Bentonville Schools -

The Bentonville West School Bentonville West High School Band and Bentonville Pride took a break from the heat to practice indoors this week. Friday Night Lights are almost here, Bentonville! #whereexcellencelives

Congratulations to Sarah DeWitt! She was recently named principal at The International School at Mary Mae Jones. Sarah is a Bentonville native, a veteran educator and graduated from Bentonville Schools. She's currently pursuing her doctorate and has her ESL certification.

Sarah and her husband, Chris, are proud parents to four sons, all of whom are graduates of Bentonville West High School.

Sarah loves working in her garden, tackling home projects and serving as a board member at the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden.

Keep it growing, Sarah! #whereexcellencelives

Would you like to highlight your small business at our annual teachers' fair: Go to https://business.greaterbentonville.com/events/details/2025-hight-jackson-bentonville-teacher-s-fair-9888 for more information. #whereexcellencelives

Summer loving...had me a blast! It's not over yet, but we're getting ready for you! All of your back-to-school answers can be found at bentonvillek12.org. Check it out when you need it! #whereexcellencelives

Say hello to Rachel Nutt and Bill Akins! They were recently appointed to the Bentonville Schools' Board of Education. Rachel and Bill bring tremendous experience to our district, and both have children enrolled in Bentonville Schools. They look forward to serving your family through this new opportunity. #whereexcellencelives

Bentonville High School Class of 2025 grad Payton Woodruff is one of only six incoming University of Arkansas freshmen to receive the prestigious Bodenhamer Fellowship! This honor affords him up to $80,000 for his education at the U of A.

While at BHS, Payton was a National Merit Finalist, Student Council President and a member of the varsity cheer team. He also created his own small business through his mentorships in the Ignite Professional Studies program. He plans to study data science in the next four years. #whereexcellencelives

Say hello to a new face in town! Ronnie Delk is the new Bentonville High School athletic director. He brings an extensive athletic background to Bentonville, having served as an athletic director and coach for more than two decades.
Ronnie is married to Stacey, a teacher at Ruth Barker Middle School, and they have two children together: Addison and Mason. When he was offered the job here, his first excited call was to his wife, and they've been celebrating ever since.
Ronnie loves the lakes of NWA and has big dreams of becoming a professional angler someday, but, for now, he's doing his best work on land. Stop by and say hello at the Tiger Athletic Complex on July 17 at 5:00 p.m. #whereexcellencelives

Every summer, Dr. Jonathon Guthrie, the principal at Bentonville West High School, hosts a summer hike at beautiful Tanyard Creek for his team and their families. The event is a staff favorite with the West team sharing laughs, selfies and big plans for the fall. #whereexcellencelives

Congratulations to Bentonville High School Teacher Tony Cherico! He was recently named the Outdoor Educator of the Year for Arkansas by the International Hunter Education Association! Mr. Cherico has taught his Outdoor Pursuits class for more than 20 years, allowing students to learn fly fishing, rock climbing and kayaking. The class is a student favorite on the campus! Congratulations, Tony! #whereexcellencelives

Happy Birthday, Beautiful! #whereexcellencelives

Congratulations to recent Bentonville High School graduate Sydney Hopper! She is Arkansas' Gatorade Player of the Year for ladies' soccer. Sydney led the Tigers to three consecutive state championships at BHS, with 15 goals in her senior season! She intends to continue her game at Dallas Baptist University in the fall. Keep it going, Sydney! #whereexcellencelives

We're happy to share that Matt Peoples has been promoted to Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Bentonville Schools. Matt has served our district for more than a decade, starting as a theater teacher at Bentonville High School and most recently as the assistant director of VPA. Matt is originally from the farmlands of Carlisle, Arkansas, but he now calls Bentonville home. He's a strong runner and, of course, loves the arts in our district and across our larger community. Congratulations, Matt! #whereexcellencelives

Soma Majumdar is our June Extra Mile Award recipient! She's an instructional assistant at Apple Glen Elementary. A colleague at Apple Glen nominated Soma for this award for her willingness to do whatever is needed. Soma greets students first thing in the morning, supports classroom instruction throughout the school and covers lunch duties. Soma was in the cafeteria just before summer break when she noticed a student choking. She immediately jumped in and performed the Heimlich maneuver. The second grader was understandably upset, but alive. Soma was the right person at the right moment. Thank you, Soma, for caring for all students as if they were your own! #whereexcellencelives

It's not goodbye; only see you later! We're happy for Bentonville Schools' Board of Education President Kelly Carlson and Board Member Joel Dunning, who recently accepted employment opportunities that will take them and their families out of NWA. Kelly and Joel resigned their positions on the board of education this week. While we're saddened to see them go, we know they'll improve their new communities through their commitment to public education. Thank you, Kelly and Joel, for your service! #whereexcellencelives

Our high school students are making our community that much better! Students are volunteering their time in our parks, schools and caring for younger students as part of our Summer of Service. Thank you, students, for making this #whereexcellencelives

Lincoln Junior High School seventh grader Kanin Cupp just returned from The U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he took part in the school's annual middle school STEM camp. He was just one of 80 jr. high students accepted into that program nationwide! While on campus, Kanin studied robotics, drones, and artificial intelligence led by West Point faculty and cadets. Kanin hopes to receive a West Point appointment after high school graduation and ultimately study aerospace engineering. Congratulations, Kanin! #whereexcellencelives

Well done, Class of 2025! #whereexcellencelives

Can we get a little commotion for the success? The Bentonville High School softball team is back-to-back Arkansas State Champions! Head Coach Kent Early and Assistant Coach Lindsey Davis lead these ladies. #whereexcellencelives

We'd love for you to stop by Bentonville High School tomorrow to welcome Dr. Jeff Wasem to his new role at BHS! The Bentonville Schools' Board of Education recently selected Dr. Wasem as the new principal at BHS. Come say hello, grab a coffee and a lemon tart! We're looking forward to celebrating Dr. Wasem and the beautiful tradition that is BHS! #whereexcellencelives

Back to back to back! Three consecutive Arkansas State Championships for the Bentonville High School ladies' soccer team! Head Coach Steve Porter and Assistant Coach Nick Smallridge lead these ladies. #whereexcellencelives