Berryville school board votes to expand ‘Smart Start’ schedule to grades K-5

After seeing its success at the middle school and high school levels, the Berryville School Board has voted to implement the district’s “Smart Start” schedule for students in kindergarten through fifth grade beginning next fall.

At its monthly meeting on April 20, the board voted to start the new schedule each Monday for the 2026-2027 school year, which allows teachers a period of collaboration to start each week, superintendent Owen Powell said. 

“Basically, on Monday mornings we push back to the start of school 30 minutes so our teachers can collaborate and plan and prep for the coming week,” Powell said. “We started it with our middle school and our high school, and have been doing it there over a year. It’s been a real positive thing for our teachers and is something they wanted to do.

“… It’s worked real well with our middle school and high school, so we decided we want to try it with elementary and our intermediate school.”

Information posted online by the district goes on to say the time on Monday mornings will “provide time for teachers and staff to collaborate, plan instructions, and improve student learning.”

According to information posted on the district’s social media accounts, bus and car drop-off will begin at 8 a.m. each Monday, the first bell will be at 8:20 and classes will start at 8:25 a.m.

“All buses will pick up riders at their regular stops 15 minutes later each Monday morning,” according to information posted. “Several staff members will be on duty, as always, to supervise bus lines and car rider lines. Staff will also be on cafeteria duty to support students during breakfast.”

Powell said parents will still be able to drop off students at the same time they do during the rest of the week, when a normal schedule will remain in place.

“They can still drop their students off at the same time, and we will have staff there to watch them, allow them to eat breakfast,” the superintendent said. “Really, from the student side of it, it doesn’t change a whole lot. They’ll just start just a little bit later, but other than that, there’s not a lot of change for parents or students.”

Online information urges parents to contact the building principal at each campus if the student will need to arrive earlier than the 8 a.m. Monday drop-off times.

“We will accommodate all families and students as needed,” the district posted.

The change will not affect dismissal times on Mondays, Powell said.

OTHER ITEMS

The board also went through its annual reorganization, but didn’t make any changes.

Linda Winkle remains as president, Kristi Howerton as vice president and Jeff Tanksley as secretary.

“We do that once a year, and it’s usually held after the spring election,” Powell said of any possible board officer changes.

In addition, the board voted for their terms to be six-year terms while one member will have a four-year term, Powell said.

According to Arkansas law, school boards can choose between four-year or six-year terms.

“After the election in March, we had four board members that had to draw for terms,” Powell said. “Of those board members, Kristi Howerton will have a four-year term, and then Sergio Gil, LeeAnn Fultz and Tyler Ashworth will have six-year terms.”

The process staggers board terms, Powell said.

“So you don’t have so many people running in one year,” he said. “And also part of the law is there will no longer be school board elections in odd numbered years, so they all move to even years. So our next board election won’t be until 2028.”

Also at the meeting, the board got a report on a “really good” state audit, Powell said, and heard from district librarians who reported an update on policies and procedures.