Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Austin honored by school board

Howard Austin received more accolades for being named Arkansas's Principal of the Year.

This time, the kudos came from the Prescott School Board at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19.

Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon said Austin has spent his entire career as an educator with the Prescott School District. His career has spanned nearly 40 years.

Nationally, Deon said, only 50 people per year are designated for this award.

"As a community," she said, "we can agree he is most deserving of this honor."

Board President George Odom presented Austin with a plaque showing the district's appreciation.

Austin said he's been in a lot of situations, but when he was named the winner of the award, he was speechless.

"I appreciate the district for allowing me to be here," he said. "I try to work hard each day and be an example for the teachers, while being fair with the students and parents."

David Maxwell, athletic director, informed the board the Curley Wolves are the 2002 district co-champs and were the second seed in the playoffs from the 7AAA.

"We saw the Wolves at their best against Pine Bluff Dollarway," he said.

He presented the board with a packet of information containing information on how the Wolves have done throughout the year, along with an updated basketball schedule.

Basketball season, while underway, will be doing without the senior boys team until after football season ends, and this could be mid-December should the team make it to the state finals.

Five senior members of the football team have visited Henderson State University, while eight players are being looked at hard by colleges.

Maxwell said colleges are also looking at some of the underclassmen, but can't talk to them yet because they haven't taken the ACT test yet.

The playoffs, he said, could be a problem for some of the team. The championship game is scheduled for the same day as the ACT test, and this will be the last time this year the test will be given.

Maxwell said if the Wolves get to the finals, he will call the Arkansas Activities Association and try to get them to change the time of the game, but has doubts the AAA will make the change.

Willie Wilson, the dean of students, said there are concerns about qualified minority male students taking college prep courses.

He said several such students he's spoken to have said they want to take the easiest route to graduation and avoid the harder courses.

Wilson told the board he will try to motivate these students and try to get them into the advanced classes.

He also said about 70 percent of the discipline problems are coming from the freshman class. "It could be the transition from middle to high school."

Wilson plans on helping the students having problems make a smoother adjustment to PHS.