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The Berryville School Board approved a one-year extension to superintendent Owen Powell’s contract at its regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 23.
Powell’s current threeyear contract was set to expire on June 30, 2025. It now will go to 2026.
“I’m very grateful and very much appreciative of the extension,” said Powell, who has been with his hometown district 24 years, the past seven as superintendent. “I feel like I’ve got a really good, strong working relationship with the board and being from Berryville just makes it that much more special.”
Powell said the contract extension is “very comforting.”
“Hopefully, one day I can end my career here in Berryville,” he said. In other action at the meeting, the board approved a $43,000 expenditure to replace marching band instruments.
“We are going to purchase four silver-plate marching tubas, four silver- plate marching French horns and four silver-plate marching baritones,” Powell said. “The instruments they’re currently using are over 20 years old and they’re pretty beat up.
“I know this is a big expenditure, but we’re going to get quality instruments that will hopefully last us another 20 years.”
The board also unanimously approved spending $14,000 on a virtual dyslexia- on-demand contract and $10,244 for the renewal of the school board legal liability insurance.
The board received a positive report in testing scores, Powell said.
“We’re seeing some really good growth in our reading and math scores, especially at the elementary, intermediate and the middle school,” he said. “We’re seeing really good growth and we’re really proud of that.
“I’m really proud of our teachers. They’re working really hard. I’m also proud of our students seeing that growth.”
Powell also told the board that the district’s enrollment as of Jan. 17 was 1,817.
“We’re up about 30 students from the same time last year, which is a good thing,” Powell said. “Anytime you’re showing growth it’s good.”
Classified personnel approvals included the resignations of Sara Pace as middle school paraprofessional, Whitney Johnson as elementary paraprofessional, Natasha Phillips as elementary secretary and Edward Wallace as technology coordinator. New hires included Rebecca Wineinger as middle school paraprofessional; Dakota Tesch-Spry as custodian substitute; Maricela Calderon and Vickie Steward as cafeteria workers; Makayla Scallron, Freya Stewart, Savanna Joy and Jocelyn Aleman as cafeteria substitutes; and Henry Adams, Jerry Magee and John Casey Stewart as bus driver substitutes. The board also approved the transfer of Jannea Howze-Chaney from elementary paraprofessional to elementary secretary.
In certified personal approvals, Johnice Glission was hired as middle school keyboarding teacher.
A series of fundraisers were also approved by the board, including:
• Junior high cheerleaders to sell old uniforms
• GT class to hold a talent show, silent auction, and Miss Berryville Pageant
• FCCLA to sell Valentine’s Day “Crushes”
• FFA to hold a chili cook-off and silent auction
• International Club to sell Valentine’s Day goodie bags
• Junior class to hold a freshman dance
• Student Council to sell Bobcats hats and beanies
• Bobcat Booster Club to hold half-court shot competition • Migrant Education to sell t-shirts and sweatshirts Because of Presidents Day, the next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The board also made the decision to move the March board meeting up a week because of Spring Break. It will be held on March 13.
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