BENTONVILLE — The School District saw an overall attendance rate of 79 percent when it held classes Saturday, according to numbers provided by the district.
Attendance on a typical school day is usually in the mid-90 percent range, said Michael Poore, superintendent.
Attendance was best at the high school with 86 percent of students present, according to district officials. Elementary schools had a combined 78 percent attendance rate, while the four middle schools and three junior highs had rates of 75 percent and 74 percent, respectively.
Poore said Saturday's attendance was a bit lower than he expected, but he's not disappointed.
"Our families are so busy with so many things that it's a challenge to get them all in on what's normally a day off," he said.
It was the first time in many years the district held school on Saturday, part of a plan to make up the 13 days lost to winter weather this school year. The plan also calls for using Monday and Tuesday of spring break next week as makeup days.
Poore told the School Board this week that Saturday school went well.
"I was in three different schools myself throughout the morning and then did activities at schools in the afternoon," he said. "I did not run into one room where there was not strong engagement of students in an instructional way."
Willie Cowgur, a board member, said he visited five schools Saturday. He got a tour of Mary Mae Jones Elementary from principal Ashley Williams.
"It was business as usual," Cowgur said. "You walked into a class, and you'd think it was a Wednesday."
The only Bentonville schools that weren't open Saturday were Elm Tree and R.E. Baker elementary schools. They operate on the nontraditional calendar and have a different makeup schedule.
School districts are required to have 178 school days with 360 minutes of instruction each, but can apply for a waiver of any days missed beyond 10.
Bentonville has applied to the state for a waiver of three of the 13 days it has missed this year. The state Board of Education is expected to consider Bentonville's and 74 other districts' waiver requests at its meeting today.
Those requests are listed on the consent portion of the board's agenda, a sign the board is prepared to approve them. If Bentonville's waiver is approved, the district's last day for schools on the traditional calendar would be June 5.
The last time Bentonville used spring break days as makeup days was in 2011, when schools were open on that Monday and Tuesday. The attendance rate that Monday was 72 percent.
The state doesn't require a certain percentage of students to attend a makeup day in order for it to count.
NW News on 03/20/2014