11 NW Arkansas school districts set to work in network

Aim is helping poor students learn

More school districts in Northwest Arkansas are joining a network that coordinates the efforts of schools, businesses and community members to better serve children.

In a span of three years, Bright Futures USA added 11 Northwest Arkansas school districts to its network that covers six states: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Virginia.

Bright Futures is a nonprofit based in Joplin, Mo., that develops ideas for helping low-income students learn and attracting community involvement in districts, said Ralph Nesson, Arkansas regional coordinator for Bright Futures USA.

The Siloam Springs and Decatur districts joined up in November, Nesson said. The Deer-Mount Judea School Board in Newton County approved an affiliation agreement in January. The Gravette School Board voted for a similar agreement April 18.

The Pea Ridge School District became the first Northwest Arkansas affiliate in 2013.

In Benton, Carroll, Newton and Washington counties, where the region's 11 affiliates are located, 45,680 of the 87,626 children attending public school are considered low-income because they qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to information from the Arkansas Department of Education.

Children from low-income families tend to fall behind in school, are absent more and have lower graduation rates than their peers from higher-income families, Nesson said.

"Are we doing enough about it? No, we're not," Nesson said. "Bright Futures seems a really good approach to doing more to help low-income kids learn."

Siloam Springs is just getting started, said Grace Davis, director of teacher quality and community relations for the school district. A Bright Futures Siloam Springs Facebook page has been up, but the program officially begins with a community breakfast at 7:30 a.m. today at Siloam Springs Middle School.

Bright Futures provides structure and support, and how it grows and evolves depends on the community, Davis said. The program is guided by an advisory board composed of leaders from the school district and community.

The early days of Bright Futures Siloam Springs will focus on organizing a rapid response system, which will include posting of specific needs on the Facebook page to solicit help from the community, Davis said.

"It's an innovative approach where adults in the community surround their children and say, 'We are going to take care of you,'" Davis said.

Each school district pays a one-time affiliation fee of $2,500 to join Bright Futures, Nesson said. The fee pays for services that include ongoing support, training and technical assistance in setting up the Facebook page, using colors and logos that identify the Bright Futures brand.

Nesson said he stays in touch with Bright Futures coordinators and superintendents in all of the Northwest Arkansas member districts.

The Gravette School District plans to assemble its advisory board to meet June 6 and have a kickoff breakfast Sept. 9, said Superintendent Richard Page. The district is recruiting volunteers.

More than half of Gravette students come from low-income families, Page said.

"It's to help our students that have needs, whether it be needing meals, food, clothing," he said of the program.

The Springdale School District began a pilot program for Bright Futures in Central Junior High, starting with debuting a Bright Futures Springdale Facebook page in September. Community members met for the official kickoff breakfast in February.

More Springdale schools want to join the Bright Futures effort, including J.O. Kelly Middle School, Springdale High School, Sonora Middle School, Helen Tyson Middle School and Walker Elementary School, Central Junior High Principal Paul Griep said.

For Central Junior High, Bright Futures is an umbrella for efforts the school uses to help families, Griep said. That effort includes the Facebook page for disseminating information.

A mentoring program is to start in August, Griep said.

Metro on 04/29/2016

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