Mighty Dragons work hand-in-hand with community to move forward
It is the home of the Mighty Dragons.
The Junction City School District prides itself on being a bridge that brings together the small community in which it resides.
District Superintendent Robby Lowe and high school principal Joy Mason said the district strives to provide the best learning environment for its nearly 700 students, who make up the largest population demographic that area of south Arkansas and north Louisiana.
Lowe and Mason said the school district also works to keep its finger on the pulse of community that lies outside its campus in order to meet the needs of the residents who support the district and cheer on its championship athletic teams.
Both agree that the school district and broader community have a symbiotic relationship with many moving parts, all working together in the best interest of Junction and Union County.
For instance, not only does the district’s Special Programs Building house school services and programs — including special education officers, Alternative Learning Environment (ALE), the school nurse’s offices, federal programs and a host of others — the building also serves a meeting space for the community.
“It’s not only utilized by the school district but it’s also used for community-based events,” Lowe said.
When asked what feedback he has heard from residents about the facility, Lowe said, “They said, ‘Oh, this is great.’ The community is excited about it. It’s a nice facility and it gets a lot of use.”
“Yes, and having ALE in there has really been nice,” Mason added.
The Junction City School Board also holds its monthly meetings in the Special Programs Building, which was completed two years ago.
Lowe and Mason said 4.6 acres of land is being cleared behind the school district’s campuses and will be used to build a walking track and small park that will be open to the community.
In the middle of the track will be practice space for the school’s marching band, Lowe said.
He said the project has been made possible by a joint-user agreement between Union County and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
“They’re still in the land-clearing phase. Hopefully, they’ll the walking track and the park will be built by October,” Lowe said.
“There’s also some demolition we’re going to do on old buildings. We’re trying to get our campus as clean as we can,” he said. “Those old buildings, there’s no use for them anymore, other than storage.”
And even that issued will be addressed with future plans to building a maintenance and storage building on campus, the school superintendent said.
School officials said they are looking forward to the upcoming school year, with classes starting Aug. 13, noting that other changes the campus has undergone — and continues to undergo — to improve the educational experience for students.
Mason said she is excited about the opportunity for students to use the new Art and Activities Building, which includes a new high-school music room and a new highschool art room.
The building also includes a physical education gym and two health classrooms.
“The music room, it’s a modern room, with acoustics. It’s a nice building,” Mason said, adding that she hopes the facility will encourage more students to get involved in the band and the arts.
However, Lowe and Mason emphasized that safety was a top priority in building the new facility.
“The high school campus is on the other side of the road and students would have to cross Holly Street,” Mason said.
“It brings our campus in a little tighter and there are fewer blind spots with our (surveillance) cameras because the kids are more concentrated,” Lowe explained.
The district also partners with entities outside Junction City to help improve the area’s workforce.
In addition to preparing students for college, Mason said school officials also keep in contact with area industries and SouthArk to make sure students are aware of what manufacturing jobs and processes are available in the area and that students have the skills that industries are looking for.
Junction City’s football team, which has become an AA powerhouse in Arkansas and is the defending AA champ this year, has filtered into those industry discussions.
Over the years, Lowe said he has heard compliments from area employers who have former Junction City players on their teams.
“They say their work ethic is phenomenal when you get those kids together,” Lowe said.
Mason and Lowe said they hope to continue building and strengthening community relationships in the upcoming school year.
“We’re so proud of our students and we’re so product of the community and the support that we get,” Mason said.
“They’re still in the land-clearing phase. Hopefully, they’ll the walking track and the park will be built by October. There’s also some demolition we’re going to do on old buildings. We’re trying to get our campus as clean as we can." —Robby Lowe Junction City Superintendent