Thursday, November 20th
The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report. Dr. Lee Smith immediately recognized Mena High School Principal David Maxwell. He began by reviewing senior progress toward diplomas of merit and distinction: this year, 79 of 116 seniors have already qualified - a large increase compared to last school year. Maxwell is also looking to increase hands-on pathways and post-graduation opportunities by advancing the construction program with Clark Contractors and securing internships in construction trades.
Dr. Smith then recognized Assistant Superintendent Bridget Buckley who spoke on student achievement and curriculum effectiveness using recent assessment data: teachers and leaders noted that students are expected to reach at least level two with 45% of standards taught to date, and discussed strong relative performance in all schools. Most notably, in the middle grades, eighth graders in math outperformed the state by 24% overall and have a much lower level‑one rate along with seventh grade, while seventh graders are 12% above the state in achievement. She highlighted an eighth‑grade ELA teacher using a new curriculum who scored 15% above the state overall and 20% above in writing. Mrs. Buckley explained that curriculum implementation and pacing are directly linked to these outcomes and have implications for both targeted support and the scaling of successful practices.
To conclude the superintendent’s report, Dr. Smith informed the board of the interest among many community members to bring Lifewise Academy to Mena. LifeWise Academy is a released-time program that allows parents to voluntarily enroll their children in one hour per week of Bible-based character education held off school property. Released-time religious instruction has been permitted in the United States for more than 70 years under clear Supreme Court precedent, and LifeWise operates within those long-standing legal guidelines.
Dr. Smith then spoke on the need to update the cell phone policy to explicitly address two-factor authentication for students enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses; participants identified a gap in the current policy that lacks specific language requiring or guiding 2FA use by those students, discussed the need and rationale for adding clear 2FA requirements, and concluded with a decision to seek approval for inserting explicit two-factor authentication language into the policy.
In new business, the board approved naming Reed Mendoza as a voting delegate to the Arkansas School Board Association for 2025.
The board also approved the 2024-2025 inventory.
Next, District Maintenance Supervisor Danny Minton updated the board on current projects. He began by highlighting staff performance and training for newly hired personnel, highlighting ongoing instruction and scheduling details, including one employee’s enrollment in the HVAC systems course at Barling. Minton concluded by mentioning that the RJ Love Company will be assessing the bleachers at Jim Rackley Gymnasium to evaluate options for extending their lifespan.
Next, the board approved the latest financial report, with Smith stating that revenue outpaced expenses in October and the district remains on budget for the year.
Finally, in Personnel, the board accepted the retirement of Head Softball and Golf Coach Ray Hunter effective at the end of the 2026 school year.
Hires:
Wendelynn Ellis - Paraprofessional, MHS Alternative Education.
Kathryn Davis - Bus Driver Route #4