

Halbert inherited the situation as a new superintendent. The previous December, he had been an assistant principal. He

MORE EXHIBITORS. Top left, Entegrity’s Flint Richter and Nabholz’s Nikki Courtney visit with an Annual Conference attendee. Top right, Stacey McPherson, right, speaks with Greene County Tech School Board member Tim Roswell. Second row left, a school board member visits National Safety Shelters’ booth. Pictured with National Safety Shelters are, from left, Mike Vogt, John Corrado and Dennis Corrado. Second row right, VS America’s Scot Morris visits with Stuttgart School Board member Candace Prine. Bottom row left, Dr. Bryan Duffie, Alma superintendent, left, visits the WER Architects booth. From left are Matthew Swaim, Kate Dimitrova and Russell Fason. Bottom row right, Cadence Insurance’s Bill Birch talks with ASBA’s Linda Collins and Shannon Moore.

became an elementary principal in January and then was hired as superintendent last summer.

He encouraged school districts to act proactively so they don’t find themselves in a similar position. At PalestineWheatley, the parking space was far from the elementary building, and the aging sidewalk was bumpy. There was a large space in front of the elementary school where a parking space could have been poured. What started as a parking space dispute led to a huge to-do list, court appearances, and after two years, a settlement. The family’s lawyer flew in an ADA compliance team that measured every parking space and desk. If an item was one-eighth of an inch off, it was in non-compliance.

The total cost to the district will be about $1 million, but the cost alone was not the only challenge. The district had a three-phase priority list, but in the midst of construction, a tornado hit nearby Wynne, so construction workers were

in short supply. A ramp was completed quickly but was of such poor quality that it had to be redone. A new, accessible playground costing north of $200,000 is coming. The court order required the school to have an ADA committee.

Halbert said the family told him they never meant things to go that far. He noted that if the school hadn’t had to pay for the expenses, it would have been able to ensure every student had a computer.

The session also included remarks by architect and ADA design expert Jeff Hough with Level Studio. Hough encouraged schools to visualize areas that need improvement. An outside design professional can provide an assessment. Once areas have been identified, schools can get cost estimates and then prioritize.

Hough said upgrades can range from the simple, like door levers being required rather than knobs, to the technical. Ramps and sidewalks should

be accessible. Knee clearances under drinking fountains and desks can be no lower than 27 inches for people in wheelchairs, while sink pipes should be insulated because people without sensation in their legs could be burned or cut. Even the direction of parking lot grates matters because wheelchair wheels can get stuck. Hough recommended squareshaped grates that can be rotated if the contractor installs them incorrectly.

Hough said schools can pay for improvements through government grants, foundations, tax credits and incentives, community support, bond measures, and other ways. Some architects and design professionals might do the work pro bono.

Legislators talk LEARNS, laws

The conference’s final day included a legislative panel moderated by ASBA Director of Governmental Relations Dan Jordan. Participants were Sens. Breanne

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Davis, R-Russellville; Jane English, R-North Little Rock; and Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock; and Reps. Bruce Cozart, R-Hot Springs; Hope Duke, R-Gravette; and Lanny Fite, R-Benton. Cozart, Duke, Davis and Chesterfield are former school board members.

Davis, a former Russellville School Board member, was the primary Senate sponsor of the LEARNS Act, the law passed last year that will allow families to use roughly $6,600 in state foundation funding as “educational freedom accounts” for private and homeschooling expenses. It also raised the state minimum teacher salary to $50,000. She noted that she has three children in public school and a fourth one who will be starting school as a special education student.

“I drop my kids off every morning at public schools,” she said. “I see teachers out in the community at parent-teacher conferences. The weight of this is not lost on me, and I feel it very heavily. So with that, I will say, for us to do nothing would have been wrong. We, and by ‘we,’ I mean the state, our education system, we’ve been failing our kids for a really long time. Not because we don’t have excellent teachers. Not because we don’t have great administrators. Not because we don’t have good school boards across the state. But when you look at Arkansas sitting between 40 and 50 on any given data point, there’s a problem because we know we have people working really hard in the classroom, in buildings to teach our students, to teach our kids, and we know that we can do better.”

Davis said the LEARNS Act’s various elements have been enacted in other states. The law isn’t perfect, she said, but no law is. It will be amended and changed, and some of it won’t be implemented until the 2025-26 school year. College teacher preparation programs could get a look in the 2025 legislative session. She said they are not adequately training new teachers, as evidenced by the retraining veteran teachers are having to do for them.

Among the other legislators, Cozart, a former House Education Committee chair for eight years, said next year will be a qualifying year for LEARNS.

The state will learn what works well and what doesn’t. He expects a lot of legislation in 2025 to improve it. Funding for teacher salaries will need to be addressed, which he said can be done through the Legislature’s biennial adequacy process or through another bill. English said she supported the LEARNS Act, pointing to its early child care, literacy and career pathways elements.

Two of the legislators on the panel voted no on LEARNS. Chesterfield questioned how school districts will be maintained and how they will pay $50,000 minimum teacher salaries if students start attending school elsewhere. She said the law makes it easy to start a private school, and more of those will appear. Duke was one of the few Republicans who voted against it. A mother of two teachers and mother-inlaw of another, she said the law includes a number of good elements. In particular, she noted its repeal of the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act, which frustrated her when she was a school board member. But the law was too big and too costly, she said.

Asked how the political chasm in Arkansas compares to Washington, D.C.,

Duke, a freshman, said she sat next to the House’s only freshman Democrat, Rep. Tara Shephard, D-Little Rock. They often voted the same and got along well when they didn’t.

Chesterfield said she has good relationships with a number of other senators because she works at it, but the tone in Little Rock has devolved into something closer to what Washington, D.C., looks like. She said this was the first session where she was treated differently because she is a Democrat and where her seniority meant nothing. She noted that she and her fellow Democrats were given a copy of the LEARNS Act only a day-and-a-half before it was to be presented.

“While it is not as pronounced as Washington, D.C., make no mistake, it is here,” Chesterfield said of the partisan divide.

Davis said the discourse is much better when people discuss issues in person than when they do it on social media and through emails. In those online encounters, people almost treat others as if they are not human.

“But what I do find is that almost 100% of the time, when I talk to some-

LEGISLATIVE PANELISTS. Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, speaks at the ASBA Annual Conference while Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, looks on. Davis was the primary Senate sponsor of the LEARNS Act that significantly changed the state’s education system.

counteract negative comments. Generally speaking, stay out of the mud. However, there comes a point where schools must provide accountability to those who post on social media.

“Because if you don’t stand for something, people are going to fall for anything,” he said.

Prothro shared a story from his first year as a school principal. A seventh-grader named Mary frequently fell asleep in class, particularly on Mondays and Tuesdays. Counseling, detentions, and more severe punishments didn’t seem to work. One Sunday night at about 11:30 p.m., Prothro and his wife were driving back to the town when they saw Mary walking down the street with a baby. Further investigation revealed her parents were leaving home and leaving her in charge of the

baby all weekend. She was ashamed about the situation. In response, the district got her some help and shuffled assignments so she could complete them. Prothro said he learned a valuable lesson about not making assumptions and investigating issues.

Prothro said schools can help students be successful.

“Don’t tell me we can’t do it because we don’t have resources or because we have poor kids,” he said. “If the people who were in charge of my education had thought that way, I would not be here today. … Never ever let anyone tell you what you do is not important. Be good at what you do, and be good, and in the words of Tiny Tim, God bless you, each and every one.”

Board ethics can go under microscope

New state law lets Ethics Commission investigate citizen complaints

School board members will be subject to complaints to the Arkansas Ethics Commission, and standards that govern their behavior will change.

The changes are coming as a result of Act 883 of 2023, which goes into effect May 1, said Lucas Harder, ASBA policy services director, during a breakout session at the Annual Conference Dec. 7. Harder presented the session, “School Board Member Statutory Ethics,” along with ASBA Staff Attorney Kristen Garner.

The law, which was part of ASBA’s legislative package, allows the Ethics Commission to investigate citizen complaints of ethical standards violations by school board members. The commission is charged with investigating ethics complaints against elected officials but until May 1 has not investigated school board members. The complaints cannot be anonymous and must be signed under penalty of perjury. If a standard is found to have been violated, the commission can issue a fine or recommend the local prosecutor to prosecute the case.

A school board member who knowingly violates the standards could be subject to felony criminal penalties. One who should have known they are violating the standards – a lower bar – could be found guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. That penalty applies when the law goes into effect May 1. Either way, a board member automatically would be

removed from office once appeals are exhausted without the need for any action by the board. Until May 1, the only entity to enforce existing standards has been the prosecutor, but Garner said they do not have time for that.

Board members must take the oath of office within 10 days of each time they are elected or appointed under current law. When Act 883 goes into effect, they must submit that they have taken the oath, which the county clerk can reject. Once the oath has been taken, the county clerk will provide board members with a copy of the state’s ethics statutes. Board members must sign that they have received them.

Harder noted that there is a difference between “capital E ethics” violations, which are a violation of the law, and “lowercase e ethics” violations, which are a general abuse of community morals.

The standards

Four of the standards already existed, while two standards were created by the law.

Ethics Standard 1 is, “No board member shall use the position to secure

unwarranted privileges or exemptions.” That means board members can’t take actions to benefit themselves or another person. For example, they cannot use their position to protect a niece from expulsion. In a board meeting, regardless of the reason for the conflict of interest, the board member under the law must leave the room or temporarily leave a virtual meeting in order to recuse. That’s because if they are in the room, they count toward the quorum and the voting totals. Failing to vote affirmatively counts as a no vote. The same applies to actions taken during executive session.

Garner told attendees that conflicts occur when the beneficiary of the action is a specific person rather than a member of a larger group. In other words, a board member can vote on a pay raise for all teachers if a family member is a teacher, but they cannot vote on a matter pertaining only to that specific teacher.

Ethics Standard 2 is a little more wordy: “No board members shall accept employment, contract, or engage in any public or professional activity that a reasonable person would expect might require or induce him to disclose any information acquired by the member professionally that is declared by law or rule to be confidential.”

“This is basically, if the only reason you have that information is because you are a board member, don’t use it anywhere,” Harder said.

What happens in ex. session ...

Ethics Standard 3 also pertains to confidentiality. It states that, “No board

Harder

member shall disclose any confidential information gained by reason of his position, including without limitation disclosing information acquired by attending an executive session unless the disclosure is otherwise authorized or required by law.”

The specific language about executive sessions is being added by the law and will go into effect May 1. An example where a board member would disclose what happened in executive session would be where they are subpoenaed in a lawsuit. Otherwise, whatever happened in executive session should not be disclosed.

“That is a very deep feeling of betrayal, and it really undermines trust in your fellow board members and really blows up relationships,” Garner said. “And like I said, it is never a mystery. There is never any suspense. Everybody knows everybody. Everybody knows who talks to everybody. Everybody knows who they heard it from. It’s not following

bread crumbs. It’s neon pointing arrows. Everyone knows it’s you, so you can’t hide. But now there’s consequences.”

Ethics Standard 4 states, “No board member shall use information

acquired by reason of his or her position for his or her personal gain or benefit.” Harder said an example of that would be a board member purchasing three homes in an area where he or she knows a school will be built because of their school board service.

Don’t punch the ref

Two similar standards were added to the list by Act 883 and go into effect May 1. Ethics Standard 5 states, “A

board member shall not act in a manner on school grounds or at a schoolsponsored event that results or otherwise would have resulted in the removal of the board member from campus or the event if the board members’s actions would have resulted in removal if the actions were conducted by a member of the public.”

Harder called this the “Don’t punch the ref ethical standard.” (As an aside, the Legislature specifically made that action a felony in 2023.) The standard is meant to apply to situations where a board member’s actions would have caused them to be removed from campus if they were not a board member.

Ethics Standard 6 is similar: “A board member shall not act in a manner on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event that results in a violation of the criminal laws of this state or the federal government.” A meeting that violates the Freedom of Information Act would be in violation of this standard.

Garner

AT STEPHENS PUBLIC FINANCE, COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE MEANS CONSTANT GUIDANCE

Stephens’ public finance practice dates back more than 90 years and is headquartered here in Little Rock. The firm has additional public finance offices throughout the Southeast in Fayetteville, Atlanta, Dallas, Jackson, and Nashville. The depth of resources at Stephens, combined with our trusted and experienced advisors, can assist you with a range of services to meet your needs.

We have a long history serving as municipal advisor for Arkansas school districts. For years, Stephens has set itself apart due to our ability to not only model innovative financing structures to meet our clients’ needs, but also because of our foresight on how to address legislative and regulatory changes.

A Q&A with Senior Vice President Jack Truemper

While Stephens Public Finance is focused on debt management, Senior Vice President Jack Truemper knows districts need to have a complete understanding of their total financial picture. This includes ongoing financial analysis, constant communication, and presenting financing opportunities to help school districts plan for the future.

What kind of work does Stephens Public Finance do for Arkansas school districts when a district is not working on a bond issue?

Whether they do a bond issue once a year or once every 10 years, our involvement with our school district clients is ongoing and thorough. We are very proactive with our school districts providing financial analysis, fulfilling reporting requirements, school board training, legislative updates, and evaluating existing debt for new project funds or refinancing for interest costsaving opportunities.

When Stephens analyzes a district’s finances, what is it evaluating?

We are helping districts understand their borrowing power — their ability to borrow money. We start by providing a financial analysis report for the district. This includes looking at the district’s assessed values, millage structure, outstanding debt, and financing options.

How does Stephens assist districts in planning for future capital improvements?

First, we meet with the district’s administration to determine their future planning goals, objectives, and timing. Based upon these discussions, we develop and present various financing options that show the districts’ debt capacity based upon existing circumstances and drill down to what is most reasonable for the district and its patrons’ best interest.

Subsequently, we will hold a planning session with the district’s board to discuss the various available options to the district.

Throughout this process, we continually provide districts with weekly communications on the municipal bond market and interest rate movements. Our expertise in the bond market is a big part of our ongoing support for clients.

Beyond financial markets, are there other venues Stephens monitors for potential impacts on school districts?

We continually inform our clients about federal and state legislative and regulatory developments that are important to not only the tax-exempt municipal bond marketplace but also Arkansas school finance. This includes public school funding, election laws, and federal changes to the tax code.

Education remains a significant part of Stephens’ relationships with Arkansas school districts. Are there any other components to what Stephens offers on that front?

We can provide district clients with up to four hours per year of training on school finance, debt management,

and auditing as requested. This helps school board members fulfill their training requirements.

We want to be a resource to our clients, understand what districts’ needs are, and provide any assistance that they need.

What does Stephens help school districts with from a regulatory reporting standpoint?

Under federal regulations, school districts that issue municipal bonds are required to provide certain financial disclosure annually under their agreement with investors. Stephens provides our clients with comprehensive continuing disclosure services under our municipal advisory agreements.

This is important as regulators require it every year. It tells the district’s story and gives investors information about their investment in Arkansas school bonds.

The annual report includes information on millage rate, assessment history, current outstanding debt, aggregate combined debt service schedule, borrowing capacity, a history of tax collections, and audited financials. Once completed and approved by the district, the annual report is filed with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s electronic database.

In what ways does Stephens help districts with their millage elections?

When a district decides to conduct a millage campaign to fund certain construction projects or operations within the district, Stephens will assist in such efforts.

We develop effective campaign strategies, including tactics and timelines as well as engaging community leaders and coordinating with election officials. We also participate in community meetings, among other events, as needed.

We develop useful information that can be used in flyers, mailouts, and on social media. This includes providing examples from other successful millage campaigns. We also produce and print mailers for district use.

We evaluate information on Arkansas’s Academic Facilities Partnership Program and how it benefits a district when seeking a millage extension or increase.

We can recommend political consultants with expertise in public school election polling and campaign management.

And we will review and coordinate all legal publications and documentation. Those are examples of the services we can provide to districts conducting millage campaigns, but we will do whatever we can to help them be successful.

Describe a recent transaction for an Arkansas school district that highlights the work of Stephens Public Finance. What was noteworthy about it?

In July 2023, the Cabot School District No. 4 of Lonoke County issued $40.645 million of Series A Refunding and Construction Bonds. The district’s planned improvement projects included new pre-kindergarten centers, student activity facilities renovations, building accessible playgrounds, auditorium upgrades, and replacing aging technology.

Despite some concerns about borrowing for the projects due to the needed millage extension, the district ultimately supported the projects. Stephens presented financing options to the Cabot School Board, and had healthy discussions with Board members. I appreciated their careful consideration and thoughtfulness before electing to place the bond issuance and millage extension before the public for a deciding vote.

Jack Truemper Senior Vice President jtruemper@stephens.com

How to speak to each generation

Generational expert Chuck Underwood says each age group had common experiences that shaped their common perspectives

Each generation of Americans was shaped by common experiences and tends to have common values and traits. School districts that understand that reality and employ the right generational strategies will better communicate with each age group.

That message was shared by generational studies and strategies expert Chuck Underwood in his keynote address and in a subsequent breakout session at the ASBA Annual Conference. The conference was held Dec. 6-8 at the Statehouse Convention Center and Marriott Hotel in Little Rock.

Underwood said rapid societal changes and greater longevity mean six generations currently make up American society. They are:

– The G.I. generation, born between 1921-26 and now ages 97 and older.

– The silent generation, born between 1927 and 1945 and now 78-96.

– The baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 and now 59-77.

– Generation X, born between 1965 and 1981 and now 42-58.

– Millennials, born between 1982 and 2000 and now 23-41.

– Generation Z, a newly forming generation born between 2001 and 2005 so far, but still growing.

He said Americans’ formative years mold their core values up to their early 20s. While everyone is unique, people of a certain time period have similar experiences that influence their choices, relationships and behaviors. While people will evolve and change, those core values will remain largely intact over the course of their lifetimes.

Schools that understand that reality can apply generational strategies to their relationships with government officials, voters, parents, alumni, employees, volunteers and the community.

“Generational core values are the hot buttons that you push to persuade people. … We should never use this stuff to unfairly stereotype anyone. But used properly, this knowledge will serve as a trustworthy and valuable lighthouse to guide us through our dealings with people of all generations, including our own generation,” he said.

When times or teachings change coast to coast, a new generation will form, but that does not happen until after the classroom years. That’s when young people are still absorbing and also questioning the core values being taught by their elders, and deciding which ones to accept or reject. At adulthood, those core values will largely stick for life. He noted that individuals born as the generations shift can be a blend of both.

Events can change an age group’s outlook. For the millennials, the September 11 attacks turned a generation

many expected to be career-consumed into one that was much more idealistic and service-oriented.

The silents don’t rock the boat

Underwood described the generations in depth starting with the silent generation. Born between 1927 and 1945 and now ages 78-96, it’s a generation of only 46.6 million born compared to almost 80 million baby boomers. Families were reluctant to have children during the Great Depression, and young potential fathers were overseas during World War II.

Those events limited their numbers and also shaped their values. With the nation threatened during their formative years, it was not a time for dissent, so members of the silent generation tend not to rock the boat. They entered adulthood as the economy was taking off following World War II and jobs were plentiful. Times were good for white

GENERATIONAL EXPERT CHUCK UNDERWOOD said schools should communicate with America’s six living generations in ways that will be most persuasive to each.

men, while women embraced their roles as wives, mothers and homemakers. Opportunities were limited for minorities, leading six million African-Americans to migrate from the South to the North. The generation experienced the beginnings of the civil rights movement.

Silents grew up when life was slower and common courtesy was widely practiced. School personnel should slow down when interacting with them. They often have diminished hearing and eyesight, so use large type and minimize competing noise when talking to them.

Silents have a strong sense of community and are proud of their schools, so they are predisposed to support ballot issues. However, they still need to be persuaded. While they are wealthier than any previous generation at their current age, they are navigating decreasing income during retirement. To get their votes, schools should document their needs. Silents are often overlooked because they are sandwiched between the heroic G.I. generation and the baby boomers. To inspire donors, memorialize their families and tell their stories on the district’s website.

“They have a lot to give if you will simply reach out with generational sensitivity and strategy and let them in,” he said.

Baby boomers: Passionate

Next came the huge baby boom generation, with 79.9 million born between

1946 and 1964. Now between ages 59 and 77, it started when 16 million triumphant and amorous World War II veterans came home from overseas and started their families. The boomers came of age when America was ascendant, neighborhoods were safe, polio was being cured and men were walking on the moon. It was, he said, “a golden age for kids.”

Blessed with security, baby boomers became idealistic and passionate. They led eight cultural revolutions related to civil rights, women, war protests, ecology, sex, drugs, religion and youth empowerment. They faced tough competition for jobs from their fellow boomers, leading them to become career-focused. The divorce rate skyrocketed. Many will never retire. They want to contribute to something bigger than themselves, and they are not sure how long they might live and how much money they will need. They tend to be exuberant, outgoing and assertive, and they want to be forever young.

Baby boomers had a joyous school experience. They enjoyed the world’s best education in the world’s best nation. Now they are wondering what happened to America’s schools. They want schools to stop technology’s damaging effects on children, to let kids be kids, and to teach students about advanced citizenship. They also want schools to teach social and interpersonal skills. They want teachers to be backed, and they

don’t want politicians to be in charge of education.

After working for corporations, they are turning to the helping professions. Their high-level talent, wisdom and experience are available to work in the classroom.

Generation X: Survivalists

Following the baby boomers is Generation X, with only 58.5 million Americans born between 1965 and 1981. This generation will be prominent for another decade in school administrative, instructor and support positions, although it is no longer the dominant parent generation.

Generation X experienced a roller coaster childhood. Its members enjoyed material comforts thanks to the women’s and civil rights movements opening up income opportunities for their baby boomer parents. But they also saw constant moral failures by their nation’s leaders and saw corporations send their parents’ jobs overseas. Their parents often divorced or were absent. America became more mobile, so they were more likely to be uprooted from their hometowns. In response, Underwood said, Generation Xers have a survivalist mentality. They also became a familyfirst generation that was determined to maintain a work-life balance.

Schools should speak to them about families, their hot button issue. Xers are Continued on next page

unfavorably disposed toward philanthropy because of their own lifelong financial insecurity. They also have a weaker sense of community and a distrust of the system along with a sense of independence and self-reliance. They don’t tend to be joiners or get involved in causes. They are skeptical voters, so schools should prove their claims with facts and details. They are efficient and no-nonsense on the job, and they might prefer to work alone.

Numerous, idealistic millennials

Next are the millennials, born from 1982 to 2000. Like the baby boomers, they are a large generation of more than 74.2 million, which means they have faced more competition for jobs. They came of age optimistic and enthusiastic about their own future but much less certain about their nation. They lived through the September 11 attacks, the War on Terror (which they largely have been responsible for fighting), Hurricane Katrina and the Great Recession. Whereas Gen Xers were unsupervised, millennials’ helicopter parents hovered over them, and the world revolved around them. They have close relationships with their parents, who they describe as their best friends. That relationship makes it easier for them to enjoy an extended adolescence in their 20s that can include travel and job-hopping, with first marriages occurring at an average age of 30 for men and 28 for women. They expect to be in the workforce a long time, so they are not in a hurry. They have unprecedented student and credit card debt along with job and income insecurity.

Their formative years were dominated by technology, the effects of which can include superficial knowledge, short attention spans and a craving for variety that many jobs don’t offer, he said.

But their experiences may make them ethical, compassionate, bold, visionary leaders when it’s their turn. In many ways, they are similar to baby boomers. They are idealistic, concerned with the less fortunate, team-oriented, empowered and engaged. One Macy’s executive told him millennials regularly find their way uninvited to the executive 13th floor, bypassing the layers of management above them, to share their new

Generational core values are the hot buttons that you push to persuade people. … We should never use this stuff to unfairly stereotype anyone. But used properly, this knowledge will serve as a trustworthy and valuable lighthouse to guide us through our dealings with people of all generations, including our own generation.

”

idea for the company. She joked that her first instinct is to strangle them.

“She said, ‘But then I look in their eyes, and I see this incredible spirit,’” he said. He added, “Yep, in their early 20s, they’re driving us nuts, but they are going to be great. And that seems to be a consensus by older generation bosses about the millennials.”

In dealing with millennials – teachers, parents and others – schools should keep several things in mind. They want their careers to make a difference and they’ve been battered by instability, so education’s opportunity and stability should appeal to them. They get restless with tedious tasks. Growing up with helicopter parents and teachers, they want guidance but also freedom. Like boomers, they have fond memories of their school years, which will encourage them to vote for school issues and support the school’s mission. They don’t have money, but they will volunteer. Unlike their skeptical Generation X parents, they will pass down their optimism, idealism, and greater trust of the system to their children. But they say they won’t be helicopter parents. Instead, they’ll be drones – ready to let their kids fall and then swoop in to help them.

Gen Z: The COVID generation

That leaves Generation Z, the young people born in the years 2001-05 so far. The generation is small – only 20.4 million – but it’s still growing. Underwood said a generation can’t be defined until it leaves high school. That’s because it can change quickly with a single event, even if it happens at the end of their formative years. The oldest Generation Zs were only six years old when the Great Recession struck, but they felt its effects. They also experienced the worldwide approval toward the United States when it elected its first Black president, Barack Obama.

Opposite the boomers who had so many positive experiences in their formative years, Generation Z has experienced a lot of negatives ones. America is struggling and often looks bad. The country is torn into political camps. As a result, government is paralyzed, and Gen Zs are skeptical of it. They witnessed the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, school shootings, fights over the transgender movement, and the increasing legalization of marijuana.

“And then the momentous event that more than any other is responsible for the millennial birth years ending and our next generation beginning: COVID,” Underwood said. “In other words, a defining change in the times in America that is significantly changing the core values of kids who are in their formative years.”

The effects of COVID probably will be more pronounced with Generation Z than it was with the youngest millennials. That’s because it hit Generation Z in their younger years. Remote learning proved to be inferior to classroom learning, and Generation Z was the one that became guinea pigs for that experiment. Test scores have shown big drops in the early years. This is especially concerning because that’s when children learn social skills and the building blocks for their education. Employers of older Gen Zs are reporting damage to their knowledge, social skills and mental health, and that’s on top of the damage done to them through technology. Still, it’s too soon after COVID to know if all of this is a temporary reaction or something that is permanent and lifelong.

Otherwise, a glimpse of the young adult Gen Zs indicates they are practical, cautious, realistic, work- and income-focused, and skeptical about their country. They want to start their own businesses rather than work for a boss or a corporation.

AI in schools: Benefits, challenges

When is students’ use of artificial intelligence cheating, and when is it preparing for the future? Schools will have to figure it out as the technology rapidly advances.

By Mattie Brawner Contributing writer

How can artificial intelligence be used in schools? Tarver Academy’s Tyler Tarver told breakout session attendees at ASBA’s Annual Conference how AI helps students and teachers, as well as how it can be misused.

Tarver, a former educator who now speaks and presents on education issues, gave examples of AI being used the right way. Students can use AI for research, personal schedules, time management, finding scholarships, and simplifying complicated text. Teachers can use it to help create lesson plans while cutting out busy work. But a teacher or student who relies on ChatGPT to do all the work would be misusing it.

“If it’s a replacement, that’s bad. If it’s an assistant, that’s good,” he explained.

AI programs take what a human commands, pull information from the entire internet, organize it, and give a full response. The two main ones are ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. All other

DR. TYLER TARVER said cheating is no longer a black-and-white issue but more seen in shades of gray. Students grow up with technology. If using AI to help prepare an essay is cheating, than what about the squiggly red lines indicating a misspelling in Microsoft Word? “If it’s a replacement, that’s bad. If it’s an assistant, that’s good,” he said.

AI internet programs use one of these two as their base.

Tarver recommended schools embrace AI, not try to block it. Blocking ChatGPT from the school’s Wi-Fi only blocks teachers and students whose parents cannot afford data plans. The other students will continue to use it to their advantage on their phones.

And because students will one day use AI in the workforce, they will need to become familiar with it in school.

Companies in the future may be more likely to hire those who are already familiar with these programs. A prompt engineer currently makes between $200,000-$300,000 a year by knowing which prompts will get the best results from ChatGPT.

A tool for teachers

AI can be a great tool for teachers. It can help them find and organize free

Continued on next page

online resources quickly. It can generate quizzes and lesson plans, and help grade English papers based on a rubric.

“One of the biggest things you see with teachers leaving the profession is that they don’t have enough time to do a good job,” Tarver said. “They want to do a good job. They know what it takes to do a great job, but they’re drowning in the busy work of being a teacher.”

It also can help make learning more engaging. Teachers can use AI to help personalize a lesson based on how each student learns best. Teachers can ask AI to relate what they are teaching to something students are interested in, such as a popular TV show or a sports figure. Every student knows about something, and this is a great way to help teachers connect to that.

“There are so many research studies that show the trick to putting something in a long-term memory bank is tying it to something that is already in there,” he said.

Teachers can also use it to help modify lesson plans for students who are academically behind or who have special needs. It can translate lessons for students who don’t yet speak English well.

Cheating

But schools will have to address AI’s pitfalls – the obvious one being cheating. Students can use AI to generate entire term papers from scratch, and catching them is difficult. The programs tailor responses to a user’s past preferences and searches, so even if a teacher enters the exact wording the student did, the answers will differ. Google Bard tries to reject commands that sound like a student cheating, but it isn’t foolproof.

Two websites, gptzero.me and turnitin.com, help catch cheating, but they aren’t completely reliable. At best, they determine there is a “high likelihood” that AI was used, but schools can’t fail a student for “highly likely.”

The best way to catch students cheating, Tarver said, is to have teachers use AI. The more they use it, the more they’ll recognize when these programs have been used.

Most districts’ academic honesty policies don’t cover AI adequately. He

recommends that all AI use by students must be done “with prior teacher approval” with “everything subject to a verbal review.” Tarver has a free template on his website at TarverAcademy. com/resources where districts can find a base to write their own.

“These kids don’t see this as cheating. They have grown up with an iPad in their laps since they turned one, and they see this technology as no more than an extension of themselves,” Tarver said. “If we don’t clearly tell them what is allowed and what is not allowed, they will think it is allowed.”

Internet programs have made cheating no longer black-and-white, but instead shades of gray. If using Grammarly while writing a paper is cheating, then what about Microsoft Word’s squiggly red lines indicating a word is misspelled?

“What we have to start doing is, every educator has to look at each assignment and say, ‘What is the goal for learning?’” Tarver said. “What skills or knowledge do I want this to impart to my students?”

Tarver warned against using confidential information about students when using AI programs. Also, teachers and students need to always verify the sources that AI provides, since they are sometimes not legitimate.

Help for administrators

AI is useful for both schools and school administrators. It can save schools money by providing free teacher resources, quizzes, and assessments. It can reduce teacher turnover by making their current heavy loads easier. It can analyze handbooks, recommend changes and even write school policies. If a veteran teacher’s binder full of notes and lesson plans were entered into ChatGPT, it could be edited into a full curriculum for the class instead of the district purchasing one.

If AI can access the school’s website and school calendar online, it can write Facebook posts. By using Google Docs and Canva, schools can generate social media pictures with the school’s colors, and then use Facebook’s tools to schedule when those posts should go out. Tarver said within less than two hours,

a school can have a graphic with school colors and logo posted once a day automatically for the next 30 days. A small group of teachers could create posts for the entire year with only one six-hour summer meeting.

AI can also be helpful during board or faculty meetings. Administrators can ask it to offer ideas on what to ask about a topic, or provide steps to implement what was discussed at the next meeting. When writing a report, administrators can input all of the information and then ask the program to clean it up or make it sound more official.

“It can take your loose talk, and then it can build out something really formal or nice out of it,” Tarver explained.

Another AI application is Merlin, a Chrome extension built into Gmail. It can analyze YouTube videos to generate discussion and quiz questions. It can tell a teacher if a video uses ageinappropriate language or even if it has a dark theme. Also, from simple yes or no answers provided by a user, Merlin will write a full email. The first time Tarver used Merlin, a teacher emailed him a spreadsheet and asked for help figuring out the formulas she needed. Merlin read the spreadsheet, found the formulas needed, and wrote a response to her email, which he simply edited and sent.

Tarver advised editing the emails generated by Merlin. Written correspondence should have feeling, something AI does not do as well. The person on the other side should feel valued.

The Future

Will AI replace jobs? That’s happened each time technology has advanced, Tarver said. Jobs like lamplighter, milkman, and phone operator no longer exist, but new jobs like drone operators and mobile app developers were created.

This will be the case with AI as well. More people will be working as virtual assistant specialists, chatbot trainers, conversational AI designers and prompt engineers. Most of these jobs do not require college degrees.

As for the scary part of AI? Like all things, some will use it for good, and some will use it for evil. Schools must teach students to use it for good.

Top student speaker plans to teach

Bentonville’s Saulsbery has wanted to lead classroom since the third grade

This year’s ASBA Student Speaker Contest winner discussed “Exploring the Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence” by using AI in her speech.

Rachel Saulsbery, a senior at Bentonville High School, began with a brief passage created by AI, a technology she had not previously used in her studies.

“One of my first times ever using it was for that speech, and it amazed me,” she said in an interview. “I was very shocked because I thought of it as an idea, and I tried testing it out, and I was like, ‘Oh, wait, this is actually working. I didn’t think it was going to be this good.’ So it was really shocking when I did that for my introduction.”

She spoke at the ASBA Annual Conference and received $1,000 from the ASBA Educational Foundation.

“I really did it because I loved the topic, and I was really interested in it,” she said. “I love to write, so I wasn’t too worried about winning. I wanted to do it for fun and research more about AI and what people can do, so winning was kind of just a plus from that.”

Saulsbery said schools can’t ignore AI, but students should be taught how they will benefit from doing the work themselves rather than letting AI do it for them. Teachers can use it to create individualized learning plans.

Saulsbery has wanted to be a teacher since the third grade. Her teacher, Nanci Kraps, influenced and connected with students. Saulsbery connected with other teachers growing up.

As a junior, she got involved in Ignite, Bentonville’s two-year program that lets students gain workplace experience. Saulsbery spends three hours three days a week in a third grade classroom. Her junior year focused on observations and pedagogy. This year she has done detailed lesson plans and has led classroom instruction a couple of times a month. She also helps with individualized reading and small groups.

In addition to teaching, Saulsbery has an interest in education policy. This past

summer, she participated in a student panel that interviewed Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. This semester she is doing an internship for about two hours every Wednesday in the central administration office, where she compares Bentonville’s policies with others.

Saulsbery plans to major in elementary education with a minor in English starting this fall at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She wants to earn a master’s degree in arts and teaching. With about 15 hours of college credit

already under her belt leading into the spring semester, she hopes to complete her education in three years and then become an elementary teacher.

In addition to her academic studies, Saulsbery is co-executive director of ambassadors for a nonprofit, LOUDwomen. In that capacity, she leads a team of writers who create monthly blog posts about subjects that interest them.

She also is the president of Bentonville High’s HOSA, an international organization for future health professionals. Saulsbery has won state research competitions each year of high school. She finished third in the international competition her freshman year when she photographed surgeries and wrote and spoke about the subject. Her junior year, she researched the impact of childhood trauma on the brain.

She became involved in the group because of her relationship with HOSA’s sponsor teacher in a health care class. She’s active even though she doesn’t plan to work in the health care field. Instead, she knows she wants to teach.

“It all started at the root of my teachers that I loved and formed connections with, and I just want to do that for my future students,” she said.

RACHEL SAULSBERY, ASBA Student Speaker Contest winner, received $1,000 from the ASBA Educational Foundation for winning the contest. Photo by Lifetouch.

Bombers aviation is taking off

Mountain Home students are getting a taste of opportunities in manned and unmanned aviation – and, with help from the community, spreading their wings

By Melissa Brawner Contributing writer

It’s not uncommon for a young person to want to become a fighter pilot. What is unusual is for that student to change his mind in 11th grade – not about becoming a pilot, but instead deciding to fly a Boeing P-8 Poseidon for the U.S. Air Force and then retire, become an airline pilot, and then retire a second time before he’s age 65.

As Gerald Gaige, a pilot and community partner to the Mountain Home School District’s aviation program, explained in his presentation at ASBA’s Annual Conference Dec. 7, “That’s thinking ahead.”

And that’s what students in Mountain Home are doing, thanks to members of the community and district who are thinking ahead for their students.

The aerospace industry is experiencing a widespread labor shortage, from aircraft manufacturing to engineering, designing, air traffic controllers, and, globally, a pilot shortage.

Job opportunities are available.

But how does a high school start an aviation program?

“When you take something brand new, and put it into, really, a giant bureaucracy like education, it’s not easy,” said Mountain Home School District board member Bob Chester at the Annual Conference. “It’s got to have all of the logistics.”

Logistics like classroom space, student interest, finding an aviation teacher, curriculum, and as Mountain Home Junior High Principal Kyle McCarn stated plainly, “It really comes down to funding.”

At Mountain Home High School, classroom space was already available, and student interest was not an obstacle. Chester said the board was initially hoping for 40 students; Gaige said around a hundred signed up. The program scoured over student applications before accepting its current max capacity at 48.

Finding an aviation teacher proved a challenge until the district learned one of its special ed teachers, Doug Meurer, was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and a former law enforcement officer working with two counties’ helicopter search units. The district shuffled Meurer into the aviation teacher position and hired a new special ed teacher.

Technically, there’s not a state regulation that aviation teachers must have a piloting license, but Meurer’s background made the decision a cinch. The national Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, AOPA, offers 15 continuing education hours for teachers through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

LEARNING TO FLY. Mountain Home students Dierks Beuaregard, left, and Jake Brewer practice a takeoff and climb under varying barometric pressures and temperatures as part of the district’s aviation program.

Curriculum was the easiest hurdle: It was free.

AOPA saw the aerospace industry shortage coming years ago, Gaige said. It developed a four-year STEM-certified aviation curriculum that AOPA offers to school districts at no charge.

“It’s free,” stressed Allyson Dewey, MHSD superintendent. “So that was an excellent selling point.”

Both Meurer and Dewey noted the quality and organization of the curriculum.

“Any teacher is capable of just walking in and following these lesson plans that are already built,” Meurer said.

“It uses aviation problems, aviation issues and aviation background to teach science, technology, engineering and math that high school students need,” Gaige said.

Classroom credits

The program provides students five credits over three years on a normal

block schedule. These are STEM-based courses, so MHSD attached aviation to the math department. After completing their first year in aviation, students choose one of two pathways: “manned,” which is piloting; or “unmanned,” which includes unmanned aircraft such as drones.

“On graduation, they have the opportunity to pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate for commercial drone license, so they graduate with that. Right out of high school, those jobs start at $60,000 a year,” Gaige said. “Huge demand in the drone industry. It’s probably the fastest growing segment of aviation and the aerospace industry.”

The private pilot pathway leads to students passing the FAA-required knowledge test for the private pilot license before they graduate. Having that certificate enables them to obtain their private pilot license. The aviation program also provides the foundation needed to enter training as an aircraft

traffic controller, which is done at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.

“With the awareness that students get in three years of study about the national airspace system, about airspace operations, about flight operations, and the flying instrument conditions and visual conditions, all of those things they’re very well versed in, they jump right into aircraft control training,” Gaige said.

Student goals and plans

That all sounds good to Meurer’s students.

Eleventh grader Lillie Hamm plans to do air photography, possibly for real estate companies, as a secondary part-time career. This semester, Hamm’s class is studying the controls and what to do in an emergency.

“We’re working on how to get out of situations,” Hamm said. “Like, if Mr. Meurer turns off our engine, we have to figure out what we have to do.”

Continued on next page

Cover / Bomber aviation program

Hamm said Meurer’s courses focus on being both prepared and cautious. “The last thing you want to hear in aviation is, ‘Hey, watch this!’” she said.

Trace Bailey might differ. He hopes to get his piloting sports license, eventually work for Red Bull, and “Maybe fly a plane through a tunnel.” Like Hamm, he’s focusing on how to prevent stalls in the air and what to do if one happens.

Bailey, who doesn’t visualize anything small, hopes MHSD will build an aviation building with room for aviation mechanics.

MHHS 10th grader Fernando Garcia never had an interest in flying. He signed up because “It seemed really interesting.” Now in his second year, he plans to complete the program. Garcia’s favorite part is the flight simulators, but he’s keeping his feet firmly planted. He’s considering a career in unmanned aeronautics, or drones, focusing on the commercial sector.

Many funding sources

Funding is readily available for aviation courses. NASA offers a start-up grant. The state of Arkansas has an aviation career pathway with funding available through the Division of Career and Technical Education. The local pilots’ organization, Leading Edge Aviation Foundation, or “LEAF,” provides some scholarships and funding and even purchased two of the district’s eight FAA-certified flight simulators at a total cost of $40,000. The other six and an instructor station/software were all funded by various resources, including a Civil Air Patrol grant and utilizing the program’s start-up funding. Those simulators allow students to log 2 ½ hours toward a private pilot license.

“Any of your teachers, or you as board members, could sign up for an aerospace education membership. In Arkansas, there’s a NASA grant where it’s totally free; it’s paid for through that,” Meurer said. “Your teachers have access to STEM kits to supplement the classes they already have.”

Are students flying? Not through the MHSD, but they are in the air. STEMflights.org, a national nonprofit, tests students’ flight knowledge and then connects them with a local pilot mentor who takes the students up on STEM Flight “missions” that include preflight, mission objectives and debrief training. Students do not pay for the flights. Local pilot mentors donate their time and aircraft.

Community support

MHSD Superintendent Allyson Dewey stressed that the district couldn’t have built the program without its board members and community support. The LEAF pilots group was providing training for local citizens who wanted to become pilots at Baxter County Airport near Mountain Home. The pilot organization, including Gerald Gaige, was a key asset in developing the program. Gaige introduced the district to the STEM curriculum. He also hosted an event for teachers at the local airport to fill them in on aeronautics as well as the various aeronautic career pathways available. LEAF members met with junior high and high school counselors to brief them on the content of AOPA’s STEM program and offer information on how to help students select the right pathway for an aero-

nautics career. To help promote the school’s aviation program, Gaige went to the schools’ libraries at lunch time, leading sessions for both students and teachers. He coordinated with Mountain Home High School’s Aviation Club to plan and fund field trips for students to visit the sheriff’s helicopter aviation unit and the airport. LEAF pilots supported the high school drone team, providing mentoring for students and judging local competitions. LEAF also provided two students a scholarship to attend the National Flight Academy in Pensacola, Florida. They’ve attended parent visitation days at the school and registration days to answer parents’ and students’ questions and help advise students on aviation classes available.

LEAF pilots bring their used aviation magazines for Gaige to place in school and local libraries at what he calls “aviation corners.” The magazines are placed below a sign reading: “Free! Pass it on. Trade ‘em. Cut out pictures. Tear it up. Keep it. … Come back and get more!”

“It was another way to generate interest,” Gaige said.

Gaige said the organization has also met with Arkansas State University-Mountain Home to consider a post-secondary

FLIGHT SIMULATORS. Braden Lewis, foreground, Lucas Tapp, center, and Fernando Garcia practice on the district’s flight simulators, two of which were provided by the local pilots’ organization, Leading Edge Aviation Foundation.

aviation education program for both academic and technical careers. The program is aiming to be in place by 2026.

Other districts

Mountain Home isn’t the only district with an aviation program. Springdale, Fort Smith, Batesville and South Side are among those that offer aviation.

Batesville School District is in its third year. Its initial funding started through an Arkansas Public School Resource Center conversion starter grant when Batesville became a charter, with continual funding through federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act funding.

How did it find an aviation instructor? Clint Howard, who retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2018, returned to his hometown of Batesville and started working at First Community Bank. At a Rotary Club meeting, he ran into Batesville Superintendent Dr. Michael Hester. The two began to discuss the possibility of an aviation program.

“I was talking to him about it, and he ran with it,” Howard said.

The two saw one another again later at a career and job fair, and Hester asked Howard if he would be willing to teach part time. Howard agreed, though the part-time part didn’t work out. Howard is full time this year and has helped the new program grow.

“I kind of fell in love with it,” Howard said, “and decided I’d rather go all in.”

Like Mountain Home, Batesville’s Howard speaks highly of AOPA’s “You Can Fly” STEM curriculum. Howard describes the first year of the four-year program as “bare bones” explaining what aviation is; the second year focusing on forces and physics of flight with mathematics; and the third and fourth years as preparing for the FAA exam and momentum toward either the manned or unmanned branch.

Howard is currently working on developing a drone racing team. “The hand-eye coordination that comes with that… It’s incredible how dexterous these students have to be to handle that,” Howard said.

Like Mountain Home, Batesville’s students can achieve a drone license right out of high school.

Taking it a step further, Howard partnered with the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville’s (UACCB) Dean of Workforce Education Dr. Zach Harber to develop a National Science Foundation grant for students to learn use of drones with multi-spectral cameras and spring rigs to dispense products onto farming fields. Cheaper than manned planes, drones can pinpoint specific points that need sprayed, instead of spraying the entire field.

“This is a highly competitive field with a high-demand market,” said UACCB’s Harber. “Anything in the aviation field is in high demand. … People use drones to collect data, whether real estate data or inspection. Something we’re going to focus on is collecting imagery data of crops. Using remote sensing to lay out a field, we (will) have multi-spectral cameras on our drones that we’re able to analyze that type of imagery, and then pinpoint specific locations in that field that need treatment. So students will be using drones, but they’ll

be collecting data with the drones, and then using GIS (Geographical Information Systems) software to manipulate that data, and then go back out and apply whatever treatment is needed.” The drones will be able to broadcast both granules or liquid.

All four courses for drone operating can be taken in one semester at UACCB, and the program is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2025.

Batesville also works closely with its local airport. Howard said Batesville Regional Airport manager Justin Thompson welcomes those field trips where students get hands-on experience. And Batesville’s piloting community also sets up flights voluntarily and mentors the students.

“Honestly, that was a hook for a lot of these kids, going up in the air for the first time, feeling the flight, feeling the aircraft move around,” Howard said.

One recent Batesville graduate is currently enrolled at Ozarka College in Melbourne to achieve his commercial piloting license through its Associate of Science in AviationCommercial Pilot program.

Achieving lift

For districts interested in starting an aviation program, Batesville Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Douglas’ advice echoes that of Mountain Home Superintendent Dewey.

“Community partnerships are key,” Douglas said. “Seek out those community partnerships.”

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White Coat students prep for med jobs

Mountain Home program partners with local hospital, Harvard to get students ready for nursing, EMT and other careers

By Mattie Brawner Contributing writer

Editor’s Note: Mountain Home presented a breakout session about the White Coat program at the 2022 ASBA Annual Conference. We wanted to publish a story about it but ran out of space in last March’s issue. We are publishing the story in this issue in tandem with the cover story on the district’s aviation program. Many of the quotes in this story come from that 2022 presentation. Report Card confirmed with the district that the facts are still current.

Students in Mountain Home’s White Coat program are preparing for nursing and other medical professions by working with the local hospital’s education staff, studying with Harvard University staff members, and using realistic mannequins, including one that can “talk” during childbirth.

Students take on the roles of physician, nurse, phlebotomist, nurse’s aid, radiology technician, and EMT. They apply what they have learned in class to come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan for each “patient.”

They graduate high school with their Basic Life Support certification, and, thanks to a partnership with the local Baxter Health hospital and Arkansas State University – Mountain Home, can graduate as a licensed professional nurse the semester after their senior year.

The hospital offers a $500 monthly stipend and provides a MacBook laptop throughout the program for students who commit to working there for one year after graduation. It decided to invest in local students as future employees after spending so much money on traveling nurses. Unlike others, White Coat students under 18 are allowed to job shadow in any area of the hospital once they finish the program.

“When we first announced this program last spring, I had a student that

was rarely engaging. She was barely passing the bar,” said Tenille Rauls, the program’s director and a local nurse practitioner, at the 2022 ASBA Annual Conference, where administrators and students led a breakout session. The student had a 72 in the class.

“Immediately after hearing about this program, the light switched on in her face and she started applying herself,” she later said. “She ended up with a high B in my class, and very upset that I would not help her get her way to the A.”

The White Coat program allows students to practice being medical professionals hands-on through either a medical skills or a sports medicine pathway. Twice a week, they go to the hospital, practice with mannequins in the simulation lab, and interact with medical

professionals and hospital education staff. Sarah Brozynski, Baxter Health’s director of education, initiated the idea of the students using the simulation lab after COVID shut down the previous student internship program. Students could no longer interact with patients and were getting bored just following nurses. Wound care nurses, surgical techs and professionals from other hospital units work with the students for a portion of the semester. The hospital’s lab tech told them how her master’s degree in chemistry prepared her to manage the lab’s chemistry section.

In addition to working with the hospital, the school is using Harvard’s MEDscience Curriculum, which allows students to practice case studies and interact with Harvard medical professionals via Zoom.

SAVING A “LIFE.” Mountain Home White Coat student Emma Bullock practices performing CPR on a mannequin. Photo courtesy of Mountain Home School District.

At the beginning of the fall semester, the hospital and school host a ceremony. Each student is given a stethoscope and a white coat inscribed with their name and “Mountain Home White Coat Program Intern.”

“When they first get their white coats, they stand up straighter. … There is a confidence that they didn’t have before,” said Mountain Home High School Principal Mary Beth Russell at the 2022 Annual Conference. She said she had something in her eye the previous week, and several of them were trying to diagnose her.

The ceremony also lets the community see opportunities the school is providing.

“Members from our community come in and say, “I had no idea… I did not even know we had all that available,” Rauls said.

The program is designed for seniors who have taken a certain number of prerequisites and at least one of the

school’s healthcare classes, and have an overall 2.0 GPA or higher. As of now, 16 students are chosen per semester. In addition, students must complete an application and sit through an interview process. They practice questions during class leading up to the interview.

Students must arrive at the hospital two days a week by 7:45 a.m. They must clock in on a sheet, just as if they were signing into work. If they’re late, they miss out for the day.

“We tell them, this is a job interview,” Rauls said. “You are starting a file as a senior for this hospital. If you want to come back and work here, you are going to meet these requirements, and you are going to step up, and we are going to place the same expectations on you as well.”

Students start off with CPR certification and nursing assistant duties such as wound care and bed/bath positioning. By the program’s end, they run a mock code blue, which is when a patient must

be resuscitated. They learn how to put on personal protective equipment, start an IV, draw blood, read heart rhythms on the EKG monitor, and administer epinephrine. In their radiology studies, students take x-rays on chickens provided by a local butcher. They also practice intubating patients using mannequins.

The program is designed to expose students to different medical careers so they can decide what interests them. A mannequin that delivers babies is so realistic that it even talks, allowing students who may want to go into labor and delivery an experience in what the work is actually like. Machines simulate the smells associated with trauma rooms. Students take turns being a patient. Feeding each other and lifting each other in the Hoyer Lift creates empathy.

Rauls considers it a win when students rule out a pathway. If a student is leaning up against the wall during a dissection, she tells them, “Just think how

Continued on page 39

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many careers you’ve ruled out, that you don’t have to change your major halfway through the first year.”

At the end of the semester, students participate in a mock trauma, in which the patient’s leg has been amputated in a car accident. They ride into the field on the ambulance, pick up the patient, stop the bleeding, perform CPR on the stretcher as the patient is coding, and run a crash cart. Other students perform x-rays to ensure the ventilator tube is positioned correctly, act as a physician giving orders, or “work up” the patient by documenting their symptoms, history, and physical exam.

“I was a fan of the mock trauma,” said Isabella Hughes, then an EMT

student and now an EMT, at the 2022 Annual Conference. “I got to be a paramedic for one of the events; that’s what I want to do after high school. So it was really cool to actually put the things I’m learning in my other classes into action.”

Rauls said she would not hesitate to be helped in an emergency by any of the three students who presented with her at the conference. In fact, this past summer after the conference, a member of Rauls’ family had an emergency, and Hughes was one of the EMTs on the ambulance transporting them to the hospital.

Working with Harvard

In addition to working at the hospital’s simulation lab twice a week, students also do 10 case studies, one for each body system, via Zoom with Harvard professionals. The students take turns playing various roles with “patients” at Harvard. The patient tells them their symptoms, and the students order diagnostic tests, perform exams, and use their critical thinking skills learned in their anatomy and physiology class to come up with a list of differential diagnoses. Through more testing and critical thinking, they come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan. The week they study the endocrine system, the patient is an 18-year-old who doesn’t feel right and has been thirsty and using the restroom frequently. Starting with these symptoms, students will progress until they diagnose the patient with type 1 diabetes

and set them up with an endocrinologist. In one case, a Harvard surgeon taught them to tie surgical knots and described her career path.

The relationship with Harvard started when Rauls wondered if another school was doing a program similar to the White Coat program. During her Christmas break, she stumbled across information that Harvard Medical School had partnered with Boston public schools, so she contacted it asking if Mountain Home could obtain the MEDscience curriculum.

“From there it kind of exploded,” she said. “They were like, ‘Actually, we’re looking for a school that we could do simulations with on Zoom. We would like to grow this program and see how it would work virtually.’”

Rauls and a student attended Harvard’s week-long immersive medical camp summer before last, doing an overview of an entire semester in one week on campus.

“They learned that people are people,” Rauls explained. “The only thing that separates us and the possibilities between us or a Harvard-prepared student is geography. And that’s what I want them to learn. The sky is the limit. If you are committed and you put in the work, you can go and do at Baxter Health or Harvard Medical School. We are saving lives; we are taking care of patients.”

Please see WHITE COAT on page 47

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WHITE COAT STUDENT Jaidyn McCurley starts an IV on a mannequin. Photo courtesy of Mountain Home School District.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

with Dr. Raymond Jones

By Steve Brawner Editor

Dr. Raymond Jones, an optometrist, is in the vision business, and he’s been helping create a vision for the White Hall School District for 30 years.

It’s been an eventful three decades. He’s been a part of hiring four superintendents and, as board president, takes an active role in the superintendent search process. He says one key is to start the process early. A millage increase allowed the district to build a multipurpose athletic facility where former Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett served as football coach until his tragic drowning death last year. The district now has eight periods a day, one of which is dedicated to the district’s response to intervention (RTI) model where students are given focused instruction in specific areas – either because they are falling behind or because they are excelling.

Report Card sat down with Dr. Jones at his optometrist office in December to talk about these subjects a few weeks after he was honored at the ASBA Annual Conference for reaching 30 years of service.

You’ve been a school board member for 30 years. What got you involved?

“I was PTO president of Moody Elementary for four years, and that’s what got me in trouble. (Laughs). We have four elementary schools. Moody Elementary is next to the administration building, and I was PTO president there and saw all the teachers. The teachers wanted me to run for the school board.

The first two years that they wanted me to do it, I didn’t do it. I finally had enough employees of the school district that came and talked me into it, and here I am.”

Why did you stay?

“Well, I had three kids in the school district. I still have a nephew and a grandchild. I like working with the school district. School district challeng-

es are unlike any other business. You’re asked to do things with unfunded mandates. You have a lot of employees. It’s a different kind of business, and I wanted our community to be strong. Our school district is the heart of our community. Without our school district being strong, our community would not be as good as it is, so that’s why we’re trying to project and make our school district a place of higher education. If

you come to White Hall, you want to get a good education.”

What do you think you offer?

“Our teachers are some of the best in the state. I’d put our teachers against anyone. We have awesome staff. We have four elementary schools. Our Hardin Elementary School got the Blue Ribbon Award a few years ago that only a few schools in the country get. ... We’re trying to maintain that level of excellence, and we can do that because of our staff. We have really dedicated teachers. We really do have … as good of teachers as anywhere in the state. They work hard to make that environment good, and we support them.”

How many superintendents have you hired in 30 years?

“Gary Kees. Larry Smith, Doug Dorris and Gary Williams. So I’ve been on four. … I came on with Jerry Lybrand, and I was involved in hiring four.”

What do you think are the keys to hiring a superintendent?

“A stable board that does their homework and they’re of good character and know what their job is. And we do have a very good board. I am proud of our board because there are all types of personalities you can get on a board. Right now we’ve got people that are really dedicated, smart people that do

their homework, that care about the kids, care about the teachers and don’t have any agendas besides making things work properly as they should. And they know what school board members should do and should not do. So that makes my job really easy.”

What are other keys to hiring a good superintendent? What are you looking for?

“We want an experienced superintendent who’s knowledgeable in finance, who has good personal leadership skills, who knows education, knows what special education is, knows what resource programs are, knows literacy – you know, has a full background in education.

“We’re very lucky. Gary Williams … he’s in his second year. We hired him from Crossett. … The key to hiring a superintendent also in my opinion is when we hired him, I called him about the second week of December. If you want a good superintendent, you can’t wait till toward the end of the school year to try to hire a superintendent. You have to start that process very early and make a lot of contacts. … I made calls to these different people I know asking who they thought some of the best superintendents in the state were. … I contacted him very early, second week in December, and so we pretty much had him already here meeting our staff to see who he would get to work with. We

have an awesome staff, too, great assistant superintendents. … We had pretty much recruited him and had him by the end of January. That’s pretty important in superintendent selection –start early and do your homework and really spend some time in it. It takes a little while.”

You were recruiting like he was a college football player.

“Well, I’m the board president. To me, the board president should be able to present things to the board members and help educate the board members and keep them advised of things. Really, the biggest job we’ve got the whole time is hiring the superintendent. If you don’t do an effective job of that, you’re not a very good school board president.”

You’d say when it comes to hiring the superintendent, that’s when the school board president needs to be active in the process and take initiative.

“Yeah, I think so, and then my job, I wanted to get several people that I thought would be very good candidates and then tell the board, all right, these are contenders. These are the contenders, and now it’s up to y’all to do your due diligence, do your homework, see out of these who you want to bring in and interview, and let’s get this job done.”

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JIM ROLLINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF INNOVATION

TONTITOWN, AR

AIA PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD ASID EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN GOLD AWARD

Executive Session

I am proud of our board because there are all types of personalities you can get on a board, and right now we’ve got people that are really dedicated, smart people that do their homework, that care about the kids, care about the teachers and don’t have any agendas besides making things work properly as they should.

”

You got a millage passed. How did that happen?

“When Larry Smith left, Doug Dorris was already within the school district. He’s from here originally. He coached the junior high team. He was assistant principal at the high school for, I want to say nine years, and then principal of the middle school for several years. The board felt it was just a logical thing to go ahead and move somebody that was familiar with the community that they trusted. …

“If there were five people in a group somewhere, he would go out and meet with them and talk about the millage. He didn’t just go to the Chamber of Commerce meetings and the big meetings. If there were three people drinking coffee, he would sit down with them and talk to them about the millage. The millage had failed twice, and the second time it failed was two to one. It wasn’t even close. It was soundly defeated. And then it was, I want to say only a year, yearand-a-half later, that he got it passed by an overwhelming margin. I didn’t even know it could be done.”

Was it a similar request?

“Yes, very similar. Not exactly the same request, but similar. ...

“I don’t remember the exact amount, but we were trying to build the fine arts center, some extra classroom space, and the multipurpose building. The time that it did pass, we actually added safe rooms at the elementary schools. We had four elementary schools, and we built a building that could withstand EF-5 tornadoes, so we call them the safe houses. That helped to get the teachers on board and probably helped sell it somewhat.”

What’s the multipurpose building?

“That multipurpose building is the one you saw at the end of the football field, and it’s got some classrooms in it. It’s got 60 yards of AstroTurf that the band and football team can practice on. It’s got some workout facilities and some offices in it. So it’s a big help. Plus locker rooms. Our girls’ softball was having to change their clothes in their cars. We didn’t have enough adequate bathroom facilities or locker facilities as our high school grew, and so we needed all that infrastructure, too, besides just the classrooms and the practice facility.”

These are very nice facilities, right?

“Yes, it’s a state-of-the-art facility, and really, as you already know with public school choice now, high schools are competing. You’re competing for a student just like colleges because people can go anywhere they want. They don’t have to live within the school district boundary, and if you have nice facilities, that does help keep your school strong. It’s really just about a must nowadays. When we recently put out to hire a football coach, we had 19 applicants

because they knew about the facilities we had. …Ryan Mallett helped to put us on the map on people wanting to come here as coach. ”

What was that like losing him?

“Oh, it was tragic. I mean, he was a great coach. He was an amazing football mind, amazing coach. When he first got here, I knew a lot of the players. A lot of them came to me, and they told me how they hated him. They just hated him because he just got in their face and hollered and got mad at them and things. And I said, ‘Well, you know, he just got here. Give him some time. Get to know him.’ By the end of the year, he had really learned how to [coach]. Those same players, when he died, were the ones who eulogized him the most poetically about what a difference [he made]. He took them aside and built their personality before they built their football skills. He really learned how. He had hard coaches. His dad was a hard coach. He had Bobby Petrino. He was in the NFL. And you can’t teach young people like that. You can’t have that approach.”

He lightened up a little bit?

“He just learned how to deal with young people. Young people, they don’t respond to being yelled at all the time. We have a society that that’s considered abuse, almost. [Laughs.] But anyway, he did great. He was awesome. And he was the humblest guy. When you talked to him, you would never know he was any kind of star or had been famous or anything. He was as humble as it got. So we loved him, and I thought, well, we’re going to be lucky to keep him two years. He’ll be hired by a college. He’s too good.

“But anyway, he helped put us on the map, so coaches know about White Hall. When we had this head coach opening, we had 19 people apply, some outstanding coaches, too, which I can’t name right now. We’re going through that process. I mean, outstanding coaches, as good as in the whole state. I’m just proud that they want to come.” (Editor’s note: White Hall hired Daryl Patton, whose accomplishments include four state championships at Fayetteville.)

Tell me about your RTI period.

“I think we’re in the second year of it. It was a difficult decision because administrators and teachers are worried about implementing it. If you’ve got hundreds of high school students, you’re going to send each one of these kids on something special during that eighth period. They’re supposed to receive an email telling them to go to such-andsuch room with this teacher to study math or to study science or something. The kids don’t know whether they’re going there because they’re not doing so great in that course and they need a little extra work, or whether they’re doing so well that they’re going to go in that class and be given some advanced work. So it works out on both sides of the spectrum. The high school students, some came to the board meeting to just tell us how neat an idea it was and how they liked it and how they never knew what they were going to get until it popped up on their email.”

What is the purpose of the surprise element to it?

“I guess there’s not a purpose to it. It’s just that the kids don’t know what their teachers think they need to do, what area do they need to work on and get better at, or what do they need advance work on? I like it from the perspective that it’s not singling out some kid for remedial work and them thinking, ‘Well, everybody knows I’ve got to have this remedial work.’ They just go and report, and they go through something. So far it’s worked, but it’s a logistical nightmare, but our teachers have taken it on and made it work.”

How long you been on optometrist?

“Since 1980. I moved to White Hall in 1981 at a time when they said there are no doctors in White Hall, and you’ll never make it in White Hall. I never regretted coming out here. The community is a very volunteer community, very involved community, and they supported me from the first, so I’ve never been unhappy here. That’s why I’m still here. When I was PTO president, we kept track of how many parents helped us during the year, and one year we had 267 parents that came to the elementary

school to help do some project here or something.”

You’re from nearby, right?

“I grew up pretty close to here. I grew up in Hardin. Hardin is actually in the Dollarway School District, so I didn’t graduate from White Hall, but I grew up just right down the road. So yeah, I came basically home to practice.”

Vision is what you do for a living. How does that concept of vision apply to school board service?

“Well, it applies to education a lot because if a child has astigmatism or if they’re farsighted, if they have certain kinds of refractive errors, they will not have good reading skills or reading comprehension. The teachers are kind of educated on it, so they know when the child’s not doing well, send them in. It’s huge, really, in education. I guess that’s part of what got me involved in it, too, because I would do the eye exams for most of the people in our community who failed their school screening or who were referred by a teacher. If somebody couldn’t afford glasses, the teachers would know they could send them in, and I would give them some glasses for some kid who can’t afford it. That’s got nothing with being on the school board,

but that’s pretty important for a kid’s education. I try to educate those parents when those kids have those kinds of conditions how important it is to keep them corrected and keep them current like they should be.”

You are in the vision business by day, and then with school board service you’re in the vision business as far as what the White Hall School District should look like.

“A different kind of vision, yeah. … One thing, I guess, that helped me, people wanted me on the school board because I knew everybody because I see all the employees of the school district as patients. I’ve been blessed with a really good practice, so I knew a lot of people, and I get to talk to a lot of people. That’s good for me to keep a pulse on teacher morale and how things are going at this building, whether the janitorial service is doing a good job in this building. You know, I hear all that stuff [laughs] without having to go out and find out about it. People come in and tell me. So that helps. It’s informational, and my wife thinks I spend way too much time on a job that I don’t get any pay for.”

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

Baldwin & Shell completes Benton elementary school

Baldwin & Shell Construction Company finished constructing Benton’s new Mountain View Elementary School. The 68,500-square-foot facility sits on 17 acres and includes 25 classrooms, six multi-use rooms, a gymnasium with a stage, a fine arts room, a media room, a cafeteria, and offices. It features two artificial turf playgrounds and an expansive hardscape play area with three outdoor basketball goals for student recreation. The new elementary is home to 300 students and 27 educators servicing the district’s continued growth.

For more information about Baldwin & Shell, go to www.baldwinshell.com.

National Safety Shelters installs safe rooms for seven so far

National Safety Shelters has installed mini safe-rooms at Quitman, Lawrence County, Danville, Pangburn, White County, Concord and Ouachita River school districts. Several additional districts are planning projects in 2024.

Enrollment has increased more than 30% since project completion in 2019. Superintendent Dennis Truxler said, “The increase is largely due to parents wanting to send their children to schools that offer the best protection available from tornadoes and active shooters.”

The mini safe-rooms are a preferable alternative to large FEMA safe rooms

because, located in each classroom, they offer immediate protection from both 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 over three or four weekends.

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

French Architects designs Hot Springs indoor practice facility

French Architects designed an indoor athletic facility that the Hot Springs School District completed in 2021.

The indoor 40-yard-field complex also has a weight room, offices, locker rooms, and training room. This kind of facility is beneficial for football, band, softball, baseball, track, classrooms, soccer, and can also be utilized for athletics throughout the district as an indoor practice area. Not only does it benefit the students, but it also benefits the parents and community that have invested in the education and the well-being of their kids.

For more information about French Architects, email David French at david@frencharchitects.net, or check out the firm’s Facebook page

American Fidelity says wellness program can inform about HSAs

A health savings account (HSA) is a great school-based benefit for employees seeking to save for healthcare expenses while reducing their tax liability.

Benefits expert American Fidelity says a wellness program can help employees understand their benefits and incentivize them with premium discounts, cash rewards, and gym memberships.

By engaging with employees about their health and offering incentives for participation, schools can create a healthier and happier workforce.

School districts should annually communicate and engage with employees about the program’s value before, during and after open enrollment.

To learn more, go to https://americanfidelity.com/blog/reimburse/increasehsa-participation-with-wellness/. For more information about American Fidelity, go to americanfidelity.com or call 800.688.4421.

Cromwell-designed Little Rock academy nears completion

The Little Rock School District’s Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy, designed by Cromwell, was expected to be completed by March, and students will begin school in the fall. Exciting developments include a gymnasium and cafetorium. The media center will feature a structural tree and study rooms. Directly adjacent are the learning stairs. Construction on the football field, field house, concessions, and restrooms are on the horizon.

Learn more at www.cromwell.com

VS America’s SPACE system helps one district save space

In an effort to help reorganize a 70-year-old school building, VS America partnered with educators to reimagine how they store things.

One reading specialist room was transformed through VS America’s SPACE storage system, which is a compact, effective solution that’s given the teacher and students a far more efficient room. Working in this conventional 1950s middle school, everyone involved was forced to think outside of the traditional boxes in order to find effective and efficient storage solutions that didn’t require costly construction.

Scot Morris, regional manager with VS America, tells Report Card that implementing smart storage systems is a great way to help school leaders reclaim floor space for teaching and learning.

To learn more about VS America, visit www.vsamerica.com.

Architecture Plus designs Prairie Grove junior high addition

Architecture Plus designed an addition to the Prairie Grove Junior High School that will accommodate the district’s growing student population.

Through the schematic design process, a compact building footprint was developed to minimize site disturbance. Organizationally, the school is established along an axis that continues the main hallway of the existing school. The new cafetorium will have a muchneeded public entry, and the two-story classroom wing allows for 19 new classrooms including a special education/ self-contained classroom. Construction is planned to start this summer

For more information, visit archplusinc.net.

All-Clean helps cooperative recover from burst pipe

The crew at All-Clean USA has been working swiftly to repair the water-

damaged building of the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative. On the evening of Jan. 17, All-Clean USA received a call from the co-op concerning major water damage to its school building in Pine Bluff. That night, a team inspected the damage, which was caused by a frozen pipe that had burst in the internal sprinkler system, flooding the building. Within 12 hours of the initial call, a crew of 20 had begun work to repair the building, which had 18,000 square feet of damage.

To learn more about All-Clean, call 870.360.3473 or go to allcleanusa.com.

C.R.Crawford can help districts with millage, construction

A successful millage campaign is often a necessary step for a school district to receive adequate funding for an anticipated construction project. C.R. Crawford Construction frequently assists school districts with these campaigns, which typically involve seeking approval from voters for funding measures. Because of its past experiences and construction expertise, the firm can partner with school districts to help navigate the millage campaign process and secure the funding needed to move the construction project forward.

For more information about C.R. Crawford, references from other districts, or questions about K-12 construction, contact Leigh Ann Showalter at lshowalter@crcrawford.com or Jordan Ligon at jligon@crcrawford.com. To learn more, go to www.crcrawford.com.

WDD Architects helps Brinkley with vision for new high school

WDD Architects led a visioning session with Brinkley Public Schools leadership to kick off the design to replace the existing high school.

The new school (grades 7-12) prioritizes collaborative academic space and is intended to attract new students to the district. The project represents a multiyear effort of Brinkley Public Schools, WDD, Baldwin & Shell Construction, Dr. Charles Stein, and the district’s voters, who supported the millage campaign in November.

For more from WDD Architects, visit wddarchitects.com.

Southern Tire Mart helps JNPSD with mounted tire program

Since its inception in 2014, the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District has navigated the challenges inherent in establishing a new educational institution. Among the many logistical considerations, JNPSD has addressed its bus tire management through an innovative mounted tire program with Southern Tire Mart. This forward-thinking approach involves outsourcing the dismounting, mounting, and inflation of tires off site.

By leveraging a mounted tire program with Southern Tire Mart, JNPSD has optimized the safety of its bus

Continued on next page

mechanics and liberated time for employees to focus on critical aspects of maintaining the bus fleet. This strategic decision underscores JNPSD’s commitment to efficiency, safety, and excellence in its transportation operations.

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

Modus Studio designs Fayetteville leadership center

Fayetteville Public School District finished its first year in the recently renovated Adams Leadership Center. Modus Studio provided the design work and crafted some of the elements.

Among the features of the 4,000-square-foot facility is a redesigned boardroom with a custom steel desk fabricated by Modus Studio’s shop. This desk showcases illuminated cutouts of the district logo and mission statement. The boardroom also has a wood slat ceiling, anti-glare lighting, a Modus shop-fabricated podium, an updated audio-visual system, and a custom-illustrated map of Fayetteville. Also renovated were conference rooms, an A/V and server room, and restrooms. The new accessible entrance and vestibule design incorporate steel planters and a wood bench produced by the Modus shop.

For more information about Modus Studio, go to www.modusstudio.com or call 479.455.5577.

ARBuy Marketplace platform can help districts save money

School districts and education agencies can unlock unparalleled advantages through the ARBuy Marketplace’s statewide contracts. This innovative platform empowers school districts to make wellinformed, efficient, and budget-friendly

procurement decisions, ultimately benefiting both students and staff. By embracing ARBuy’s statewide contracts, school districts streamline the procurement process, alleviating administrative burdens and saving valuable time.

Experience enhanced accountability and transparency as the ARBuy Marketplace promotes standardization and compliance with regulations. Collaboration on statewide contracts fosters a sense of community among educational entities, encouraging the sharing of resources and best practices. Access a diverse range of goods and services at negotiated, competitive prices, ensuring cost-effectiveness. Joining forces on a statewide level allows schools to leverage the purchasing power of the entire state, securing favorable terms and discounts that individual negotiations may not achieve.

Visit arbuy.info now for more information.

Stephens advisors can provide free board workshops

Stephens can assist 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.

The Arkansas School Boards Association 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. This type of workshop can be particularly useful if a board is 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. For more information about Stephens, go to www.stephens. com

M3

cuts energy costs for large Springdale, small Wonderland

M3 Services provides energy reduction services on school campuses of all sizes. The company’s HVAC tune-ups and smart thermostat installations are done at no cost to districts. Local utility companies fund the services.

M3 Services is performing HVAC tune-ups and cleanings for Arkansas’ largest district, Springdale, which has 53 facilities.

“Even with a dedicated staff of eight HVAC technicians, the staff at SPS is unable to get to every unit with the speed and efficiency of the M3 team. Having M3 perform the AC tune-ups allows the SPS team to focus on higher priority maintenance,” said M3 COO Jean Mouton.

M3 Services recently completed a smart thermostat project for Wonderland, which consists of two schools with an enrollment of 470.

For more information, go to m3svs. com or call 501.991.4822.

WER designs UCA Windgate Center

The WER design team, along with Pfeiffer and H+N Architects, designed the new Windgate Center for Fine & Performing Arts at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. The new facility opened this past year and is one of the only higher education buildings to combine both fine and performing arts education programs in one facility. The new center provides classroom, studio, rehearsal and performance spaces all under one roof.

WER has designed arts education spaces across the state for both K-12 and higher education campuses. The new center unites the arts with modern facilities that foster interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary collaborations, as well as provide support for the needs of visual arts, music, film and theatre.

To learn more information about WER Architects, go to www.werarch. com.

White Coat

Continued from page 39

Though not a part of the White Coat program, a third pathway, medical office management, has also proven successful. The school plans to add an internship where students can rotate through each part of a clinic including billing, coding, pre-certification, and registration.

After a local dentist approached the school with the need for more assistants, it added a dental assistant program, from which students graduate from high school as a certified dental assistant. The first student graduate started work as a dental assistant the same month as graduation.

The program also offers externships for teachers throughout the community to see what kind of jobs are available. At one hospital externship, teachers saw that jobs were available in maintenance, laundry facilities, and food preparation.

“Because you do see those kids that have a strong work ethic, but we don’t know really where to plug them in in our community, and those jobs are there and they are high paying, and the benefits are fantastic,” Russell said.

If another district wanted to start their own medical professions completer program, the first step would be to apply

for a medical professions program of study through the Department of Career and Technical Education, said Dr. Jake Long, the former superintendent who led the district when it started the program. The next step is forming local partnerships with hospitals and/or community colleges and aligning the program with the community’s needs assessment and work development goals. It also helped that Mountain Home had a charter status providing more flexibility, such as allowing off-campus learning.

Long said at the 2022 Annual

Conference that he expects more Chambers of Commerce and communities to be willing to make workforce-generating investments for their local economy.

“How do I replicate everything that you saw here from a medical pathways for another industry?… I think that if each one of our communities can identify what is the industry we’re trying to serve, and replicate what you saw right here, guys, that’s a magical piece when it comes to the type of applied education that I think we’re all wanting for our kids.”

WHITE COAT STUDENTS Teagan Wolford, left, and Briley Hickman deliver a “baby” at the Baxter Health hospital. Photo courtesy of Mountain Home School District.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 75 YEARS OF

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Fayetteville High School Sports Wellness & Athletic Center, Fayetteville