January School Board Updates

Read the wrap-up of the Jan. 9 School Board meeting

Incoming Har-Ber High School Head Football Coach

Brent and Sherene Eckley

Brent Eckley was introduced to the Springdale School Board as the incoming head football coach for Har-Ber High School.

"I'm excited to get to work," Eckley told the board.

Eckley will start July 1, 2023, with the Wildcats and replaces Chris Wood, who began a new position Jan. 4 with the Springdale Public Schools Athletics Department.

Eckley has served as the head football coach and a physical education instructor at Jackson High School in Jackson, Mo., since 2012.

In his time at Jackson High, Eckley helped develop a championship-level program that was ranked as the No. 52 team in the nation and the No. 1 team in Missouri, including all classes, for the 2020 season. The team was also in the Top 10 final ranking for Class 5 eight out of his 11 years with the school.

“We are ecstatic to have the caliber of Coach Eckley move to Springdale to lead the Har-Ber Wildcats football team,” said Dr. Jared Cleveland, Springdale Public Schools superintendent. “He is a proven winner and a Missouri hall of fame inductee. I believe he will be an example of integrity and inspiration for our students.”

Arkansas School Board Recognition Month

January is Arkansas School Board Recognition Month, and the district took the opportunity to thank the Springdale School Board members for their voluntary service in support of our schools!

The School Board members were presented with plaques made from the gym floor of Springdale High School's former auxiliary gym.

"It's a token of our appreciation for everything you do," said Trent Jones, Springdale Public Schools communications director.

QuestBridge Finalists

The School Board celebrated three Springdale Public Schools students who received four-year college scholarships through the 2022 QuestBridge National College Match program.

Marcos Cisneros of Springdale High School received a scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and Har-Ber High School's Luis Macias and Joshua Shields respectively received scholarships to attend Boston University in Massachusetts and Duke University in Durham, N.C.

QuestBridge is a national program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full, four-year scholarships at some of the nation’s best colleges, according to a press release by the organization.

Highly Effective Schools Accreditations

Melissa Fink, assistant superintendent for elementary curriculum and instruction, shared information on two Springdale Schools that earned the Highly Effective Schools Accreditation.

Don Tyson School of Innovation and George Elementary School have both earned the accreditation, she said.

The accreditation is awarded by Solution Tree, a professional learning company. The significant achievement reflects DTSOI's commitment to reaching and maintaining the highest levels of educational quality.

The schools earned the accreditation by maintaining and growing identified areas that have the biggest impact on student learning and growth. These areas are directly aligned to the Professional Learning Communities at Work process and the High Reliability Schools framework.

PLCs are schools and districts that recognize the key to improved learning for students is ongoing, job-embedded professional learning for educators.