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Board OKs handbook updates; athletics tryout guidance and Adventure Club tuition change approved
Summary
Trustees approved multiple 2026–27 handbook updates including a new statement describing athletics and VPA tryout evaluation criteria, clarified complaint/appeal procedures, consolidation of pre-K handbooks, and an Adventure Club tuition increase to $110 per week for the school year.
Dr. Don Hoover presented a package of handbook revisions the Bentonville board approved May 19, describing edits across athletics, visual and performing arts (VPA), Parents-as-Teachers, Adventure Club, trek, and the district’s early-learning programs.
On athletics and VPA, Hoover said the handbooks add a tryout-process statement that allows coaches or evaluators to consider multiple factors — including sport-specific performance during trials, past performance, sportsmanship, character, leadership, academics and overall potential — and that records of tryouts will be retained for 30 days and may be reviewed by parents or guardians. "We're basically having a statement for the athletes and families to see that tryouts can be inclusive of a variety of factors when evaluating athletes during tryouts," Hoover said.
The revisions also clarify complaint and appeal pathways: athletics’ complaints are organized in a bulleted escalation process, while VPA language highlights that the superintendent or designee would be the final review authority. The Adventure Club personnel handbook includes operational alignments (office hours moved to 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.), added crisis-intervention language and an increase in tuition to $110 per week during the school year; Hoover told the board the district has already completed enrollment at the new rate and reported largely positive family feedback.
Hoover said the 'Excellent Beginnings' (pre-K) programs will be under a single umbrella handbook for consistency, and several handbooks received formatting and resource-link updates. Trustees asked few questions and voted to accept the recommended handbook changes.
Trustee Rachel moved to approve the handbook package; Jeremy seconded and the board voted unanimously. The changes will be published in the district’s handbook packet for 2026–27 and communicated to families and staff.
