Week 4: Data & Feedback That Drives Us Forward

Happy Friday!

This morning began with an unexpected challenge when three of our four campuses were without power. The first estimated restoration time was 7:00 a.m., then extended to 9:00 a.m., but thankfully, the lights came back on around 7:30, still thirty minutes before students arrived. While this caused some understandable concern, the crews from SWEPCO worked quickly to restore power, and I want to express my gratitude to them for their rapid response. I also want to thank our staff and parents for their adjustments, patience, and understanding in what was truly an uncontrollable situation.

I also want to thank all of our staff for the steady effort and commitment you have shown throughout this week. Your daily work is what moves us closer to the performance targets we have set for this year.

This week’s Wrap-up will focus on the importance of feedback and the use of data. Whether we are looking at attendance, discipline, or academic performance, the information we collect gives us a clearer picture of where we are and what steps we must take next. Feedback is not just about measurement; it is about learning, adjusting, and improving together as a district.

Discipline Trends

When looking at discipline over the past three years, it is important to understand why the numbers appear higher. Our efforts to fully implement THRIVE and BX3 have led to more accurate reporting, which naturally increases the totals. This reflects better tracking and accountability rather than a decline in student behavior. The more complete our data, the more effectively we can respond to patterns and prevent problems before they grow.

It is encouraging to see the way this year has started compared to last year. At this same point in 2024–2025, we had 53 referrals in Week 2, 90 in Week 3, and 151 in Week 4. This year, the totals for those weeks are significantly lower at 23, 38, and 54, respectively. That is a reduction of nearly two-thirds in early incidents.

Several specific areas of discipline have also shown improvement. Bullying referrals dropped from 28 in 2023-2024 to 22 last year, a positive sign of early intervention taking hold. Bus incidents declined from 378 in 2022–2023 to 283 in 2023–2024, showing long-term improvement, though last year sits at 327 and will need continued attention as this year progresses. While altercations rose from 61 to 78 last year, they remain far below the levels of other categories and serve as a reminder to maintain focus on conflict resolution skills. These figures remind us that discipline data not only identifies challenges but also confirms when strategies are working.

One reason for these improvements is the back-to-school communication with parents about expectations and our commitment to consistency. When schools and families reinforce the same standards, students are set up for success. This early evidence shows that our collective effort—staff, students, and parents—is leading to a stronger start in 2025–2026.

Here is the 3-year trend analysis of selected discipline violations from 2022–2025:

* Attendance Violations

* 2022–23: 34

* 2023–24: 62

* 2024–25: 30

* Clear decline in 2025, now the lowest of the 3 years.

* Bullying

* 2022–23: 18

* 2023–24: 28

* 2024–25: 22

* Peaked in 2024, decreased again in 2025.

* Bus Incidents

* 2022–23: 378

* 2023–24: 283

* 2024–25: 327

* Sharp drop in 2024, followed by a partial rebound in 2025 (still below 2023 levels).

* Class Disruption

* 2022–23: 68

* 2023–24: 131

* 2024–25: 127

* Jumped in 2024, leveled but still higher than the 2023 baseline.

* Harassment

* 2022–23: 10

* 2023–24: 47

* 2024–25: 32

* Significant spike in 2024, declining but still elevated.

* Vandalism

* 2022–23: 8

* 2023–24: 6

* 2024–25: 30

* Decreased briefly, then rose sharply in 2025.

Attendance Trends

Attendance is one of the clearest predictors of student success, which is why we set an ambitious goal of 93.5% daily attendance. Looking at the past several years, the trend tells an important story. From 2017 through 2021, attendance stayed strong in the mid-90s, with a spike in 2021 caused by COVID adjustments when online students were counted present. After that, rates declined here as they did across the state and nation, reaching just above 92% in 2023 and 92.34% in 2024–2025, which was below our district goal.

The good news is that attendance has been climbing again. The last three years show a steady increase, and so far in 2025–2026, we are averaging 95.3% across all campuses. This is not only above the goal, but also a return to the level of consistency we saw before the pandemic. Every percentage point matters, with each one reflecting thousands of days of instruction gained for our students.

With a clear focus on daily presence and continued communication with families, we are on track to make attendance a defining strength of Mena Public Schools again this year.

Source: My School Info. Attendance rates for all students, 2017–2025. The spike in 2021 reflects COVID adjustments when online students were counted present.

Listening to Feedback

We recently concluded our Back-to-School Thought Exchange with staff, which gave us valuable insight into what is working well and what needs attention. Common themes included appreciation for professional development opportunities, requests for greater customization of PD to specific roles, and a reminder that meetings must remain purposeful and respectful of everyone’s time. While there are certain state-mandated trainings that we must offer each year and cannot change, we will continue to focus on making our professional development as powerful and relevant as possible.

In response to past surveys and Thought Exchange comments from new employees, the district has also implemented monthly check-ins for new staff, with the first one scheduled for September 10th. These sessions are designed to provide support, answer questions, and strengthen the transition into our schools. New employees should mark this date and watch for more details from their principals.

We also released a parent Thought Exchange for Open House, and once results are in, we will share them to see how parent feedback aligns with staff experiences.

Wellness Reminder

We are already seeing illness spreading in our schools, and I know many of you have felt it yourselves. Please take care of your health by resting well, staying hydrated, and following good hygiene practices. In addition, we have already begun using the Clorox 360 system on weekends to disinfect our buildings. This is one more step we are taking to protect the health of our staff and students.

Closing Celebrations

I want to begin this week’s celebrations by recognizing our food service staff. They have been short-handed during these first weeks of school, yet they have worked tirelessly to ensure that every student is fed and cared for each day. Their dedication in the face of added challenges has not gone unnoticed. I encourage all of us to support them with patience and gratitude as they continue working toward a fully staffed team.

Teachers have the opportunity to apply for the Arkansas School Conservation Education Grant, which supports hands-on conservation and wildlife education projects. More information can be found here.

Our fine arts programs are also off to a strong start. The Bearcat Band has been outstanding both on the field and in the stands, bringing energy and school spirit to every game. Our Theatre Department took a group of middle and high school students to see The Three Musketeers at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville. The experience of live theatre and a talkback session with the cast has already inspired our students as they prepare for their own first performance of the year.

A special thank you goes out to the community sponsors who have stepped up to support our students in several ways. In addition to helping make Bearcat TV possible for families and fans, we have also received donations that directly benefit the general student population. These contributions reflect the strong partnership between our schools and the community, and they make a meaningful difference for our students.

We are also grateful for the many ways our counseling staff and Behavioral Interventionists serve students and families throughout the year. From organizing career fairs and coordinating Red Ribbon Week to finding ways to provide essential needs such as clothing and supplies and offering one-on-one support for students in crisis, these staff members continually go above and beyond to strengthen the social, emotional, and academic success of our students. The upcoming Coffee with the Counselor session on Wednesday, September 24th, at 5:30 p.m. in the Mena High School Library is just the latest example, focusing on self-regulation and helping children manage strong emotions.

Our librarians are also keeping things fresh and encouraging reading with creative initiatives like We Recommend Wednesdays. This week, Louise Durham Elementary spotlighted a kindergarten class recommendation, reminding us that joy in reading grows when students share books with each other. These efforts are a wonderful addition to #menareads and continue to promote a culture of literacy across the district.

Our student-athletes continue to represent Mena well across many activities. Ladycat Volleyball teams had strong wins this week, the Bearcat Golf team captured a first-place finish at Ozark Country Club, and the Tennis team competed hard against Harmony Grove at Tapley Park. It is also Gameday for Bearcat Football as the senior high team faces Little Rock Hall tonight at 7:00 p.m. For those not making the trip, the game can be watched live on Bearcat TV. Our Junior Bearcats brought home wins this week as well, including victories over Hackett and Cossatot River, and they will be back in action at Dardanelle next Thursday.

It was a good week of momentum at Mena Public Schools.

At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Keep the #menareads posts and videos coming and have a good weekend!