Benton School District

🚌 Alternate Bus Routes for Friday, February 21, 2025 🚌 Due to continued hazardous road conditions, some bus routes will have adjusted pickup locations and times tomorrow. Please see the details below: 📍 RE-81 – All bus riders will meet at New Hope Methodist Church (1705 New Hope Rd) from 8:30-9:00 AM. 📍 CE-57 – Students in River Heights, Twin Oaks, & River Oaks will meet at Lyledale & Volcanic from 8:30-8:45 AM. 📍 MVE-64 & MVE-78 – All bus riders will meet at Ten Mile Grocery (17194 Hwy 70) from 8:15-8:45 AM. 📍 MVE-55 – All bus riders will meet at Kentucky Missionary Baptist Church (7070 Hwy 5) from 8:15-8:45 AM. 📍 MVE-70 – Students living on Sunnybrook or Meadow Ridge will meet the bus two hours later than normal pickup time at Brazil & Sunnybrook or Brazil & Meadow Ridge. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Stay safe! ❄️🚍

🚨 Weather Alert 🚨 Due to inclement weather and hazardous road conditions, Benton Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. ❄️🚗⚠️ The safety of our students, staff, and families is our top priority. Please stay safe and warm, and we will provide any further updates as needed.

CAPS (Career & Academic Planning) Conferences for BMS, BJHS, and BHS will take place on Monday, March 17, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 📌 Important details: Students will not have a regular school day but must attend their scheduled conference with a parent/guardian. Each campus will communicate your child’s scheduled conference time. If a student does not attend their conference, they will be marked absent for the day. Thank you for your attention to this important event!

📢 Schedule Update Reminder 📢 Benton Public Schools will now be in session on Monday, February 17, 2025, as a snow make-up day. ❄️📅 Originally scheduled as a holiday for Presidents Day, this date was designated on our 2024-2025 district calendar as the first make-up day in the event of inclement weather closures.

🎉🏆 Huge Congratulations to Benton High School! 🏆🎉 Benton High School has been recognized by the Arkansas School Recognition Program for being in the TOP 5% statewide for student growth and graduation rate! 🎓📈 Because of this outstanding achievement, BHS will receive $122,033.58 in financial awards! 💰👏 This recognition reflects the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff, who are dedicated to excellence every day. Way to go, Panthers! 🐾❤️ #PantherProud #PantherExcellence #Top5Percent

On behalf of the School Board, I would like to share our anticipated timeline regarding the hiring of our next Superintendent. We are committed to expediting the hiring process so that times of uncertainty are minimized. The next Superintendent will be expected to deliver and execute a vision that encompasses a standard of excellence in academics, facilities, teacher development, and student growth, all while being fiscally responsible. The job opening will be posted for two weeks. Our goal is to interview and hire in February. Click here https://bentonschools.schoolspring.com/ to apply. Go Panthers! Tadd Farmer President, Benton School Board

🎉 January is School Board Appreciation Month! 🎉 We are incredibly grateful for our School Board members and their unwavering dedication to our students, staff, and community. They give their time freely—attending meetings (sometimes several a month!), supporting school events, and making decisions that shape the future of our district. Please join us in thanking our board members for their service: ⭐ Tadd Farmer – President ⭐ Karen Hammer – Vice President ⭐ Boyd Goodner – Secretary ⭐ Justin Dorsey – Zone 1 ⭐ Paul Childress – At Large ⭐ Luke Fulcher – Zone 3 ⭐ Randy Wright – At Large Your leadership and commitment make a difference every day. Thank you for all you do! ❤️ #SchoolBoardAppreciation #ThankYou

🚍 Alternate Bus Routes for the Remainder of the Week 🚍 Bus #64 (MVE): Morning Pick-Up: Ten Mile & Pleasant Run (6:05-6:20 AM) Afternoon Drop-Off: Ten Mile & Pleasant Run (4:00 PM) 📍 Note: The bus will not travel up Pleasant Run this week. Bus #78 (MVE): Morning Pick-Up: Narrows & Boondock (6:00 AM) Afternoon Drop-Off: Narrows & Boondock (3:45 PM) 📍 Note: The bus will not travel up Boondock this week. Thank you for your understanding as we adjust these routes. Please plan accordingly! 🚌 These alternate routes will run through January 17, 2025 unless otherwise stated.

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Reminder Benton Public Schools will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Enjoy the holiday!

📢 Important Announcement: Alternate Bus Routes for Delayed Start Due to the delayed start to school tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., some buses will have alternate pick-up locations and times. Please carefully review the details below for your student’s bus route. Only the listed buses will have changes; all other buses will run their regular morning routes two hours later than usual. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact your school office. Afternoon routes are expected to run on their normal schedules, and any changes will be communicated via text and social media. Thank you for your cooperation! 🚍 Both Hwy 70 buses, #64 MVE & #78 MVE, will catch the bus at Ten Mile Grocery (17194 Hwy 70) from 8:45-9:00. These buses will not run their regular morning routes. Students that ride Bus #70 MVE and live in the area of Sunnybrook/Chivers/Shimrod will be picked up at Brazil & Sunnybrook at 8:45. The bus will not go up Sunnybrook. Students that ride Bus #57 CE and live in River Heights or River Oaks will be picked up at the Lyledale entrance of River Oaks (Lyledale & Volcanic) from 8:30-8:45. The bus will not come through River Oaks or pick-up at River Heights. All students on Bus #81 RE (Bennett, Prysock, Chatfield, New Hope areas) will catch the bus at New Hope Methodist Church (1705 New Hope Rd) from 9:00-9:15. The bus will not run its regular morning route. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work towards getting everyone back to school safely!

📢 Delayed Start Announcement Benton Public Schools will have a delayed start at 10 AM on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. 🚍 Alternate bus routes will be posted here later this evening as we are still working on them. 📞 If you feel it’s unsafe or cannot get your child to school, please contact their campus in the morning. Thank you for your understanding, and stay safe!

❄️ Snow Day Gratitude ❄️ We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible city and county teams for their hard work clearing roads during the snowstorm. Your long hours and dedication will make it possible for us to return to school sooner and safely—thank you! A special shoutout to Paul Tudor, Tracy Smart, and their team for coming in on Friday and Saturday to ensure our campuses and buildings will be ready for our return. We’re also grateful to Greg Little for walking through the buildings to ensure everything was secure and in great shape.

📢 School Update: After assessing road conditions across the county and consulting with our transportation team and local authorities, Benton School District will be CLOSED on Monday, January 13, 2025. While most roads in town and main highways are clear, several areas remain wet and have patches that are likely to refreeze tonight. Additionally, poor road conditions in the northern and western parts of our district would prevent 11 buses from completing their routes, with several others only able to run partially. We hope that allowing another day for roads and parking lots to clear will enable us to resume classes on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will provide updates through our usual communication channels, including text, social media, our website, and local TV stations. Stay safe and warm, Panthers! 🫶🏼

Due to incoming winter weather and its potential impact on our area, Benton School District will be closed on Friday, January 10, 2025. Stay safe and warm!

Benton schools will be in session on Thursday, January 9, with an EARLY DISMISSAL at 1 PM. All activities and athletic events scheduled for tomorrow are canceled. If weather or road conditions change and we need to dismiss earlier or close schools for the day, we will notify families immediately through our usual communication channels. Thank you for your understanding as we prioritize the safety of our students and staff! Stay safe, Panther family! 🐾

🌶️ Benton Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser – Join the Fun! 🎉 The Benton Counseling Department is thrilled to invite YOU to our Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser! This is your chance to enjoy an evening filled with food, fun, and fantastic entertainment—all while supporting a great cause! 📅 When: Thursday, January 23, 2025 📍 Where: BHS Cafeteria ⏰ Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM ✨ Here’s what’s in store: 🍲 A spicy chili competition to crown the district’s best! 🎶 Live entertainment 🛍️ A silent auction with incredible items up for grabs. Admission is FREE, but this is a fundraiser, so we hope you’ll support us by bidding in the silent auction and enjoying the event. Bring your friends, family, and appetite—we can’t wait to see you there!

❄️ Inclement Weather Procedures 🌨️ Weather can be unpredictable, and our top priority is keeping students and staff safe. Here’s what you need to know about how we handle inclement weather decisions: 📅 Timing of Decisions We strive to make decisions as early as possible, typically no later than 5:30 AM. 📢 How We’ll Notify You In the event of a school closure or delay, we’ll share updates through: 📱 Text message 📢 Social media 📺 Local TV stations 🌐 Our website We encourage all families to ensure their contact information is up to date and to stay tuned to these platforms during uncertain weather conditions. Thank you for helping us keep everyone informed and safe!

Benton Public Schools will be closed for the holiday break from Monday, December 23, through Friday, January 3. Classes will resume on Monday, January 6, 2025. We hope you enjoy a restful break filled with time spent with loved ones. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a happy New Year!

A Heartfelt Thank You to our friends at Everett Chevrolet The Benton School District is profoundly grateful to Everett Chevrolet and the Everett Family for their incredible generosity and unwavering support of our schools and community. Their recent $15,000 donation to help pay off student lunchroom debt is an extraordinary act of kindness that will make a meaningful difference for so many families this holiday season. Their commitment to our district and their continued investment in the well-being of our students reflect the true spirit of giving and community. From all of us at Benton Schools, thank you for helping ensure every student is cared for and supported.

Rezoning Update and Public Meeting Reminder The Benton School District is preparing for the opening of Mountain View Middle School in the fall of 2025. To accommodate this exciting addition, proposed rezoning plans have been developed to determine which students will attend each middle school. Under the current proposal: Students attending Caldwell Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, and parts of Ringgold Elementary will attend Mountain View Middle School. Students attending Howard Perrin Elementary, Angie Grant Elementary, and other parts of Ringgold Elementary will attend Benton Middle School. We understand the importance of these decisions and value your input. Please join us tomorrow night for a public meeting to review the proposed plans and share your feedback: 📍 211 N. Border St. 🕓 Tuesday, December 10th, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM (drop-in style). Your voice matters as we work to make decisions that best serve our students and families.