7 N.W. Arkansas High Schools in Top Twenty for All Arkansas

It’s always a pleasure to relate the accolades heaped upon various aspects of life in NW Arkansas. This time I’m writing about high-ranking public high schools.

U. S. News & World Report joined forces with American Institutes for Research to evaluate 31,242 U. S. public high schools.

HaasHall Academy, a charter school located in Fayetteville, earned first place in all of Arkansas according to the list published April 21, 2014. In addition, U. S. News placed the academy at a very impressive #137 in the entire country.

Six other NW Arkansas high schools placed in the Arkansas top twenty: Bentonville H.S. #3; both Rogers high schools (Rogers and Heritage) at #4 and #5 respectively; Pea Ridge H.S. #6; Lincoln H.S. #14; and Siloam Springs H.S. #16. Eureka Springs also made the list at #10. I was a little puzzled, however, as to why Fayetteville was not ranked, since its numbers were similar to Bentonville and Rogers (schools of similar size). 

In any case, congratulations to students, teachers and administrators alike. We do have excellent educational opportunities for students in NW Arkansas, another factor to make it a great place to live. Way to go! 

For more information as to how the rankings were determined, click here.

Bentonville Schools Millage Increase Passes with Ease

No one likes higher taxes, but sometimes they are necessary to provide for important things—things like a good education for our kids. And in the case of NW Arkansas, sometimes those higher taxes also contribute to the high quality of life for which our area keeps getting kudos and recommendations from a variety of sources nationwide.

On this occasion, I want to commend the voters in Bentonville School District for passing a 3.6 mil increase in property taxes. The increase will provide $70 million for a new K-6 elementary school and junior high school as well as funds for maintenance throughout the district. The voter turnout was high and the increase passed with approval of about 60% of voters.

It is not easy to have proposals to raise taxes pass voter muster in this difficult economy. Fayetteville School District saw the proof of that last year when their millage increase proposal was defeated.

But a look at the bigger picture confirms that the continued growth of our area (and our state) depends on having an educated base of employees. A good education and promotion of schools is essential to development of the area and contributes to quality of life of its citizens.

Good schools also add value to real estate. Two identical houses, one in a highly rated school district and the other in a lower rated district, will have different values due to those ratings.

Springdale School District is seriously considering asking voters to approve a 1.9 mil increase this year to build new schools and improve athletic facilities. If that proposal passes, the district will qualify for $15 million from the Arkansas Department of Education’s Facilities Partnership Program.

And last but not least, Fayetteville has totally revamped its priorities and hopes to get a millage increase passed this year. If so, the district could also receive funds from the state’s Facilities Partnership Program.

Bentonville voters have set the new standard. Their vote denotes a populace that recognizes the importance of education. They “get it.”

Fayetteville School District to Raise Teachers’ Salaries

Fayetteville School District will be able to bring teachers’ salaries more in line with the other large districts when schools open this year.

The increased salaries will cost the district some $4.5 million each year. But no tax increase was necessary, just some creative financing.

Voters in 2005 rejected a 4.8 millage increase, an increase that was touted as being necessary to raise salaries.

You may wonder then, as did I, how is this possible. Here’s what I’ve learned…

Transferring the West Campus to Northwest Arkansas Community resulted in savings of approximately $1.9 million. (High school students who had attended West Campus were absorbed into the main high school campus but caused little added expenses to the high school’s existing budget.)

Federal funding is expected to increase by about $500,000.

Normal growth will increase property tax revenues.

Now for the creative part of the financing – simply become a little less conservative when projecting the percentage of property taxes the district expects to receive.

In the recent past, the district budgeted as if only 90% of the property taxes would actually be collected. (Collecting all 100% of taxes just never happens in reality.)

But FSD has now changed their projection to 93%.

So, between normal growth and simply changing the projection rate, another $2.1 million becomes available.

There is no doubt the raises are necessary to recruit good teachers. Fayetteville had previously offered a first-year teacher a salary of only $36,000. Springdale offers $40,521, Rogers $41,000, and Bentonville $40,503. Fayetteville will now be able to pay a novice teacher a starting salary of $40,500.

Arkansas law requires a minimum pay of $28,611 for new teachers. While some school districts actually do pay that little, no district in NW Arkansas would be able to hire teachers for that pittance.

Additionally, Fayetteville will now be able to raise salaries for experienced teachers. Again, the raises are necessary to keep good teachers. Fayetteville teachers will now top out at $65,301, Springdale $69,021, Rogers $67,088, and Bentonville $64,170.

It’s interesting to note the Little Rock School District, the largest public system in the state with 26,600 students, has a starting salary of only $31,595 and tops out at $61,549.

Good teachers are worth every penny they earn. Let’s be glad they will get a well-deserved raise.

For more information:

http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/48553
http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Editorial/53923
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/186155

Fayetteville High School - Where, When, and How?

Few things affect an entire city as much as the quality of its schools. As I noted in my blog posting March 17, 2007, Fayetteville’s School Board has voted to add 9th grade to high school and maintain only one high school. Obviously that vote killed speculation about keeping the present high school and building a second school elsewhere.

The school district owns 100 acres in Fayetteville’s northwest corner where a new school could be built. Advocates say it would be modern, have all the latest technological bells and whistles, provide better security to students and faculty, and would presumably inspire and facilitate a desire for knowledge in its student body.

It would also be on the ‘other’ side of I-540, miles away from central Fayetteville. Many people feel strongly that location is too far away from the central part of the city.

So far no one has stated that is the only site under consideration, but given the price of land in NW Arkansas and the amount of land needed, there are few alternatives.

Some people feel building at the new site would actually be less expensive because the current high school buildings and land could be sold – for anywhere between $39 million and $61 million.

If the 100-acre site in NW Fayetteville were sold, it would bring in approximately $6 million.

The Fayetteville City Council recently endorsed keeping the high school at its current location, a decision with a considerable number of backers. While that decision has no binding effect on the school board, it does clarify the council’s opinion.

However, members of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce favor building a new high school at an unspecified site.

The pros and cons are numerous and so are the memories and traditions attached to the existing school. But we must move beyond emotions and make some tough decisions.

Here’s the way I see it:

It going to cost a lot of money – whether it’s a new school or enlarging the existing school.

As far as I can determine, no one has actually determined what size high school should be built – 3,000 students, 4,000 students, or possibly more.

If we don’t know what size is needed and we don’t know where to place it, how can the cost be estimated?

A new high school would probably not be ready until at least 2011. Predictions call for approximately 2,700 students in grades 9-12 by 2011. Board members indicated they expect the district to have a relatively slow growth rate in the future – perhaps a maximum of 2%. At that rate, it will take until 2017 to reach 3,000 students.

The school district will have to call an election, probably in 2008, for a millage increase. At 43.8 mills, Fayetteville’s school taxes are already the highest of any district in NW Arkansas.

Fayetteville voters have, in recent years, been reluctant to pass millage increases. The largest millage increase passed by voters in the past 20 years is 4%.

The school board is facing some very serious issues. No matter what they decide, there will be happy and unhappy residents. If the unhappy people don’t join the other side, passage of a millage increase seems doubtful.

Let’s all stay informed as the discussions continue and please, let no one forget the most important point of all – the education of our children. They deserve the best education possible.

For more information:

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/54399

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Editorial/54409

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/54187

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Academics/54691/

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/55138/

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/55190/

Future of Fayetteville High School Update

In a close decision, Fayetteville School Board voted 4-3 to continue operating only one school for all high school students in the district. Currently, that means grades 10-12.

There is much more to be considered. For example:

Will 9th grade be removed from Junior High to High School?
Will the present school somehow be expanded or abandoned in favor of a new school elsewhere?
If it is to be a new site, where will that be?
What are the costs of these decisions?
What is the resale value of the present high school property?
Is enrollment expanding enough to justify the expense?

The Future of Fayetteville High School Select Committee charged with evaluating the future of the high school recommended adding 9th grade to high school but the board did not vote on that subject.

My son graduated from FHS a few years ago so I feel justified in giving my opinion. I’m in favor of keeping 9th graders in junior high. They need another year of maturity and chances of leadership positions in junior high before being tossed into the high school where they are “small fish” in a very big pond.

I’m also in favor of one high school because I fear having two high schools may create a rivalry of sorts. One school may be perceived as better, or more modern, or have better labs and classes, etc. Or, and let’s hope this would not happen, one school may happen to have more affluent students because it’s located in a “better” part of town.

It is worth noting that while all these decisions are being made, Springdale and Rogers have each seen their enrollment go flat after several years of incredible expansion. Springdale’s enrollment has dropped about 100 students from the end of 2005-06 school year to the present time. Rogers has lost nearly 200 students.

Springdale is now postponing construction of several new schools that were planned.

I wish Fayetteville School Board well as they deal with these difficult decisions.

For more information:

See also my post “Last Chance to Influence Decision on Fayetteville’s High School Expansion” of February 8, 2007

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/50372/

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/02/25/news/022607szattendanceboundary.txt

Arkansas Has Budget Surplus of $402 Million

The bad news is: Arkansas has a reputation as a relatively poor state with a long list of needs from roads, sewers, and infrastructure in general to improvements in education, helping the needy, and everything in-between.

The good news is: Arkansas has a budget surplus of more than $402 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006. As you can imagine, everyone wants a piece of the pie.

Many of the ideas are worthy of consideration. Using part of the surplus to create a “rainy day fund” is certainly an excellent idea. Just because income exceeded expenses this year doesn’t necessarily mean next year will as rosy.

Governor Mike Huckabee believes a good portion of the surplus should be refunded to taxpayers. The governor says the refund could be handled in various ways: state income tax reduction, reducing or eliminating the sales tax on food, or even a direct rebate to taxpayers. So far the legislature has been in no hurry to do anything.

Arkansas has become increasingly dependent on the sales tax. Arkansans pay sales tax on just about everything except medical care and prescriptions. The bare essentials - food, clothing, and utilities - are taxed by the state, county, and city. Add those taxes together and you will quickly see that cities such as Fayetteville and Springdale have sales tax rates in excess of 9%.

As we all know, the sales tax is regressive. Poor people need essentials just as much as their more affluent neighbors but they have to pay a proportionately higher percentage of their income for them.

I’ve also heard talk about eliminating the sales tax that manufacturers pay on utilities. Most states do not have a similar tax so this makes Arkansas less attractive to manufacturers who may be considering a move.

Education is another high priority. In recent years, we’ve spent a lot of money for improvements from kindergarten through university levels but capital improvements have been falling through the cracks. It’s reasonable to assume the entire surplus could be spent for education without fulfilling every need.

Other ideas also have merit, especially for NW Arkansas: infrastructure and affordable housing. I have written previously about both subjects but I can’t say it too often. NW Arkansas is in gridlock. New roads, widening of existing roads, toll roads, overpasses, bypasses, etc., no matter what you call it, we need to build it. Large projects such as the Highway 412 bypass are only dreams at this point. Funding does not exist to even buy the land.

NW Arkansas has a growing population of homeless people and affordable housing is practically non-existent. Part of the surplus could be used to help feed and train people so they can get jobs. Then help them with down payments and/or subsidized interest rates to get them off the streets and into housing.

As I understand it, the state used to give turnback funds to the cities, but they have not been awarded since 1986, when cities were allowed to enact local sales taxes to add on to the state sales tax.

Perhaps it is time to turn back some or all or the surplus to the cities to use as they see fit. They know better than the state what is needed at the local level.

While I know it cannot happen, I would love to see the entire surplus sent to NW Arkansas. NW Arkansas’ booming economy helps the entire state. We pay a proportionately higher percentage of taxes to the state than the other areas. We need help with infrastructure now if our economy is to continue expanding.

For more information:

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/07/06/news/05lrrevenuereport.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/07/08/news/03lrhuck.txt

http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/33242/

New High Schools in NW Arkansas

Springdale School District opened a second high school, Har-Ber High School, last year and drew new attendance boundary lines. It is a top-notch facility and one which the students, faculty and taxpayers can be justly proud. Another new high school is in the works for the east side of town.

Bentonville has already built a new high school to replace its older school and is studying future needs to keep up with growth in the district. It, too, is a first-class school.

Rogers has a new high school and is already planning another.

Prairie Grove just completed its inaugural year in a new high school after turning the older one into a middle school.

In Lincoln, city council and school district officials are studying the possibility of building a combined facility. As far as I know, that idea is new to NW Arkansas and might make a lot of sense in a small city such as Lincoln. For instance, they could reduce construction costs and save money sharing meeting rooms, maintenance and janitorial staff, etc. It’s a concept that certainly deserves study.

Farmington School District will ask voters in September to approve a 3.55 millage increase to build a new elementary school and purchase land for a new high school to be built in the future. If the measure passes, Farmington School District’s millage rate will rise to 43.85 mills - one of the highest tax rates in NW Arkansas. (Fayetteville’s millage rate is currently 43.80.)
For some months now, the Fayetteville School Board has been discussing how to keep up with growth.

Fayetteville High School had approximately 2000 students in 2005-06. Room exists to squeeze in an additional 400-500 students – but that would be far from ideal. Some programs are already squeezed past limits and the cafeteria is much too small.

The board has to decide whether to build a new high school to replace the old one, or do as Springdale did, and build a second one and continue using the existing high school. There is much to consider. Certainly cost and location are near the top of the list but education of the students must be the highest priority.

If the decision is two high schools, emotions enter the picture. Who will get to go to the new school and who must remain at the old facility? Will the quality of the education be equal? Will the value of real estate increase near a new school while values decrease around the closed high school?

In 2005 the district purchased 79 acres of land in northwest Fayetteville and is considering buying an adjacent 22 acres. Apparently, the rule of thumb these days calls for 100 acres to build a first-class high school and associated facilities.

There have been comments about the distance from downtown Fayetteville and more southern parts of the city, but even if 100 acres could be found close in, the cost would be prohibitive.
New schools are expensive. Some estimates put the cost of a new high school at $50 million. I don’t see how a new school can be built without a millage increase but Fayetteville voters have a recent history of defeating bond elections.

Fayetteville school officials are interested in hearing from citizens. Input is needed. It will probably be five years before construction begins. That sounds like a long time but formulating plans and raising money takes time.

I recommend staying informed and getting involved in the process. Go to meetings and help formulate intelligent decisions. The future of Fayetteville is at stake.

For more information:

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSCDC-16.pdf#search='arkansasmillagerates

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/42163/

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/41407/

http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/40911/

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/07/11/news/09bzboardsession.txt

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/07/11/news/06fzlincoln.txt

Academies Reinvent Local High Schools

Bentonville, which will soon be the largest high school in Arkansas with 3,000 students and a 600,000-square foot behemoth school, has decided to adopt the concept of the career academy to structure classes for students. This concept is important in an area striving to achieve excellence in public education. Many people move here from elsewhere and ask about the private schools. Our best schools are the public schools.

The academies come in two forms: wall-to-wall, where every student must enroll in an academy and there are many choices, and pocket academies, where enrollment is optional and there are fewer academies from which to choose. The Bentonville School District is following the wall-to-wall model for its academies. Ninth-graders will start in the freshmen academy, and will attend classes on the same floor and work with the same core group of 40 teachers. The program will focus on helping students decide which academy to join in their sophomore year. Some of the available disciplines are business, fine arts, mathematics, and human life sciences.

The career academy model for high schools has existed since 1969, but the concept wasn’t pioneered in Arkansas until 1998 when the Springdale School District opened a medical academy with 30 students. The trend spread in Northwest Arkansas, with Rogers and Fayetteville adopting the model. Administrators of at least 15 of the state’s biggest high schools are reinventing their schools through the academy approach, a trend educators say will continue. More than 1,500 career academies nationwide create schools within schools by centering students and instruction in focused, career-themed clusters. But they have not universally succeeded. The system floundered in Fayetteville, and it may be on the way out in Fort Smith.

There are pros and cons of academy models. Many principals and superintendents say that as a school grows larger, it becomes necessary to find ways to connect to individual students. Otherwise, it’s too easy for students to slip through the cracks. Large schools must search for ways to create smaller learning communities within the schools. The smaller learning communities allow students to take classes with the same group of peers and teachers. Proponents say career academies offer an alternative to the isolation that can accompany a mega-high school. Students become more interested in their courses and have greater success after graduation.

Opponents say career academies are too much like vocational programs, which traditionally do not receive a lot of community support. Some parents think the academies would not be good preparation for college. Other parents don’t want their kids to have to decide too early on a career path. However, a 2004 study by MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy organization based in New York, found that “Career academies are one of the few youth-focused interventions that have been found to improve the labor market prospects of young men.”

Administrators at Fayetteville High School introduced pocket academies in 2003, but then dropped the program two years later. Principal Randy Willison said only 80 students enrolled in an academy during the program’s second year. The academy needed a minimum of 120 participants to justify keeping it, Willison said.

Source www.nwanews.com February 12, 2006

Hispanic Parents Weigh in on New Rogers High School

The times, they are a-changing. Spanish-speaking parents gathered February 12 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church for a question-and-answer session about a second high school scheduled to open in Rogers in August 2008. The meeting was the fifth held by the Rogers school district to gather input from the community and the first to be delivered entirely in Spanish.

The information meeting was scheduled to present to Hispanic parents the latest developments on facility plans for the new high school. Parents viewed a computer-generated model of what the new school will look like. According to an information sheet distributed at the meeting, the campus will grow from about 190,000 square feet to 325,000 square feet.

Feedback from the parents will be given to committees for consideration. The various committees will then report to the School Board, which will make final decisions about the new school.

To my knowledge, this is the first meeting of this type conducted totally in Spanish, and other school systems and public entities should follow suit. NW Arkansas’ Hispanic community continues to grow larger every day and is becoming an integral part of the fabric of NW Arkansas. The Rogers School system is to be commended for reaching out to the Spanish-speaking parents and listening to their concerns.

Source: Rogers Hometown News, February 15, 2006

City limits and school district boundaries do not always match up

Homebuyers with school age children need to check which school district their new home is in. School boundaries were drawn decades ago, long before the cities expanded. When a city boundary changes, the existing school district boundaries remain as is. There are no plans to change the school district boundaries in the foreseeable future. Fayetteville, Springdale, Farmington, and Elkins are some of the local cities caught up in this situation.

To check which area a particular home is in, buyers should check the Fayetteville and Springdale School Maps or the Rogers and Bentonville School Lookup links at the right on this blog page. Another source of information would be the county assessor’s office or the school district offices.

Source Northwest Arkansas Times, February 11, 2006.

New Elementary School Boundaries for Fayetteville

At its meeting last Thursday, January 26, the Fayetteville School Board approved new attendance zone boundaries for the city, not only for elementary schools (including the new Rupple Road School), but also for middle and junior high schools. The vote was 4-3 approving the new elementary school map, and 7-0 approving the new middle and junior high school maps.

According to the NW Arkansas Times (Saturday, January 28), as many as about 1000 Fayetteville students may have to move to different elementary schools, although students who have completed at least 2 years at their current elementary school will be allowed to finish there. And contrary to previous tentative plans , the area currently served by Jefferson Elementary (which will be closed) will not be in the new Rupple Road school area, but rather in the newly drawn Washington Elementary area. However, current Jefferson students will be allowed to attend the Rupple Road school if they so choose.

For those interested, the new area maps may be seen at:
http://www.fayar.net/GIS/index.html

These maps will interest buyers who wish to purchase homes in a particular elementary school area. Previously, the NW Arkansas MLS permitted home searches by elementary school, but the new MLS system, adopted by the Metro Board and implemented in November of last year, no longer permits this capability. Thus it is up to potential home buyers to assure that the home they will purchase is in the school area they wish. These maps may help in this regard, but buyers may also wish to contact the Fayetteville school administration to confirm which area their new home is in.

The website address for the Springdale school maps is:
http://www.springdaleschools.org/schools.htm
Under "Attendance Zones" click on the type of map you want: elementary, middle, junior high, or high school to see the appropriate map.

For Rogers and Bentonville, there are no maps, but if you enter your address at the following website addresses, the system will tell you which school your children will attend:
http://www.rogers.k12.ar.us/home.php?page=Boundaries
http://www.bentonville.k12.ar.us/web/schools/zones.asp