Springdale Public Schools

Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland announced he was elected as the 2025-26 AAEA Board Secretary/Treasurer for the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been elected by my peers across the state as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators,” Cleveland said. “This opportunity to serve our educational community is a privilege I do not take lightly, and I am grateful for the trust my colleagues have placed in me.”

Read the full story HERE.

Current Elmdale Elementary School Principal Michelle Hutton introduced Peter "Pete" Joenks as the incoming Elmdale principal.

He will replace Hutton, who's retiring at the end of the school year.

"I feel honored and excited to be taking on this new role with such a wonderful faculty and staff at Elmdale." Joenks said. "I want to maintain the wonderful culture that has been built by Michelle Hutton and her faculty and staff that makes Elmdale such a wonderful place for students."

Read the full story HERE.

The School Board celebrated Har-Ber High School art educator Marriah Geels, who was awarded the National Art Education Association EEIG K-12 Outstanding Curriculum Award at the National Art Education Association Conference.

"It was an incredible moment to receive recognition for research and curriculum completed in our amazing school district," Geels said.

Geels was recognized and shared information on “Ecopedagogy in Action: The Landfill Project,” an art education action research project that analyzed how an interdisciplinary ecopedagogical curriculum experience may impact student perspectives on waste, specifically trash, and the human impact on the environment.

In addition to receiving the award, Geels also presented her project to art educators at the conference and attended several presentations.

Each year the NAEA Awards Program offers the opportunity to nominate outstanding art educators in all divisions, regions, states and provinces for national recognition.

The School Board congratulated the Har-Ber and Springdale high school basketball programs for a stellar year that was full of historic accomplishments.

The School Board recognized Springdale High School Girls Basketball Coach Heather Hunsucker as the All-NWA Media Girls Coach of The Year.

Springdale High Principal Jason Jones said Hunsucker is a mentor for those she coaches and a second parent to many.

“She’s a personal friend and great professional,” Jones said. “She’s extremely humble in what she does. She goes above and beyond in everything.”

Hunsucker thanked everyone with Springdale Schools who believed in her, to include Jason Jones, the team’s staff, Pete Joenks and the School Board for hiring her, as well as her team for believing in everything they did on the court.

“Springdale is a great place to work,” Hunsucker said. “I was honored to prove people right who believed in me.”

Notable: Led Springdale to its first playoff win since 2003 in a 60-50 first-round win against Fort Smith Southside. Molded team with four sophomores among top five scorers to win eight of final 11 games, including six-game conference winning streak, program’s longest since 2002. Springdale beat every team in the conference at least once. … Won a state championship in 1999 as a player at Fort Smith Northside. Won two state titles in five years as an assistant at Fayetteville. *

*Statistics provided by the NWA Democrat-Gazette.

Springdale High School Girls Basketball achievements include:

• 6A West Conference Champions

• Best Conference start in school history (8-0)

• Most Conference wins in school history (14)

• Multiple tournament championships

• 5 All-Conference selections

• 3 All-Conference Honorable Mentions

• Player of the Year - Charleen Hudson

• Defensive Player of the Year - Kaiya McCoy

• All-State Tournament Team - Charleen Hudson

• All-AR Preps 1st Team Selection - Charleen Hudson

Springdale High School Boys Basketball accomplishments include:

• 6A West Conference Champions

• Overall record of 29-4

• Undefeated Conference season - 16 -0

• King Cotton Classic Tournament Champions

• 6A West Player of the Year - Isaiah Sealy

• 6A West Newcomer of the Year - Maliq Sosa

• 6A West Defensive Player of the Year - Jaxon Conley

• 3 All-State selections - I. Sealy, J. Conley, C. Bates

• 4 All-Conference selections - I. Sealy, J. Conley, M. Sosa, DJ Hudson

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Har-Ber High School Girls Basketball achievements include:

• 6A West Conference Runner-Up

• Overall record of 25-6

• Conference record of 13-3

• JV record of 16-5

• 4 6A West All-Conference selections

• 2 6A West All-Defensive Team players

• 2 6A All-State selections

• Coach Kimberly Jenkins won her 600th career game in 25 years of coaching.

Springdale High School Boys Basketball accomplishments include:

• 6A West Conference Runner-Up

• Overall record of 20-11

• Queen City Showcase Champions

• 4 6A West All-Conference selections

• 2 6A All-State selections

• 1 All-Defensive Team selection - Hayden Wood

• All-time leading scorer in the 6A West - Courtland Muldrew

The School Board also celebrated graduates of the district’s Aspiring Educator Academy.

The program was established by district administrators and provides transparent and relevant learning experiences, equips participants with applicable tools, fosters connections and empowers participants to be problem solvers.

Graduating cohort members include Naomi Guzman, Rebecca Bramwell, Shannon Carlton, Emma Clay, Jose Luna, Lanya Baysinger, Bethany Cebuhar, Jessica Martinez, Lillie Dickard, Michael Tapee, Natalie Gregory, Tyler Wilder, Jodi McManus-Northcutt, Cynthia Lyons, Shannon Langston, Crystal Sosebee, Heather VanOrden, Christi Schrauger, Danell Lagomarsino, Daniel Caudle, Heather Miller, Kristin Pankey, Trudi Spencer, Alison Ashworth, Debbie Coffer, Mandy Graham, Noemi Stroinski, Katie Day, Stephanie Phillips and Jessica Gauna.

Supporting district administrators include Dr. Jared Cleveland, Dr. Marcia Smith, Shannon Tisher, Melissa Fink, Stephanie Hinsey, Katie Wilson, Jody Johnson, Brandolyn Peterson, Ashley Kirby, Cassie Marquett, Karen Johnson, Sara Kennedy, Betsy Barker, Dori Little and Lindsay Hennarichs.

The School Board likewise congratulated the Springdale Schools band and choir educators and students for some amazing achievements.

More than 4,700 students participate in the district programs, which earned accolades this school year, such as having 745 all-region qualifiers, 106 all-state qualifiers and 11 American Choral Directors Association Qualifiers.

Participating students have likewise experience 6% growth in all-region qualifiers and 11% growth in all-state qualifiers.

Students selected to the all-region and all-state performance groups also earn college scholarships!

The district will feature its third-annual Fine Arts Singing Day Celebration May 9 from 6-7 p.m. in the Don Tyson School of Innovation Performing Arts Center.

Director of Student Services Damon Donnell announced some transitions to the assignments for the School Resource Officers and Commissioned School Security Officers who serve Springdale Schools.

The number of security personnel will not decrease and will remain at 34 total CSSOs and SROs for all Springdale schools.

Personnel adjustments will change from 18 CSSOs and 16 SROs to 23 CSSOs and 11 SROs.

The transition will ensure consistency, will strengthen collaboration and will allow the district to be responsible stewards of district resources while maintaining the highest level of security for students, staff and visitors, Donnell said.

The transitions have the support of both the Springdale and Tontitown police departments, he said.

“We continue to maintain strong partnerships with both the Springdale and Tontitown police departments, working seamlessly as a team through cross training,” Donnell said. “Our commitment to safety remains unwavering, and our students, staff and community can have full confidence that we’re providing the highest level of security at all campuses.”