DMJ Board is complete (again)

Published 8:36 pm Friday, July 24, 2026

DEER — Now with four new school board members since the March election, Johnny Smith, school board president and the only continuing member of the board, is looking to continue moving the district in positive directions.

Philip Campbell stepped up from the community to represent zone 2 on the Deer – Mt. Judea school board. The board unanimously approved and he will commence upon being duly sworn in later in the week.

As a volunteer firefighter and volunteering for the fair board, Campbell says he is very community-minded and he wants the schools to grow and the communities to remain, which they can do only if the schools remain. When asked for ideas on how to accomplish this, his primary concern was in bringing the separate-acting Deer and Mt. Judea communities together in a way they realize they are one school, with two campuses (which mirrors concerns from other board members). “A house divided will not stand,” stated Campbell.

He looks forward to talking with the other board members and especially community members in working towards this common goal. In speaking to the public at large, Campbell says, “We need to work together, as a whole community, and not as Mt. Judea community and Deer community.”

In other action at the regular board meeting on Monday, July 13, the board received the financial report from superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Nichols, in which the last school year finances had not been closed, yet, because some funding was needed to be moved to cover localized negative numbers. Overall, no budget changes, just where the money showed to be.

Nichols also provided an update on the Mt. Judea HVAC project, for which workers were supposed to be on campus on the 13th, but no one appeared. She will follow-up on the timing of work commencing.

The board approved payment in the amount of $12,275 on the debt bond with Bank OZK. They also approved paying $85,761.83 for the DMJ insurance bill to the Arkansas School Board Association (ASBA).

The board approved the contract change of Tara Williams, relative of board member Austin Williams. Austin Williams submitted the required disclosure form and also obtained himself for the vote.

The board discussed a proposal by AmeriGas to switch to them, but the terms from the existing Anderson Gas are cheaper, so no change is happening.

The board also approved the use of some funds from the Marshall – Sexton – Criner donation, based on the recommendation from the Mt. Judea campus, to refresh the composites in the Mt. Judea cafeteria.

The board approved policy changes based on the ASBA updates.

The board also approved:

• the hiring of Amber Harris and Ellie McCabe as elementary school teachers
• the hiring of Kristen Alford as a special education teacher
• the hiring of Tiffany Hampton as food service director / manager
• the hiring of Shaylen Cheney and Kara Williams as apprenticeship teachers, contingent upon meeting all state requirements
• the transfer in of one student and out of two students

The next regular meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10 on the Mt. Judea campus.