Mena School Board
Tuesday, February 25th
The Mena School Board met on Tuesday in the District Administration Building. The meeting began with a roll call, opening prayer, and approval of minutes.
First on the agenda was the Superintendent’s Report. Dr. Lee Smith recognized Assistant Superintendent Bridget Buckley who shared an update on academics. Buckley shared that Winter Interim Assessments are wrapping up with just a few make-up assessments left in each area. The main purpose of the Interim Assessments is to determine pacing adjustments that might be needed and identify any specific areas that may need intervention.
Areas that show significant improvement from the fall to winter interim assessments include both 3rd grade Math and Algebra 1. In 3rd grade Math, students made a 27% increase in proficiency and Algebra 1 increased in proficiency by 16%. These are just two of the areas where we are making significant gains.
Interim tests assess students on all standards each time they are tested. When we take the interim test, students have only been taught a little over a quarter of the material in the fall and two-thirds of the material in the winter, but they are being assessed on all of the material. Our goal is to continually move the progress forward.
The board then quickly approved the ASBA 2025 Workers Compensation Insurance followed by the approval of Professional Liability Insurance for 2025-2026.
The board also approved the addition of three new community service partners. Including the Ouachita Golf Course. Christ Community Fellowship and Moon Mountain Sanctuary.
The purchase of a new shop truck for the district maintenance department was next up for discussion. Dr. Smith raised concerns regarding transportation issues following the loss of a bus in a recent accident, highlighting the need for a replacement vehicle. Due to the unforeseen expense of the bus replacement, a decision was made to set a budget cap of $40,000 to purchase a used vehicle for use as a shop truck.
Next on the agenda was the approval of the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar. There were concerns about the uncertainty of the calendar due to rumors of a bill from the Department of Education that may require a minimum of 178 instructional days. The staff voted on two calendar options, with the majority favoring a calendar similar to the current one, which allows for flexibility with snow days. The board agreed with the staff and voted to approve that option.
District Maintenance Supervisor Danny Minton reported on the status of projects across the district. The track at Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium is in poor condition, with fading and loose surfaces affecting its usability. The spray-over option is estimated to add six to eight years of life to the track and costs around $120,000. The team is working on getting quotes and approval for the track maintenance options.
Approval from the board is needed for the safety grant plan which includes various security enhancements. The maximum amount available in the federal grant is $157,000, which is intended for improving communication systems, security fencing, entrance controls, and vestibules. The group agreed to approve the spending of the entire federal grant amount.
Maintenance crews continue to work on fencing and door lock replacement. New netting at the Union Bank Park baseball and softball fields will be installed soon. New P-rails will be installed on the bleachers at Jim Rackley Gymnasium in the coming week. Plus Quotes are being sought for roof replacement at the Administration Building.
The board next approved the renovation of a current trailer owned by the district to house streaming and broadcast equipment, for use by the journalism department, for $10,900.
The board also approved the purchase of signage for the Hensley Activity Center at a cost of $10,091.
The latest financial reports were quickly approved with Dr. Smith stating that revenue is outpacing expenses and the district remains on target as far as the budget is concerned.
Finally, in personnel, there were several retirements, resignations, and contract renewals. The board voted to accept the retirement of:
Darlene Fairless-HHE Paraprofessional
Randall Peters-Bus Driver
Andrea Blair-HHE Special Education Resource Teacher
Byron Preston Klutts-Maintenance Specialist II
Megan Tibbs-LDE Teacher
Kim Depriest-Business Manager
The board approved the resignations of:
Heather Catlett-JAG Instructor
Jaelyn Tolleson-MMS Special Education Paraprofessional
The board renewed the contracts of the following administrators:
Bridget Buckley-Assistant Superintendent
Samantha Sellers-LDE Principal
Tamara Smart-HHE Principal
Teresa Warner-MMS Principal
David Maxwell-MHS Principal
Christy Thrailkill-Special Education Administrator
Shane Torix-Director of Student Support Services