HOPE, AR - On Thursday, January 11, 2024, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders visited Beryl Henry Elementary School. She was accompanied by Arkansas Secretary of Education, Jacob Oliva, and was joined by several Hope Public School employees, state and local Representatives, business leaders, and community members. Gov. Sanders was greeted by the Hope Bobcats Band and Hope Cheerleaders. Student ambassadors Jayden January and Brycen Burton guided the governor through the building on a tour.
The tour started in the Beryl Henry Cafeteria where the governor learned the school motto, "I want to be somebody. I can be somebody. I will be somebody, Because I am somebody!" She said, "We should start all of our morning meetings with that!" The group was then led down the hallway to Ms. Green's 5th Grade classroom where Governor Huckabee Sanders quizzed the students on previous governors and the Watermelon Festival. Winners of the quiz were rewarded with homework passes, relieving them of one night's homework. She also asked students if there were and laws or rules that should be changed, to which the most popular responses focused on school start times (students wishing to school later in the day) and extended breaks for teachers and the principal.
The tour then continued through the building, where the governor shared stories of her father, former Arkansas governor and Hope native Mike Huckabee learning to play guitar and play in a band. The tour then entered Ms. Green's 6th Grade class where Governor Sanders talked with students, quizzing them, and handing out homework passes. The students asked the governor questions including, "How much do you make?" She told them she makes $160,000 (rounding up). When asked what she spends it on, she said, "My kids. I have a girl in 6th grade and two boys. That's where I spend my money."
The group left the 6th grade class and sat down to take part in a table discussion with Superintendent Jonathan Crossley, Hope Public Schools employees, students, and other guests. The focus of the conversation was Hope Public Schools' multifaceted approach to education, from birth to college. Kayla Jones, one of the district's home-to-school advisors shared the HPS Baby Bags that are presented to new parents, containing diapers, wipes, and other necessities. Discussion turned to the Federal Magnet Grant and the various programs which have been put in place and will be coming as a result of the grant and other district efforts. Mr. Kedrick Jones, Principal at Beryl Henry Elementary, spoke about his campus' focus on performing arts and additional programs coming over the next few years. Dr. Mikki Curtis from UAHT provided information regarding the Collegiate Academy and the Trade Skills Certification programs offered through the partnership between the district and UAHT. Governor Huckabee Sanders said, "We're excited to be here and glad to see the work that you're doing. I don't think there are that many schools that have that level of community partnership for students. The fact that you are keeping your foot on the gas to double the program is going to have a massive impact...for this entire region."
After the discussion, the entourage posed for pictures and a brief time of informal, casual conversation before Governor Huckabee Sanders headed to Tailgaters for lunch.
