Fort Smith Public Schools open Aug. 14 for fall semester

Robert Medley, Fort Smith Southwest Times Record
·4 min read

Teacher raises, LEARNS Act, state funding, charter schools, virtual schools, library books and gender identity bathroom issues are all part of Arkansas public education these days.

And on Aug. 14, it comes back around to school zone safety, campus safety and when the first bell rings.

Fort Smith Public Schools return for the fall 2023 semester Aug. 14. The first bells will ring a week earlier than in 2022, when the first day fell on Aug. 22.

Fairview Elementary in Fort Smith will be the school for Ballman Elementary students kindergarten to fifth grade to attend at the beginning of the fall semester that starts Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. Construction continues at Ballman.
Fairview Elementary in Fort Smith will be the school for Ballman Elementary students kindergarten to fifth grade to attend at the beginning of the fall semester that starts Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. Construction continues at Ballman.

For Ballman Elementary students, the first thing to know is where to go.

About 255 students in kindergarten through fifth grade at Ballman will be relocated to Fairview Elementary due to construction at Ballman.

"District team members are working overtime to communicate the new plan with families and ensure the Fairview facility is 100% ready for Ballman's students and staff," a statement from the district reads.

Pre-K students attending Ballman will be relocated to Tilles Elementary, 815 N. 16th St.

"Transportation arrangements from Ballman to Fairview have been carefully planned tominimize disruption," the district reports.

Here are a few tips for parents:

  • Parents who usually drive to Ballman Elementary should now plan to drop off and pickup their child at Fairview Elementary.

  • Ballman students who walk or ride the bus to Ballman will now be bussed to Fairview;students will gather in front of the Ballman storm shelter to catch the bus.

  • Fairview Elementary has devised a comprehensive traffic flow system for drop-offs andpick-ups, supplemented by safety patrol teams and school resource officer assistance.

  • Parents typically taking their pre-K child to Ballman will now need to transport them toTilles Elementary. Note that the district does not provide pre-K bus transportation.

  • Parents who pick up a child at Ramsey and Fairview are strongly encouraged first to pick uptheir child at Ramsey rather to avoid making left-hand turns off of the adjacent Fairview campus.

The days off on the calendar for the Fort Smith schools follow:

  • Labor Day: Sept. 4.

  • Fall break: Friday, Oct. 20. No school Oct. 23.

  • Thanksgiving break: Monday, Nov. 20 to Friday, Nov. 24.

  • Winter break, Dec. 18 to Jan. 2.

  • No school Jan. 12.

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Jan. 15.

  • No school Feb. 19.

  • No school March 15.

  • Spring break: March 18 to March 22.

  • No school March 29 or April 22.

  • Northside High School graduation is May 16 and Southside High School May 17.

  • Memorial Day is May 27 and the last day of school is May 31.

Greenwood and Van Buren districts return to class

In Greenwood, students also return a week earlier than last year's first day start. Students return Aug. 14.

A staff work day was scheduled for Aug. 11.

The first day off will be Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.

Fall break is Friday, Oct. 20.

Thanksgiving break is Monday, Nov. 20 to Friday, Nov. 24.

Christmas break is Monday, Dec. 18 to Monday, Jan. 1.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 15.

Winter break is Friday, Feb. 23.

Spring break is Monday, March 18 to Friday, March 22.

Memorial Day is Monday, May 27 and the last day of school is Tuesday, May 28.

In Van Buren, the first day of fall class is Wednesday, Aug. 16.

Van Buren students will have the following days off:

Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.

Oct. 20, no classes.

Fall/Thanksgiving break, Monday, Nov. 20 to Friday, Nov. 24.

Semester break, Dec. 21. to Jan. 5 returning to classes Jan. 8.

No school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 15.

No school Feb. 19, and March 15.

Spring break, Monday, March 18 to Monday, March 22.

March 29, Good Friday, no school.

May 27, Memorial day.

May 30, last day of school.

Classes start for the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Monday, Aug. 21. Classes at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville start Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Oklahoma schools start Aug. 10 and Aug. 17.

Schools in Arkoma, Moffett, Muldrow and Sallisaw open Thursday, Aug. 10. And Roland schools open Thursday, Aug. 17.

The calendar for the Oklahoma schools for 2023-2024 follows:

Labor Day, Sept. 4.

Fall break, Oct. 20-23.

Thanksgiving break, Nov. 20-24.

Christmas break, Dec. 20 to Jan. 2.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 15.

Spring break, March 18-22.

Last day of school May 17.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: School returns in Fort Smith on Aug. 14