Springdale district OKs raises, welcomes board member and new principals

The Springdale Public Schools Administration Offices located in the Historic Springdale High School.
The Springdale Public Schools Administration Offices located in the Historic Springdale High School.

SPRINGDALE -- School District employees will get a slight bump in pay after a School Board vote Tuesday.

The board voted without opposition to boost salaries by an average of about 1 percent. Certified teachers, for example, would get another $500 a year, taking starting pay for a teacher with a bachelor's degree to almost $48,000. Teachers and other certified staff members also get pay increases of around $700 for each year of experience.

Superintendent Jim Rollins said all of these increases will cost the district an additional $3.7 million annually but shouldn't be a problem financially.

"I'm glad you found a way to do that," board member Mike Luttrell said before the vote. "I think we all know that's important."

Tuesday's meeting was also the first with some new faces and familiar ones in new roles. All three of Springdale's high schools have new principals after one went to another district and two took district-wide administrative posts. They all said they were honored by the opportunity and would focus on helping students.

"The sky is the limit for them," said Shannon Tisher, who with Anne Martfeld will oversee the Don Tyson School of Innovation. "I'm excited to be part of the team and I can't wait to get started."

Two junior high schools also have new leaders because of the shuffle -- Audra Lindley moved from assistant principal to principal at Southwest Junior High, and Hellstern Middle School Principal Todd Loftin is moving to Central Junior High School.

Nick Emerson, a real estate broker and deacon, attended as the newest board member. His mother and wife are both teachers in the district, and his three young children attend school here or will in a few years.

"Springdale means a lot to me," Emerson said, adding he's proud to have such a role in the district he grew up in. "It means a lot, and I take it very seriously."

In other business, the board heard an update on the design of a $35 million expansion to the School of Innovation that will roughly double it in size in the coming years. District officials said they've traveled to other states to see the best ways of designing spaces for career education, physical education and the performing arts.

"I'm really excited about this facility -- I think you'll love it," Rollins told the board.

NW News on 06/06/2018


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