September 2022

Report Card September 2022 www.arsba.org

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association

School board scholars

At the New Board Member Institute, recipients of ASBA Foundation scholarships were recognized for their achievements. The awards are given to children of school board members. ASBA this year increased scholarship amounts from $650 to $2,500 and added a new $5,000 award. Pictured are Tara Young of Van Buren; Tyson Davis, a Paragould teacher and the recipient of the J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship given to a student pursuing an advanced education degree; Ashlyn Courtney of Hope; and Kara Ponder of Bergman. Not pictured are Zoey Taylor of Trumann and Emma Reaper of Pangburn.

Lending a caring hand

With this being September and the start of the school year, there are several “firsts.” This is my first time writing an article for the Report Card as well as it being time for the first weeks of school.

With that being said, I am reminded of my first day of school. I was afraid and very shy and did not want to go at all. My mom dropped me off at the entrance, and I remember crying and being in fear. My elementary principal, Mr. Curtis Harris, came up to me, took me by the hand and walked me to my classroom. That hand is what started my journey through public school for the next 12 years and college afterwards.

With the start of the school year, many children and parents are facing obstacles such as school safety, bullying, and shootings. We have the responsibility to work together as board members, administrators, teachers, and parents to make our school’s environment a safe haven and secure place for all.

With these concerns, our administrators and teachers must be the hand that is firm enough to guide our youth throughout the journey. When my elementary principal took my hand, that gave me the courage to face the day and the times that were ahead of me. It is true that when I was in school things were much simpler and a lot calmer, but that is the past and will probably

by William Campbell ASBA President never be repeated. We must support our administrators, teachers, and students 100% by providing the resources and assistance they need daily.

As board members, we need to put aside our “agendas” and differences and work together on the common goal, which is our kids. There are many debates about school resource officers, mask mandates and many other mandates both funded and unfunded, but the deciding factor in all of this is what is best for our kids. We all will never fully agree on all issues, but we should all agree on the safety of our kids first and foremost and make sure they receive the best education possible.

The new school year should be both fun and educational for both students and teachers. We must do everything possible to make sure students embrace the learning process and reach their po-

tential. We must fully support our teachers, who are the conduit to our children’s mind and well-being. In order to do this, we must supply our teachers with the tools and equipment they need. We should not be afraid to step out of the box if it’s going to improve the learning environment of our youth.

The new school year will include new teachers, administrators, students, and board members who are both anxious and uncertain about their new roles.

These individuals will need that hand that I had on my first day of school to get them through. Therefore, we must all work together and fully be supportive and encouraging as they progress through the school year.

When we are asked if we have any kids, the answer is, “Yes!” Whatever the number of students is in our district, that is the number of kids that we have. Even though they are not ours biologically, they are ours educationally, and we are responsible for their educational journey.

Just remember that the hand that cares will leave an everlasting impression on very impressionable minds forever. A child will always remember that one gesture and person that touched their lives and will carry it with them forever. There are times when that caring hand will be more important than the educational process!

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Report Card

The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association

News and Features 10

22 At the New Board Member Institute,

ASBA President-elect Randy Hutchinson congratulates Tyson Davis, an English and history teacher at Paragould’s Ram Academy alternative school. He received the $2,500 J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship to help pay for an advanced degree in education.

Departments 2 6 7 7 9 13 34 38

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

4 September 2022 Report Card

McFatridge a ‘one-of-a-kind individual’

Mickey McFatridge spent the first half of his career working as an educator and the last half supporting educators. The retired Turrell and Parkin superintendent and Arkansas School Boards Association TIPS representative died June 24 at the age of 80. He was a fixture at ASBA events, usually with wife Carolyn at his side.

14

Board members’ role limited, vital

22

Cover / ‘We really bumped it up’

26

Schools’ $50 million might be ready soon

30

37

What’s a school board member’s job? To do what only he or she can do, and not do what someone else already does for a living.

That was one of the messages at ASBA’s New Board Member Institute, the annual event that brings newly elected school board members together to review their limited but very important roles.

ASBA quadrupled its ASBA Educational Foundation scholarship awards given to children of school board members, added a $5,000 award, and tripled its usual number of applicants.

Sometime in the next few months – hopefully by the end of the year, in fact – Arkansas school districts will be able to apply and perhaps in some cases even receive their share of $50 million in school security funding.

Executive Session with Travis Warren

Teacher of the Year semifinalists named

Four Arkansas school teachers were recognized as 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year semifinalists at a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion Aug. 4.

We’re Serving Up Happy & Healthy

Choosing Chartwells as our Foodservices partner has been a great decision for Osceola School District. The transition from self-op to Chartwells went very smoothly. The Chartwells team is friendly and have been on point in everything they have done. We have had nothing but great reviews on the quality, flavor, and presentation of the food being served. Our faculty enjoy the meals, and students are raving about the chef and saying that they hope he always cooks at Osceola School District.

Chartwells has definitely turned our cafeteria into a place where students want to go and eat rather than just a place to rush through. I would recommend Chartwells to any school district looking for a services partner that puts quality and students first.

Dr. Toriano Green Osceola School District Superintendent

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Letter from the Executive Director

by Dr. Tony Prothro

Seven ways to fill your bucket

I had just returned from the Southern Leadership Institute held in New Orleans this year when I began to write this article. I was amazed at the quality of presentations and the similarity of stories told by board members from different states. It seemed everyone was somewhat in a recovery mode from the last two years of COVID, legislative issues, and just trying to stay ahead in the current world of social media.

The meeting closed with an uplifting keynote presentation by Dr. Chris Nail, Beebe School District superintendent.

His presentation was titled “7 Ways to Fill Your Bucket; Keeping the Faith When the Going Gets Tough.” He spoke of the obstacles faced by board members and listed effective ways to keep a positive attitude and keep your eyes on the prize.

Here is a summary of those seven effective techniques: 1. See the Students. We all know that being around students is uplifting and reminds us of our purpose. Events such as campus visits, presentations by the student advisory committee, and Take Your Legislator to School Day were listed, among others, as ways to keep in contact with your students.

2. Keep Everyone on the Same Page. This entails being involved in active participation in strategic planning with a focus on student achievement.

3. Effective Communication with the Superintendent. A critical component in a board/superintendent relationship is effective communication. Dr. Nail stressed the importance of board memos, weekly calls, and one-on-one personal visits to enhance relationships built on trust.

4. Student-Centered Board Meetings. This has been a foundational tenant of good governance promoted by ASBA. A board meeting should have a 6 September 2022 Report Card

focus on students, and there is no better way to do this than to have students present at your board meetings in events such as student recognitions, student reports, and presentations on programs that positively impact students.

5. Document the Positives. Dr. Nail shared ideas such as happiness folders, reminding oneself of what is going right, and a focus on the good things in your district.

6. Keep the Right Mindset. This involves a focus on the needs of your district’s constituents, staff, and students. He discussed being able to disagree with someone professionally without being disagreeable, and voting with a clear conscience. It is sometimes expected that votes will not be unanimous, but the team approach to consensus and pulling together after the final vote is paramount to good governance.

7. Celebrate Successes. Making positive movement forward should never be overlooked. Sometimes you may not have monumental successes, so it is smart to always look for the “pebbles” of success. Small wins are in all schools and classrooms; you just have to look for them and recognize them. You can facilitate success through positive phone calls and recognition of success in formal and informal occurrences. Last, never turn down an opportunity to be present for a celebration. Everyone loves for individuals to be a part of a recognition of excellence.

The closing of the conference on such a positive note left participants with a feeling of hope and confidence moving forward. You may receive a full copy of the presentation by emailing tareed@ beebescools.org.

Next year the Southern Leadership Institute will be July 16-18 in Hot Springs. Note this in your calendar, and we hope to see you there!

Report Card The Journal of the Arkansas School Boards Association Vol. 16, Number 3

September 2022

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

Board of Directors President: William Campbell, McGehee Vice President: Randy Hutchinson, Springdale Sec.-Treasurer: Jeff Lisenby, Sheridan Past President: Rosa Bowman, Ashdown Region 1: Travis Warren, Farmington Region 2: Mitchell Archer, Bergman Region 3: Dr. Julea Garner, Highland Region 4: Kyle Cannon, Mena Region 5: Clint Hull, Pottsville Region 6: Nikki King, Pangburn Region 7: Kristain Dedmon, Osceola Region 8: Jereme Carter, Carlisle 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: Doris Parham, Bearden Region 14: Jerry Daniels, Warren

Staff

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

TO CONTACT THE MAGAZINE

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

ASBA News and notes

William Campbell ascends to ASBA presidency William Camp-

bell, a 30-year McGehee School Board member, is now ASBA’s president.

Campbell was serving as the president-elect of the association when the previous Campbell ASBA president, Dr. Tad Margolis, resigned from the Valley View School Board because she is relocating to a new town. ASBA’s by-laws require members of the board of directors to resign when they no longer are serving as active school board members.

As president-elect, Campbell was already serving as an ASBA representative on the transition team for the newly formed Consortium of State School Boards Associations, which involves 22 founding state associations, including Arkansas. He will be a board member starting in January.

“I’ve gotten to know William very well over the last few years,” said Dr. Tony Prothro, ASBA executive director, while introducing Campbell at ASBA’s New Board Member Institute. “He’s very intentional. He’s very studentfocused.”

He joined the McGehee School Board as an appointee in November 1992 when the Tillar school district consolidated with McGehee. At the time, he was serving as the mayor of Reed.

Campbell will finish Margolis’s term and serve a full term as president next year.

ASBA calendar Oct. 3-27 Regional meetings Various host sites Dec. 7-9 ASBA Annual Conference Little Rock Marriott and Statehouse Convention Center Feb. 7, 2023 ASBA “Hybrid” School Law Seminar DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Little Rock March 30 - April 1, 2023 Consortium of State School Boards Associations Annual Meeting Tampa, Florida

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ASBA News and notes

Dedmon

Dunlap

Dedmon, Dunlap are ASBA’s newest regional directors

Kristain Dedmon, president of the Osceola School Board, has joined ASBA’s Board of Directors representing Region 7, while Donna Dunlap, the president of the Barton-Lexa School Board, now represents Region 9.

Dedmon joined the Osceola School Board in 2017 when she was appointed to fill an open position and then was elected.

ELEVATING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION AL ENVIRONMENTS.

“It’s definitely been a journey, but I’m still optimistic and excited about the possibilities and just constantly learning something every time I step into a meeting or a training,” she said. “It’s just like a never-ending learning expedition. It’s turned me back into a student again, essentially.”

Dedmon is a 1999 graduate of the district and was valedictorian – like her son, who graduated in May. She is a pharmacist who owns the West Memphis-based Quess Pharmacy with her husband, Richard.

Dunlap joined the Barton-Lexa School Board in 2004 and has been president several years. She graduated from Barton High School in 1986.

“My father actually went to Barton and graduated, and then my brother and I went to Barton,” she said. “My children went to Barton. My first grandchild will start next year at Barton, so, yes, we are true Barton people.”

Dunlap has been active in the school district’s PTO and in the Booster Club.

“We have 750 kids, and I feel like all of them are mine,” she said.

She is a registered nurse and has worked for 29 years at the Bell Clinic in Helena-West Helena.

Dates are set for upcoming fall regional meetings

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ASBA’s fall regional meetings this year will be Oct. 3-27.

Check-ins will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a working dinner at 6. The events will end at 8:30 p.m.

Board members will earn three hours of boardsmanship training credit for attending.

A $50 per person registration fee will be charged.

Board members who cannot attend the meeting scheduled in their specific region may attend any of the other ASBA regional meetings across the state and still receive professional development credit.

Dates and locations for the meetings are as follows:

• Region 1 - Oct. 17, Farmington • Region 2 - Oct. 24, Jasper • Region 3 - Oct. 3, Hoxie • Region 4 - Oct. 4, Van Buren • Region 5 - Oct. 18, Dover • Region 6 - Oct. 6, Rose Bud • Region 7 - Oct. 20, Marked Tree • Region 8 - Oct. 25, Jacksonville • Region 9 - Oct. 25, Clarendon • Region 10 - Oct. 11, Hot Springs • Region 11 - Oct. 11, Fordyce • Region 12 - Oct. 27, Ashdown • Region 13 - Oct. 13, El Dorado • Region 14 - Oct. 18, McGehee

Plans are taking shape for ASBA Annual Conference

Plans are taking shape for ASBA’s 69th Annual Conference Dec. 7-9 at the Little Rock Marriott and Statehouse Convention Center.

ASBA Board Development Director Tammie Reitenger said planners are simplifying the number of registration options.

Attendees will be Reitenger able to purchase a total access package to attend all three days, including new board member training Dec. 7. Attendees also will be able to register for any single day or two days. There will be a virtual option for Thursday only.

Also, ASBA has decided that board members no longer will be required to have cards stamped signifying that they have attended a session.

“Most professionals when they go to something like that, it’s their integrity that guarantees their participation, so we trust that our board members have the integrity, if they sign up for something, they’re coming to get the training they need,” said Reitenger.

The card stamping also has caused a bottleneck as board members leave a session and go on to the next event.

Reitenger said the association’s focus is student-focused leadership, so it will

promote and provide training that puts students first.

ASBA seeking presenters at Annual Conference

ASBA is seeking breakout session proposals from school personnel, school board members and organizations who have a focus on topics of critical interest to board members and administrators.

The goal is for all participants to leave the event motivated and empowered with new ideas, information, and skills that will help improve outcomes for students.

Anyone with a great story to tell or information that would help board members succeed is invited to submit a presentation proposal. Presentations will be scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7, and Thursday, Dec. 8. Sessions will be 60 minutes in length.

Proposals may be submitted at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/studentfocused2022. The deadline to submit is Oct. 14. Final selections will be made Oct. 28.

Presentations should meet the following criteria: • Targets board members as the primary audience • Engages the audience in meaningful ways

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• Demonstrates innovative ideas and solutions • Enhances the knowledge, skills, and abilities of board members with an emphasis on leadership practices and/or improving student outcomes • Shares information about promising strategies and practices that can be replicated by other districts of all sizes • Provides solid, practical, how-to information, and tips that board members

can take back and apply at the board table • Preference will be given to those that include a school board member as a participant in the presentation Session proposals must be submitted under one of the following categories: • Student Achievement. Presentations will center around the implementation of unique practices that have a positive impact on student achievement.

This track offers an opportunity for districts to celebrate their successes with a “We did it and so can you” approach.

• Governance and Leadership. This category includes facets of board leadership and governance principles including topics such as advocating, leading, governing, planning, evaluating, communicating, and acting ethically.

• Advocacy. This category focuses on how advocacy makes a difference in the community and in the legislative process. Attendees will learn to become more effective advocates for public education as well as how to organize at the grassroots and legislative levels.

• Technology. This category includes information that demonstrates how a district can best utilize technology in learning and administration/leadership.

• Finance. Sessions in this category will show how districts allocate resources to support their mission and goals.

This track can include solutions for better budgeting, financial issues affecting

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ASBA News and notes

McFatridge a ‘one-of-a-kind individual’ Longtime Turrell superintendent, ASBA TIPS representative passes at age 80. Son says he ‘knew everybody.’

Mickey McFatridge spent the first half of his career working as an educator and the last half supporting educators.

The retired Turrell and Parkin superintendent and Arkansas School Boards Association TIPS representative died June 24 at the age of 80.

He was a fixture at ASBA events, usually with wife Carolyn at his side.

“Mickey McFatridge was a one-ofa-kind individual,” said ASBA Executive Director Dr. Tony Prothro. “His work and life’s focus was to better the educational experience. He was able to accomplish this goal through his tireless efforts and exceptional character traits.”

Prothro continued, “Mickey was one of those individuals who spoke the truth and always treated others in the way he wanted to be treated. His morals and character were admired by all. Mickey and his wife, Carolyn, were an inseparable team. They were an inspiration to a whole generation of educators, vendors, and anyone who came in contact with them.”

The two were married on March 27, 1964, and stayed together 58 years.

Their son, Mark McFatridge, said Carolyn had been spending time with a newly born grandson and was doing well.

Mickey, whose given name was Mahlon Maxie McFatridge, was born in Bassett on May 9, 1942. It was a cold day, so he was placed in an oven to keep warm. He grew up on a farm with his parents, sisters and paternal grandparents.

He graduated from Shawnee High School in Joiner, which is now part of the South Mississippi County School District, where he played basketball and football and participated on the track team. The six-foot-eight-inch center earned a scholarship to play basketball for Arkansas State Junior College, now Arkansas State University Beebe, and then after two years played for Arkansas State Teachers College, now the Uni10 September 2022 Report Card

versity of Central Arkansas. He played semi-pro basketball after graduating from UCA. After graduating with his bachelor’s of science in education degree in August 1964, Mickey started his educational career at Marion as a social studies teacher and junior high coach of all sports. He became a senior high coach for all sports and a P.E. teacher in 1966. In 1971, he took on an additional role as dean of students.

He then moved to Turrell, where he served as high school principal from 1973 to 1975 and then superintendent from 1975 to 1998. Carolyn was the high school secretary. After Mickey retired from Turrell, he worked from July 1998 until August 1999 with the Great Rivers Educational Co-operative.

He then served as superintendent of the Parkin School District from September 1999 until June 2002.

“That’s kind of where his heart was, in education, and all of the kids were his,” Mark said.

Mickey began working with ASBA as a legislative liaison in October 2002.

He worked with the TIPS program from

2004 until the fall of 2021, eventually becoming the program director for Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. Carolyn often accompanied him on his trips. The two enjoyed visiting antique shops in their travels.

“There was nobody that he didn’t know,” Mark said. “He knew everybody, it seemed like. … No matter where we went, we ran into somebody that he knew or that knew him.”

The two had three children. Daughter Beth Marter, a retired advanced practice nurse, was followed by sons Michael and Mark, a nurse anesthetist. Mickey and Carolyn raised the family attending church on Sunday mornings and evenings and Wednesday nights. He served as an ordained deacon, Sunday school teacher and choir member.

Michael died in an automobile accident after graduating high school in 1987. Despite their grief, Mark said his parents “never faltered.”

“The way he and my mom both handled that situation, I think that is a huge testimony to their faith,” he said.

The two had four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mickey was known as “Grandpa Mickey” by one set of grandchildren and “Gaga” by the other, while Carolyn is “Grandma Carolyn” and “Nanes.”

In his spare time, Mickey enjoyed lake activities at their home on Lake Thunderbird in Cherokee Village, hunting and fishing. He was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Arkansas Razorbacks and the Arkansas State Red Wolves. While living in Paragould, he and Carolyn had season tickets for ASU football and basketball games.

Mark said his dad was “Very genuine, and what you saw was what you got.

There was nothing hidden about him. ...

Pretty much everybody knew what he stood for.”

ASBA Continued from page 9

school districts, and practical advice on surviving difficult economic times.

• Legal Issues. Presentations will focus on resources, news, court decisions, and recent hot legal topics and other issues related to public schools.

• Stakeholder Involvement. Presentations will focus on processes and activities that increase involvement and collaboration with parents, families, educators, and communities to improve the welfare and success of the school and its students.

ASBA to grant School Board of Excellence Awards

ASBA will be awarding the ASBA School Board of Excellence in Leadership Award during the 2022 Annual Conference.

This award recognizes school boards whose work, dedication and ethical service have made a positive impact on the students in their district.

Districts will be chosen based on evidence from the following eight criteria: • Focuses on and demonstrates support for student achievement

• Supports educational improvement projects • Demonstrates commitment to a code of ethics • Maintains harmonious and supportive relationships among members of the board and with the superintendent • Functions as a policymaking body with adherence to adopted policies • Provides oversight for district finances and budget that support continuous improvement by making decisions and taking actions that are consistent with the district’s strategic plan (vision, mission, and goals) and policies.

• Participates in training, workshops, and other improvement programs • Supports and participates in public relations efforts, including community awareness Two awards will be given at the 2022 ASBA Annual Conference Dec. 7-9: one for school districts that have student enrollments of less than 900, and one for school districts that have enrollments above 900 students. Each award will be based upon a board’s performance over the school year immediately prior to the year in which the award is granted.

The application, including the narrative response for each criterion and supporting materials/documents, can be submitted electronically. A link will be provided on ASBA’s website, www. arsba.org.

If you have questions regarding the School Board of Excellence Award or

the process for applying, please contact Tammie Reitenger, ASBA board development director, at 501.492.4822 or via email at treitenger@arsba.org.

ASBA’s Butcher planning COSSBA training events

Dr. Anne Butcher, who until this year was ASBA’s board development director, is now working parttime to develop training for the Consortium of Butcher State School Boards Associations (COSSBA).

The 22-state COSSBA was created this year by state associations that were dissatisfied with the National School Boards Association’s financial mismanagement and lack of transparency and responsiveness. COSSBA’s and the Southern Leadership Conference’s documented board member hours are the only national level credit hours approved for ASBA. Among the events Butcher is helping plan is COSSBA’s Annual Meeting, which will be March 30 through April 1, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

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Report Card September 2022 11

SOUTHERN REGION LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. Arkansas was well represented at the Southern Region Leadership Conference in New Orleans July 24-26. Top left are, from left, ASBA President William Campbell of McGehee, Clint Hull of Pottsville, and Mark Curry of Lake Hamilton. Top right is Dorothy Williams with the North Little Rock School Board. Middle right is Rosa Bowman of Ashdown, ASBA’s past president. Bottom left is Hull. Bottom right, Beebe Superintendent Dr. Chris Nail makes a presentation entitled “7 Ways to Fill Your Bucket; Keeping the Faith When the Going Gets Tough.”

12 September 2022 Report Card

Court rules in favor of coach prayer High-profile case among several affecting schools The U.S. Supreme Court made a lot of news this term. Some of its rulings directly affect schools.

In the most high-profile case, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a six-justice majority held that the First Amendment’s free speech and free exercise of religion clauses protected a high school football coach’s right to pray on the field after games. Some players joined him at times but were never required or encouraged by the coach to do so. The school district terminated him based on its perception that an observer might conclude the district was endorsing prayer by an employee. He then sued it for violating his right to free speech and free exercise of religion.

The Supreme Court held that schools may not suppress such religious expression by employees. The Court rejected the school’s primary argument that it needed to suppress the coach’s religious speech to comply with the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from “establishing” a religion. The Court said the Establishment Clause does not require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor.

The Court expressly rejected the Lemon v. Kurtzman test it introduced in a 1971 decision, which required consideration of a law’s purposes, effects, and potential for entanglement with religion.

Instead, it held the Establishment Clause must be interpreted by reference to historical practices and understandings.

The Court stated that “learning how to tolerate speech or prayer of all kinds is part of learning how to live in a pluralistic society, a trait of character essential to a tolerant citizenry.”

In another case, a unanimous ruling by the Court in Houston Community College System v. Wilson rejected a board member’s claim that the board’s censure of him over his speech violated his free speech rights under the First Amendment. While this case involved a community college board, the deci-

by Jay Bequette ASBA General Counsel sion likely would apply equally to K-12 school boards.

The Court explained that board members should expect to be criticized by both the community and their board colleagues, and their recourse is to respond to critics with their own speech.

In upholding the censure, the Court observed that just as the board member had the right to criticize, the First Amendment “cannot be used as a weapon to silence other representatives from doing the same.” It said the censure did not prevent the board member from doing his job or deny him any privilege of office, and the board member did not allege the censure was defamatory. It also noted that the censure had not prevented him from continuing his criticism.

Somewhat limiting the scope of the decision, the Court added that there were occasions where verbal reprimands might give rise to First Amendment retaliatory claims, as in cases involving students, employees, licensees or other private individuals.

Finally, the Court ruled in Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller that damages for emotional distress may not be recovered from public entities – including public schools – under federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, and disability.

Such claims have been brought for many years under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The ruling does not impact a plaintiff’s right to seek other types of compensatory damages, such as back pay, out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, and the ability to recover legal costs.

The premise supporting the ruling was its 2002 Barnes decision. It held that federal funds recipients could not be found liable for punitive damages for violations of anti-discrimination laws.

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Report Card September 2022 13

New Board Member Institute

NEW BOARD MEMBER. John McFarland, a newly elected member of the Midland School Board, listens to a presentation at the New Board Member Institute.

Board members’ role limited, vital At the New Board Member Institute, school board members were told to do what only they can do, while leaving other responsibilities to the professionals hired to do them.

What’s a school board member’s job?

To do what only he or she can do, and not do what someone else already does for a living.

That was one of the messages at ASBA’s New Board Member Institute, the annual event that brings newly elected school board members together to review their limited but very important roles. The event was held June 30 at the Hot Springs DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and had both in-person and virtual attendees.

14 September 2022 Report Card

In one session, ASBA Staff Attorney Kristen Garner and attorney Teddy Stewart with Bequette, Billingsley, & Kees, P.A., described how school boards should handle a situation where a district employee asks them to meet in executive session to discuss “some concerns.”

The short answer is, they shouldn’t.

The school board hires and supervises only the superintendent. Employee matters are to be handled by the superintendent and by other administrators. School board members aren’t directly involved in employee matters until they reach a board hearing at the end of the process.

Until then, they should remain as uninformed as possible in order to remain neutral and unbiased.

“If you are a school board member, a quick test is this: Is there anybody in this school district who gets paid money to

do this thing or worry about this thing or find out about this thing or take care of this thing?” Garner said. “If the answer is ‘yes,’ then that is how you know it is not your job as a school board member.

“On the other hand, there are things that are your job as a school board member that no one else can do, like give an employment hearing, give a student hearing, approve the budget, etc., etc.

That’s how you know it’s your job, when nobody else has the power to do it. So do the things that only you can do, and you will stay fine.”

Garner noted that a school board’s usurping the superintendent will hurt that relationship and may cost the district a good administrator at a time when good ones can be hard to find.

The two said that by far the most common reason a school board will

enter into executive session is to discuss employment of a specific person – but never a general policy, staff position or salary amount. The two warned attendees to be careful of what they say in executive session because it can be used against them in court. Stewart said in one current court case his firm is involved with, the entirety of the deposition with school board members involved asking them what had been discussed in executive session. Garner said she had seen school districts lose lawsuits after board members were questioned under oath about what was said in executive session. She warned that school boards cannot actually vote in executive session. One school board wrestled with filling a board vacancy until 10:30 p.m. and then forgot to return to open session to make the official vote. They later realized that too many days had passed and they had lost the ability to make the appointment. Garner also warned school boards that remain in the boardroom for executive session to ensure departing community members take their belongings with them. Patrons have left recording devices at their seats while the board meets.

Occasionally, school board members will enter executive session for another reason, such as demotion. This can be complicated because teachers – including coaches – are covered by the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act. In the case of a coach who’s losing too many games, the evaluator must be qualified under the state’s teacher evaluation system and

TEDDY STEWARD, an attorney with Bequette, Billingsley and Kees, presents a seminar about school board issues along with ASBA Staff Attorney Kristen Garner.

must have extensive knowledge of the sport. Few individuals in the district – a superintendent or a principal, perhaps – will meet those qualifications. They’ll have to attend practices to

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New Board Member Institute observe the coach and then give them a chance to improve, which can take up to two years. And the coach can’t be moved to a lower-profile sport, even at the same salary, because that would involve a loss of power and prestige.

“It is not that it is impossible,” Garner said. “It is that it is too costly in terms of allocation of resources and scarce personnel to be practical.”

Garner and Stewart discussed ways school board members can avoid running afoul of Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act, which allows members of the public to request documents and other communications, including electronic kinds. Board members can discuss school business only in an open public meeting with proper notification of the press, which means they can’t discuss it in person or by text or email.

Superintendents should blind copy board members when they communicate with more than one at a time to prevent a law-violating discussion from occurring.

Three decades of experience In another session, ASBA President William Campbell discussed board members’ roles, responsibilities and best practices and shared stories from his nearly 30 years on the McGehee School Board. He said that when he was elected, he received a phone call that night about a cheerleader situation.

On one occasion, a teacher dismissal hearing that began at about 7 p.m. didn’t end until 5 a.m. the next morning. The teacher was accused of inappropriate behavior with students, but supportive members of the public were in attendance. Campbell said the district lost the case because it had sent the teacher a letter saying he had 10 days to respond but didn’t include a date. But the next year, the teacher did the same thing and was fired. On another occasion, his district made national news when a student filed a racial discrimination lawsuit when she and another were named co-valedictorians. The story became the subject of an internet petition that published the school board members’ phone numbers.

He said he received about 385 phone calls at work.

Campbell said in his 30 years on the school board, he had participated 16 September 2022 Report Card

DR. GREG MURRY, former Conway School District superintendent, speaks during a seminar about school finance at the New Board Member Institute.

in many superintendent hirings. He said school boards need a well-defined procedure for finding and hiring a new one. He warned them that the talent pool has shrunk after the COVID pandemic and encouraged them to groom someone in their district to be ready to take their current superintendent’s place.

He said the relationship between superintendents and board members should be marked by mutual respect and that board members must give the superintendent freedom, but they also must hold them accountable when they make a mistake. He said the board and staff can’t make progress faster than the public will support.

“Communication is a two-way proposition. We have to inform the public. We need to seek the input from the public.

Then we need to listen to the public’s needs, concerns and ideas,” he said.

In another session, Dr. Greg Murry, former Conway School superintendent, gave a presentation on budgeting and

school finances. He said he can tell a lot about what a person values by their calendar and their checkbook or credit card statements. The same is true for a school district – it spends its money on what it values.

What’s most important, he said, are students, but to take care of them, a district also must take care of its finances.

Murry said a budget is a financial plan that “reflects the values and culture of the organization,” but at the end of the year the school district’s final spending totals won’t match what was in its plan, just as they don’t in an individual household. While school districts receive funding from a variety of sources, school boards are primarily concerned with three: the teacher salary fund; the operating fund covering classified employee wages, buses and other expenses; and the debt service fund. Those three funds comprise the district’s operating budget, which must be approved in September.

was asked about a $60,000 expense during a board presentation. It was for trash bags, which sounds high, but it was a one-time purchase for a large district.

What matters are trends, and the number that matters most is the unrestricted legal ending balance that shows how much money a district has in the bank for the expenses that the board has total control over. If that number is falling, the district is in danger of falling into fiscal distress.

“Every number goes back to DR. NANCY ANDERSON, Cutter Morning Star superintendent, talks about school safety and that number,” he said. “It goes security issues. back to that number because it has to do with how many teach“Budget your revenues lower than ers you have, how many students you you think they’re going to be, and budhave, what your property values are. All get your expenditures higher than you kinds of numbers go back to that one, think they’re going to be,” he said. and that’s the one that you as a board Murry said a number by itself is member need to pay attention to.” meaningless. For example, he once

Also important is the overall ending balance, which is a combination of the restricted and unrestricted legal balances – “restricted” referring to those required expenses over which the board has no control. Murry said the overall ending balance should be 6-10% of the total operating budget. He said school districts’ income and expenses fluctuate, so they have to be able to cover their bills during the month when they receive the lowest amount of revenues.

Murry said for most school districts, roughly 30% of the revenues will come from property taxes while the rest will come from state funding. The majority of expenditures will go to salaries and benefits, which are limited in flexibility.

Salaries can’t be cut contractually, but districts can avoid hiring people in the first place. Utilities likewise are hard to cut. Some expenses can vary, such as supplies, bus purchases and maintenance projects. He warned that a school district

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New Board Member Institute

VENDORS EXHIBIT. Top left, American Fidelity’s Ginger Huff and Alan Erwin speak with a school board member.

Top right, Drew Williams, Baldwin & Shell Construction vice president of new business, visits with Autumn Fulton, center, and Brandi Edwards with the East End School District. Middle left, Entegrity’s Jacob Estes, business development representative, speaks with an attendee.

Middle right, Michael Tucker, TIPS West Coast program manager, speaks with a school board member. Bottom right, C.R. Crawford’s Leigh Ann Showalter, center, and Jordan Ligon, left, talk with a school board member.

18 September 2022 Report Card

that defers maintenance will merely hand problems off to future board members.

Murry said he had to cut $3 million from Conway Public Schools during his first year as superintendent. To do that, he had to terminate 60 employees. Otherwise, the district faced a potential state takeover.

“I’ll tell you, if you have to look at 60 people and tell them that they don’t have a job anymore, it will change your perspective on how you do business. … I made sure that we were … never in that situation again,” he said.

He asked attendees to repeat after him the phrase, “There is not an infinite amount of money out there.”

Cutter Morning Star Superintendent Dr. Nancy Anderson led a session covering school safety and student discipline.

Among the topics she covered was bullying, which has a clear definition under state law. School boards must adopt policies to prevent bullying, and the school district must annually review its policies and make necessary changes. Board policies should clearly define bullying conduct and prohibit not only in-person bullying but also cyberbullying. Superintendents often must deal with results of social media activities because they disrupt the school environment. She advised attendees to compare data in yearly reports on discipline provided by the superintendent. Once a student has been accused of bullying, the principal has a legal duty to investigate.

ASBA SCHOLARSHIP WINNER. Kara Ponder, a graduate of Bergman High School, was recognized as a recipient of the ASBA Educational Foundation scholarship at the New Board Member Institute. ASBA President-elect Randy Hutchinson, left, congratulated her for winning the award. Story, page 22.

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Cover / ASBA Scholarships

ASBA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS. Second from left is Tara Young, a graduate of Van Buren High School.

She received the statewide $5,000 Marshall Hughes Scholarship sponsored by First Security Beardsley. At left is Scott Beardsley, the company’s president. Third from left is Tyson Davis, an English and history teacher at Paragould’s Ram Academy alternative school.

He received the $2,500 J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship to help pay for an advanced degree in education. Fourth and fifth from left are Ashlyn Courtney, a graduate of Hope High School, and Kara Ponder, a graduate of Bergman High School, who each received a $2,500 scholarship. At right is ASBA President-Elect Randy Hutchinson, chair of the scholarship committee. Not pictured are $2,500 scholarship winners Zoey Taylor, a graduate of Trumann High School, and Emma Reaper, a graduate of Pangburn High School.

‘We really bumped it up’ ASBA quadrupled its scholarship awards given to children of school board members, added a $5,000 award, and tripled its usual number of applicants One was a valedictorian and class president who wants to earn a doctorate in physical therapy. One earned her associate’s degree in high school and wants to be a nurse anesthetist. One is already a teacher at an alternative school who wants to earn his master’s degree and become a principal.

All of them are children of Arkansas school board members, and all of them received an ASBA Educational Foundation scholarship this year.

22 September 2022 Report Card

Four graduating high school students, one from each of the state’s congressional districts, received $2,500 scholarships, while a fifth statewide winner received the $5,000 Marshall Hughes Scholarship funded by First Security Beardsley. The $2,500 J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship was awarded to an already employed educator who wants to further his education.

The award sizes significantly increased from previous years, when awards were $650. The Marshall Hughes Scholarship didn’t exist until last year. This year is the 29th consecutive year for the awards.

Randy Hutchinson, a Springdale School Board member and ASBA pres-

ident-elect who chairs the scholarship committee, said committee members decided at their board retreat about a year ago that the foundation could afford to increase the awards.

“We were going through our finances. We’ve been really frugal with our money, have a little bit of a surplus there, and decided that if we could do it without financially harming the association, we’d really like to up our game when it came to scholarships,” he said.

“So we discussed it. It was decided that it’s a good use for our money. I mean, we’re here as a school board association to ultimately do what’s best for the kids, and what’s best for the kids is to give them as much money as we can.

CONGRATULATIONS. ASBA President-elect Randy Hutchinson introduces scholarship winners, from left, Tyson Davis, Ashlyn Courtney, and Kara Ponder.

We agreed to bump it up, and we really bumped it up.”

Hutchinson said the committee wanted to increase its number of ap-

plications by offering more money, and it succeeded. The number of scholarship applicants this year increased from a typical 20-25 to 60. This year, the ap-

plication process was made paperless by ASBA Communications and Technology Director Sherri Fite, which also helped.

One member of the committee selects each congressional district’s winner, with each picking from a district where they don’t live to lessen the chance that they will know the recipient.

The one-time awards are based on a student’s academic record and leadership potential. Hutchinson said he looks for someone who is well-rounded – an academic achiever who is also involved in athletics, their school and their community. Need is also a consideration.

The statewide $5,000 Marshall Hughes Scholarship was awarded to Tara Young, a graduate of Van Buren High School and the daughter of Carman Young of the Van Buren School Board. She graduated with a grade point average of 4.24, was ranked 5th out of 319 in her graduating class, and scored a 34 on her ACT. Continued on next page

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Cover / ASBA Scholarships She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then attend graduate school to study in a specialized psychology field. She eventually wants to start a nonprofit that helps teens understand mental illness, gives them everyday skills that can help them improve their mental health, and gets them in contact with therapists when necessary.

In her essay, she wrote, “There is one thing humans have never been able to do: understand other humans. That is why I chose understanding humans as my goal for life. I believe you must understand someone before you can help them, and I want to help people to the best of my ability.”

She was secretary/treasurer of the National Honor Society, was an officer of the National History Club, and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the International Thespian Society. She was chosen Arkansas All-State Cast at the 2020 State Thespian Festival. She was a member of the Pointer Prancer dance team and won first place for senior musical theater dance solos at Hollywood Dance Jamz in Branson.

The award is named in honor of Marshall Hughes, a First Security Beardsley vice president who died in 2020 at age 41. The scholarship was funded with an initial seed money gift of $50,000 from First Security Beardsley. Last year’s awards were funded directly through First Security Beardsley and went to two graduates of Searcy High School, which was Hughes’ alma mater.

Scott Beardsley, the company’s president, said, “School board members are not compensated for all the hours they put in to making their communities a better place, and we are thrilled to honor them by awarding a scholarship to one of their children while also celebrating Hughes’ legacy.”

Beardsley said a group of Hughes’ friends raised enough money to cover this year’s award and plan to do so next year, allowing the endowment to increase.

Hughes had worked for First Security Beardsley since 2002 after graduating from the University of Arkansas. He conducted board trainings across northeast Arkansas. A lover of the outdoors, 24 September 2022 Report Card

he organized deer hunts for superintendent clients and hunting trips for the children of First Security Beardsley employees on his family’s farm outside of Pangburn. He served on the Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation board. He died of cancer only eight days after being diagnosed with the disease.

“He was a heck of a guy,” Beardsley said. “Loved to tell stories, and it didn’t matter if they were about the outdoors or the Razorbacks. He just loved to tell great stories and hang out with superintendents and school board members at conferences and was always very popular with all of our clients.”

Zoey Taylor, a graduate of Trumann High School, received the scholarship for the First Congressional District. She is the daughter of Raven Scott Taylor, a member of the Trumann School Board. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and a class rank of fourth in a class of 111.

Taylor plans to attend the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and pursue a degree in social studies education. She also plans to earn a minor in substance abuse disorders with an emphasis on child advocacy.

Taylor She would like to become a high school counselor and wants to connect with people affected by drug abuse.

“I’ve always been the type of person to do certain activities, sports, or jobs due to the fact I enjoyed what I was putting into them, not just for what I could get out of them,” she wrote in her application essay. “That holds true for my career objectives. I enjoy putting time and effort into others to help them grow.

I have a love for learning new things and expanding my horizons. To me, teaching seems like a ‘no-brainer’ answer to the question of, ‘What should I do with my life?’”

Taylor served on the Student Council, was vice president of her sophomore class, and was a member of the National Honor Society. She was also a cheerleader and volleyball player. She won

the Trumann High School Academic Achievement Award and the Advanced Placement U.S. History Award.

Emma Reaper, a graduate of Pangburn High School, received the award for the Second Congressional District.

She is the daughter of Jack Reaper Reaper III, a member of the Pangburn School Board. She graduated with a 3.8 grade point average, earned more than 26 college credits in high school, and completed 130 hours of community service.

She plans to attend the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and pursue a degree in agricultural business. At Pangburn High School, she was FFA treasurer and advocated for the agriculture industry as Miss Arklahoma United States. She also was selected as an Arkansas Rice Rep by the Arkansas Rice Federation and attended the Arkansas Farm Bureau Youth Leadership Seminar.

“In 1943 my great-grandfather and great-grandmother started our family farm, Reaper Farms Inc.,” she wrote in her application essay. “Over the years I have watched my family work tirelessly in many endeavors. I believe this is why I have an interest in agriculture.

My family is also very involved in the community. My dad is a third generation Pangburn School Board member, and I have seen how passionate he is to improve the district in all aspects.”

Reaper also served as FBLA president, cheer captain, and high school ambassador. She raised $6,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, created a prom for the special needs adults at The Community School of Cleburne County, and worked with foster families and children through Imagine & Believe.

Kara Ponder, a graduate of Bergman High School, received the award for the Third Congressional District. She is the daughter of Jason Ponder, a member of the Bergman School Board. She graduated as valedictorian with more than a 4.0 grade point average and more than 30 hours of concurrent college credit.

She plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas for her undergraduate degree and to further her education by earning a doctor of physical therapy degree.

“Earning the ASBA Educational Foundation Freshman Scholarship would help me financially reach my goal of attending college for an extended number of years,” she wrote in her application essay. “In addition to earning a doctorate degree, college will allow me to become more independent. I will build new relationships with people with similar interests, goals, and motivations as myself. I will learn about subjects that interest me and prepare me for my career. I will learn how to live and succeed in a different environment than the one I am living in now. I look forward to surrounding myself with people and circumstances that help me develop.”

Ponder was active in many school sports and organizations. She was an all-state basketball and tennis player in 2021, an all-conference volleyball player, National Honor Society member, Student Council class president, and yearbook editor, among other involvements. She volunteered with the Special Olympics and with Veterans Day ceremonies.

Ashlyn Courtney, a graduate of Hope High School, received the award for the Fourth Congressional District. She is the daughter of Hope School Board member Jimmy Courtney III. She graduated from

the Hope Collegiate Academy having already earned her associate’s degree in general education.

Courtney plans to attend the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville and pursue a nursing degree with the goal of becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

“I remember very vividly my father explaining to me different doctors and nurses when I was younger, and as I grew older my interest in the medical or nursing field has only grown,” she wrote in her application essay. “I have always had a passion for helping others and being their moral support.”

She was recognized on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana and was a member of the National Honor Society.

She was a cheerleader for five years and competed on the varsity competition team for three years. She also played on the Hope High School varsity girls golf team. She participated in her church youth group, youth choir and Mission Venture, which was a 10-day mission trip where she worked with the Salvation Army and hosted a Vacation Bible School.

The $2,500 J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a board member or a board member’s spouse, son, daughter, grandchild, legal ward, or immediate family member who is pursuing an advanced degree in the field of education. It is named in honor of

J.K. Williams, ASBA’s former executive director who led the association for 14 years.

This year’s winner was Tyson Davis, an English and history teacher at Ram Academy, a Paragould School District alternative school. His mother, Stephane Davis, is a Greene County Tech School Board member.

Davis is seeking his master’s degree in administration at Arkansas State University and hopes to become the Paragould School District’s alternative school principal. He is the personnel policy committee president. The father of three children previously taught seventh grade geography and Advanced Placement U.S. History in the Jonesboro School District from 2018-20.

He was inspired by his mother, who had almost 30 years of teaching experience. In his application essay, Davis said her middle school classroom was filled with historical posters.

“I did not get into the school business for monetary reasons, but rather to help guide young adults into being better decision makers,” he wrote in his essay.

“If becoming a principal in an alternative school can help guide the program in directions that are best for students and their curriculum, then I’d love nothing more than to take on the responsibility of that role. The challenges of being a parent, a school teacher, and student can seem daunting, but it truly is my passion.”

Report Card September 2022 25

School Security

Schools’ $50 million might be ready soon Education Secretary Key says security grants passed by lawmakers could be available to schools by the end of the year

Sometime in the next few months – hopefully by the end of the year, in fact – Arkansas school districts will be able to apply and perhaps in some cases even receive their share of $50 million in school security funding.

The money was appropriated during the August special session, which had the primary purpose of accelerating already planned tax cuts and also passing new ones. Gov. Asa Hutchinson added the $50 million for schools to the call.

Secretary of Education Johnny Key said in an interview Aug. 18 that if all goes well, the department could start awarding grants by the end of the year.

He said his department hopes to finish work on rules and procedures by the fall so schools can start planning for their grant requests. He said the $50 million likely could be awarded for physical security expenses such as doors and locking mechanisms.

Rules require the approval of the Arkansas Legislative Council, a group of lawmakers that functions as an interim Legislature between legislative sessions.

They have oversight over state agencies, but they cannot pass legislation until the full Legislature meets in session.

Key is working particularly closely with Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, the chair of the Senate Education Committee who has taken the lead on school security issues. Irvin said in an interview that same day that she was planning a series of events across the state to gather information from the public.

Irvin said as lawmakers engage with schools, parents and constituents, they can see what tools can be used and how the state can leverage its assets, such as the AWIN radio emergency response system that is connected to agencies including the Department of Emergency Management and the Arkansas State Police. She said some schools have tapped into that system while others have not yet done so.

26 September 2022 Report Card

ARKANSAS SCHOOL SAFETY COMMISSION. Clarksville Superintendent Dr. David Hopkins, left, speaks at a meeting of the commission. The group’s final report and list of recommendations is due Oct. 1.

Both were waiting to hear the final report due Oct. 1 from the Arkansas School Safety Commission, which Hutchinson reactivated this year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, left 19 students and two teachers dead. Hutchinson had created the commission in 2018 after a school shooter killed 17 in Parkland, Florida. It produced 30 school safety recommendations that year.

The commission is updating those recommendations and adding new ones.

The initial report was due Aug. 1. The commission’s chair is Dr. Cheryl May, director of the Criminal Justice Institute and the Arkansas Center for School Safety.

The department is working on the rules for the grant applications but is also waiting on seeing the commission’s final recommendations. Deputy Commissioner Stacy Smith has been as-

signed to take the lead from the agency’s perspective.

Meanwhile, Jerry Keefer, a longtime law enforcement officer, was announced as the department’s safe schools coordinator on Aug. 17. His duties include implementing the commission’s recommendations as well as serving as a liaison between the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, schools, and various agencies. He previously was a member of Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s staff and, prior to that, spent 15 years with the Jacksonville Police Department.

Irvin said the commission’s recommendations should be used to develop standards for schools to meet. She said the state needs a robust plan of action where technology, communication, and information are integrated into a local law enforcement response.

Continued on page 28

Report Card September 2022 27

School Security “I don’t want just another grant program without an end goal and an attainable, measurable standard that we’re trying to reach. … Because why have a grant program? For just a purpose of just spending money? No, you need to have a grant program that’s going to take you somewhere that you want to go,” she said.

Irvin noted that school safety encompasses a lot of areas. Students are facing bullying – both in person and online – and other challenges “School safety is not just about an active shooter scenario,” she said.

“It’s about everything to make it a safe environment for kids, and so we need to broaden our discussion and our understanding of what a safe environment is for a kid on a school campus.”

As this story was being prepared, the commission was surveying school districts about school security issues and had received responses from about 210. Irvin stressed the importance of hearing from all the rest of the state’s 261 districts. She said lawmakers need the information so they can establish a baseline measurement regarding school security.

The commission is still tweaking its recommendations based on the work of its five subcommittees. At its Aug. 16 meeting, members voted to recommend that all school districts should establish a behavioral health threat assessment team and require all team members to receive basic and advanced training through the Arkansas Center for School Safety. The free training takes one day, and the trainers travel the state.

“All the reports that you read by the Secret Service, the National Threat Assessment Center, consistently support the need for a well-trained, multidisciplinary team to respond to any potential behavioral threats,” said Lori Poston, a member of the Mental Health and Prevention Subcommittee and vice president of clinical services in the Northeast region for Arisa Health.

Responding to Uvalde Commission members have been trying to learn lessons from the events at Uvalde. The shooter had made comments online that indicated he was 28 September 2022 Report Card

STUDENT INPUT. Hamburg senior Mary Emily Wrzesinki speaks while Little Rock Southwest High School senior N’Nandi Islam and Dr. Cheryl May listen at a meeting of the Arkansas School Safety Commission July 19.

moving in a destructive direction, but no one had taken action in response. The commission also voted to encourage law enforcement agencies to develop education programs and build relationships in their communities to encourage people to report suspicious activity. Once the shooter was on campus, he opened an exterior door that failed to lock when it was shut, as it was designed to do.

He then traveled down the hallway and made his way into two classrooms through an unlocked interior door.

Taking lessons from those events, commission members also on Aug. 16 approved a recommendation that campuses always have an armed presence any time staff and children are attending class or engaged in a major extracurricular activity. The Uvalde School District had six police officers, but none were posted at that particular school when the shooter arrived. Since the commission’s first report in 2018, 84% of Arkansas schools have an armed presence in their districts, with 79% being school resource officers. Commission members also recommended that all exterior doors and classroom doors must remain closed and locked except during transition times – changes that will require alterations to state law, which requires

doors and exits to be unlocked for fire code purposes.

Robb Elementary School had adopted a number of security measures, but the shooter still got into the school and murdered 21 people. Commission members have noted that there were instances of noncompliance with school policies such as keeping doors closed and locked. Commission members voted to recommend that routine safety checks be conducted regularly to evaluate safety and security policies and procedures and to ensure a culture of vigilance. A school safety coordinator should do regular audits and literally walk through the building to ensure exterior and classroom doors are closed and locked, staff are wearing badges, and other measures are being followed.

Among the other Aug. 16 physical security recommendations was that campuses should have security cameras that can be accessed by designated individuals including law enforcement during a critical incident. That would allow for quicker response by first responders so that they could go to the exact location of the incident In interviews, two members of the commission, Clarksville Superintendent Dr. David Hopkins and Arkansas As-

sociation of Educational Administrators Executive Director Mike Hernandez, discussed the importance of having a layered approach so that even if a school is vulnerable in one area, a shooter can be stopped by another part of the net.

Hernandez said he’s been getting questions from districts. Many have taken into account the 2018 recommendations. Some have made upgrades or added resource officers. He said ensuring schools have the right safety culture is an important factor.

“I think there are a lot that are reevaluating what their process has been, and then how are they inspecting to make sure that what they put into place, what that plan says, is actually being checked on and practiced and those types of things,” he said.

Hopkins’ district was one of the early ones in Arkansas to make use of commissioned school safety officers – staff members who undergo extensive training and who have access to fire-

arms. Hopkins said that at Uvalde, with the door failing to lock and the school resource officer not on campus, the only thing that could have stopped the shooter was someone with a gun in the building.

The law enforcement officers in Uvalde infamously allowed the shooter to remain in two classrooms where some children were still alive for more than an hour without trying to breach the classroom. Would educators behave differently in such a situation? Hopkins said armed staff members perhaps would be extra motivated to take care of the children they teach each day in school.

They would already be on campus when the shooter arrived rather than having to approach the situation from the outside.

He noted that while his educators are not full-time law enforcers, they do undergo extensive training through the highly regarded Texas State University Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program.

Hopkins said he’s been receiving more phone calls from Arkansas districts about the use of commissioned school safety officers lately. He receives more phone calls after a school shooting like the one at Uvalde.

Of course, Clarksville’s school security efforts go much farther than the commissioned school safety officers.

The district has behavioral threat assessment teams in each school building, though they haven’t been active because there haven’t been many threats. The school posts boxes where individuals can leave notes expressing their concerns.

“I don’t anticipate a huge change as far as the way we conduct business at Clarksville,” he said. “We’ve been locking doors. We’ve been doing a lot of these safety measures that we’re talking about here on the commission. We’ve already been doing those at Clarksville.

So I think that it’s kind of baked in right now with our district.”

Report Card September 2022 29

EXECUTIVE SESSION with

Travis Warren

By Steve Brawner Editor

While all school board members are dealing with supply chain challenges during monthly board meetings, it’s been a daily issue for Travis Warren of Farmington. The supply chain manager for Twin Rivers Foods procures and manages 6 million pounds of chicken products each week for Twin Rivers Foods.

As a school board member, Warren serves a fast-growing Farmington district that is adjacent to – and somewhat intermingled with – the city of Fayetteville. When he moved there in 2000, he was living in the country. Now, the new high school is near his house.

So far, the district has managed its growth without a millage increase, and that’s still the plan even though it’s expected to almost double in size in the next 10 years.

It’s been a busy few years for Farmington. The school board has hired a new superintendent and has installed solar energy panels. It’s also been a busy year for Warren, who defeated a challenger in the May elections.

Report Card sat down with Warren to discuss all these issues – and his kids.

He’s proud of them, with good reason.

Between the pandemic and “World War III” between Russia and Ukraine, how have the supply chain issues affected you?

“Like most people, we struggle with staffing, and so you start looking at ways to automate. … There are parts and pieces that have to come together for that machinery to come together. You’ve 30 September 2022 Report Card

probably heard of the chip shortage, [where it’s] difficult to get vehicles.

Well, a lot of those same chips go into touch screens on a piece of equipment that cuts up the chicken, and now you don’t have that. ... There are starches used in a lot of products, and those became really difficult to get last year.

Boxes, you remember a lot of those went out the roof, and so getting cardboard boxes became a challenge.

It’s a little bit of everything. Of course, all the containers on ships out at sea, all of that was an issue.”

How do your experiences impact you as a school board member?

“I’m given a budget to work with, and I need to remain within that budget, so that helps me as a school board member. When I take a look at our finances, I can kind of get a good idea of which direction we need to go. That’s the main part of that deal.

The other part of it is negotiation.

You’ve got negotiations at just about every level of life, right? That’s what I do every day is negotiate in some form or fashion. When I’m talking to the

parent or a teacher, or a superintendent or a principal, it’s all negotiation, so we’re trying to find a level of compromise somewhere. …

“Supply chain issues and inflation, all of that stuff came together to make it really difficult to expand, and that’s where we are in our district. We need to expand our elementary schools. We’re going to be expanding our junior high school. All of those materials that used to be fairly readily available are more difficult now, and the time frame on getting them is a lot longer. You have to balance all that, and maybe make some decisions a little quicker than you wanted to make. “

volunteer for a long time and really have a passion for that. Also, I wouldn’t be where I am without a good public education foundation, and I like to share that with everyone.”

What do you see happening with the supply chain regarding schools?

“I think we’re kind of to a spot now where we’re going to have to learn to live with this world, if that makes sense, and we’re going to have to plan a little better to make sure that we cover all of those. So instead of looking out maybe three years, now we need to look out five, six, seven years, and get the basics in place before we start the actual construction.”

How much have you built?

“Well, since I’ve been here, we have put in a new high school. We are redoing the junior high right now. We’re adding on to both elementaries. Also, we’ve put in a performing arts center, a basketball arena, a football and soccer facility, and a track facility.”

What made you decide to be on the school board?

“There were several different things.

One of them is I really enjoy working with children. I’ve been a volunteer coach. I’ve been a Sunday school

How much has the district grown since you joined the board?

“I don’t know the exact numbers, but a typical class size when I got here was probably 120 to 130, and now it’s closer to 200. So you multiply that out, we’re around 2,600 students now. It was probably closer to 1,600-1,700. …

According to a demographic study, we’re looking at probably close to 4,000 students by 2032.”

Without passing a tax increase?

“All without a millage increase, yes.”

How did you do that?

“Good foresight from people before me who put some money back and refinanced some bonds here and there and came up with the money to do it. Of course, the state partnership money helps.”

Will you be able to manage Farmington’s growth without a millage increase?

“I believe so. We’ve got a good team of folks that look at those numbers. At this point, we don’t see a reason to ask for a millage increase.”

Farmington sounds rural. It probably was 10 years ago.

“Yep. It was when I moved here in 2000. I bought five acres in the county, got a good deal on it, and now the high school’s less than a couple of hundred yards from my house. [Laughs.]”

Tell me about the relationship with Fayetteville and the Fayetteville School District.

“Part of our district runs into the city of Fayetteville. Some of the Fayetteville School District comes into the city of Farmington. We have a good relationship with the district and really feed off each other as opposed to having any kind of a rivalry or anything, so it’s been a pretty good relationship.”

You’re not competing with each other for students?

“I’m sure to some degree. They’ve got some programs that we don’t have, and then we’ve got some advantages they don’t have. We have a little smaller school. Some people prefer that. … It’s still small town.”

Continued on next page

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Executive Session I guess both of you are growing so fast that competing for students is not necessarily the biggest thing. In fact, in some ways you’re almost trying not to grow as much as you are, right?

“In some degree. You hate to say that, but there’s some point you can only hold so many kids. We’ve got, I think, 115 students on school choice already. We haven’t gotten to that point yet, but maybe at some point in the future, we’ll have to say no more. We’re not having any problem attracting students.”

Let’s talk about your solar farms.

“We’ve got two solar arrays. … Mr. [Jon] Laffoon, [the superintendent], had done this at a previous school district, and partnered up with Entegrity. They came through, did an assessment of all of our facilities, HVAC, the lighting systems, and one of the things they recommended was we put in some solar panels to help offset the cost for our electricity. … So we did that.

“We’ve got one array over at Williams Elementary, which is basically on the northeast side of our district, and we use that as an outdoor classroom as well.

We had a tour of that school the other day, and I can tell you that there are two third-graders that know a lot more about solar panels than Travis Warren does.

[Laughs.] … Then the second array is being done over at the new high school right now.”

I guess it was kind of a no-brainer?

“Yes, it was. Basically, they guaranteed the savings, and so we’re spending $2 million-plus on this project, which includes the solar panels, updated HVAC for academic areas, and water conservation measures. We will realize $6 million in savings over the next 20 years.”

You were talking about planning ahead for the future and learning to live in a new world. Is this part of it?

“That’s part of it. It’s great. We’re going to be able to use these solar arrays for outdoor classrooms, have our kids learn more about that, have them learn how to take care of their environment and to save energy when they can. You mentioned World War III a while ago.

32 September 2022 Report Card

I think we’re kind of to a spot “ now where we’re going to have to

learn to live with this world, if that makes sense, and we’re going to have to plan a little better to make sure that we cover all of those. So instead of looking out maybe three years, now we need to look out five, six, seven years, and get the basics in place before we start the actual construction.

”

We need to figure out how to quit relying on fossil fuels, and this is another step toward that.”

Do we also need to figure out how to quit relying on long supply chains?

“Yes, I think so. We need to get things a little bit local. One of the things that’s really fascinating here is our middle school E.A.S.T. team has a hydroponic garden that they use to supply leafy greens to the cafeteria over there. It’s just mind-blowing that these fourth, fifth and sixth graders came up with this idea on their own and implemented it. … I tell everybody within earshot that kids today are so much better than I was. They think better.”

Why is that?

“I think part of it is because our education system right now is leading them that direction. Then I just think we’ve evolved. Really, I just think they’re smarter.”

You have a new superintendent or almost new superintendent, and you helped hire him. Tell me about that process.

“Our previous superintendent, a great man, Bryan Law, took a job over at the regional co-op here, and so we scouted around and opted to not use a hiring firm for a superintendent. We took resumes, and then we formed a committee that consisted of administrative people, educators and citizenry of the town. We interviewed several candidates and

decided that Mr. Laffoon was the best fit for our district, and he has done a wonderful job so far. He’s brought us this solar array.

“He kind of got behind the eight ball.

As a matter of fact, his welcome party was supposed to be March the 17th of 2020, and you know what happened on March 13th. So all that went out the window. He walked in the door under pandemic restraint, and he has done a wonderful job of keeping the staff together, keeping kids in school and all those things, so, yeah, he has been a really good hire for us.”

You mentioned the pandemic. How has Farmington done so far with that?

“Well, there’s been some consternation, a couple of tense school board meetings. I know that there was a fairly vocal group that did not want masks, and we looked at what we considered the facts, and we went with the recommendation to have them mandated. Then we amended that to go with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement data to make those decisions. We eventually got out of masks, and we’re there now. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t easy. But I think we did the right thing. We had to pivot a couple of times to virtual, but for the most part, we kept the students at school.”

How rough were the school board meetings?

“You had people that were passionate and informed that made good civil arguments, and I respect that. Nothing that was bad. It was tense because we didn’t necessarily agree. That’s part of that supply chain deal where it’s negotiation all the time.”

What do you think was the key to getting through it, assuming we’re mostly through it.

“Well, assuming that we’re mostly through it, I think the key is that our staff did a wonderful job of taking the protocols and utilizing them to keep the kids in school. The one thing that I did hear from most teachers was that they definitely preferred having kids in front of them, masked or unmasked, as opposed to having them on Zoom.”

What are your thoughts on ASBA joining the Consortium of State School Boards Associations?

“Dr. Prothro did a magnificent job, I think, of shepherding or navigating the ASBA and all the school boards in Arkansas through this. The NSBA kind of went, for lack of a better term, they went rogue, started doing some things without consulting or being representative of the constituents. They were not fiscally responsible, and I think Dr. Prothro along with some other executive directors in other states, they did the right thing by pulling our association out and aligning with these like-minded school board associations.”

What do you think COSSBA should be thinking about as it goes toward the future?

“The main thing they need to do is make sure they listen to what the state school boards are telling them, who are listening to the local school boards, and so we’re all part of one consortium organization, as opposed to one big national organization that dictates. So it’s kind of almost an antithesis of the federal government right now. It’s a collaborative effort.”

Tell me about your family.

“Here’s where we get to brag. I’ve got a wonderful wife.

She’s an industrial engineer, and she’s given us four wonderful children. The oldest one, industrial engineer, is gainfully employed in the supply chain, of all things. The second son is a senior over at the University of Arkansas, student government president over there, Rhodes Scholar, and also a philanthropic ice cream business owner. Then I’ve got a daughter who is a senior here at Farmington High, and she is doing very well. I think she’s probably going to be valedictorian of her class, and she’s got a fellowship over at the University of Arkansas. Then I have a sophomore son who is doing very well too, so I’m pretty proud of my children.” (Note: The interview occurred in April.)

What’s the philanthropic ice cream business? “[Coleman] was on Good Morning America about two to three weeks ago. Basically what happened was that he went to Omaha, Nebraska, as part of Americorps, was feeding underprivileged children up there, and went to an ice cream place.

He loves his ice cream and said there was nothing like it in Fayetteville that he could find. When he got back here, he decided he would figure out how to make this ice cream, get a recipe or two, and then sell it, use the profits from that, and donate to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to help with childhood hunger in Northwest Arkansas.”

How much of that is good parenting?

“We try to instill in them a work ethic, and we try to instill in them a drive to succeed, but that is helped along by good people along the way. I don’t want to say any names here because I’d leave somebody out, but … I will tell you that when he won that Rhodes Scholarship, he called his parents, but he also called a bunch of his teachers and thanked them.

That’s one of the reasons I’m a big fan of public education because it can take you places.”

You have an opponent in May. By the time this runs, you’ll have either won or lost. Are you OK with losing?

“I don’t want to lose, but … if that’s what the people decide, then I will accept it and move on. I think the district will be in good hands.” (Note: He received almost two-thirds of the votes.)

Do you think school board members should prepare for a new era with more competitive elections more often?

“I believe so, yes, sir. I believe that we’ve seen a renewed interest from parents and constituents in what happens at the education level. I think you’re going to see more people stepping up to be a part of the school board instead of trying to find somebody to do it. … Five or six years ago, I know there were districts that were having trouble filling positions, and I don’t think that’s going to be the case any more.”

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

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Marketplace

Nabholz helps create facility master plans

The latest news from Report Card’s advertisers

Facility master plans for schools help administrators lay out actionable steps to achieve long-term goals. The first steps toward creating this plan are gathering feedback from the school community and using it to create defined goals. The next step should be bringing a construction partner on board.

A good firm can help estimate costs and timelines and phase work. Some firms, like Nabholz, even have experience assisting schools through bond campaigns, as well as suggesting alternative means of funding through energy efficiency upgrades.

For example, Nabholz’ sister company, Entegrity, recently helped Attala County School District in Mississippi complete energy upgrades, including LED lighting, water conservation, envelope improvements, and HVAC efforts.

The upgrades, totaling over $1.7 million, were paid for by energy savings and will save the district an additional $90,000 annually.

Working on a five-year plan, that’s nearly half a million dollars in new funding for the district’s ultimate goals.

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Stephens says disclosure reports are due Sept. 28

Stephens Inc. is reminding school districts that continuing disclosure annual report filings are due by Sept. 28.

34 September 2022 Report Card

When most districts issue bonds, they agree to provide certain annual financial information to investors. This is known as a continuing disclosure agreement. If a district fails to comply, it is in breach of the CDA and could possibly face adverse consequences from investors and/or regulators. Increased enforcement of securities regulations makes it imperative that districts stay current with their financings’ continuing disclosure requirements.

As part of its services, Stephens offers dedicated continuing disclosure services for school districts. Once engaged, Stephens collects and compiles data and prepares an annual financial information report to meet a district’s requirements.

It helps the district be certain that all filings are in compliance with regulations.

By entering into a legal contract with Stephens, the district can demonstrate to investors and regulators that it has taken formal steps to engage a third party to provide these services.

For more information about this requirement, contact your Stephens advisor or Michael McBryde at michael. mcbryde@stephens.com.

Homeland can help schools use ESSA for safety

Homeland Safety Systems, LLC encourages schools to utilize all resources available to create safe learning and teaching environments for students and educators.

The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the federal K-12 education law of the United States.

ESSA was signed into law in 2015, replacing the “No Child Left Behind” law enacted in 2003. ESSA extended more flexibility for education and laid out expectations of transparency for parents and for communities.

ESSA includes a flexible block grant program under Title IV, Part A, which is authorized at $1.3 billion through fiscal year 2022. Title IV, Part A authorizes activities including supporting safe and healthy students (e.g., drug and violence

prevention and training on traumainformed practices). This includes, but is not limited to, surveillance systems, access control, intrusion detection systems, and Garrett Metal Detectors.

Homeland Safety Systems is available to answer questions about federal or state grant processes. For more information, go to www.homelandsafetysystems.com or call 888.909.2261.

Photo courtesy of Key West Photography.

French Architects designs Hot Springs lobby/meeting space

French Architects designed a lobby for the Hot Springs School District’s 2,200-seat sports arena and 1,000-seat auditorium, which also serves as the Junior Academy 7th-9th grades campus café/dining space.

Combining the sports and auditorium lobbies allowed for a larger open area that can be used in many more capacities for the district. The district can minimize seating for café/dining and maximize seating as functions change.

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

Hight Jackson is Valley Springs fitness center architect

A new 6,121-square-foot fitness center designed by Hight Jackson As-

sociates will soon be under construction adjacent to the existing Valley Springs baseball field, allowing the baseball team to practice year-round using indoor batting cages that will be installed by the school. The facility will also include a weight training area, restrooms, storage, and custodial closet. Construction of the project by Davis Construction is expected to begin in late August and should be completed next summer.

For more information about Hight Jackson, call 479.464.4965 or go to www.hjarch.com.

roring the existing baseball field. Both fields will receive new dugouts with equipment storage, two-level press boxes, bleachers, and new netting and new fences.

For more information about Architecture Plus, Inc., visit archplusinc.net.

Modus Studio designs cafeteria for Eureka Springs

Entegrity staff lead students on tour of Batesville solar farm The participants of Camp Pioneer in Batesville recently toured the Batesville School District solar facility as part of its camp activities. Entegrity staff was on site to lead the students through the ground-mounted array and provide a hands-on learning experience with solar suitcases. The students could see how solar energy creates power for things such as a speaker, light bulbs, and fans in real-time.

To learn more, contact Entegrity at info@entegritypartners.com or visit www.entegritypartners.com.

Architecture Plus designs Lincoln ballfield complex

Architecture Plus, Inc. is assisting Lincoln Consolidated School District with the design of a new baseball/softball complex. The design will include a new entry portal that will combine the ticket booth, concession stand and restrooms into a centralized building. A new softball field will be added, mir-

The design of a new cafeteria for Eureka Springs School District is underway. Designed by Fayetteville architecture firm Modus Studio, the new 8,500-square-foot building will include open partitionable dining areas, kitchen, service rooms, office, break room, wash room, dry food storage, restrooms, custodial space, and other resources. The design will also include a 900-squarefoot covered outdoor dining space and will be strategically sited within an underutilized residual space between the existing middle school and elementary school classroom buildings.

For more information about modus studio, go to modusstudio.com or call 479.455.5577.

WER, JacksonvilleNorth Pulaski team for master plan

WER has worked with the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District

since 2015 to create a districtwide plan for new facilities for all Jacksonville students. Each new facility follows a districtwide standard that the WER team worked with JNPSD leadership to create. Two new elementary school campuses are beginning construction. The new Bayou Meto Elementary and Murrell Taylor Elementary schools will both open in 2024. The two new elementary schools are the final phase of the district master plan to design new school facilities for all students.

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

Chartwells brings nutrition, astronaut to Osceola school

Chartwells welcomes Osceola School District to its long list of partner districts, and what a great start to the 2023 school year it’s been already.

The new school year had barely blasted off before Chartwells astronaut Brannon Kelly surprised students across the district with a pop-up Discovery Kitchen serving up cosmic apples. The students loved their cosmic apples but enjoyed their interaction with Kelly just as much. Discovery Kitchens are a great way to educate children on the importance of good nutrition while at the same time making it fun and exciting.

Continued on next page

Report Card September 2022 35

Marketplace Osceola can look forward to more nutritional education programs from Chartwells for students of all ages across the district.

To learn more about how Chartwells can serve up “Happy and Healthy”for your district, contact Kellye Neal at 501.615.3660 or at kellye.neal@ compass-usa.com.

C.R. Crawford completes third project for Prescott

C.R. Crawford Construction team members recently joined Prescott School District and community members at a ribbon cutting for Prescott Elementary School, CRCC’s third project for the district. The one-story, 46,915-square-foot elementary school was completed in time for teachers to settle into their new classrooms and prepare for the arrival of students on the first day of school.

“The new elementary school is an example of our community’s commitment to educating our children and creating a safe environment where they can thrive,” said Superintendent Robert Poole. “And C.R. Crawford did a topnotch job.”

For questions about K-12 construction, contact Leigh Ann Showalter at lshowalter@crcrawford.com or Jordan Ligon at jligon@crcrawford.com.

American Fidelity now serves Concord, Valley Springs

American Fidelity has added the Valley Springs and Concord School Districts to its list of partners.

36 September 2022 Report Card

American Fidelity works exclusively with the education market to help school districts create benefits plans while saving money. It can help districts create a comprehensive communication plan, administer reimbursement accounts, provide supplemental benefits to help with high deductibles, and offer one-on-one benefit reviews for employees to help them understand changes.

The company says school districts that can’t provide pay raises can provide value to retain and attract employees.

They can help employees further their education, treat them to a catered lunch, incorporate a financial wellness program, and provide mental health support through counseling sessions, teletherapy meetings, virtual coping skills workshops and other services.

For more information about American Fidelity, call 800.688.4421.

Johnson Controls helping Mayflower save $1.9 million

Johnson Controls will help the Mayflower School District save almost $1.9 million through an energy savings performance contract.

The savings will include $1.35 million in expected utility savings and $535,000 in calculated operations and maintenance savings.

The project includes the following improvements: 2,542 new/upgraded LED fixtures and controls; 49 pieces of new HVAC and 174.5 tons of R-22 refrigerant removed; and the creation of a districtwide energy management and setback capability.

The average yearly savings in carbon dioxide emissions will be the equivalent of the emissions created by 78 passenger vehicles or the charging of 46.1 million smartphones.

With annual revenues of $24 billion, Johnson Controls is ranked #245 on the Global Fortune 500 list. It employs 110,000 people in 2,000 locations in 150 countries. It has 750 active performance contract projects, including 24 in Arkansas. It has been serving the state since 1906.

For more information about Johnson Controls, contact Alex Ray at 501.351.0926 or alexander.ray@jci.com.

SchoolEats teams with Hector for child nutrition program Hector School District was already running a great child nutrition program but wanted to elevate it to the next level, so it chose SchoolEats as its partner.

Chef Jon and the SchoolEats team of child nutrition experts were ready and quickly provided training, consulting, and their best-in-the-industry purchasing power to help stretch the district’s food-service dollars.

To learn more about SchoolEats, contact Kellye Neal at 501.615.3660, or at kellye.neal@compass-usa.com.

ARBuy’s Marketplace tool helps districts use state contracts

The state of Arkansas’ official procurement tool, ARBuy, is helping vendors do business with Arkansas state government more efficiently.

ARBuy features the Marketplace tool that provides easy searching and buying from statewide contracts, resulting in good spend data for strategic sourcing and savings for the state. Local governments will benefit from the ARBuy Marketplace’s streamlined processes,

Continued on page 38

Teacher of the Year semifinalists named

Four Arkansas school teachers were recognized as 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year semifinalists at a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on Aug. 4.

Those selected were Amber Leaton, an eleventh and twelfth grade social studies teacher at Bryant High School; Stephanie Long, a third grade teacher at Walter Turnbow Elementary School in the Springdale Public Schools district; Capri Salaam, a seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher at North Little Rock Middle School; and Elouise Shorter, a Dollarway High School grades 9-12 math teacher in the Pine Bluff School District.

The four were among 13 regional finalists who also were honored on Aug. 4. Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Secretary of Education Johnny Key participated in the ceremony.

A selection committee will conduct site visits for each of the semifinalists this fall and will name the Arkansas Teacher of the Year in a surprise announcement. The ATOY will be eligible for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year competition.

It is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The semifinalists each received a $1,000 prize funded by the Walton Family Foundation along with a medallion. They also received a certificate and additional $1,000 prize as regional finalists.

The Arkansas Teacher of the Year program’s purpose is to promote the teaching profession and recognize teachers who implement best practices in public school classrooms.

The Teacher of the Year travels the state as a representative for teachers and is a nonvoting member of the State Board of Education. The new Teacher of the Year’s term will begin July 1, 2023.

This year’s Teacher of the Year is Cabot K-4 special education teacher Jessica Saum.

Other regional finalists were the following: – Jessica Bilbo, a K-5 library media specialist at Harmony Leadership Academy in the Texarkana School District

SEMIFINALISTS. Pictured from left are Stephanie Long, Elouise Shorter, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Capri Salaam and Amber Leaton.

– Angela Brady, a sixth grade math teacher at Walnut Ridge Middle School in the Lawrence County School District – Teresa Cantrell, a K-2 music teacher at Wynne Primary School – Lisa Jensen, a second grade teacher at Alma Primary School – Kara McGee, a second grade teacher at Mabelvale Elementary School in the Little Rock School District – Cheryl Ring, a grades 10-12 family and consumer science teacher at the Academies of West Memphis – Sarah Sabbatini, a grades 1-5 dyslexia interventionist/ library media specialist at Portland Elementary School in the Hamburg School District – Sarah Story, a K-2 special education teacher at East Side Elementary School in the Magnolia School District – Allan West, a K-4 gifted and talented teacher at Central Elementary School in Cabot Public Schools

Report Card September 2022 37

Marketplace fully automated workflows, and visibility into their spend at the agency, category, and contract levels. The ARBuy Marketplace facilitates comparative shopping and best value purchasing across Arkansas’ statewide contracts.

To learn more about how to shop statewide contracts through ARBuy and Marketplace, contact Reid Hall, government account manager, at 844.470.5021 or at www.arbuy.info.

Baldwin & Shell’s Gosser commits to support NLR district

Bobby Gosser, president and CEO of Baldwin & Shell and a former member of the North Little Rock Board of

Teacher of the Year Award, Presented by the Bobby Gosser Family.”

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

Corrections

Education, community leader, and 1979 graduate of Ole Main High School, presented the North Little Rock School District with a commitment to contribute $50,000 over 10 years to the Night of Honors event.

The money will support the event, and the Teacher of the Year will receive a cash award from the Bobby Gosser Family. In addition, the Teacher of the Year award has been renamed “NLRSD

Commercial Affiliates

The June 2020 Report Card used the wrong name in reference to Raven Scott Taylor, a member of the Trumann School Board and the mother of ASBA Educational Foundation scholarship recipient Zoey Taylor. We also listed the wrong congressional district for Fourth Congressional District scholarship recipient Ashlyn Courtney, a graduate of Hope High School.

Both errors have been corrected for the story in this issue.

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

Premier Partners

Contact

Phone

Email

Website

American Fidelity

Lisa Boone

800.688.4421

lisa.boone@americanfidelity.com

americanfidelity.com

Apptegy

David Rutledge

501.613.0370

David.rutledge@apptegy.com

www.apptegy.com

Baldwin & Shell Construction Company

Bobby Gosser

501.374.8677

bgosser@baldwinshell.com

www.baldwinshell.com

First Security Beardsley

Scott Beardsley

501.978.6392

scott@fsbeardsley.com

fsbeardsley.com

BXS

Bill Birch

501.614.1170

bill.birch@bxsi.com

www.bxsi.com

Entegrity Energy Partners

Madeline Shamburger

501.414.0058

madeline.shamburger@entegritypartners.com

www.entegritypartners.com

Homeland Safety Systems, Inc.

Mike Elliott

888.909.2261

mike@hssems.com

www.homelandsafetysystems.com

Jackson Brown Palculict Architects

Randall Palculict

501.664.8700

randy@jbparchitects.com

www.jbparchitects.com

Pro Benefits Group, Inc.

Gary Kandlbinder

501.321.0457

pbfsi@sbcglobal.net

www.pbfsi@com

Stephens Inc.

Jason Holsclaw

501.377.2474

jason.holsclaw@stephens.com

www.stephens.com

The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS)

Stacey McPherson

866.839.8477

stacey.mcpherson@tips-usa.com

www.tips-usa.com

Exhibiting Partners

Contact

Phone

Email

Website

ACE Sports

Mark Bridges

501.909.9173

mark.bridges@acesports.com

www.acesports.com

All-Clean USA

Danny-Jo Crofford

501.646.6500

dcrofford@allcleanusa.com

www.allcleanusa.com

ARBuy

Reid Hall

936.635.1291

rhall@periscopeholdings.com

www.periscopeholdings.com/arbuy

Architecture Plus

Craig Boone

479.783.8395

craig@archplusinc.net

archplusinc.net

C.R. Crawford Construction, LLC

Becky Gosnell

479.251.1161

bgosnell@crcrawford.com

www.crcrawford.com

Capital Business Machines, Inc.

Ben Higgs

501.375.1111

bhiggs@capbiz.com

www.capbiz.com

Chartwells

Kellye Neal

501.615.3660

kellye.neal@compass-usa.com

www.chartwellsk12.com

Curriculum Associates

Valecia Ootsey-Marshall 440.334.3303

VMarshall@cainc.com

www.curriculumassociates.com

ESS

Tammy Winn

870.236.2350

twinn@ess.com

ess.com

Hight Jackson Associates

Liz Cox

479.464.4965

lcox@hjarch.com

hjarch.com

Kinco Constructors

Clay Gordon

501.225.7606

cgordon@kinco.net

kincoconstructors.com

KLC Video Security

Bill King

903.792.7262

billking.klc@gmail.com

www.klcvideosecurity.net

McPherson & Jacobson, LLC

Thomas Jacobson

888.375.4814

mail@macnjake.com

www.macnjake.com

Musco Sports Lighting, LLC

Lesley Lyman

800.825.6030

lesley.lyman@musco.com

www.musco.com

Nabholz Construction Company

Andrew Adlong

870.934.4817

andrew.adlong@nabholz.com

nabholz.com

SchoolEats

Kellye Neal

501.615.3660

kellye.neal@compass-usa.com

www.schooleatsconsulting.com

Southern Bleacher Company

Chandler Cruse

940.549.0733

info@southernbleacher.com

www.southernbleacher.com

Strategos International

Steve Anderson

501.617.4718

sanderson@strategosintl.com

www.strategosintl.com

Van Horn Construction

Chad Weisler

479.968.2514

cweisler@vanhornconstruction.com

www.vanhornconstruction.com

VS America

Scot Morris

402.215.8610

s.morris@vsamerica.com

www.vsamerica.com

WER Architects

Russell Fason

501.374.5300

rfason@werarch.com

werarch.com

Supporting Partners Educational Benefits, Inc.

Contact Emily Overstreet

Phone 501.212.8926

Email emily@jtsfs.com

Website www.ebiteam.com

Grasshopper Company

Brent Dobson

620.345.8621

bdobson@grasshoppermower.com

www.grasshoppermower.com

38 September 2022 Report Card

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SPACES THAT HELP STUDENTS EXCEL When it was time to tackle additions and renovations on Northside High School, the Fort Smith Public School District brought in Nabholz. The project included constructing a 25,000-square-foot freshman center, a 7,000-square-foot dining expansion, and an administrative area. In addition, a full-service food court now serves as the cafeteria and accommodates thousands of students daily. With new spots to gather and learn, Northside High School offers students a place to excel.

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