The Foundation Schools Can't Build Alone

Education is more than just a statistic. It affects community growth, creating the future leaders who will shape our communities for generations to come.

Leaders throughout the community met and discussed tactics for back-to-school success. Tiffany Beaudry, 10:33 Initiative Coordinator for Pope and Yell Counties, led the panel, highlighting goals for student graduation, encouragement, and widespread recognition through involvement.

"How do we get the encouragement? How do we walk alongside as a community so that these things are being accomplished?"

Joining Beaudry were four community figures, including Dardanelle Mayor Jimmy Witt.

"We're training our next group of people that are going to be whether in the workforce, or our future leaders, or our future chiefs, our future pastors," Witt said. "It all starts at home, and it starts with the ground and the foundational roots that are planted in those young minds about work ethic, drive, agendas, goals, and everything you want to establish."

Gene Tanner, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dardanelle, concurred with Witt, saying that although school holds a great importance to young and growing minds, the foundation always begins at home. It is on the parent to guide, encourage, and prepare their children for the future.

"The family is the most important unit we have, and we've forgotten about that," Tanner said. "The primary responsibility for raising your child is not the school. You have the primary responsibility for raising your child."

Tanner also said that when families and schools work together, young people have a stronger foundation to thrive.

Dardanelle High School Principal Paul Farnam echoed Tanner’s claim, saying he wishes families held education to a higher standard at home.

“I wish that families talked as though they value education richly in their home.”

Farnam went on to address chronic absenteeism, an rising issue taking place in schools for years.

“The statistics from COVID, it was like 10 percent of students missed 10 percent of the school year, and that number went up to 25 percent,” Farnam said. “That’s around 10 days a semester, and it adds up.”

Chief of Police Joseph Paternak rounded out the panel covering resources for youths facing challenges, highlighting support systems that are readily available to help prevent habitual issues as they grow.

“With kids and dealing with juveniles, there’s a lot of different resources that are out there. If a kid makes a mistake, which as an adult can be a criminal violation, through our juvenile office there’s some diversions. We can get to families that need some services and different things. There are some different outlets out there that can help with troubled youth.”

It takes a village for a community to thrive. Parents, educators, law enforcement officers, and other community leaders all play an important role in advancing community efforts. For Pope and Yell counties, collaboration is key to shaping stronger communities.