Check out our March 2026 School Board Meeting Recap. So many great things highlighted from our District Champion Student of the Month, Lady Cats Bowling 3-Peat State Champions, and more!!
💙 School Social Work Week 💙
This week, we celebrate School Social Work Week and recognize the incredible impact school social workers have on students, families, and schools every day.
School social workers help remove barriers to learning by providing emotional support, connecting families with community resources, assisting with basic needs such as food and clothing, and helping students navigate challenges both inside and outside the classroom. Their work ensures that students have the support they need to focus on what matters most—learning and growing.
Our goal is always to partner with families, schools, and the community to make sure every student feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.
At Conway Public Schools, we are incredibly thankful for our dedicated social workers, Laney Doan and Claudia Courtway. Their compassion, commitment, and care make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many students and families across our district.
Thank you, Laney and Claudia, for the important work you do each day to support our students and our schools! 👏💙
#ConwayPublicSchools #SchoolSocialWorkWeek #StudentSupport
🏀🐾 DOUBLE THE WINS. DOUBLE THE WAMPUS CAT PRIDE! 🐾🏀
It’s a great week to be a Wampus Cat! Both our Lady Cats and Wampus Cats have advanced in the Class 6A State Basketball Tournament at Bryant High School. The tournament is being held this week at Hornet Arena with teams from across Arkansas competing for a state title.
The Wampus Cats earned a big 51–40 victory over Springdale in the first round Wednesday night. The win marks Conway’s first state tournament victory since March 7, 2020, when the Wampus Cats defeated Fayetteville 55–48 in the semifinals before being named Co-State Champions with Little Rock Central after the state finals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now the Cats move on to the quarterfinal round:
🏀✨ GAME DAY: LADY CATS ✨🏀
🆚 Springdale Har-Ber
📍 Bryant High School
⏰ TODAY 4:00 PM
🎟 Tickets: https://gofan.co/event/6133766?schoolId=AR4648
📺 Watch Live: https://youtube.com/live/nZj2_b472zE?feature=share
🏀 Wampus Cats vs. Bryant
📍 Bryant High School
📅 Friday, March 6
⏰ 5:30 PM
📺 Watch Live: https://www.youtube.com/live/6BlwWMkX3mE?si=oQ2Qfz6Kl7BIBAUq
Let’s pack the stands or tune in and cheer on our Cats as they continue their run in the 6A State Tournament!
Go Wampus Cats! 💙🤍🐾
#WampusCatPride #StateTournament #GoCats
The CHS Mock Trial team is the 2026 Arkansas High School Mock Trial STATE CHAMPIONS!!! Help us Congratulate them!!
Congratulations to the Conway High School Mock Trial team for winning the 2026 Arkansas High School Mock Trial State Tournament!!! The tournament, sponsored by the Arkansas Bar Association, was held February 27-28, 2026, in Little Rock at the Richard Sheppard Arnold United States Courthouse. Mock trial is an academic and competitive simulation of a trial-level court proceeding, where students act as attorneys and witnesses to argue a fictional criminal or civil case. Teams analyze a provided case packet, develop legal theories, and follow simplified rules of evidence to compete in courtrooms.Twenty-one teams from across Arkansas gathered to try the civil case of Justice Miller v. Jace Talent Agency.
The team competed in four preliminary rounds against Parkview, Bentonville West, Des Arc, and then the final round against Little Rock Central High School. Conway was the only team to go undefeated, with no dropped ballots. The team also earned Star Attorney & Star Witness awards. Out of over 100 attorneys, the tournament awards the top 7 attorneys in the 4 prelim rounds. Katharine Welky and Addison Choate were named Star Attorneys. This is the 2nd year for Addison Choate to be named a Star Attorney. The tournament awards the top 5 witnesses, and Annabel Champlin and Naomi Brooks brought home 2 of the Star Witness Awards.
The CHS team will be the team to represent Arkansas at the National High School Mock Trial Championships in May. They will travel to Des Moines, IA, to compete against the top team from each state, along with South Korea, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands.
All members of the CHS Mock Trial Team are members of the CHS Speech & Debate Team and are coached by Mrs. Casey Griffith. The team is also coached by volunteer attorney coach, Mr. Matt Brown.
Ready to start your Little Cat’s adventure? 🐾📖
Join us for Chapter One: The Little Cat Chronicles! We’re making Kindergarten and Sallie Cone Preschool registration easy, helpful, and fun. Skip the stress and meet our experts to get your registration 100% finalized.
🗓️ April 9, 2026
⏰ 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 Conway High School Cafeteria
Don't let registration be a mystery! Bring your paperwork and let’s write this first chapter together. ✨
RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HY7ni1zdq/
#ConwaySchools #FutureWampusCat #KindergartenRegistration #LittleCats
We Need Your Vote, Wampus Cat Family!
We are so excited to share that Conway Public Schools has been named a Top 5 Finalist in AY Magazine’s Best of 2026!
This recognition is a direct result of the incredible support from our staff, students, families, and community—and we’re proud to say this isn’t our first time! Conway Public Schools was also honored as AY’s Best School in 2024, and we would love to earn that top spot again with your help!
Now it’s time for the final round of voting, and we need your help to bring it home!
Voting is open now through March 11 at AY MAGAZINE! Click the link and scroll down to Public Schools!
AY reaches millions of Arkansans each year, and this is a great opportunity to showcase the amazing things happening in our district. Let’s make sure the entire state sees the excellence of Conway Public Schools!
Vote. Share. Repeat.
Encourage your friends, family, and community members to vote and help us take the top spot!
Thank you for always showing up and supporting our schools. Let’s go, Wampus Cats!
💙🐾 Community Support in Action: Thank You, Wampus Cat Pantry Partners! 🐾💙
We are so grateful for the continued generosity shown to the Wampus Cat Pantry at Conway Public Schools! Thanks to the support and awareness from our community, donations are still coming in—and making a real difference for our students and families.
A special thank you to Modern Woodmen of America Chapter 18269 and local agent Heston Coon for their generous donation of food and hygiene products to the Wampus Cat Pantry. This incredible contribution is part of their statewide Packs of Purpose initiative, which is focused on helping children feel equipped, supported, and seen.
Modern Woodmen chapters across Arkansas are giving back in meaningful ways, and we are so thankful they chose to invest in our students right here in Conway. Your commitment to strengthening communities from the inside out truly makes an impact!
We also want to thank Karen Farley and everyone involved in coordinating this donation. Your kindness and dedication are deeply appreciated.
Because of partners like you, the Wampus Cat Pantry continues to be a valuable resource for our students and families. 💙
📸 Pictured: Our CPSD School Social workers Laney and Claudia with the donation from Modern Woodmen of America.
You can help us make a difference in one of the following ways:
Donate Food:
Purchase items from our list and drop them off at Courtway Middle School or Ida Burns Elementary School.
Shop Online:
Order directly from our Amazon Wish List and have items shipped straight to the pantry. https://www.amazon.com/.../ls/1SH1E5CFQYSKT/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex
Give a Monetary Donation:
Mail tax-deductible donations to:
Conway Public Schools
Attn: Wampus Cat Pantry
2220 Prince St.
Conway, AR 72034
(Make checks payable to “Conway Public Schools” and write “Wampus Cat Pantry” in the memo line.)
Pantry Wish List Includes:
Mac & cheese, pasta, ramen, canned meats and soups, breakfast items, peanut butter, jelly, snacks, and more!
For additional information or questions about how to donate, contact Claudia Courtway (courtwayc@conwayschools.info) or Laney Doan (doanf@conwayschools.info).
Read more about the launch of the Wampus Cat Pantry and how it’s serving our Conway families here: https://www.conwayschools.org/article/2530644
#WampusCatPride #CommunityStrong #ThankYou #PacksOfPurpose #ChampionsForKids
🔧❄️💙 Thank You, Maintenance Team! 💙❄️🔧
Today’s cold, chilly weather has us thinking back to the snow and ice week we experienced just a few weeks ago and the incredible efforts it took to get our campuses ready to safely welcome everyone back. The work didn’t stop when the snow melted. Our maintenance team has continued cleanup efforts over the past several weeks making our campuses beautiful again.
During that time, these individuals on the Conway Public Schools maintenance team went above and beyond, coming in throughout the week in dangerous conditions, being away from their families, and doing whatever it took to clear campuses and ensure a safe return for students and staff.
Abe Bahena
Austin Denton
Adam Gray
Allen Gwatney
Jacob Hendricks
Archie Hoskins
Dan Lassiter
Stephen McLaren
Todd Mitchel
Tim Odom
Darren Siria
Jacob Smith
David Vint
Thorpe Breashers
Ben Garza
Mark Kirpatrick
Steven Nigh
Geoff Ross
Jessie Wimberly
We cannot thank you enough for your dedication, resilience, and heart for our district. Your work made all the difference!
We also want to extend a continued shoutout to our incredible community partners at the City of Conway and Faulkner County for their help in cleanup efforts across our community.
It takes all of us working together and we are so grateful. We are looking forward to the warmer weather! 🐾
Staff Committed to Excellence: three of our music teachers presented professional development sessions for fellow music educators across the state this past weekend at the Arkansas All-State Music Conference in Hot Springs.
Casey Buck (orchestra teacher at Conway High School and Carl Stuart Middle) led a session titled "The Science of (Sight-) Reading" for the Arkansas chapter of the American String Teachers Association. The session included strategies for developing more fluent music readers, based on the latest research and the statewide Science of Reading initiative. Mr. Buck also represented instrumental music students across the state at several board meetings of the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association, and was reelected Arkansas State Orchestra chair, a position he has held since 2019.
Elementary music teachers Bart Dooley (Marguerite Vann) and Felix Guzman (Ellen Smith) co-presented a session entitled "Unlocking the Recorder: More than B-A-G." They shared their expertise to a room full of fellow general music teachers on behalf of the Arkansas Music Educators Association, the state chapter of the National Association for Music Education.
Incredible educators at CPSD!! Thank you all for your commitment to excellence! #WampusCat #CPSDmusic #CPSD #WeareCPSD #6legs4life #LittleCats #Championsforkids
As you plan your week, plan to Join us at our 4th Annual Conway School District Career Fair on Saturday, February 28th, 2026, from 9am to 11am at Buzz Bolding Arena! Address: 2300 Prince St. Conway, AR
Open to ALL!
Whether you're an educator, a healthcare professional, a bus driver, or a maintenance expert, we have a place for you on our amazing team! Positions include teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, substitutes, nurses, custodial staff, food service, bus drivers, bus aides, maintenance, and mechanics. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to explore rewarding career options and make a difference in our community! See you there! #ConwaySchoolDistrict #CareerFair #JoinOurTeam #ChampionsForKids
It’s time to start a new chapter for your little learner! Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year is officially OPEN. We can’t wait to see the Class of 2039 write their own success stories at Conway Public Schools.
Plot Details:
🎂 Age Check: Students must be 5 by August 1, 2026.
💻 The Setting: Register online at conwayschools.org/newreg.
🗓️ A Date to Remember: School buildings will begin processing your child’s "story" (registration) starting March 2nd.
Help us get the word out! Share this post or tag a friend who has a future Wampus Cat ready to start their first big adventure. 🐾📚 #ConwayLittleCats #LittleCats #WampusCat #ChampionsForKids
A TOTAL CONWAY TAKEOVER!
History was made at the Arch Ford Regional Elementary Quiz Bowl Tournament! For the first time EVER, all four Conway Middle School Quiz Bowl teams swept the semi-finals and finals. That’s right—Conway vs. Conway for the top spots!
Huge shoutout to our incredible scholars:
Champions: Carl Stuart Middle School (The "Core Four" did it with just 4 students!)
2nd Place: Ruth Doyle Middle School
3rd Place: Simon Middle School
4th Place: Courtway Middle School
Everyone is coming home with hardware, but the journey isn't over! Carl Stuart and Ruth Doyle have officially qualified for the Finals on March 12th.
Way to represent, Wampus Cats!
#CPSDProud #QuizBowl #StudentSuccess
Theodore Jones Elementary Principal, Carise Echols, recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for public education on Capitol Hill. Mrs. Echols met with U.S. Senators, Representatives, and congressional staff to ensure the voices of elementary and middle-level principals and the students they serve are represented in national conversations.
In her capacity as the upcoming NAESP State Representative for Arkansas, she joined education leaders from across the country to advocate for policies that directly support students, educators, and schools nationwide.
During her visit, she engaged in discussions with members of Congress regarding:
• Increased special education funding
• School-based health supports
• Expanded access to early childhood education
• Educator retention efforts
• Mental health resources for educators and students
“Every decision made at the federal level eventually impacts our state and our classrooms. I wanted to ensure the voices of our students, educators, and community were represented in those conversations. My role is to make sure our students and staff have the support they need to thrive each day, and that responsibility does not stop at the doors of our school. Any opportunity to speak on behalf of our schools whether locally or nationally is simply an extension of that commitment to the children and families we serve.” - Mrs. Echols
We are proud of Mrs. Echols for representing our district, our state, and most importantly our students at the federal level!!
The official documents are here!! We’re proud to highlight Ida Burns Elementary for being recognized by the Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas for outstanding student growth and Beating the Odds on the ATLAS assessment. Student growth is one of the strongest indicators of the impact our schools are making, and Ida Burns continues to shine.
Congratulations to Principal Amy Howell and the entire Ida Burns Elementary team for earning the following OEP honors based on 2025 data:
Beating the Odds – High ELA Growth (Statewide & Central Region)
Beating the Odds – High Overall Growth (Statewide & Central Region)
Way to go, Ida Burns!
Today we celebrate and recognize the incredible School Resource Officers who serve our students and staff across Conway Public Schools on SRO Appreciation Day!
Our SROs do so much more than provide security — they build relationships, mentor students, support staff, and help create safe, welcoming environments where learning can thrive. From greeting students each morning to responding in times of need, their presence makes a meaningful difference on every campus.
We are grateful for the strong partnerships we share with the Conway Police Department and all of the agencies who help support our schools and our community.
To our SROs — thank you for your dedication, your care for our students, and your commitment to keeping Wampus Cats safe every single day. We appreciate you today and every day! 🐾💙
#SROAppreciationDay #WampusCats #SafeSchools
Snow Day Make-up and Schedule Adjustments effective Tuesday February 17, 2026 Information:
We want to provide an update regarding snow day make-up plans and schedule adjustments across our district. All adjustments outlined below will take effect on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
Elementary Schools
There are no schedule adjustments and no additional days to make up for elementary campuses.
Middle Schools
Middle schools have adjusted their schedules but Start and Stop time remain the same. All Middle school campuses will not have any additional days to make up.
Conway Junior High School (CJHS)
CJHS has adjusted its schedule and will not have any days to make up.
9th Grade Start Time: 7:55 a.m.
9th Grade Dismissal Time: 3:35 p.m.
8th Grade Schedule: No changes
Conway High School (CHS)
CHS has adjusted its schedule and will have one make-up day on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
1st Bell: 7:50 a.m.
1st Period Start Time: 7:55 a.m.
Dismissal Time: 3:35 p.m.
There are no changes to bus routes for any campuses.
We appreciate your flexibility and support as we make these adjustments to ensure instructional time is maintained for all students.
Check out our February 2026 CPSD School Board Meeting Recap with great Wampus Cat Pride celebrations and district information!
🐾 Important Schedule Reminder, Wampus Cats! 🐾
Here’s what the schedule looks like for next week:
📘 Monday, Feb. 9 – School in Session
📝 Tuesday, Feb. 10 – Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)
👨👩👧 Wednesday, Feb. 11 – Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School for Students)
❄️ Feb. 12–16 – Holiday Break (No School for Staff or Students)
We look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday, February 17!
🔹 Parents – please check with your child’s campus for specific details about Parent/Teacher Conferences.
🔹 For more district calendar information: conwayschools.org/calendar
