This post was updated Feb. 6 to reflect the school board’s decision and to include a personnel report.
By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Students in Arkadelphia Public Schools will have longer school days starting Monday.
The Arkadelphia Board of Education met briefly Tuesday and gave its unanimous nod to a revised school calendar that will make up for the days lost in January to winter weather.
School days will be 14 minutes longer beginning Feb. 12 until the school year ends on May 23. The school calendar, including the planned holidays and spring break, is otherwise not affected so long as no more school days are missed.
The revised 2023-24 calendar retains the number of attendance days on the present calendar and makes up the five missed days in January by switching to the alternate calendar, which is measured by hours instead of days, Superintendent Nikki Thomas wrote in a memorandum to the school board.
Any further days school is canceled would be added to the end of the calendar beginning May 24.
The proposal technically adds 28 minutes to each school day; however, half of that time is “being absorbed within the current schedule through reduced transition time/increased instructional time,” the memo notes. Thomas said at Tuesday’s meeting that transitions between classes will be shortened to 3 minutes at Goza Middle School and Arkadelphia High School; the regular transition time is 5 minutes.
Thomas said a survey sent out to staff and family showed strong support of the longer days.
CLICK HERE to see the revised school calendar
Personnel
Following a 15-minute executive session, the school board reconvened in public to approve the following personnel recommendations:
Employment
Marcus Winfrey, custodian, Goza
Resignation
Toma Anderson, Title I paraprofessional, Perritt
The board also gave approval to renewing 240-day contracts, effective July 1, for the following administrators:
Mary Snowden, principal, Peake
Debbie Stephens, assistant principal, Peake
Tisha Hunter, principal, Goza
Callie Hunley, principal, AHS
Trent Smith, assistant principal, AHS
Jeremy Bell, director of federal programs
Jimmy King, director of support services
Judy Talley, special education supervisor
Jeanette Turner, director of curriculum