The Mena School Board met for their regular December meeting on Tuesday at Louise Durham Elementary.
The meeting began with the Superintendent's Report. Dr. Lee Smith immediately recognized a group of advisors from the Mena Future Farmers of America chapter including Mr. Justin Goodnight, Ms. Cheyene Hogan, Mr. Chase McCormick as well as FFA Students Ava Ruth Fields, Allison Howard, Ryan Austin, Cole Schauble, and Chandler Dover. The group presented an overview of what has been happening through the fall and what activities they will be participating in.
Dr. Smith next yielded the floor to Louise Durham Elementary Principal Samantha Sellers. Mrs. Sellers stated that one of their focuses has been tier one instruction every day for all students. She also reported high growth overall on their ATLAS scores from the Southwest region. “We actually got number two on meeting odds, with the next shift being to focus on that achievement, and that growth will always come before that achievement,” Sellers explained. Also included in the report was the fact that second-grade teachers won a Bestie award from Economics Arkansas. Sellers also said that the current group of kindergarteners has had such a technology-rich early childhood due to the COVID era that they want to link early literacy skills to some gross motor activities they may not have developed in their early childhood.
In new business, the board voted in favor of the recommended expulsion of a student for failure to complete the second-chance virtual contract. This program is designed to allow eligible students a possibility of continuing to stay on track to graduation with their peers as a Mena student but under strict probation and with specific limitations.
The board then approved proposed changes to the academic probation policy at MHS as presented by Assistant Principal Celeste Ashcraft. Specifically amending the criteria for placing students on probation based on their performance in college courses. A decision was made to implement these changes in the spring, with a plan to reevaluate students' eligibility for future college courses in the fall of 2026.
District Maintenance Supervisor Danny Minton then updated the board focusing on safety and project updates, including the completion of the administration office roof. Crews and suppliers are committed to finishing school projects, such as the side goals in the Union Bank Center, during the Christmas break, and ensuring that maintenance is conducted while students are away.
The board approved the most recent financial report. With Dr, Smith stating revenue exceeded expenses during November.
Finally in personnel The board approved the hiring of Nicklaus Cunningham as a Special Education Self Contained Para-professional at Mena Middle School. The board also approved the hiring of Karen Parnell as Special Education Learning Coach.