The Gravette School Board met this past Monday. The board was presented with photos and updates on the current Gravette High School six-classroom addition. The dry winter has provided Crossland Construction with optimal conditions to stay on track by the start next school year. These rooms are being built to withstand tornadoes and strong storms. This will provide shelter for the school population and a place to take cover during outdoor events at Lions Stadium and the Baseball/Softball Complex.
Mr. Gravette opened the meeting with a celebration of Board Member Tim Craig, who is leaving the board in the coming month. The board honored Mr. Craig’s community involvement through his local business, years of support to the district and his role as a father. Mr. Craig was given some gifts from the schools and a plaque honoring his 50 hours of board training. Thank you, Mr. Craig, for your many years of service to the Gravette School District.
The board also celebrated Coach Jeff Stapleton, who was named 4A Wrestling Coach of the Year, the boys basketball team that qualified for the regional tournament, the junior high girls basketball team that won the district championship and Eustace Terry for earning All-State in choir.
The district is planning to have 8th St. between Gravette Upper Elementary and Gravette Middle School repaved at the completion of the school year. Mr. Kurczek provided the monthly financial update. The district is currently on budget and preparing for 2026-2027 financial projections. The board was presented with details covering the annual food service compliance reports. The district continues to score well in food safety and quality. Board president Brad Harris thanked Food Service Director Sheila Roughton for her hard work and high scores on these reports. Mrs. Roughton’s staff does a great job feeding our kids every day. We greatly appreciate this team for providing the meals that ensure our kids are ready to learn.
The district is currently reviewing its school photography contract and is looking at options for the 2026-2027 school year. The optional spring photos at the elementary and middle schools will not be offered this year.
During the action items portion of the meeting, the board voted to extend the contract of Superintendent Jeff Gravette for an additional year at the current contract terms. Mr. Gravette’s contract will run through the 2027-2028 school year. The current contract includes district goals in literacy, graduation rate and the school letter grade. The district currently has a “B” rating from the Arkansas Department of Education. The board voted to extend the contracts of certified and classified administrators with contract terms to be determined in the near future.
The board approved a contract to partner with Gravette Band Boosters to purchase 85 new band uniforms for the 2026-2027 school year. The new uniform was shown to the board by band member Boston Evans and Band Director Aaron Ray at last month’s meeting. The board approved a bid with Springfield Grocers for food service for the upcoming school year. The board also approved the salary schedules for next year and next year's school calendar. The calendar can be found at the following link: Gravette School District 2026-2027 School Year Academic Calendar