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By Randy Rice Special to West Washington County Guide One of the reasons more and more families are choosing to put down roots in west Washington County are the exceptional public schools available to their children. Below is a brief overview of the three school districts that serve the area. Each one is worthy of consideration for those looking to make the move to this part of Northwest Arkansas. Farmington Schools Over the past decade or so, Farmington School District has completed several major projects resulting from the extraordinary growth of the district to the point where they are big enough to offer almost anything a parent would want for their child's education. At the same time, they have held on to the personal, one-on-one contact only a smaller community like Farmington can offer. "e district is a place for students to feel safe and have a positive educational experience," said Jon Laffoon, superintendent of Farmington School District. "Our district values are embedded in the work our staff does each day: safety, relationships, integrity, excellence and service. "We have three award- winning RISE literacy schools and our teachers, staff and administration at the K-6 level believe all students will learn at high levels. At our secondary schools, we offer a variety of career and technical offerings, such as EAST, STEM pathways, Agri, Business and FCS. "Along with the expansive CTE offerings, we have great core teachers who care about their students and believe in them," Laffoon continued. "Our extracurricular opportunities provide students with a chance to be a part of something great. Our music programs and arts programs thrive and the theater program puts together incredible productions. Our athletic teams are making history as some of the most successful in the state in my three years and they provide our young people a chance to work together to succeed at a high level." One of the newer programs at FSD is their computer science pathway that offers an internship opportunity with Kilroy Blockchain. ey are also working with the Agri Department, NWTI, and the Northwest Arkansas Education Cooperative to establish a welding pathway with industry- level training and certifications. "I've worked in other districts and none support their schools like Farmington," Laffoon added. "Our community shows up for the Cardinals. ey support us K-12, help us on committees, fundraising, and do whatever it takes to help our students. e community support is second to none, it's special." Prairie Grove Schools Prairie Grove is a highly rated school district. Niche ranked Prairie Grove 16th out of 240 in Best School Districts in Arkansas. With a graduation rate of 94%, the high school, junior high, middle school and elementary grades provide a comprehensive education to the children of Prairie Grove and the nearby unincorporated communities of Washington County. With only one elementary school, one middle school, one junior high and one high school, your student will enjoy the bonding experience of traversing all 12 grades with the same classmates. "Prairie Grove is in a unique situation where we have a lot of opportunities for our students to be able to show off their talents, learn new skills and explore they're learning while at the same time having a small town feel to it where people know each other and they care about each other," said Pete Joenks, interim superintendent of Prairie Grove School District. "I guess you could say we have the best of both worlds." Prairie Grove School District has a school-based health clinic in the intermediate building on campus. e center is a community clinic, designed to serve students as well as our community members. e goal of this clinic is to promote the overall health of the students so they can fully benefit from the educational program. e school district in known for welcoming new students, as this graduating senior attested: "Ever since I first moved here I was anxious – new school, new people. But the students, staff and people were incredibly friendly. I truly am very happy that we choose the Prairie Grove School District to further my education, as it was very influential on my career choices and future." Lincoln Schools e schools of Lincoln Consolidated School District (LCSD) are a major source of pride for this city. Lincoln schools are exceeding at every Highly rated school districts attract young families to West Washington County Photo courtesy Enterprise-Leader The Prairie Grove marching band performed at a recent Homecoming game. 4 | 2023 West Washington County Directory