Bentonville Schools expands parent choice school options with Washington Junior High

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Bentonville Schools is broadening its parent choice programs, giving families new ways to customize their child’s learning experience. 

The district announced Oct. 28 that Washington Junior High will join its growing list of parent choice schools, bringing the total to six.

“The addition of Washington to our parent choice offerings allows families to consider an IB Programme throughout their educational career in Bentonville Schools,” Dr. Debbie Jones, superintendent of Bentonville Schools said in a press release. “This is a significant opportunity for our students who wish to enhance their overall educational experience.” 

Parent choice schools allow families to select the learning environment that best fits their child’s needs and interests, a strategy the district said has proven successful in increasing enrollment at downtown schools.

Jones said families within Washington Junior High’s zone will have automatic placement and do not need to apply for the new program. The district plans to launch the curriculum in the fall of 2026 after receiving International Baccalaureate or IB candidacy approval.

“Safety and happiness is our number one goal,” Jones said. “And we just want every student to find the right place for them to belong.” 

The district said this would make the IB program available for students K-12 in the district. 

The IB curriculum is a world-renowned educational framework that encourages students to think critically, engage with global issues, and develop strong academic and personal skills.

“What they’re going to benefit from this is they’re going to have that language acquisition component, that service requirement we’ve always had,” Tim Sparacino, principal of Washington Junior High said. “Every kid in school will be involved in a service project moving forward, and then just us as teachers learning to incorporate those global concepts into our daily instruction.” 

The district said that the International School at Mary Mae Jones, Ruth Barker Middle School, and Bentonville High School all offer an IB curriculum.

With the newest addition, parent choice offerings in the Bentonville school district include the International School at Mary Mae Jones, Apple Glen Elementary, Sugar Creek Arts Academy, Thomas Jefferson Leadership Academy, and Ruth Barker Middle School.