Board approves FY24 audit, two instructional positions and surplus of three buses; routine consent business passes

The Bentonville School District Board of Education on Jan. 21 approved several financial and staffing actions, including acceptance of the fiscal year 2024 audit, authorization to surplus three school buses for sale, and approval of two full-time instructional positions for the 2025–26 school year.

Audit: Landmark CPAs presented the district’s audit report and issued an unmodified opinion on the regulatory basis of accounting. Eric Hoyt of Landmark CPAs told the board, “We gave an unmodified opinion on the regulatory basis, which is basically a clean opinion.” The board then voted to accept the audit report. Roll-call votes recorded at the meeting show Tatum, Willie, Jennifer Faddis and Kelly voting yes; the motion passed.

Budget and fleet: District finance staff reported midyear budget figures and recommended the surplus of three aging buses for sale on govdeals.com. Staff said the district’s operating revenues exceeded expenditures by $16.8 million so far in the year and that the general fund balance was $55.8 million (22.3 percent of budget) at midyear. The board voted to surplus three buses; a purchasing request to buy replacement buses is scheduled for a future meeting. Board members asked whether replacement vehicles were already procured and were told a bus-purchase request would appear on the February agenda.

Staffing: The board approved two full-time positions to support parent-choice programs for 2025–26: an arts-integration coach for Sugar Creek Elementary Arts Academy, and an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years and Middle Years coordinator to support Ruth Barker Middle School and initial IB implementation at Washington Junior High. Staff estimated the combined salary-and-benefits cost for the two positions at $163,787. The motion to add the positions passed by recorded vote with the same four board members voting yes.

Consent agenda and parent-choice note: The consent agenda passed by roll call. During a brief question on school-choice capacity, staff summarized different parent-choice pathways — district-to-district transfer, the Arkansas Public School Choice Act of 2015 application (by May 1) and Opportunity Schools choice for students in districts with designated failing schools — and said the district had received 20 parent-choice applications so far, including 10 kindergarten applicants.

Executive session personnel actions: After retiring to executive session on personnel matters, the board reconvened and voted to approve the personnel items discussed in executive session. The recorded vote on that motion was yes by Tatum, Willie, Jennifer Faddis and Kelly.

Votes at a glance (motions and outcomes): - Motion: Approve tonight’s agenda. Outcome: Approved (unanimous recorded yes votes). Mover: Jennifer; Second: Willie. (See transcript roll call.) - Motion: Approve consent agenda. Outcome: Approved (unanimous recorded yes votes). Mover: Willie; Second: Tatum. - Motion: Accept fiscal year 2024 audit report (Landmark CPAs). Outcome: Approved (roll call yes: Tatum, Willie, Jennifer Faddis, Kelly). Mover: Jennifer; Second: Becky. - Motion: Approve financial report and surplus of three buses (to be sold on govdeals.com). Outcome: Approved (roll call yes). Mover: Willie; Second: Jennifer. - Motion: Approve two full-time positions for 2025–26 (arts-integration coach and IB coordinator), estimated combined cost $163,787. Outcome: Approved (roll call yes). Mover: Tatum; Second: Jennifer. - Motion: Approve personnel matters discussed in executive session. Outcome: Approved (roll call yes). Mover: Jennifer; Second: Tatum.

What the board did not decide: The 2026–27 calendar was presented only for a first reading; no final vote was taken. Staff will collect feedback and return a revised draft for board action on Feb. 18.

Next steps: The district will post the calendar feedback form and accept comments through Jan. 31; a bus-purchase request will be brought to the board in February; staff will proceed with recruitment and summer training planning for the approved instructional positions.