This story was reported by Grand Prairie Herald contributor Lisa Mills.

With the new school year underway, the Des Arc School Board got an update from administrators at its meeting Monday, Aug. 24.

Superintendent Marc Sherrell reported that enrollment in kindergarten through 12th grade stands at 647 students. He said he believes this has been the smoothest start to a school year in the five years he has been with the district, with employees working together toward the same goals.

Sherrell said a project to install turf on the football field has been completed, as has work to polish concrete in the hallways of both schools. The district has received many compliments on the work, he said, particularly the emblems inlaid in the polished concrete.

High School Principal B.J. Paschal agreed that the district has had a strong start to the school year.

He reported that efforts are already underway to provide tutoring to 118 students identified through testing as needing intervention.

Paschal also told the board the high school had received notice from U.S. News & World Report that it ranks in the top 40% of high schools nationally and 24th among 339 high schools in Arkansas.

He said the district’s middle school, covering seventh through ninth grades, was ranked 12th among 635 middle schools in Arkansas.

Elementary Principal Stacey Childers also reported a good start to the school year. She said one improvement that has received positive feedback is the flow of the car line during student drop-off.

Childers said the elementary school has 26 new students this year. She also announced that Entergy provided a $1,000 grant for the district’s backpack program, which includes food for students to take home.

The board accepted the resignations of HIPPY facilitator Cynthia Taylor and bus driver Michael Baxter. It also approved the hiring of Krista Burgess as a new HIPPY facilitator, Charlene Green as an elementary special education paraprofessional, Rebecca Walters as a high school special education paraprofessional and Cheryl Holland as an elementary long-term substitute.