School Board Meeting Recap: May 19, 2025

On May 19, 2025, the FSPS Board of Education met to discuss key updates and initiatives across the district. Acting Superintendent Martin Mahan opened the meeting by announcing several new administrative hires, including Dr. Tiffany Bone as Deputy Superintendent, Nathaniel Williams as Supervisor of Child Nutrition, Tyler Armstrong as Director of Community Engagement, and multiple assistant principal positions throughout the district. 

Hudson Huff of Zonda Education presented the Spring 2025 demographic data. He shared positive news about local economic development, including adding a Bass Pro Shop and a new business park at the former Grand Slam Fun Park site. While overall student enrollment has remained relatively stable over the last seven years, there has been a decline in kindergarten enrollment. Fort Smith has 24 subdivisions being actively built, which may contribute to future student growth. Based on projections, the district anticipates enrollment will be about 14,000 by the 2029-2030 school year and could climb to 14,300 by 2034-2035. 

The Board also reviewed and unanimously approved the proposed schedule for the 2025-2026 Board of Education Meetings.

Chief Financial Officer Charles Warren presented an update from the Long-Term Planning Committee, outlining the criteria guiding decisions around building usage and future planning. These include a minimum building capacity of 625 students, a target building utilization rate of 80%, and consideration of the depreciated value of school buildings. Additional factors include a reduction in class-sizing, increased grade-level collaboration, minimizing the need for shared equipment, and increasing the likelihood of art, music, and PE teachers staying at one campus. Community feedback has shown a preference for an accelerated decision-making timeline once decisions are made. The committee recommended that the district begin studying the rezoning of students at Carnall and Spradling Elementary Schools. Administration will begin evaluating, communicating, and exploring new school zones for students currently enrolled at those schools, with community outreach beginning before Open House in the fall. Feedback from both school communities will be presented to the Board in December, with final recommendations expected in January.

Dr. Tiffany Bone, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, gave an update on the Analysis of Student Artifacts in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, following up on a report from September 2024. Evaluating student work samples focuses on content, context, and cognitive demand. In support of continuous improvement, the district will continue to partner with CMSI (Curriculum Management Solutions, Inc.) to collaborate with teachers in August 2025 on planning Unit 1 lessons, including developing exemplar lessons aligned with essential standards.

Caroline Neel, Director of Federal Programs, and Domonique Alexander, Director of Special Education, presented on interventions aimed at supporting students performing in the lowest 25 percent in ELA and math. Ms. Neel explained the state’s new accountability formula, which significantly emphasizes growth among students in the bottom quartile based on ATLAS scores. School and district leaders will evaluate whether students are making progress, what targeted support systems are in place to meet individual needs, and how frequently student progress is being monitored to allow for timely adjustments. Ms. Alexander shared state assessment data highlighting performance disparities across student groups and outlined strategies for closing those gaps. These include providing access to high-quality instruction and grade-level standards in general education classroom settings, ensuring students with IEPs are supported in general education environments to the maximum extent possible, and implementing the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program to promote positive behavior. Schools monitor progress weekly or bi-monthly, with the district reviewing progress quarterly.