South Pike County School Board Approves Six-Year Terms, Financial Motions, and Reports Enrollment at 673

The South Pike County School Board met for their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, addressing key updates in district operations, finances, and upcoming events.

One of the main actions taken was the board’s unanimous approval of a resolution to transition to six-year board terms and adopt a staggered election schedule, as permitted under Act 503 of 2025. The motion was made by Barbie Baxter and seconded by Wes Campbell, passing with a 7-0 vote.

Superintendent Tanya Wilcher delivered the monthly report, noting that all board members have received their required in-service hours and the district has received its certificate of good standing from the Arkansas School Board Association. Wilcher also reviewed the updated election timeline for board members.

She reported current enrollment at 673 students and shared that the district has fully equipped its buses with radios, and campus handheld radios are now in use for communication.

Wilcher also reminded the board of the upcoming scrimmage game at home against Ashdown this Friday. Admission is $5, cash only, as proceeds go directly to the Arkansas Activities Association. For all future games, tickets will cost $7 with both cash and card accepted at the gate and concession stands.

The board also passed several financial motions unanimously:

• Approval of direct deposit and wire transfers through Square and Stripe for cashless payment systems. (Motion by Brian Caldwell, second by Cory Ballard)
• Approval of direct payments for the APSRC Purchasing Card (via ARVEST Bank through Centersuite) and property insurance through the State Captive Insurance Program. (Motion by Cory Ballard, second by Brian Caldwell)
• Approval of the 2025-2026 fuel bid from Blackmon Oil. (Motion by Alyssa Duggan, second by Wes Campbell)
• Approval of a $1,575,000 certificate of deposit (CD) bid to First State Bank at a 4.26% interest rate for 12 months. (Motion by Cory Ballard, second by Wes Campbell)

The board also voted to move the next regular meeting to Tuesday, September 23, 2025.