FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Editor's note: The video shown is from January 21, 2021.
Fayetteville Public Schools kicked off its 150-year celebration Thursday (March. 18) at their Fayetteville Board of Education meeting.
Fayetteville Public Schools was founded in 1871. It was the first school district granted a charter by the State of Arkansas. The first Fayetteville Board of Education meeting was held at the Washington County Courthouse on March 20, 1871.
“We are very proud of our designation as Fayetteville School District #1,” said Dr. John L Colbert, Superintendent of Schools. “As the first public school district granted a charter by the State of Arkansas, we have always accepted that responsibility to be a leader and innovator in public education in Arkansas. In our first 150 years, so many extraordinary educators have taught tens of thousands of outstanding students, and those students have made major contributions in Fayetteville, in Arkansas, and around the world. We stand on a strong and proud tradition of excellence, and we have great expectations for the future of Fayetteville Public Schools.”
A timeline has been created with significant moments in the history of the district and will be edited through the fall.
Former students or parents of former students or former staff members can contribute to the timeline by emailing any old photos to fpsdeptofcomm@fayar.net.
Fayetteville Public School students commemorated the celebration by creating artwork. It will be displayed around Fayetteville in the upcoming weeks and will be available to view online.
There will be more events to celebrate the 150th milestone. These events include bike trail rides, historical education, and opportunities for alumni and friends to share their memories of Fayetteville Public Schools.
The list of events will be posted on their website.