Siloam Spring College Board hears about LEARNS Act, college sports

SILOAM SPRINGS — Superintendent Jody Wiggins told the College Board on March 9 the district is most likely to be brief of funding for new needs below the Arkansas Learns Act.

Wiggins briefly discussed the new law, saying that in spite of the improved funding, the district will be almost $250,000 brief of meeting the new needs.

“We got some preliminary numbers on the quantity of income we may possibly acquire to attain the mandated minimums in the law. As far as Terri and I can figure, as of now, we are going to be about a quarter of a million brief,” Wiggins stated.

The superintendent stated district officials have been nevertheless placing collectively the pieces and waiting for some answers, but the outlook is optimistic.

“We have our perform reduce out for us, and we are nevertheless waiting for some guidance from the state and some guidelines to be written, but we have hope for this method,” Wiggins stated.

In the course of the board meeting, Wiggins also discussed the challenge of just after college athletics, which has been a developing concern with parents in the district.

“The goal of leaving particular sports outdoors of the college day was to give our students the possibilities to do far more items,” stated Wiggins, who noted that quite a few athletes are involved in several sports, take sophisticated placement and profession and technical education courses or participate in the arts.

“When you bring sports back into the college day, what you finish up carrying out is you pit sport against sport with the very same practice time,” Wiggins stated.

Though a worry of forcing students to make difficult options about what they can and cannot do through the college day was cited, Wiggins stated he was open to new suggestions.

Presently, ten head coaches at the higher college are functioning collectively to uncover a way to bring sports into the college day with out possessing an adverse impact. Wiggins stated that when they may possibly uncover a way to make it perform, it will not take place straight away.

“I consider it is not going to be one thing that occurs speedily. I consider it is going to be more than a period of years. It is going to take personnel alterations as well,” Wiggins stated.

Assistant Superintendent Shane Patrick gave his report, which consisted of a short update on the new administration constructing, which has not too long ago been wracked with shipment delays and terrible climate. Even so, it nevertheless remains on schedule.

Patrick also gave a report on the district’s contract with Coca-Cola, which the board unanimously voted to renew.

Immediately after an executive session, the board voted unanimously to renew 33 administrator contracts.

“I worth our group we have a excellent group of persons,” Wiggins stated. “I love functioning for the Siloam Springs College District, and component of that is for the reason that of the persons I get to perform with.”

There was 1 new employ created through the meeting, new head volleyball coach Carrie Thammarath, who the board voted to employ unanimously.

The board voted unanimously to adopt a 2023-2024 calendar and to move forward with Mammoth Sports Building on the new sports complicated.

The meeting started with head cheer coach Jackie Clement introducing her higher college competitive cheer group, which was recognized by the governor at the capitol in Small Rock not too long ago.

The group, which won nationals in January, brought in the many awards won all through the season.