Parents will have more choices for their children in the Bentonville School District next school year with the addition of three new parent choice schools. 

Parent choice schools are learning models with a specific goal or curriculum focus, similar to charter schools.

The district is adding two more parent choice school learning models and converting one of the existing middle schools to the International Baccalaureate Programme model. There are two existing parent choice learning models already in place. 

The district will share more about the different parent choice learning models during a program unveiling event at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. 

Parent choice schools represent “an evolution in the education of our students,” according to a statement from the district. “These schools allow children and parents to choose the learning environment that best suits their goals and interests.” 

Families who do not want to participate in the new curriculum models are allowed to choose a different school within the district as the focus curriculum is throughout the entire school, not just a program within the school. 

By allowing students to move from their zone school to a parent choice school, the district is trying to alleviate overcrowding at some schools while boosting enrollment at schools that are experiencing decreased enrollment. This allows the district to shift enrollment without redistricting the entire district. 

“A few schools, specifically Centerton Gamble Elementary, Vaughn Elementary and Evening Star Elementary, are nearing capacity,” said Leslee Wright, the district’s director of communications. “We want to alleviate those concerns while allowing parents to tailor their child’s education based on his or her gifts and interests through specific learning models.” 

Bentonville Schools currently offers two parent choice options: The International School at Mary Mae Jones, which features the International Baccalaureate Programme, and the Visible Learning model at Apple Glen Elementary. 

According to the district’s website, the Visible Learning model, “empowers every student to lead his or her own learning and share their levels of understanding through a culture of perseverance, problem-solving, curiosity and collaboration.” Bentonville is the only school in the state using this learning model.

The district’s website offers a page to explain each learning model. With the Visible Learning model, a classroom day’s learning goals are reviewed several times throughout the lesson and students are expected to reflect on the requirements to decide if they have a strong enough understanding of what they are learning. 

“For example, an English teacher has students respond to a prompt in writing before they leave class each day. The prompt requires that students reflect on the success criterion/a for the day,” according to the website. 

As the students leave the classroom they provide a feedback slip that shares at what level they understand the material and whether or not they need help. 

In the 2025-26 school year, the International Baccalaureate Programme will expand to include Ruth Barker Middle School. This academically challenging program has a curriculum and examinations that prepare students for the next step in their academic career. At the high school level, that is preparing for attending university and working life. 

The International Baccalaureate Programme curriculum encourages students to adopt a global perspective when learning through a commitment to respect, inquiry, growth and service. The International Baccalaureate Programme is currently available at Bentonville High School, and Washington Junior High School is expected to offer it in the future. 

Once Ruth Barker and Washington Junior High are onboarded, Wright said the International Baccalaureate Programme learning model will be offered to Bentonville students in all grades. 

Starting in the 2025-26 school year, two more parent choice schools will be available. Sugar Creek Elementary School will offer an arts integration model and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School will offer a leadership academy model. 

According to agenda documents, the arts integration model will “infuse arts integration into the core curriculum, fostering creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The leadership academy will develop students’ leadership abilities through experiential learning, community service and character development.” 

Thomas Jefferson Principal Emily Carlson and Sugar Creek Principal Stephanie Summerford shared their respective school’s model at a Nov. 19 School Board meeting. One of the first things addressed was the support, both in staff and financially, that would be required for adding the new models. 

Current staff at the schools are being given the opportunity to move to a different school if they do not wish to continue with the new models. Any additional positions, such as arts integration or leadership specialists, will come from the current staff. 

Thomas Jefferson will utilize grant funding for professional development. Sugar Creek will require an additional budget of $70,000, primarily for professional development, conference attendance and technology access. State Professional Development funds will cover this cost. State Professional Development funds are a funding category from the state that is provided for professional development. 

The principals also addressed concerns about making major changes at the schools from their staff. 

“This is a big endeavor to change your school’s (focus),” Carlson said. 

Summerford said that she told staff, “we are not adding more to your plate. We are changing the plate on which it’s being presented.” 

In addition to the announcement on Dec. 10, the district will work to educate parents and other interested community members about the different parent choice schools with a variety of written materials and information on the website.