School Board Meeting News

The Springdale Public Schools School Board met July 14, 2026.

Regular monthly School Board meetings are held at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the District Administration Building at 804 W. Johnson Ave.

Meetings are livestreamed HERE monthly.

Springdale Public Schools is pleased to announce Debbie Creek has officially transitioned into the position of School Board President.

"I really like being a part of the Board, and I think this is a chance to be even more involved," Creek said. "I'm really excited about the opportunity."

Read the full story HERE.

The Har-Ber High School Silver Stars were a national runner-up in the Large Varsity Division I High Kick division at the National Dance Team Championship in February at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.

The national finals were a thrillingly close battle, particularly between local Northwest Arkansas schools, with Bentonville High School taking first with a score of 91.3864. Har-Ber took second with 90.9545 and Barbe High School was third with 88.

With a raw score of 100.05 and zero deductions, the Silver Stars executed a flawless routine, missing the national title by a mere fraction of a point.

The Silver Stars officially celebrated their first-ever top-10 national placement in 2023 by ranking ninth in the nation in the same High Kick division. Going from ninth to second in such a short window is an exceptionally rare, elite leap for any high school program!

The Har-Ber High School baseball team took the state title May 22 at the Arkansas Class 6A State Championship in Hot Springs.

The Wildcats defeated the Bryant High School Hornets 6-2 for the win.

This victory officially secured the fourth state championship in program history for the Har-Ber Wildcats, adding to their previous titles in 2018, 2023, and 2024.

Springdale Schools honored three community partners that are impacting Springdale families in remarkable ways.

A partnership with Garrett X was recognized for the unique GPS heavy equipment operations training opportunities it offers students.

While most specialized technical training is typically managed by colleges or private trade schools, this initiative is uniquely owned and operated by Springdale Public Schools, putting the power of career readiness directly into the hands of the district.

This level of advanced GPS training that’s integrated directly into district maintenance and operations classes is rare and isn’t currently offered anywhere else in the southern half of the United States.

Cobblestone Farms and Simmons Foods likewise made significant impacts for families through their distribution efforts at the Treehouse Pantry from June 1 to July 2.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Karen Howell, Cobblestone Farms hosted six vegetable giveaways, successfully distributing about 1,934 pounds of garden vegetables to serve 1,711 people across 320 families.

Simmons Foods complemented the fresh produce distributions. Managed by Keisha Fowler, Simmons contributed tens of thousands of pounds of frozen protein, which was handed out to the community during Treehouse Pantry Drive-Through Food Giveaways.

Executive Director of Student Services Damon Donnell provided the School Board with an update on district Certified School Security Officers and School Resource Officers.

SROs will serve in all junior and high school buildings, and CSSOs will serve in all K-5 and middle school buildings for the 2026-27 school year.

The district has also hired five auxiliary CSSOs to cover athletic and special events, to support weapons detection system operations and to fill in for building-level CSSOs and SROs, as needed.

These additional CSSOs will allow all school buildings to be covered 100% of the time, ensuring no building is left without an SRO or CSSO to absences or training. The coverage rate was around 95% for the 2025-26 school year, and the district’s aim is to improve the coverage to 100% this year.

Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland shared information on the Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive with the Board.

The incentive recognizes educators who demonstrate strong student outcomes, serve in high-need areas or support the development of future teachers.

To qualify for the incentive, teachers must meet the requirements in all four eligibility categories outlined below, in addition to qualifying for at least one merit pay category:

• Must hold a standard or provisional Arkansas Teaching license
• Must meet the LEARNS Act definition of a teacher
• Demonstrate Positive Impact on Student Growth
• Qualify for at least one of the following areas:
• Outstanding student growth
• Teach in a critical shortage area
• Serve as a mentor to a DESE-approved yearlong resident

*Does not include fringe benefits

The School Bord voted to approve a set of policy updates at the July meeting.

The policies include a major update to the Junior High and High School Attendance Policy, which is being revised to better align with block scheduling so students don't fall behind after missing longer class periods.

The board likewise approved crucial updates to the Graduation Requirements policy. The guidelines for Honor Graduates are specifically being redesigned to seamlessly align student requirements with categories of merit and distinction, ensuring a clearer and fairer path to recognizing academic excellence.

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Email: communications@sdale.org
Website: https://www.sdale.org/
Location: PO Box 8 Springdale Ar 72764
Phone: 479-750-8800