Bentonville board sticks to graduation plan

BENTONVILLE — Dissatisfaction with the School District’s plan for celebrating its 2020 graduates resulted in a special meeting of the board Tuesday.

About 50 residents of the district signed a petition calling for a meeting focused on the board’s decision last month to forego a traditional graduation at Bentonville High and West High schools because of health concerns stemming from the covid-19 pandemic.

Both schools instead will host “family walk-through” events, scheduled for today at West High School and Friday at Bentonville High School. Graduates will take turns walking through their school’s stadium and onto a stage to pick up their diploma. They may be accompanied by up to 10 guests.

About 10 families will be on site at any given time, according to Jennifer Morrow, director of secondary education. The events will be recorded and compiled into videos.

Special board meetings may be called by the president, secretary, any three board members, or by a verified written petition signed by 50 qualified electors of the district, according to board policy. Eric White, board president, said the petition calling Tuesday’s meeting was signed by at least 51 residents.

A document accompanying the petition briefly described the reason behind it.

“We feel our elected officials did not respect our wishes and ignored our voice in this matter,” the document stated. “It is absolutely possible to hold an in-person ceremony outdoors and successfully social distance as proven by high schools across the country and by FHS in Fayetteville. We ask that you listen to our thoughts and ideas and give these graduates the ceremony they deserve and have worked so hard for. We ask that you put your personal opinions aside and listen to your community that elected you.”

The Fayetteville School District held a walk-through event for its graduates on July 2. It was indoors, and graduates were limited to two guests each.

Lisa Betz, a Bentonville resident, was the only person who addressed the board at Tuesday’s meeting. When she finished, a few board members made some comments, but the board did not take any action, White said.

Betz didn’t return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday.

White said while it’s unfortunate the district couldn’t hold a traditional ceremony for its graduates this year, administrators deserve credit for putting an extraordinary amount of time into arranging alternative events for both high schools.

A traditional graduation ceremony with an audience requires approval from the Arkansas Department of Education. An application must be submitted to the state at least one week before the proposed event. The district received notice of the petition after the deadline to submit another plan for its event scheduled for today, according to Morrow.

Tuesday’s meeting was the second in less than a year called through a petition. The last time was in September, when Lochmoor Club subdivision residents demanded the board review the administration’s decision to discontinue busing to their neighborhood.