BENTONVILLE -- The School District has a temporary replacement lined up for Superintendent Michael Poore.
The School Board voted 5-0 Monday to appoint Debbie Jones, the district's deputy superintendent, as interim superintendent.
New start times
The Bentonville School Board on Monday approved new daily start times for most elementary and middle schools, effective this fall.
Start times for the four middle schools will switch from 7:40 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Each of the three elementary schools attached to a middle school — Elm Tree, R.E. Baker and Willowbrook — will undergo the same change.
Apple Glen, Centerton Gamble, Central Park, Mary Mae Jones, Sugar Creek and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools will start their days 20 minutes later than they do now, changing from 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m.
Cooper Elementary School’s start time will remain at 7:30 a.m.
Source: Staff report
The move came at the suggestion of board president Travis Riggs, who said Poore is "getting pulled more and more" to his next job as superintendent of the Little Rock School District.
Poore announced last month he accepted the Little Rock job, but would remain with Bentonville through June. Riggs, however, said Poore is being pulled in two directions.
"It's just natural for your focus to transition to the next step," Riggs said. "It's also natural for Little Rock to pull Mike's attention away, and I understand they've asked Mike if he could come earlier than June 30."
Poore also has about nine vacation days remaining, Riggs said.
The board recently began the process of finding a permanent replacement for Poore. That process, as outlined by the search firm the board is working with, is expected to last until August. The board may decide to extend the timeline if it's not satisfied with the initial candidate pool.
Jones began as Bentonville's deputy superintendent in February. She previously was the Arkansas Department of Education's assistant commissioner for learning services. She has a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Ray and Associates, the search firm, told the board if it appointed an interim superintendent, that person should be someone who doesn't intend to apply for the permanent position. Jones isn't going to apply, Riggs said.
Jones, who oversees federal programs as part of her regular duties, said she's prepared to handle the duties of superintendent at least until September. Beyond that she might have difficulties balancing all responsibilities of an interim superintendent because of her regular duties.
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity," she said.
Also at Monday's board meeting, the board approved a commitment of more than $300,000 toward expansion of the Ignite program, which focuses on preparing high school students for jobs through partnerships with local businesses, nonprofit organizations and entrepreneurs.
Ignite launched on a pilot basis this fall with an information technology solutions class taught by district technology director Andy Mayes. The 16 students in the class went to work for various companies and organizations in Northwest Arkansas, applying what they'd learned in the class to meet needs of those employers.
Ignite will expand this fall to include strands in construction professions, creative arts and production, and medical and health sciences.
The total being spent on the program's expansion is $303,210, which includes money for instructors, computers, tools, supplies and renting of space. Bentonville High School Principal Jack Loyd is putting $100,000 of his school's budget toward that cost.
Several community members addressed the board on the impact Ignite has had. One of them was Michael Paladino, co-founder and chief technology officer at RevUnit, a software development and digital marketing company in Bentonville.
Paladino said he had two Ignite students work for him this past semester in "externships." He's hiring two seniors who took the information technology solutions class.
"I'm getting two students who I consider to be high, high potential employees," Paladino said. "I don't have to steal them from other companies. I don't have to hire from out of state."
Paul Stolt, district director of communications, said Ignite reflects a desire to "re-brand" career and technical studies.
"We're trying to get people to call it professional studies. Ignite is not the vo-tech we grew up with. It is beyond the vo-tech we grew up on," Stolt said.
NW News on 05/17/2016