By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
As the school year has ended, so too has Dr. Frank Holman’ tenure as superintendent of Cabot Public Schools.
His last official day is June 30, when he will begin his new position as superintendent of the Lincoln Consolidated School District near Fayetteville. The move means a substantial pay cut for Holman, who made more than $170,000 in Cabot. He was the highest paid superintendent in 2003. Holman was among the many recognized by the district Monday for his years of service to the district during his five-years as chief of schools.
Dr. Tony Thurman succeeds Holman as superintendent.
“I am very proud of what we have done together,” Holman said. “It is a result of dedicated, hard working professionals.”
Highlights of Holman’s career in Cabot include: more than $40 million in funding spent for new school facilities over five years and approval of $80 million for new projects over the next couple of years to rebuild Junior High North, build additional elementary classrooms and other renovations.
“That’s nearly $120 million in construction from 2003 to 2009,” Holman said. “Our challenge will be coming up with our share of the matching 40 percent.”
His accomplishments include: professional development and learning that are a model for the state; an increase in student achievement at all schools and on all measures; information and technology tools for teachers, staff, students, parents and the community, including a 3- to -1 computer-to-student ratio and a fiber-optics network connecting all schools with every campus having wireless access; a better alignment of curriculum that is being duplicated by several states based on the work of the Cabot team and Cabot’s conversion charter school, the Academic Center of Excellence (ACE), receiving the National Charter School of the Year award.
“ACE has dropped the number of students being expelled by 90 percent and made a dramatic improvement of curbing the number of dropouts each year,” Holman said. “We have had fantastic results for the three years of ACE and were just approved for another five-year period with 500 students.”
Cabot’s pre-kindergarten program has also increased from 40 students to 260. The total student population increased from 7,500 to 9,000 over five years.
Holman’s other accomplishments include being named Arkansas Association of School Administrators Superintendent of the Year for 2006; finalist for the 2007 Cable’s Leaders in Learning Awards; the President’s Award for his support of Arkansas Gifted and Talented Educators for 2006 and election to a second term as president of the North Central Association of Schools Accreditation and School Improvement for Arkansas for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 year
