By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
Cabot High School sustained $75,000 in tornado damage during the April 3 storms, Superintendent Tony Thurman announced at Tuesday night’s Cabot School Board meeting. Part of the roof was torn off, windows were blown out and some awnings around the high school campus were destroyed.
He and the board expressed their thanks to the district’s custodial and maintenance staff for getting the mess cleaned up in record time.
The district is still working to rebuild Junior High North, which was destroyed by a fire last year. Assistant Superintendent Jim Dalton reported the concrete block work on Junior High North has begun and the red steel continues to go up.
The board also began the first steps in helping fund three future building projects by signing partnership resolutions to have the state help pay some of the construction costs of new science labs at Junior High South, building a permanent charter school facility and installing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units in 10 campus kitchens.
Beyond construction news, the majority of Tuesday’s Cabot School Board meeting was spent recognizing the achievements of several graduating seniors who have received honors throughout the state.
Five seniors were recognized for earning the University of Arkansas’ top scholarship; math whizzes were recognized for dominating a regional math competition and earning an invitation to the April 26 state competition; and 10 teachers were recognized for being Cabot Panther Education Foundation grant winners.
Seniors David Myers, Seth Williams, Jason Haynes, Jackson Spradley and Laura Neumann were granted the top scholarship U of A awards, a UA Fellowship valued at about $100,000. The Fellowship takes care of full tuition for four years, including study abroad, and has a technology allowance; other scholarships can also be stacked on top of the fellowship.
In the past, only one or two Cabot High School students have earned a U of A Fellowship, but this year, all five that interviewed were granted scholarships, adviser Jana Smith said.
The five also earned the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship, $10,000 a year for four years, and are also National Merit finalists.
Haynes is also a semi-finalist for a U.S. Presidential Scholar, Cabot High School Principal Zanya Clarkson said. “He and two Central High boys will compete for one selected from Arkansas to go to Washington, D.C. and be recognized by President Bush,” she said.
Spradley is also an Arkansas Times’ Academic All-Star, Clarkson said.
During the March 8 Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics regional competition, Cabot students received 15 of the 21 awards and were invited to the state competition April 26.
The group swept the Algebra II competition, taking every award in the competition; the closest score was the student scoring 23rd place. First place went to Annie Tang, second place was Spencer Sharp, third place was Grace Coggins, and honorable mention went to Whitley Blaeuer, Justin Blankenship, Samantha Hampton and Karston Powers.
In the geometry competition, Katie Vandruff received third place. In the pre-calculus/trigonometry competition, third place went to Heather Yoon and honorable mention went to Daniel Davis, Marissa de la Paz and Lindsey Hoggatt.
In the calculus competition, second place was Aaron Cantrell, third place was Jason Haynes, and honorable mention went to K.C. Thompson.
Out of 35 applications representing every school in the Cabot district, 10 were chosen as recipients of a $1,000 technology grant from the Cabot Panther Education Foundation.
Recipients were Mandee Carmical from CHS, Debra Daugherty from Junior High North, Ahna Davis and Cat Mince from CHS, Mary Emily Gober from both Middle School South and Middle School North, Jamie Layes from Junior High South, Christy Lyons from Stagecoach Elementary, Danita Pitts from MSN, Bethany Rees from MSN, Jill Weir from MSN and Melissa Wilson from Southside Elementary.
The winning applications were chosen based on three criteria - the purpose of the project, the activities to be conducted with the students and the level of student engagement.
In other school board business, the Panther Education Foundation announced it will hold a golf tournament May 5 at Greystone Country Club. Board member Jim Coy said they were still looking for teams of four to play; 25 teams have already signed up but there is room for 33 foursomes.
Cost to play is $100 per person and $400 for a foursome. Proceeds go to help enhance the quality of education within the Cabot district.
