Congratulations to the 2024-25 Bismarck Cheerleaders!!
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The member school districts of the Dawson Education Service Cooperative are collectively and separately requesting a waiver from A.C.A. 6-10-106, which establishes the first allowable day of class as the Monday of the week that contains August 19. For the 2024-2025 school year that date will be Monday, August 19. We would appreciate approval for the early start date for the listed schools in our region giving public schools the equity afforded to Charter Schools.
The specific waiver being requested is to allow the applying school districts to set their individual district's first day of class to be "no earlier than Monday, August 12."
The law as presently constructed results in a wide swing in the allowable opening date of school. At the earliest, it can be August 14, which was the case this year— fall of 2023. The latest possible first day is August 20 which, under the law will be — the fall of 2029. This waiver would allow the school to open next year and years to follow on the same relative date as this year.
The advantages of this waiver are several:
• The fall and spring semesters would be closer to the same length. Without this waiver, the fall semester will be 84 days while the spring semester will be 94 days, a difference of 10 days. With the waiver the fall semester will be 91 days and the spring semester 87 days, a difference of only 4 days. The more unbalanced the semesters are, the greater the issue for classes that are one semester in length.
• The alternative solution for unbalanced semesters is to not end the fall semester until after Christmas break. This results in final exams shortly after two weeks out of school, and the possibility of exams being repeatedly postponed due to winter weather.
• This waiver will give greater assurance of school ending in late May rather than extending into June. Some research indicates a decrease in learning past the Memorial Day Holiday.
• Beginning school earlier automatically results in more days of instruction before spring testing. More days of instruction will result in higher test scores,
• Activities such as football will begin next fall on the same relative date as they did this fall, with or without the waiver, Therefore a large number of students will already be on campus to practice and prepare for their activities, regardless of the opening date of school. In addition to students who play football, this would include students who participate in groups such as golf, tennis, cross country, volleyball, band, cheer, dance, ROTC, Student Council, and National Honor Society, as well as others.
Please contact us with any questions or comments.
Thank you,
Susan Kissire
Superintendent
Exciting news! Thanks to the generous support from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we're thrilled to announce that our school is one of 75 selected to create a calming room for students. This dedicated space will provide a peaceful retreat for those in need of a moment to recharge and find inner balance. Stay tuned as we embark on this journey with our incredible students, and keep you updated on our progress!
New Online Payment Link for School Meals
Beginning November 28th, Bismarck Schools will be using a new online payment system for school meals. Please go to https://linqconnect.com/ to create your account and connect any student accounts you wish to be able to add funds. Make sure you choose Bismarck Arkansas as your district. You will need the birthdate and grade for each student you wish to connect.
Attention families! Does your student receive Medicaid benefits? If so - action is required!
Our Renew Arkansas campaign is designed to make sure that all eligible Arkansans on Medicaid keep their coverage.
When Medicaid renewal letters start going out, you will need to do two things:
It really is that simple – Look for your Medicaid renewal form. Fill it out. Send it back. If you are still eligible for Medicaid, this will make sure you keep your coverage. If you haven’t updated your contact information with Arkansas Medicaid recently, do it now.
It’s important for us to have your current mailing address, phone number, and email address so we can make sure you get your Medicaid renewal letter and any other important information.
You can update your information on the phone, online, or in-person:
SCHOOL CHOICE ANNOUNCEMENT
This is a public announcement. Public School Choice in Arkansas allows students to attend a public school in a district other than the one in which they reside. Applications for students in the following counties: Clark, Grant, Hot Spring, Pike, and Saline must be made by May 1, 2024 to qualify for provisions under the Arkansas Public School Choice Act of 2013.
Pursuant to standards adopted by a non-resident school board, a non-resident district may reserve the right to accept and reject applicants based on capacity of programs, class, grade level, or school building. Likewise, a non-resident district’s standards may provide for the rejection of an applicant based upon the submission of false or misleading information to the above listed request for information when that information directly impacts the legal qualifications of an applicant to transfer pursuant to the School Choice Act. However, a non-resident district’s standards shall not include an applicant’s previous academic achievement, athletic or other extra-curricular ability, handicapping conditions, English proficiency level, or previous disciplinary proceedings, except that an expulsion from another district may be included pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 6-18-510. Priority will be given to applicants with siblings attending the district. The non-resident district shall accept credits toward graduation that were awarded by another district and award a diploma to a non-resident applicant if the applicant meets the non-resident district’s graduation requirements. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Superintendent of Schools no later than May 1 for a child to be able to enroll for the fall semester. Transfers shall be granted on a non-discriminatory basis. Students who have been accepted and enrolled in previous years do not have to reapply as approved transfers remain valid for as long as the student attends that public school.
Superintendents of both school districts must be notified by the parent of their school choice request.
Click here for School Choice Information
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Deadline to submit to non-resident district: May 1, 2024 |
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) waiver that provided free meals to students due to the COVID-19 pandemic expired on June 30, 2022. This means that school meals will no longer automatically be free for everyone.
Did you know that it’s more than a meal? Free and Reduced lunch applications affect funding in many areas. All families are encouraged to complete the new meal benefit application to ensure continued funding to support ALL students in our district.
Qualifying for the meal benefit plan allows for two free ACT tests, a Waiver for College Admission Fees, and a Waiver for NCAA Clearinghouse.
Please submit an application to qualify for free/reduced meals at Bismarck School District during the 2022-2023 school year by clicking the following link: www.lunchapplication.com.
Once on the webpage, click "Apply Now", select "Arkansas" and "Bismarck School District", and then read the next page and click "Continue". Then, you will fill out the application entering your information. When finished, click "Submit". It will take about 5 minutes to complete the application process.
Questions or Concerns: If you have any questions, please reach out to Ronda Engle at ronda.engle@bsd-lions.net.
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO APPLY
Click below to view document
BSD 4-Day School Week FAQ Document
Helpful links:
https://sites.google.com/view/four-day-school-week/home
https://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-four-day-school-week-1548.html
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-what-it-takes-to-make-a-4-day-school-week-work/2018/11
https://www.jhseonline.com/index.php/ruraled/article/view/529/507