Gravette district reviews enrollment dip and state grade‑card metrics; board seeks weighting details before January planning

Trustees pressed district staff for more detail on enrollment forecasts and the state’s grade-card calculations after administrators reported a steady enrollment decline of roughly 5–8 students per month.

Finance and district leaders said monthly FTE monitoring will guide staffing decisions, and that the January–March planning window will be used to determine program offerings and hiring priorities. Board members specifically asked for a clear explanation of how the state weights components of the high-school grade card, including points awarded for career-path completers and concurrent-credit participation. One trustee requested a breakdown showing how growth trajectories for individual students factor into the calculation so the board can decide whether to 'play to the scorecard' or prioritize other visions for students.

Administrators noted that student mobility and transfers can affect cohort-based graduation rates and that prior tracking systems required more effort to confirm where a student ended up; the current model may reduce that penalty. District officials said they would provide more detailed weighting and growth data before the January meeting and use that information to inform choices about expanding concurrent- and career-path offerings.