Prairie Grove schools:

Ready for a safe, enriching school year

On August 10, the Prairie Grove School

Board voted to require mask mandates for students and staff when inside the school buildings or on any district provided transportation. Many of the other school districts in Northwest Arkansas are following suit in an effort to address the pandemic and keep our children safe when they return to school.

David Kellogg, Assistant School Superintendent for Prairie Grove School District, was at the board meeting and, like last year, he remains the able right hand to the district’s superintendent, Reba Holmes. He is quick to note that the challenges brought about by COVID-19 have been unique ones. “I started in the field in 1978 so I know how to do a lot of things and I know the right people I have to call to get them done,” Kellogg said. “But I had to learn a whole set of new things for this pandemic and I can tell you, I know more about personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitizers and fresh air induction systems than you can imagine.”

Coming up to 2021’s academic year, Kellogg, Holmes, and the school board understood that COVID-19 was still an issue and realized they had to make some difficult decisions before the students returned. These included the mask mandate and other health precautions. “Of course, when the kids are at recess, they don’t have to wear a mask,” said Kellogg. “If they are at football

Prairie Grove is “big enough to offer the good electives and small enough to not lose the personalized component. ” ~ David Kellogg

practice, they don’t have to wear a mask. And we understand that some of the parents are all for the masks and some didn’t want us to do it.” A complete breakdown of this year’s school district decisions are posted on the Prairie Grove School District website.

The school is also making upgrades to the air filtering capabilities, moving up to MERV 11 air filters from last year’s MERV 8. The microallergen MERV 11 filters are more effective in capturing particles and allergens including dust, mold, pollen, and other impurities. They will combine superior air filtration capabilities and efficiency for cleaner, healthier classrooms.

Even with the new restrictions, Prairie Grove staff and teachers are very excited to have the students back in the classrooms and are looking forward to a great 2021/22 academic school year. “Our school board, and the community at large, really have a heart for the kids,” Kellogg said. “And school people are ‘people people’, and we are excited to get everybody back into the classrooms. Our faculty and staff are prepared for the new school year.”

The Prairie Grove School District has not taken their eye off of the future, especially addressing the fact that Prairie Grove is growing more every day. “We are a growing district,” Kellogg said. “Just in Prairie Grove alone there are plans to develop 170 single or multi-dwelling homes that will be completed in the next three to five years. So, obviously, the school district is planning for growth, too. We are actually in the process of building a new school for fourth to sixth grade students.”

And as the district grows, they intend to maintain that balance between expanding the classes and opportunities for the kids while keeping the educational experience personal. “Since I started over forty years ago, everything I ever read about the perfect size high school put the number at around 600,” Kellogg Said. “It’s big enough to offer the good electives and small enough to not lose the personalized component. So, I think Prairie Grove is the perfect size. And we are going to work to keep that balance as we grow.”

For the latest information, visit the website: https://www.pgtigers.org/

David Kellogg Assistant School Superintendent