Blytheville School District

Blytheville Parents and Community Letter January 2026

Dear Blytheville School District Families,

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm. We are continually monitoring the roads to assess whether buses can safely transport our students. Please make sure the school your child attends has the correct phone number, mailing address, and email address on file for you. We want to make sure that we are able to contact you, especially in emergencies.

At Blytheville School District, we believe that student success is strongest when schools and families partner together with trust, communication, and shared responsibility. As we continue our commitment to academic excellence and student well-being, we want to highlight several key areas where your partnership makes a meaningful difference: student behavior, consistent attendance, reading at home, positive communication, and supportive engagement online. Daily attendance and positive behavior are foundational to student learning at every grade level. Students who are present consistently are better able to stay on pace academically, build strong relationships, and meet expectations for success. We ask families to prioritize on-time attendance each day and to partner with us in reinforcing respectful, responsible behavior both in and outside of school. Attendance is especially critical in the early grades. Under Arkansas law, students must meet the 3rd Grade Reading Promotion Requirement , which emphasizes strong reading skills as essential for long-term academic success. The elementary school will send out letters in the next few weeks explaining this Arkansas law and the support your 3rd grade child needs to be promoted. Regular attendance, combined with daily reading practice at home, plays a vital role in helping students meet this requirement and move confidently into the next grade level. Reading at home continues to be one of the most powerful ways families can support learning. Whether reading together, talking about books, or encouraging independent reading, even 15 minutes each day helps strengthen literacy skills, build confidence, and foster a lifelong love of reading. Find what they love to learn about and help them find those high interest books. Create an in-home book nook (a safe and comfortable place) for your child to read and share it on the Blytheville School District page. Equal Employment / Education Opportunities Our district attendance goal is 95% daily attendance for every student. Chronic absenteeism is missing more than 10% of days in a school year, including specific classes. Attendance concerns for all students remains a major factor in learning loss, lower achievement, higher dropout rates, and feeling disconnected from their peers. Students need to be exposed to daily good first teaching with their peers. Our attendance goal includes tardies and early dismissals that interrupt learning, students need to be present the full day. Please work with schools to ensure students are on time and at school daily, all day. Excused absences should be documented in writing upon their return. Attendance concerns have serious implications at all grade levels, especially the high school level. High school students are required to meet Arkansas seat-time requirements , even if they are passing a course academically. 9th through 12th grade students are required to have 350 minutes of planned instructional time daily, only leaving 10 minutes of time in the usual 360 minute day. Excessive absences and tardies even in one class can impact course credit and, ultimately, graduation prospects. Our graduation goal is to increase rates from 74% to 85% within the next year. Our ultimate goal is to see 100% of our students graduate on-time. For high school students who need academic additional support, Blytheville High School is offering a night school opportunity to help students recover credits and stay on track for graduation. Families are encouraged to communicate the importance of attendance and making up missed work.

Finally, we ask our community to join us in reframing the district narrative. We are committed to all interactions with families having a positive and respectful tone. Assuming positive intent for teachers, administrators, and staff helps build trust and allows concerns to be addressed productively. Words matter, public conversations shape how our community, schools, staff, and students are perceived and at times the opportunities offered to our children. We are so grateful for your continued partnership and dedication to Blytheville’s students. Together, by supporting improved attendance, encouraging positive behavior, promoting daily reading at home, and communicating with respect; we can create a strong, supportive environment where every child has the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for being an essential part of the Blytheville School District community.

Sincerely,