The Bentonville School District Board of Education on Oct. 21 approved a set of major administrative items: a biennial facilities master plan resolution, an immediate elimination of class rank, adoption of the district's budget for the fiscal year to date, approval of several course additions and deletions, rejection of a 20-acre land offer, and approval of personnel actions including a contract extension for Superintendent Dr. Jones.

Board members said the votes were routine approval of required plans and operational items, but the decision to discontinue class rank prompted the most substantive discussion because it affects valedictorian and salutatorian recognition for current students.

Dr. Jones said the facilities master plan is a state-required biennial resolution that allows the district to seek partnership funding if it chooses. "Every two years, we are required to pass a resolution that goes to the state that just says, hey, we might apply for partnership funding if we qualify," Jones told the board. He said the district will not be seeking funds for new construction now but will pursue "warm, safe, dry" projects where appropriate. The board approved the resolution by unanimous vote.

Dr. Morrow led the discussion and motion to remove class rank, summarizing community outreach and the effects on students. He told the board the district held two community input sessions with 63 attendees, met with the high school student advisory council and received other individual feedback. "A student saying, a young man saying, he thinks it's overall better for mental health of students," Morrow said, reporting comments from students and families who advocated ending rank. He said that if the board approved the change immediately, the district would not declare a valedictorian or salutatorian for the Class of 2026. The district will issue commemorative letters to students that document their historical rank through the point the system was discontinued; counselors can reference those rankings in recommendations. The board voted unanimously to discontinue class rank effective immediately.

Administrators presented an annual report on assessment and district performance metrics, noting the state ATLAS summative assessments and how letter grades are calculated from achievement and growth measures. Dr. Jones reiterated that ATLAS results and other indicators (AP performance, ACT averages, CTE credentials) together inform the district's view of system health; he emphasized growth measures for subgroups and that more elementary emphasis on science is planned through a curriculum adoption this year.

On course approvals and deletions the board approved several additions and six deletions, primarily aligning CTE pathways and adding advanced or AP-level courses. Additions listed by staff included an advanced pre-AP geometry with statistics course, AP Cybersecurity, AP Business with Personal Finance, Banking and Finance II, AP Computer Science Principles (an 8th-grade pilot at Fulbright Junior High pending state/college-board approval), and Theater Production & Management II. The board and staff noted that approval does not guarantee a course will run if staffing, certification, or enrollment thresholds are not met. The motion to accept the course approvals and deletions passed unanimously.

Finance staff reported first-quarter numbers: an all-funds fund balance of approximately $71,800,000, up about $8.2 million from the prior year driven by transfers of operating savings to the building fund. The operating fund showed year-to-date revenue of about $33,400,000 and expenditures of about $42,900,000, a deficit of roughly $9.6 million the presenter said was expected and likely to be reversed when tax receipts arrive in October and November. The board approved the budget as presented.

The board rejected an offer from Skylight Homes for a partial sale of district-owned land. Staff said the district owns about 81.23 acres across Bridal Road from Fulbright Junior High; a current offer covered 20 acres at $60,000 per acre (total $1,200,000). The board voted to reject the offer and to retain the property as part of district plans for future construction; staff said no appraisal had been obtained because the parcel was purchased as part of a larger tract set aside in the district's 10-year plan.

The meeting concluded with an executive session on personnel. After returning to open session the board approved the personnel packet, which included a contract extension for Dr. Jones; the motion carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance:
Facilities master plan resolution  Approved (unanimous)
Class rank policy (immediate elimination)  Approved (unanimous); consequence: no valedictorian/salutatorian declared for Class of 2026; commemorative rank letters available to students
Course approvals and deletions (multiple CTE and AP additions; six deletions)  Approved (unanimous)
Budget (first-quarter approval)  Approved (unanimous)
Land offer (20 acres at $60,000/acre from Skylight Homes)  Motion to reject approved (unanimous)
Personnel packet and superintendent contract extension  Approved (unanimous)

The board noted upcoming dates on the district calendar, including the next regular meeting Nov. 18 and winter-break dates. Several board members also reminded families that activities schedules had shifted because of weather forecasts and to check school communications.