At the Oct. 14 board meeting Dr. Jerry Cleveland, Springdale superintendent, delivered the district’s annual report and data summary for 2024–25 and briefed the board on recent enrollment trends the district is tracking.

Cleveland told the board that district staff provided two views of enrollment changes (May‑to‑May and end‑of‑year to start‑of‑year). He said the district’s current real‑time enrollment (presented in the meeting slides) was 21,128 students (excluding pre‑K) and that the district recorded a net decline of 621 students from the prior comparable period. Cleveland emphasized that 492 of those 621 losses are in kindergarten through grade 5, and he asked board members to help the district understand and engage families in the community as the district examines choice and charter dynamics.

Academic highlights in the superintendent’s report included a notable increase in Advanced Placement participation: Springdale administered 3,191 AP exams to 1,895 students (an increase of 193 students), and roughly 60 percent of exams received a score of 3 or better. The district also reported increases in higher AP scores (236 exams scored 5; 621 scored 4; 1,053 scored 3). Gifted‑and‑talent enrollment rose by 196 students to a total of 2,394. Cleveland described career and technical education, concurrent credit and IB programs as expanding pathways that help retain and attract students at upper grade levels; he noted that 10–12th grades showed a net gain of about 121 students.

Other operational figures in the annual report: the district reported 23 commissioned school security officers (CSSOs) assigned across pre‑K and elementary campuses, 11 school resource officers at junior high and high schools, 39 full‑time nurses and 17 part‑time nurses, and that all 31 campuses are designated Project ADAM Heart Safe Schools. The district also highlighted a drop in documented bullying reports from 242 in 2023–24 to 106 in 2024–25 and reiterated that all 29 (slide noted 29/31) schools are fully accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education for 2024–25.

Cleveland and staff answered board questions about the drivers of enrollment losses, noting local labor‑market shifts (including a large local employer layoff) and choice options such as neighboring public districts and charter schools. Cleveland asked the board to act as community liaisons to help retain students and families, and staff committed to providing additional breakdowns on where students are transferring, including a request to disaggregate transfers to charter versus other public districts.

Ending: The superintendent said district leadership will continue to monitor enrollment closely, work with principals and community partners, and return with more granular transfer data when available.