The Springdale Public Schools School Board met Dec. 9, 2025.
Regular monthly School Board meetings are held at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the District Administration Building at 804 W. Johnson Ave.
Meetings are livestreamed HERE monthly.
Student Spotlight
Seal of Biliteracy
The fall results for the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy are in, with Springdale Schools having the most students in the state to receive the seal this semester.
A total of 189 Springdale students earned the seal for the fall, which includes 20 from Don Tyson School of Innovation, 51 from Har-Ber High School and 118 from Springdale High School.
Springdale students earned the seal based on their proficiency in English, in addition to Spanish, French, German, Marshallese and Spanish.
According to an Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy Committee press release, 864 Arkansas high school students earned the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy this semester for demonstrating proficiency in English and one or more other languages by high school graduation.
Since the 2017 pilot year in Arkansas, a total of 8,110 students from 124 high schools across the state have attained the seal across 46 total languages other than English.
The seal is awarded each spring and fall to students in grades 9 through 12 and is sponsored by the Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Association and the Arkansas Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. The Arkansas Department of Education officially endorsed the seal in June 2018.
Conversations with President Obama
Springdale High School student Adreana Perez was one of three Arkansas high school students to have an opportunity to sit alongside President Barack Obama at a Youth Town Hall Dec. 1 at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
The day was a profound moment for Arkansas's next generation, as President Obama held a private roundtable with 450 students and teachers in the museum’s Great Hall.
The session featured three high school seniors from Bentonville, Little Rock and Springdale, who shared their own experiences with civic engagement and their visions for America’s future.
Students from 24 schools across the state in grades six through eight, to include students form Springdale middle schools, attended this unique event, leaving with a powerful connection to the American spirit of service and dialogue.
Springdale Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland likewise had an opportunity to meet President Obama, participating in a conversation with the global leader following the town hall. Cleveland was also present when Obama put the first shoestring in the “We the People” art installation in the museum’s Early American Art Galleries.
According to the Crystal Bridges website, “We the People” artist Nari Ward is known for his sculptures made from found items. The “We the People” words not only represent grand ideals written by the founding fathers hundreds of years ago, but also speak to the concerns of Americans today.
Cleveland honored Perez's achievement by presenting the senior with the inaugural Springdale Superintendent Challenge Coin at the December Board Meeting. Reading "Minds that Think," "Hearts that Love" and "Hands that Serve," the coin is presented to individuals who have achieved the remarkable.
Student Podcast Earns Accolades
The School Board celebrated the John Tyson Elementary School of Innovation Tiger Talk podcast, which was awarded three Arkansas Podcast Collaborative awards.
Tiger Talk won the Kids and Family Award, while Emerie Johnson earned the Young Podcaster Award and Janette Perez earned the Rising Star Award.
Fifth-grader and Tiger Talk co-host Rodrick Jello made history at the award event as the first Marshallese student ever nominated for an ARKAST award.
The student podcast competed with adult creators to earn the accolades Nov. 23 in Little Rock.
A huge congratulations to Emerie, Janette, Rodrick and the entire John Tyson Elementary School of Innovation EAST and Tiger Talk team! The school’s EAST program and the Tiger Talk podcast is facilitated by teacher Jennifer Boogart.
ARKAST was established in 2022 out of the need for podcasters in the flyover states to be recognized and boosted in their pursuit of podcasting greatness. The nonprofit works to foster a diverse and thriving podcasting community. This evolved into the creation of the Arkansas Podcast Collaborative, the first 501c3 nonprofit organization for podcasters in the United States.
Immunization Award
The district nursing program was honored at the School Board meeting for earning the 2025 Outstanding Childhood Immunization Award.
The award is presented annually to an individual, organization or provider who demonstrates exceptional dedication to childhood immunizations.
Watch for the full story on this incredible achievement in the days ahead!