The Mountain Home Public Schools Board of Education met Thursday in regular session where the recognized two longtime employees and addressing several key items related to facilities, technology, and student well-being.
Coach Brad Morris and food service staff member Elizabeth Jones were honored for 30 years of dedicated service to the district.
The board heard the first reading of the 2025-26 school handbooks, which are still being updated. In facilities discussions, board members reviewed a possible sale of four acres of wooded land along Rodeo Drive but chose to retain the property.
Board members also discussed potential overflow parking near the baseball fields across from Hackler. Due to the area being in a flood plain and adjacent to a creek, a permit would be required to create a gravel lot. Concerns were raised about traffic on 6th Street and the lack of street lighting. Board President Lisa House noted ongoing conversations with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) about possible solutions. The board tabled the item for further research.
In the technology report, a recommended, but not required, screen time policy was presented. The guidelines suggest daily limits ranging from 30 minutes for kindergarten to 50 minutes for grades 3-5. Middle and high school students would have an average of 5 to 15 minutes of screen time per class, depending on grade level.
The board approved the 2025-26 school-level improvement plans (SLIPs). These plans, developed by each school, are based on a continuous improvement model focused on student learning outcomes and are supported through ongoing local education agency assessments.
A second round of 2024-25 budget revisions related to special education funding from state and federal sources was also approved.
Due to a previous early weather release, the district is two hours short on its academic calendar. May 16 will now serve as a regular release day to make up the time. The adjustment was passed unanimously.
New district policies were also adopted, including updates from the Arkansas School Board Association related to school choice and artificial intelligence.
During board discussion, member Scott Booth emphasized the importance of addressing student mental health, noting that students are statistically 68 times more likely to die by suicide than in a school shooting. He advocated for increased support through counseling and other means. MHPS District Mental Health Coordinator Matt Sutton, shared with the Board a partnership with Baxter Health to bring in the Talk Saves Lives program, offered by the American Suicide Foundation, in September. The initiative will include two student events and one community session, as well as a Walk for Awareness.
House also stressed the need to do more to address bullying within the district and saying more can always be done.
To view the meeting in its entirety, visit the link below:
MHPS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING – APRIL 17, 2025
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