With only a week remaining before the first day of school, the Eureka Springs School Board didn’t have much business on the agenda for its regular meeting Aug. 8, but board members still got a few things accomplished.

Topping the list, said superintendent Bryan Pruitt, was voting to approve the use of Enhanced Student Achievement funds to pick up the tab for students who qualify for the district’s reduced lunch plan, calling it “the real issue.”

“After you fill out the free and reduced forms, there’s three things you can be,” Pruitt said. “You’re either free or you’re reduced, or you have to pay completely. Reduced meals are normally, like, half price. So, our district always tries to use some of our ESA funds or wherever we can legally pull funds from, and we use that to help those families that have reduced and make up the difference.

“Basically, at Eureka Springs, our kids are free, or they have to pay.”

For the past two years, all students at most districts were able to eat for free at school thanks to subsidized funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That funding has dried up, meaning school districts must return to business as usual in the cafeteria.

In addition to once again charging for meals at school, the Eureka Springs board in July voted to raise its meal prices by an average of 15 cents across the board based on a recommendation from the Arkansas Department of Education.

That 15-cent increase, Pruitt said, represents the minimum possible increase allowed, saying at the time that he felt it would be better to take “baby steps” as parents returned to having to pay for in-school meals.

Pruitt said picking up the tab for students on reduced meal plans is something he and the district board feel very strongly about.

“That’s something we’re happy to do that for those parents and stuff because you know, times have been hard,” Pruitt said. “It’s still hard. So, any help, I think, will be appreciated and that’s something that we’re glad that we can do for our students.”

In other business, the board approved the district’s financials for July along with a handful of student transfers including one from Berryville, three from Huntsville and one to Berryville.

In personnel matters, the board approved the transfer of Crystal Hutchinson from a paraprofessional position to food services and voted to hire Anne Lindvall as a paraprofessional.

“It was pretty short and sweet,” Pruitt said of last week’s meeting. “Not a whole lot on the agenda. Of course, there are a lot of things going on with school starting back.”

Classes resumed at Eureka Springs schools Monday.

“We’re just excited about bringing our kids back in and about some of the new opportunities we have to offer them,” Pruitt said. “We’re excited to have them back.”

The Eureka Springs district board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 12, at the school administration building.

— Eureka Springs School District superintendent Bryan Pruitt