Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast - Week 16: Partnerships That Strengthen Us, Decisions That Shape Us

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Happy Friday!Welcome back from Thanksgiving Break. I want to thank everyone for the steady work and professionalism shown as we returned to school this week. The weeks between now and Christmas can feel fast, but your focus and commitment continue to make an impact on our students. As always, our performance targets remain in full view: strong attendance, reduced discipline referrals, and continued academic growth across all grade levels. Thank you for the effort you bring to each of these goals.This week’s Wrap-up highlights two important areas of focus for our district. First, I want to share the opportunities emerging from our visit to NIDEC, formerly US Motors, and how their expansion creates meaningful career pathways for our students. Second, I want to bring attention to the federal funding proposals now moving through Congress and what they may mean for Polk County. Both of these topics speak directly to our mission of preparing students, supporting staff, and building community confidence.A Visit with NIDEC – Opportunity in Our Own BackyardThis week, we were invited to tour NIDEC, formerly US Motors, one of Mena’s most important corporate partners and a long-standing contributor to the economic strength of Polk County. Their facility manufactures industrial electrical motors used around the world for moving fluids and air, supporting industries such as mining, petroleum, natural gas, agricultural irrigation, and water utilities. The precision and craftsmanship we observed reflect a level of technical skill and pride that aligns with the values we teach our students every day.NIDEC leaders shared that they are in a period of expansion and will soon need fifteen to twenty-five additional employees, with nearly that many vacancies available right now. What stood out the most was how accessible these careers are for our graduates. Most positions require only a high school diploma, yet offer highly competitive starting wages, opportunities for advancement, and tuition assistance programs for those who want to continue their education while working.Their encouragement for Mena students to apply, along with their open invitation for teachers and classes to tour the facility, demonstrates the power of a strong corporate presence in a rural community. It also reinforces the message shared in earlier Wrap-ups: that meaningful, high-wage work is available to students who develop their skills, understand their purpose, and are willing to put in the effort to grow. When students see advanced manufacturing up close and understand the skill sets required, they begin to recognize that prosperity is not distant. It is here, attainable, and within reach through determination, perseverance, and personal growth.Federal Funding for FY26: What Teachers Should Know Right NowEarlier this school year, we entered August with the same uncertainty felt by districts across Arkansas when federal Title I, II, and III dollars were temporarily withheld during budget negotiations in Washington. Although most of the funding was ultimately released once the federal fiscal year began on October 1, the delay revealed how fragile the system becomes when rural schools cannot rely on predictable federal support at the start of the year. Many of you saw the worry firsthand as we planned literacy interventions, scheduled professional development, and prepared services for multilingual learners without firm confirmation of the federal programs that make those efforts possible.Congress is now considering two very different plans for FY26, and the consequences for Polk County classrooms could not be more significant. The House proposal cuts nearly four billion dollars from Title I and eliminates Title II and Title III entirely. For districts like ours, this would reduce the trained paraprofessionals and early-literacy interventionists who work with our youngest students each day. It would end federal support for Science of Reading-aligned professional development and disrupt the targeted language instruction Polk County multilingual learners depend on. These reductions strike directly at the instructional progress our students are making and create barriers for teachers who count on these supports to provide high-quality learning experiences.By contrast, the Senate’s bipartisan plan maintains funding for all three programs and strengthens expectations for timely, predictable federal disbursement. For rural districts, that predictability is essential. Staffing decisions are made months before the federal fiscal year begins, and intervention plans must begin long before October. Stability allows us to prepare students, support staff, and maintain the instructional momentum we have built together.Because these decisions will shape what is possible in Polk County classrooms next fall, your voice matters. Teachers provide the firsthand knowledge that policymakers rarely see. If you feel called to advocate for stable, student-centered funding, the education staff for our federal delegation are available to hear from you:Representative Bruce Westerman’s office: Charlie Louree ([e-mail])Senator John Boozman’s office: Kathleen Bochow ([e-mail])Senator Tom Cotton’s office: Madison Erstine ([e-mail]) and Riley Larson ([e-mail])A short, respectful message sharing what these programs make possible in your classroom can help ensure that Washington understands the practical impact of its decisions. Our students deserve stability, not surprises.Closing CelebrationsBefore Thanksgiving Break, Mena was proudly represented at the Special Olympics Fall Games. Our athletes returned with outstanding results, earning two Gold-medal finishes, three Silver-medal finishes, and two Bronze-medal finishes. These accomplishments reflect the commitment, teamwork, and spirit our students bring to every opportunity. I appreciate everyone who helped make this experience possible for our athletes.We also celebrated an important milestone this week at UA Rich Mountain with the “topping off” ceremony for the new Allied Health Science Building, scheduled to open in Fall 2026. I was honored to attend as the final beam was placed and signed, marking significant progress on a facility that will soon house early health professionals gaining real clinical experience right here in Polk County. The construction company leading this project, Clark Contractors, is partnering with Mena Public Schools to provide apprentices with on-the-job training and high school course credit, giving our students a direct connection between classroom learning and real-world career pathways in the construction trades. This is another example of how strong local partnerships create meaningful opportunities for our students and strengthen the future workforce of our community.Nothing ushers in the holidays like our choir and band concerts, and we began the season last night with a wonderful performance from our Mena Middle School and Mena High School Choirs in the Performing Arts Center. This annual event always brings out the spirit of the season, and our students delivered a heartfelt and impressive program that showcased their talent, discipline, and joy in making music together. I appreciate the work of our choir directors and the dedication of our students who make this tradition such a meaningful part of our school community.We will continue the tradition next week as our Mena Bands present their Christmas Concert on Thursday, December 11. This performance is always a highlight of the season, and our band students have been working with focus and determination to prepare a program that reflects both their growing skill and the pride they take in representing our school. I look forward to seeing our community come together again to support these students and enjoy an evening of music that truly captures the spirit of the holidays.Our 5th Grade Winter Program earlier this week brought a full audience to the Performing Arts Center and showcased the energy, excitement, and talent of our youngest performers. Congratulations also to our 5th and 6th-grade Quiz Bowl Team for earning 2nd place at the Ashdown Invitational. Their preparation, teamwork, and poise were evident throughout the competition. At Louise Durham, several of our preschool students reached the impressive milestone of reading 500 Books Before Kindergarten. These achievements reflect the joy of early learning and the strong partnership between families and our schools.Our basketball teams continue to represent Mena well. The Ladycats and Bearcats earned strong wins earlier in the week against Western Yell County, and our junior high teams competed hard in their matchups at Booneville. The senior high teams are now on the road at the Redwater, Texas, Invitational Tournament, and we look forward to seeing their continued growth as the season progresses.It was a good week of dedication at Mena Public Schools.At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.Keep the #menareads posts and videos coming, and have a good weekend! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bearcatwrap.substack.com

Good afternoon and welcome to the week 16 wrap-up entitled Partnerships that strengthen us, decisions that shape us. From growing workforce opportunities to critical funding decisions, this week underscores how local strength and national policy intersect in the lives of our students. Happy Friday. Welcome back from Thanksgiving break. I want to thank everyone for the steady work and professionalism shown as we return to this school week.

The weeks between now and Christmas can feel fast, but your focus and commitment continue to make an impact on our students. As always, our performance targets remain in full view, strong attendance, reduced discipline referrals, and continued academic growth across all grade levels. Thank you for your effort, thank you for the effort that you bring to each of these goals. This week's wrap up highlights two important areas of focus for our district. First, I want to share that the opportunities emerging from our visit to NIDEC, formerly U.S. Motors, and how their expansion creates meaningful career

pathways for our students. Second, I want to bring attention to the federal funding proposals now moving through Congress and what they mean for Polk County. Both of these topics speak directly to our mission of preparing students, supporting staff, and building community confidence. Visit with Nidek, Opportunity, and our own backyard. This week, we were invited to Tour Nidek, formerly U.S. Motors, one of Mina's most important corporate partners and a long-standing contributor to the economic strength of Polk County. Their facility manufactures industrial electric motors used around the world for moving fluids and air, supporting industries such as mining, petroleum, natural gas, and agricultural

irrigation, and water utilities. The precision and craftsmanship, we observe, reflect a level of technical skill and pride that aligns with the values we teach our students every day. Night at leaders shared that they are in a period of expansion and will soon need 15 to 25 additional employees with nearly that many vacancies available right now. What stood out the most was how accessible these careers are for our graduates. Most positions require only a high school diploma, yet offer highly competitive starting wages, opportunities for advancement, and tuition assistance, but

programs for those who want to continue their education while working. Their encouragement for meeting the students to apply, along with their own invitation for teachers and classes to tour the facility, demonstrates the power of a strong corporate presence in a rural community. It also reinforces the message shared in earlier wrap-ups that meaningful, high-wage work is available to students who develop their skills, understand their purpose, and are willing to put forth the effort to grow. When students see advanced manufacturing up close and understand the skill sets required,

they begin to recognize that prosperity is not distant. It is here attainable and within reach through determination, perseverance, and personal growth. Federal funding for fiscal year 26, what teachers should know right now. Earlier this school year, we entered August with the same uncertainty felt by districts across Arkansas when federal title one, two, and three dollars were temporarily withheld during budget negotiations in Washington. Although most of the funding was ultimately released once the federal fiscal year began on October 1, the delay revealed how fragile the system becomes when rural schools cannot rely on predictable federal support at the start of the year. Many of you saw

the worry firsthand as we planned literacy interventions, scheduled professional development, and prepared services for multilingual learners without firm confirmation of the federal programs that make those efforts possible. Congress is now considering very two different plans for fiscal year 26. There's a link to a story about the plans and the differences that's embedded in the text. Two different plans for FY26 and the consequences for Polk County classrooms could not be more significant. The House proposal cuts nearly $4 billion from Title I and eliminate and then eliminates Title II and three entirely. For districts like ours,

this would reduce the trained paraprofessionals and early literacy interventionists who work with our youngest students each day. It would end federal support for science of reading aligned professional development and disrupt the targeted language instruction Polk County multilingual learners depend on. These reductions strike directly at the instructional progress our students are making and create barriers for teachers who count on these supports to provide high quality learning experiences. By contrast, the Senate's bipartisan plan maintains funding for all three programs and strengthens expectations for timely, predictable federal disbursement.

For rural districts, that predictability is essential. decisions are made months before the federal fiscal year begins, and intervention plans must begin long before October. Stability allows us to prepare students, support staff, and maintain the instructional momentum we have built together. Because these decisions will shape what is possible in Polk County classrooms next fall, your voice matters. Teachers provide the first-hand knowledge that policymakers rarely see.

If you feel called to advocate for stable, student-centered funding, the education staff for a federal delegation are available to hear from you. Representative Bruce Westerman's office, you need to contact Charlie Laurie, the emails in the text. For Bozeman's office, contact Kathleen Bochow. Not sure how to say that name, but her emails in the text. And at Senator Tom Cotton's office, it's either Madison Erstein or Raleigh Larson. Both those emails are provided as well. A short, respectful message sharing what these programs make possible in your classroom can help ensure that Washington understands the practical impact of its decisions.

Our students deserve stability, not surprises. Closing celebrations. Before Thanksgiving break, Mina was proudly represented at the Special Olympics Fall Games. Our athletes returned with outstanding results, earning two gold medal finishes, three silver medal finishes, and two bronze medal finishes. These accomplishments reflect the commitment, teamwork, and spirit our students bring to every opportunity. I appreciate everyone who helped make this experience possible for our athletes. We also celebrated an important milestone this week at U.A. Rich Mountain with the topping off ceremony for the new Allied Health Science Building, scheduled to open and fall of 2026. I was honored to attend as the final beam was placed and signed, marking significant progress on a facility that will soon house

early health professionals gaining real clinical experience right here in Polk County. The construction company leading this project, Clark Contractors, is also partnering with Meena Public Schools to provide apprentices with on-the-job training and high school course credit, giving our students a direct connection between classroom learning and real-world career pathways and construction trades. This is an example, another example, of how strong local partnerships create meaningful opportunities for our students and strengthen the future workforce of our community. Nothing ushers in the holidays like our choir and band concerts, and we began the season last night with a wonderful performance from our MENA Middle School and Mena High School choirs in the Performing Arts Center.

This annual event always brings out the spirit of the season, and our students delivered a heartfelt and impressive program and showcase their talent, discipline, and joy, making music together. I appreciate the work of our choir directors and the dedication of our students who make this tradition such a meaningful part of our school community. We will continue the tradition next week as our Mina bands present their Christmas concert on Thursday, December 11th. This performance is always a highlight of the season, and our band students have been working with focus and determination to prepare a program that reflects both their growing skill and the pride they take in representing our school. I look forward to seeing our community come together again to support these students

and enjoy an evening of music that truly captures the spirit of the holidays. Our fifth grade winter program earlier this week brought a full audience to the Performing Arts Center and showcased the energy, excitement, and talent of our youngest performers. Congratulations also to the fifth and sixth grade quiz bowl team for earning second place in the Ashdowne Invitational. Their preparation, teamwork, and poise were evident throughout the competition. At Louise Durham, several of our preschool students reached the impressive milestone of reading 500 books before kindergarten. This achievement reflects the joy of learning and the strong partnership between families and our schools.

Our basketball teams continue to represent men in a well. The Lady Cats and Bear Cats earned strong wins in the week against Western Yale County and our junior high team. competed hard in their matchups at Boonville. The senior high teams are now on the road at the Redwater Texas Invitational Tournament and we look forward to seeing their continued growth as the season progresses. It was a good week of dedication at Meena Public Schools. At Meena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident. Keep the hashtag Meena reads, posts, and videos coming, and have a good weekend.