Farmington Board OKs Innovative School Application

FARMINGTON — Farmington School Board passed three resolutions at its April 28 meeting, giving its approval for the district to apply to be named an innovative school.

The district is submitting an application to be designated as a District of Innovation and Farmington High and Williams and Folsom elementary schools are each asking for a School of Innovation title.

The applications were sent to Arkansas Department of Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell.

A School of Innovation or a District of Innovation designation is a new concept that became available through state Act 601 of 2013. With this title, schools can request alternatives to existing instructional and administrative practices and rules.

The district is requesting two waivers that would allow it to deviate from the school calendar as required by the Arkansas Department of Education.

The first waiver requests that the district be allowed to start classes earlier than the mandated start date. Current law says school will start the week of Aug. 19 of each year.

The district’s application states that by beginning school earlier, students would receive increased instructional time prior to inclement weather. An earlier start date also would allow the district to have more equal number of days in the first and second semesters and allow for more instruction time prior to spring testing dates.

If the district’s application is approved, the first day of school for the 201415 year most likely would be Wednesday, Aug. 13. If the application is denied, Farmington will start classes Monday, Aug. 18.

The second waiver requests that the district be allowed to “bank” instructional minutes in excess of the minimum required and as those minutes add up, the district could use the hours for staff development or to make up snow days. The application says that the district would have early student release days periodically for staff to meet in district-wide Professional Learning Communities.

The state education department requires schools to put in an average of no less than six hours per day or 30 hours per week. Clint Jones, assistant superintendent, said most of Farmington’s schools already exceed the mandated time in class but state regulations do not allow schools to bank additional minutes for other purposes.

If the second waiver is approved, building principals then would look at the start and finish times for each school day to decide if any adjustments need to be made, Jones said.

For the other applications, Farmington High is requesting 10 waivers.

It is asking to have a “late start” on Wednesday of each week. The school proposes to use 8- 9 a. m. for remediation, make-up tests, tutoring, study hall or extra instruction. Students who scored proficient or advanced on their spring end of course tests would be allowed to start school at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays as long as they do not have make-up tests to take or need assistance in other areas.

Farmington High also is proposing to offer the following new courses: advanced health, technical support services, jazz band, advanced instrumental methods and introduction to street law. For these new classes, the high school is asking permission to hire the best teachers, regardless if they have a state teaching license.

The high school also is seeking permission to count marching band as the ½ physical education credit required for graduation.

Both Folsom and Williams elementary schools are asking permission to use the first three days of school to assess kindergarten students. Currently, kindergarten students are required to have 178 student-teacher interaction days. The elementary schools are requesting a waiver from this to allow kindergarten students to have 175 studentteacher interaction days.

This would allow teachers to assess incoming kindergartners on phonics skills, oral communication, number sense and other skills and give the school a chance to meet with parents.

An email from Megan Witonski, assistant commissioner of learning services with the Arkansas Department of Education, said applicants who applied to be a School or District of Innovation will be notified by July if they are approved or denied.

In other action, the school board rehired certified and classified staff for the 201415 school year and accepted resignations from teachers Jarrod Cansler, Leslie Bailey, Aly Martin, Jamie Willard and Leslie Jordan. The board hired new teachers Denver Holt ( also an assistant girls’ basketball coach), Michelle Mathias, D’ann Fimple, Karie Sutton, Kristy Harter, Mindy Mahan and Michael Hensley (also assistant boys’ basketball coach).

The school board also voted to increase lunch prices by 10 cents. The new prices will be $2.35 for K-5, $2.60 for grades 6-12 and $3 for adults and visitors.

In addition, the board approved an agreement with Stephens Inc. for services to prepare and file an annual disclosure report and to monitor and file the district’s audited financial statements for a $1,250 annual fee.