Harris Elementary is adjusting traffic flow, office access, and visitor procedures during ongoing campus renovations. These temporary changes also impact College Station Elementary and help keep students, staff, and families safe while construction continues through November.

Read the full update and watch Principal Tracy Bailey introduce the temporary changes in the walkthrough videos: https://www.pcssd.org/article/3052742

about 20 hours ago, PCSSD

🛒 TAX‑FREE WEEKEND: AUGUST 1–2 🛍️
Arkansas’s annual Sales Tax Holiday begins 12:01 AM Saturday, August 1 and ends 11:59 PM Sunday, August 2. Eligible items include:

👕Clothing under $100 per item
🎒 Accessories under $50 per item
✏️ School supplies, art supplies, and instructional materials
🖱️ Student‑use electronics commonly used in coursework

As you shop, please take a moment to review PCSSD dress code guidelines for both elementary and secondary students. Updated 2026–2027 supply lists are available for elementary and middle schools.

For full details, visit the Arkansas DFA Sales Tax Holiday page.
https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Sales_Tax_Holiday_Instructions_2026.pdf
https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/taxes/excise-tax-administration/sales-use-tax/2024-sales-tax-holiday/

2 days ago, PCSSD
Multiple cartoon school supplies with tax free weekend written above and the PCSSD logo
Tomorrow is the final summer meal pickup, and there will be a slight change. Due to ongoing professional development, Mills High distribution is moving to the back of the school. Traffic will be directed from E. Dixon Road to the back of the school.

The week's worth of meal packs will be available for those 18 and younger on Thursday, July 30, from 7:00-10:00 a.m. at Cato Elementary and Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School, while supplies last. No registration or ID required, and children do not have to attend PCSSD to receive meals.
3 days ago, PCSSD
Two people loading cars with groceries from a cart.

🎉 Ashley Washam has been selected as one of the Top 15 Finalists for the 2027 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, a statewide honor recognizing exceptional teaching and leadership across Arkansas.

Washam will be recognized alongside other finalists on August 6 at the Governor’s Mansion. Each finalist receives a certificate and a $1,000 award provided by the Walton Family Foundation.

Earlier this year, Washam was named PCSSD’s District Teacher of the Year after being selected at the school level. She spent the last year serving Maumelle Middle School and will begin a new role as Dean of Students at Pine Forest Elementary for 2026–2027.

Congratulations on this well‑deserved recognition! Read more about her recognition here: https://www.pcssd.org/article/3046865 #ExpectBeliveSucceed

4 days ago, PCSSD
Ashley Washam photographed multiple times celebraring her finalist postion with the PCSSD logo

With the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 10, everyone is hard at work getting ready. Principals, assistant principals, and other district leaders meet today for Vision '27 as they plan for the new school year. #ExpectBelieveSucceed

9 days ago, PCSSD
Wide photo of group meeting with people at round tables
superintendent Jeff Senn smiling and about to walk
Man holding up a program
Large room with people at round tables
Two people standing
Group activity with beach ball
People smiling and talking ar round table
Remember, summer meal pickup is Thursday, July 23, from 7-10 a.m. at Cato Elementary and Mills University Studies High School while supplies last. This is free for families with children 18 and under. Children do not have to attend PCSSD to receive meals. No ID needed.
10 days ago, PCSSD
Photo of food for summer meals

Want to plan your year? All important dates for the school year have been added to the calendar on the District website. This includes holidays, closures (including the brand-new Fall Break Oct. 12-16), board meetings, and more. Each school also has a calendar on its website with school-specific events. These calendars will be updated throughout the school year with new events. https://www.pcssd.org/events

16 days ago, PCSSD
A graphic for the district calendar
Open House schedules are now available for each school: https://www.pcssd.org/article/3015595.
18 days ago, PCSSD
"OPEN HOUSE" written on a hanging sign with a background of school related items

School supply lists for the 2026-2027 school year are now available for elementary and middle schools. Families can find the supplies for school organized by feeder area here: https://www.pcssd.org/article/3015590

18 days ago, PCSSD
A square image that says school supplies written on a cartoon notebook with school paraphernalia in the background
🏆✨ Sylvan Hills Middle School is celebrating a national top 10 finish! ✨🏆

🎉 Congratulations to Zynlee Anderson and Caiden Jakes, who finished 7th in the nation in the Exploring Website Design competition at the 2024 FBLA National Leadership Conference in San Antonio! 💻

👏 We also commend the rest of the SHMS Future Business Leaders of America team for their exceptional performance:

🔹 Turner Choat & Zyler Hinson – Exploring Business Ethics ⚖️
🔹 Macee Laird – Exploring Parliamentary Procedure 📜
🔹 Griffin Harris – Exploring Business Concepts 💼

🐻 The PCSSD School Board recognized these students for qualifying for Nationals at the May board meeting. We look forward to celebrating them once again when they return this fall! 💙
23 days ago, PCSSD
students holding awards next to a "Welcome to San Antonio" sign
A stage with people for a "Exploring Website Design" awards ceremony
Two students and their teacher pose smiling for a picture
A picture of a packed auditorium. One row is smiling for a picture.
Two students hold their FBLA lanyards smiling and point to their finalist ribbon.
Two students smile in front of an FBLA backdrop
Two students smile in front of an FBLA backdrop
A paked auditorim during a "Awards of Excellence Ceremony" a sign says "MAKE YOUR MARK FBLA" with a coundown time at 37 seconds.
A picture of two students receiving their trophy for seventh place in Exploring Web Design

More families than ever are being fed through PCSSD's free summer meal program. A huge thank you to Fellowship Bible Church for providing food donations the past few weeks. And to PCSSD Superintendent Jeff Senn and others who came out to volunteer and help distribute meal packets. With everyone's help, we distributed about 1,300 meal packets last week. Our total so far is almost 13,000 meals!

So, don't forget to get in the car line at Cato Elementary or Mills High School Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m while supplies last. Free breakfast and lunch meals are available for families with children 18 and younger. No registration or ID is required, and families do not need to have children enrolled in a PCSSD school to receive meals.

24 days ago, PCSSD
A man loads a box of food into a trunk.
A person pushes a cart filled with half-gallon milk containers.
A person wearing sunglasses, a dark cap, and a navy shirt with a “Nutrition” logo stands beside an open vehicle door, leaning on the frame and raising one arm in the air. Other people and vehicles are visible in the background in an outdoor setting.
A man in a gray shirt looks at boxes of fruit before pushing the cart of fruit to a car.
A person pulls a cart filled with four meal boxes.
A person in a white shirt and sunglasses places a half-gallon of milk into a vehicle during a food distribution event. A metal cart in front of them holds multiple half-gallons of milk and grocery bags. Two people in dark blue shirts work in the background, one pushing a cart, in a sunny outdoor parking lot.

🎉 Congratulations to Sherwood Elementary’s Ann-Michelle Nicholas, the Arkansas School Counselor Association (ArSCA) Central Region Elementary Counselor of the Year! Mrs. Nicholas was recognized at the summer ArSCA Conference for her work in strengthening student success, supporting families, and building a caring school culture. 🏆💙 #PCSSDproud #ServeAll

25 days ago, PCSSD
Ann Michelle Nicholas stands indoors holding a wooden Arkansas‑shaped plaque recognizing her as the 2025–2026 ArSCA Central Region Elementary School Counselor of the Year. She is smiling, wearing glasses and a sleeveless brown top, with a wooden door in the background.
Meal packs are available for pickup again this week!

Pick up a meal pack Thursday, July 2, from 7 am to 10 a.m., while supplies last. Pickup locations are Cato Elementary and Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School.

No registration or ID is required, and families do not need to have children enrolled in a PCSSD school to receive meals.

This week's meal pack includes:
• ½ gallon of 1% milk
• 2 cartons of chocolate milk
• 5 servings of assorted cereal
• 5 fruit juice cups/cartons
• Assorted fresh fruit
• Spaghetti & broccoli
• Pepperoni pizza sticks & corn
• Quesadilla & refried beans
• Chicken nuggets & mashed potatoes
• Hamburger & carrots
about 1 month ago, PCSSD
Picture of food that will be in meal packs
Chartwells is hiring for our cafeterias in the 2026–2027 school year. Apply now:
Kitchen Manager: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=70e14cbc4cf408d1
Foodservice Worker: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=18a2714574f2a137
about 1 month ago, PCSSD
Chartwell employee smiling and serving scholars at a school cafeteria
Two Sylvan Hills High School graduates — Kyra Looney and Jaiya Hampton — have been awarded the Bobby Agee AVID Scholarship, made possible through the generosity of Baldwin & Shell and sponsored by the SHMS PTSA. Both students served as AVID assistant staff members at SHHS, demonstrating leadership, reliability, and a strong commitment to supporting their peers.

Each recipient received a $1,000 scholarship to support their postsecondary goals.

🎓 Jaiya Hampton will attend Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
🎓 Kyra Looney will continue her education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Thank you, Baldwin & Shell, for your continued support of our students and their futures. Congratulations, Kyra and Jaiya, on this well‑earned recognition.

#PCSSDproud #AVID #GoBears #ServeAll #UAlittleRock #WolvesUp!
about 2 months ago, PCSSD
Two students stand side by side in a library space, holding a large scholarship check together. Bookshelves and decorative vines are visible in the background. Both students are smiling as they display the Bobby Agee AVID Scholarship check awarded through Baldwin & Shell and the SHMS PTSA. Three adults stand around them.
Chartwells is hiring for our cafeterias in the 2026–2027 school year. Apply now:
Kitchen Manager: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=70e14cbc4cf408d1
Foodservice Worker: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=18a2714574f2a137
about 2 months ago, PCSSD
Recruitment flyer for Chartwells announcing open kitchen manager and foodservice worker positions for PCSSD schools. The flyer lists benefits such as no nights or weekends, paid sick days and holidays, flexible shifts, career growth, and free shift meals. It includes photos of foodservice staff preparing meals and serving food, plus QR codes linking to job applications.
Summer provides plenty of opportunities for educators to develop their education and improve their classrooms. More than 200 teachers from PCSSD and surrounding school districts attended AVID Path Training hosted by the University of Arkansas–Pulaski Technical College this week.

They strengthened strategies in writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading — tools that help students build the skills that carry them through school and into their futures. #PCSSDproud #ServeAll
about 2 months ago, PCSSD
A group of seven staff members stand behind a table covered with rolled AVID materials. They are wearing matching black PCSSD shirts, and signs behind them indicate AVID room locations.
Adults sit at tables with paper and markers.
Multiple round tables are filled with educators using laptops and taking notes during a large AVID training session. A facilitator stands near the center addressing the group.
Staff members stand in a hallway discussing papers and materials during a break or transition in the AVID training day.
A welcome desk displays large illuminated “AVID” letters. A staff member sits behind the desk working on a laptop while another person stands in front of it. A banner above reads “Welcome AVID!!”
Participants sit at tables with laptops and notebooks during an AVID professional development session. A presenter stands near a screen, and posters about AVID implementation hang on the walls.
Adults sit at tables with laptops while an instructor in a pink shirt presents at the front of the room. A large screen displays a slide with charts and highlighted sections.
Chartwells is hiring for our cafeterias in the 2026–2027 school year. Apply now:
Kitchen Manager: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=70e14cbc4cf408d1
Foodservice Worker: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=18a2714574f2a137
about 2 months ago, PCSSD
Recruitment flyer for Chartwells announcing open kitchen manager and foodservice worker positions for PCSSD schools. The flyer lists benefits such as no nights or weekends, paid sick days and holidays, flexible shifts, career growth, and free shift meals. It includes photos of foodservice staff preparing meals and serving food, plus QR codes linking to job applications.

Dr. Justin Lutrell, PCSSD Director of Secondary Education, is officially a Harvard Fellow! He completed his two‑year Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellowship and recently presented his research, "Implementation Fidelity and Its Impact on Student Achievement and Growth on State Assessments", at the SDP Convening in Cambridge, Massachusetts. #PCCSDproud #ServeAll

about 2 months ago, PCSSD
A person stands beside a research poster on an easel titled “Implementation Fidelity and Its Impact on Student Achievement and Growth on State Assessments.” The poster includes sections of text, bar charts, and logos for IXL and ATLAS. The setting appears to be a conference space with neutral walls and patterned carpet.
Two individuals stand in a conference setting looking at a research poster on an easel titled “Implementation Fidelity and Its Impact on Student Achievement and Growth on State Assessments.” The poster features text blocks, bar graphs, line charts, and logos for IXL and ATLAS. The room has patterned carpet, neutral walls, and ceiling lights.
Two individuals stand in front of a research poster titled “Implementation Fidelity and Its Impact on Student Achievement on State Assessments.” One person wears glasses and a blue patterned shirt; the other wears a suit with a red bow tie and a conference badge. The poster behind them includes text sections, charts, and logos for IXL and ATLAS.

Here is a look at what's included this week in our free breakfast and lunch packs for children 18 years and younger in our community. Meal packs are available for pickup at Cato Elementary and Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School from 7:00-10:00 a.m. on Thursday, while supplies last. No registration or ID is required, and children do not have to attend PCSSD to receive meals.

This week's pack includes:
• Half gallon of 1% Milk
• 5 servings of cereal
• 5 fruit juice cups/cartons
• 5 packs of Pepperidge Farm Giant Goldfish Cinnamon Graham Crackers
• Week supply of fresh fruit for breakfast & lunch
• Chicken alfredo pasta and broccoli
• Turkey corn dog and carrots
• Chicken nuggets and green beans
• Chicken sandwich and tater tots
• Fiestada beef stuffed sandwich and refried beans

#ServeAll #PCSSDproud

about 2 months ago, PCSSD
A table displays the full contents of a weekly meal pack, including fresh apples and oranges, a half‑gallon of milk, multiple cartons of apple juice, single‑serve Cocoa Puffs cereal cups, packets of Giant Goldfish cinnamon graham crackers, a foil tray of chicken alfredo with broccoli, a packaged turkey corn dog with carrots, chicken nuggets with green beans, a chicken sandwich with tater tots, and a Fiestada beef stuffed sandwich with refried beans. The items are arranged neatly to show the variety included in the free breakfast and lunch packs for children.