Building bright futures

Bright Futures …

Wanting to make a difference in the life of children and to clear the way for teachers to be free to educate children, Rick Neal is proposing for Pea Ridge schools to be the first in the state to use Bright Futures USA to meet needs in children’s lives.

Neal, superintendent of schools, said he learned about the program from C.J. Huff, superintendent of Joplin, Mo., schools.

“This ties it all together,” Neal said, as he prepared the invitations to request the presence of people from many different walks of life to the organizational meeting at1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, in the Pea Ridge High School cafeteria.

“Everybody - anybody - is invited,” Neal said.

The resources exist, Neal said, Bright Futures just brings all of them together. Members of the Pea Ridge Ministerial Alliance, directors of food banks, city officials and many other people have been invited.

“We need to establish what are true needs,” Neal said, “and identify the needs of the children and how we can meet those needs.”

“We want to be able to go to bed at night knowing that the kids have shoes, are fed and have a place to sleep,” Neal said. “We are going to guarantee that we as a school aren’t going to overlook their needs.”

“Our community needs to take ownership of the children,” he said, so teachers don’t have to worry about the children’s basic needs and can focus on teaching them.

Jeff Spangler, director of Bright Futures USA, said the program does not replace anything, but “brings it all together.”

The program is in 14 other communities, one in Kansas and 13 in Missouri. Pea Ridge would be the first in Arkansas.

“We want to engage the community in the school,” Spangler said.