2 in Spa City earn perfect ACT scores
Two juniors at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT college entrance exam.
Nasya Choy of Conway and Rene Ramirez of Pearcy received the top score possible on the ACT test that was administered for all juniors in Arkansas in February.
The ACT is composed of four sections -- English, mathematics, reading and science -- with a possible score of 1 to 36. A composite score is created by averaging the individual scores for the four sections.
Choy had come close to a perfect score previously, scoring a 35 on two consecutive tests before taking the February exam, according to the top-score announcement made by the public residential school.
"I took a practice test every other weekend or so for the month leading up to it. That might have pushed my score up," said Choy, who plans to study aerospace engineering in the future. She may try to double major in mechanical engineering or mathematics as well.
Ramirez was surprised when he received his top score.
"I knew I would do well, but that's more in the 34-35 range. I wasn't really thinking about making a 36," he said.
Ramirez, who is planning to study computer science, had taken the exam three times prior to the February test. To prepare for the most recent test, Ramirez took some practice tests under time constraints.
County district loses 2 principals
The Pulaski County Special School District saw two of its principals selected for out-of-district jobs last week.
Duane Clayton, the marathon-running, seven-year principal of Mills University Studies High School, was introduced Thursday as the new principal of Horace Mann Magnet Middle School in the Little Rock School District. He replaces Marcus Johnson, who will become the Little Rock district's director of fine arts.
Jason Young, principal at Maumelle High School since the 2021-22 school year and previously principal at Sylvan Hills Elementary, was hired by the Jacksonville/North Pulaski County School District to be principal at Bobby G. Lester Elementary.
Additionally, Tony Howard, the assistant principal at Jacksonville Elementary School, is to become the school's principal.
LR district salary schedules are set
The Little Rock School Board last week approved 2023-24 salary schedules for employees, including teachers who will receive raises of $2,000 or more to comply with the new Arkansas LEARNS Act that sets the beginning teacher salary at $50,000.
The take-home pay will actually be greater than the salary schedules reflect -- thanks to a School Board decision last October to distribute employee retention incentives -- $3,000 paid in November 2022 and another $2,000 to be paid in November 2023.
The district is paying the employee-retention incentives with federal covid-19 relief money.
El Dorado event speaker chosen
Tim Horton, United States Air Force Academy Falcons running backs coach and special teams coordinator, will be the keynote speaker Tuesday for the 2023 Academic Signing Day in the El Dorado School District.
The event, which begins at 10 a.m. in the school's Wildcat Arena, marks the 16th year of the El Dorado Promise Scholarship Program, and celebrates more than 300 graduating seniors receiving the Promise.
The El Dorado Promise was established in 2007 by Murphy Oil Corp. and has supported more than 3,000 students for college. The scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees at any accredited two- or four-year post-secondary institution, up to the cost at the most expensive public university in Arkansas.
Horton began his tenure at the Air Force Academy in 2021, and that same year, the Falcons led the nation in rushing. Horton previously served as the recruiting coordinator with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks from 2007-2012. As a University of Arkansas student, Horton was an All-Southwest Conference football player in four straight bowl games and back-to-back Southwest Conference titles. His senior class scored the most wins in the university's program history. In 2021, he was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.