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Springdale board honors retirees and teachers of the year; students show conference projects
Summary
At its May 12 meeting the Springdale School District honored dozens of retiring staff, named district Teachers of the Year, and heard student presentations and East Conference highlights including Westwood Elementary winning the founders award.
The Springdale School District board dedicated a large portion of its May 12 meeting to celebrating staff and student achievements, recognizing long-serving educators and announcing the district—s teachers of the year.
Dr. Cleveland and board members read the names and years of service for dozens of certified retirees across buildings and encouraged the crowd to hold applause until all had been recognized. Several retirees came forward to say brief thanks. "I absolutely love my job," said one retiree who described 38 years in the district and said she leaves "with gratitude and love for my kids and staff." The board presented tokens of appreciation and took group photos.
Teachers of the Year: District curriculum staff described a multi-step selection: building nominations, an application scored by a neutral rubric, and a scoring panel. The district announced its 2025–26 Teachers of the Year and highlighted inclusion practices in special education and collaborative planning. "Inclusion is not the work of one educator, it's a collective commitment," a district representative said while describing the awardee's work with behavior-management plans and peer-buddy systems.
Student showcases and East Conference: The meeting also featured student presentations from the East Conference. Students and staff described projects and awards: Westwood Elementary received the founders award; student speakers from several schools described hands-on project work including assistive devices and 3-D printing demonstrations. A student presenter from Westwood described designing interchangeable rings to let a client with limited hand mobility tie bracelets independently.
Community and future events: District staff invited the public to visit the students' booths at the auxiliary gym for a Wednesday showcase and noted signing-day highlights, including more than 50 business partners participating and an initial estimate that student signings could translate to roughly $4.5 million in five-year earnings impact to the region.
What—s next: Teachers of the Year and retirees will be photographed and publicly recognized; the district asked board members to attend graduation ceremonies and community events to celebrate students and staff.
