Our Mission

"Valley Springs Elementary School is dedicated in sharing

 in the community's responsibility for the development of

 each student into a citizen who can stand confidently,

 participate fully, learn continually, and contribute

 positively in his/her world."

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	Golden Apple Award Recipient The THV Golden Apple Awards program began in 2004 and is the brainchild of THV Sports Director Craig O’Neill.  The award is designed to recognize public school districts in Arkansas that achieved academic excellence based on district-wide results on the state Benchmark exams.
	2007 Golden Apple Award 2006 Golden Apple Award 2005 Golden Apple Award The Valley Springs School District has received a Golden Apple Award for being ranked eighth (8th) among 254 school districts in the state of Arkansas. The district received the academic award during a ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock on Tuesday, November 1.  KTHV Channel 11 and the Arkansas Department of Education presented the Golden Apple Award to the top ten school districts in Arkansas. The rank of the top ten school districts is based on the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on the 2004-05 4th, 6th, and 8th grade benchmark exams and the Algebra, Geometry, and Literacy end of course exams.  Subsequent awards were determined using the same format.
	Valley Springs High School was given a SILVER ranking on Thursday, December 11, 2008 from U.S. News and World Report.   Please check out this web site:   http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/high-schools/index.html    Click on search by state. Valley Springs is on the fourth page.  The data they used for this was 2006-2007. They awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. Four schools in Arkansas received Silver Medal awards and Valley Spring's High School was selected.

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Our Community

Tucked away in Northwest Arkansas, we offer a culturally rich learning environment.  We put children first, focusing on high academic and character centered education.  The town of Valley Springs, with a population of approximately 300, is in the southeast corner of Boone County.

It is primarily an agricultural and rural community with the majority of its citizens working in the Harrison Area.  Highway 65 is the main thoroughfare of northwest Arkansas. 

Located 8.5 miles east of Harrison and 42.7 miles from Branson, Missouri, our citizens have the benefits of rural living with the amenities of these nearby cities within close driving distance. 

To the north of of us is Diamond City, where we have access to Bull Shoals Lake and recreation areas.  Whereas to the south in Newton County, we can float the Buffalo National River or hike its nature trails and enjoy its scenic beauty.

The community of Valley Springs consists of a Post Office, a general store with a deli, McClinton's Quarry and various small, locally owned businesses. 

It is the home of four churches--Valley Springs Baptist Church, Valley Springs Methodist Church, Rally Hill Community Church, and River of Life Assembly of God Church.  The churches within the community and surrounding areas provide educational, recreational, and religious opportunities for the students in the district. 

Cultural experiences such as plays and concerts are available at North Arkansas College and at the historic downtown Lyric Theatre.  While extra athletic experiences are offered through the Brandon Burlesworth Youth Center and Millbrook Sports Complex in nearby Harrison.

The school provides the majority of the recreational facilities for the community.  Burleson Field, named for a former coach, is the home of Valley Springs baseball and softball.  The school conducts a summer sports program for the youth of the community.  The residents of Valley Springs enjoy the relaxing environment of the local springs and city park.

The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America are active in the community and meet in the school cafeteria.

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School History

Twin Springs, as Valley Springs was originally called, was so named because of the two springs that ran to the surface in this small Ozark valley.  It may have been the source of fresh water that led the original families to settle here in the shadow of Boat Mountain.

Not a great deal is known about the origin of the Valley Springs community, but what is clear is that the first citizens saw an important need for educating their young.  It is apparent that the educational process has always been at the center of the community's interest.

Soon after the Civil War, three learning academies were established in Boone County: Bellefonte, Rally Hill, and Valley Springs.  Around the turn of the century, great improvements were noted in the academy at Valley Springs, and it emerged as the leader of the three. 

In 1912, the North Arkansas Conference of Methodist Churches felt a need to establish a high school in the Ozarks.  Valley Springs, with its academic background, was selected, and it became Valley Springs Training School.

In 1922, the first organized high school was started in an old two-story frame structure on the south hill at Valley Springs.  For a dormitory, the school used the old Dr. Hale home above the spring.  The church bought a twelve acre campus and a farm of 160 acres on which the boys worked to help pay expenses.  Part of this farm is now the present school system.

This school was operated in the cooperative plan with expenses pro-rated among the students at the end of the month.  Such expenses rarely exceeded $12.00 a month.  The boys and girls were paid 15 cents an hour for their labor.  The boys tended the garden and truck patches, while the girls washed, ironed and carried on other work and chores. 

The first year there were two graduates, the next year nine, and at the end of fourteen years, a total of 200 had received diplomas from this school.

In 1924, Albright Hall was started.  Due to lack of funds, progress on this building was slow.  Also at this time, several one-room schools consolidated with the school at Valley Springs.  Albright Hall was completed in 1927.  It is a three-story gray stone building, which is still structurally sound and has been remodeled to make it more functional.  It is being fully utilized with classrooms on all three levels.

In 1937, the Methodist Church relinquished its claim to all the property, and Valley Springs Training School became the Valley Springs Consolidated School.  In 1941, the main high school building was erected by WPA labor, and the white-frame building on the south hill was torn down.  At the same time, a vocational building was being built, but it has now been replaced.  The main building was built at a cost of approximately $40,000. 

This building is on the National Historic Register as an example of the Arts and Crafts period of architecture. 

Although the building remains the same on the outside, many changes have been made to accommodate the needs of a growing school system.  This building contains eight classrooms in all with a high school library attached.

Due to the Recognition Act of 1948, Bellefonte, Everton, and Valley Springs School Districts consolidated, and Valley Springs served as the head campus for these three communities.

In 1948-49, a new gymnasium was built at a cost of approximately $29,000.  In addition to a seating capacity of 2,000, the school kitchens  and lunchrooms were built under the east bleachers, with dressing rooms and restrooms under the west bleachers.  Material for the gym were purchased from Camp Robinson near Little Rock.  The school bought these buildings for $536.00, which included a mess hall, a latrine, a recreation hall and theater.

One construction company asked $18,750 just to dismantle the buildings and move them to Valley Springs.  This was too much, so men of the community, under the supervision of a former school board member, rode to Little Rock in a school bus, tore down the buildings and moved them to the school site at a cost of little more than $3000. 

The men lived in the school bus while doing the work.  Under the same supervision and labor, the gym was started in 1948 and completed in 1949.  Today, this gym is used for health, PE classes, athletics, cheerleading and some school assemblies.  The basement areas are used for storage.

Valley Springs' elementary classrooms were built in several phases from 1959 to 1986.  There are 21 elementary classrooms in grades K-4 plus many special classes such as art, computer, gifted and talented, guidance classes, library, music, physical education, resource and speech and language pathologist. 

The present administration building was built in 1964.  At that time, it housed business education and the superintendent's office.  Currently, the superintendent, three secretaries, and the Parent Center are housed in this area.

High school baseball and softball programs utilize Burleson Field.  Built in 1967, it was one of the first lighted high school baseball fields in this area.  There is also a summer program partially funded by United Way for children of all ages.  The Valley Springs Booster Club recently fenced the field, purchased an electronic scoreboard, pitching machines, batting cadges and other equipment for the teams.

Another building phase completed in 1986.  The "new" gymnasium was built, along with four junior high classrooms and a cafeteria.  The new gymnasium is utilized by middle school and high school PE classes, Pee-Wee basketball programs, volley ball, and junior and senior high girls and boys basketball programs.  It is also used for many school assemblies.  There are six goals for practicing, four locker rooms and three coaches' offices.  The gym lobby, which overlooks the courts, contains a built-in trophy case and concession stand.  Three of Valley Springs' seven state championship banners hang on the wall.

In 1992, a Vocational-Fine Arts Building was constructed for high school. It contains the Agricultural Department, which is the second oldest in the state.  This department consists of a five-acre farm with hay shed, a 30'x84' greenhouse, an arc welding area with a portable welding trailer, a power tools area, and a stock trailer.

Also included is the Family and Consumer Science Department contains four fully equipped kitchens, sixteen sewing machines, three Serger sewing machines, one decorative embroider machine and a food science lab.

The Business Department contains up-to-date technology with programs that teach keyboarding, desktop publishing, word processing and computer technology.

The high school Music Department room has been acoustically designed with several sound proof individual practice rooms.  Students begin band as early as fifth grade, which includes beginning , junior high and high school band.

Finally, the Jr. and Sr. High Art Department is located here as well.  The art teacher and students have completed several community service projects such as painting murals at Boone County Special Services and Valley Springs City Hall.

In the spring of 2000, Valley Springs School purchased three acres of land adjacent to the school.  The former church building was converted to a preschool and the former parsonage houses the Valley Springs Alternative School.

By spring of 2001, a new cafetorium was constructed and can accommodate 1,305 people for special events and 925 for dining.

Starting in 2006, several future building projects are in different developmental phases which include a new PE Facility, six elementary classrooms, and a new high school and sports complex. 

The tradition of a rich history of educational excellence has been established and will continue to develop into the 21st century.  New, innovative programs have been put into place and many are planned for the future.  With capable educational leadership and community support, our school will continue to be the leading force in education in northwest Arkansas.

A special thank you is extended to the Valley Springs History Club for their research and Mrs. Sandra Trammell who wrote most of the school history section.

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Valley Springs Alma Mater
Oh, dear Valley Springs, here's to you.
	May we ever and always be true.
Gladly your praises we sing,
	Through out the ages may they ring.
And all through our lives we recall
	The place that we love best of all.
Oh, dear Valley Springs, here's to you.
	Dear Valley Springs,     Dear Valley Springs,
We cheer forever!
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