WCEL West Washington County Directory

One of the reasons more and more families are choosing to put down roots in West Washington County is the exceptional public schools available to their children. Below is a brief overview of the three school districts that serve the area, each one worthy of consideration if you are looking to make the move to this part of Northwest Arkansas. Farmington sCHools Over the past decade or so, the Farmington School District has completed several major projects resulting from the extraordinary growth of the district. e process began with discussions of the need to build a new high school and all the things that came along with it. e first stage of the master plan was to build a gym and performing arts center. About the time they completed those two facilities they started building the high school proper—the classrooms, offices and all the things needed for a modern learning facility. With the high school open, they were now down to the third, and final, stage of the grand design: the Sports Complex and Cardinal Stadium. In the end, the Farmington school district was able to build about $45 million in facilities – the gym, the performance center, the high school and the sports complex – without having to go to the voters to ask for a tax increase. ese game-changing projects have put the Farmington school district in a sweet spot: big enough but not too big. e district has grown to the point where they can offer almost anything a parent would want from a school district for their child's education. At the same time they have held on to the personal, one-on-one contact only a smaller school district like Farmington can offer. linColn sCHools e schools of the Lincoln Consolidated School District (LCSD) are a major source of pride for this city. Lincoln schools are exceeding at every level, with several innovative initiatives. e Teacher and Student Achievement Program (TAP) provides teacher evaluation, focused professional development, multiple career paths, and performance-based compensation. TAP is implemented at all grade levels in all schools. Lincoln received the TAP Award of Distinction in 2012. Lincoln's Leader in Me program provides students with opportunities to grow as leaders and become successful members of society. Leader in Me is implemented in Lincoln Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School for students in kindergarten through seventh grade. e school district's New Tech Initiative provides engaging learning experiences for students incorporating project-based learning and combined-curriculum courses. Additionally, Lincoln is fortunate to have a tremendous amount of technological devices for students and staff. Students in grades three through twelve use MacBook Air laptops and younger students use iPod Touch and iPad. ey have one of the most robust school networks in the state of Arkansas. Finally, through their Ready for Learning Committee, LCSD has prepared new paths to education under the guidelines of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE.) ey offer the most effective options that support the individual student and the path to education they have chosen. Prairie grove sCHools Prairie Grove is another highly rated school district. Niche ranked Prairie Grove 16th out of 240 in Best School Districts in Arkansas. District enrollment has increased from 1,990 in 2018 to 2,058 students in 2021 in grades pre-K through high school. ey have a very impressive student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. With a graduation rate of 92%, the high school, along with the middle school and elementary grades provide a comprehensive education to children in Prairie Grove and nearby unincorporated communities of Washington County. With only one elementary, one middle and one high school, students will enjoy the bonding experience of traversing all 12 grades with the same classmates. Prairie Grove School District has opened a School Based Health Clinic in the intermediate building on the Prairie Grove School Campus. e center is a community clinic designed to serve students as well as community members. e goal of this clinic is to promote the overall health of the Prairie Grove students so they can fully benefit from their educational program. e school district in known for welcoming new students, as one graduating senior attested: "When 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." Schools of West Washington County 30 | 2022 West Washington County Directory

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