Ozark School District
Encyclopedia
The Ozark School District #14 is a public school district
in western Arkansas
serving most of northern Franklin County and a small portion of western Johnson County. The district is a member of the Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative, which includes districts in western Arkansas. As of 2004, the student population of the district was about 1600. The above figure was tallied before the Altus-Denning School District merged with this district the same year, making future tallies notably higher. The district, most notably the high school, is most famous for its mascot, the Hillbilly
. Patrons claim that Ozark is the only district in the Union
with the Hillbilly as its mascot, though both the nickname and comparable likenesses are used by other schools. However, Ozark is the only district to use the nickname and likeness together.
.
Administration Information
Superintendent: Jim Ford
Assistant Superintendent: Bill Gossage
Administrative Assistant: Beverly Childers
District Treasurer: Loretta Ingram
Athletic Director: Jody Jenkins
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 135 Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4118
Principal: Jody Jenkins
Assistant Principal: John Parrish
Counselor: Cindy Hopper
Mailing Address: 1631 Hillbilly Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4116
Fax: 479-667-4092
Principal: Jerrod Burns
Assistant Principal: John Parrish
Counselor: Brenda Beard
Mailing Address: 1301 Walden Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4747
Fax: 479-667-0898
Principal: Ron Hill
Assistant Principal: Danny Spillers
Counselor: Danny Spillers
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 339 Altus, AR 72821
Telephone: 479-468-6111 (7th grade) / 479-468-2821 (6th grade)
Fax: 479-468-2135
Principal: Shane Vincent
Assistant Principal: Lori Griffin
Counselor: Charlotte Taff
Mailing Address: 1601 Walden Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-3464
Principal: Lori Griffin
Assistant Principal: Lori Griffin
Mailing Address: 1601 Walden Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4745
Principal: Kelly Burns
Assistant Principal: Kim Allred
Counselor: Kim Allred
Mailing Address: 700 N 12th Street Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-3021
have been shared by all schools in the district. The Hillbilly
, which is almost always depicted in purple overalls and armed with a shotgun
, was adopted as the school emblem in 1935. Purple and gold were adopted as the school colors the same year, replacing the red and white that had been used. The mascot and colors were similar to that of what was then the College of the Ozarks
, whose mascot was the Mountaineer until the 1980s.
The original mascot was the Bulldogs until the 1930s when the school board voted to change it to the Hillbilly. In 2008, the high school baseball team tried to revive the original logo and colors, displaying the original "OHS" logo on their baseball hats which symbolizes a large "O" representing a baseball with an "H" in the middle symbolizing the seams on the baseball and then the letter "S".
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
in western Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
serving most of northern Franklin County and a small portion of western Johnson County. The district is a member of the Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative, which includes districts in western Arkansas. As of 2004, the student population of the district was about 1600. The above figure was tallied before the Altus-Denning School District merged with this district the same year, making future tallies notably higher. The district, most notably the high school, is most famous for its mascot, the Hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
. Patrons claim that Ozark is the only district in the Union
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the Hillbilly as its mascot, though both the nickname and comparable likenesses are used by other schools. However, Ozark is the only district to use the nickname and likeness together.
Area
The district covers approximately 566.5 km² (352 mi²), including the 40.2 km² (25 mi²) served by Altus-Denning prior to merging in 2004. The area served is split into two areas. Most of the district covers the central, east-central, and most of the northeastern parts of Franklin County, and a small portion of Johnson County between the Jasper and Westside school districts. The area separated from the rest of the district by the Mulberry-Pleasant View and Huntsville districts serves the northwest part of Franklin County around the community of Fern.Students
As of 2004, before Altus-Denning merged with the district, the Average Daily Membership of the school district was 1600, with approximately 40-45% of students eligible for free or reduced lunches under the Federal School Lunch ProgramNational School Lunch Act
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act is a United States federal law signed by President Harry S. Truman in 1946. The act created the National School Lunch Program , a program to provide low-cost or free school lunch meals to qualified students through subsidies to schools...
.
Administration Information
Superintendent: Jim Ford
Assistant Superintendent: Bill Gossage
Administrative Assistant: Beverly Childers
District Treasurer: Loretta Ingram
Athletic Director: Jody Jenkins
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 135 Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4118
Schools
- Ozark High School (10-12)
Principal: Jody Jenkins
Assistant Principal: John Parrish
Counselor: Cindy Hopper
Mailing Address: 1631 Hillbilly Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4116
Fax: 479-667-4092
- Ozark Junior High School (8-9)
Principal: Jerrod Burns
Assistant Principal: John Parrish
Counselor: Brenda Beard
Mailing Address: 1301 Walden Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4747
Fax: 479-667-0898
- Ozark Middle School (6-7)
Principal: Ron Hill
Assistant Principal: Danny Spillers
Counselor: Danny Spillers
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 339 Altus, AR 72821
Telephone: 479-468-6111 (7th grade) / 479-468-2821 (6th grade)
Fax: 479-468-2135
- Ozark Upper Elementary School (4-5)
Principal: Shane Vincent
Assistant Principal: Lori Griffin
Counselor: Charlotte Taff
Mailing Address: 1601 Walden Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-3464
- Elgin B. Milton Elementary School (1-3)
Principal: Lori Griffin
Assistant Principal: Lori Griffin
Mailing Address: 1601 Walden Drive Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-4745
- Ozark Kindergarten School (K)
Principal: Kelly Burns
Assistant Principal: Kim Allred
Counselor: Kim Allred
Mailing Address: 700 N 12th Street Ozark, AR 72949
Telephone: 479-667-3021
Mascot and Colors
The school emblem (mascot) and colorsSchool colors
School colors are the colors chosen by a school to represent it on uniforms and other items of identification. Most schools have two colors, which are usually chosen to avoid conflicts with other schools with which the school competes in sports and other activities...
have been shared by all schools in the district. The Hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
, which is almost always depicted in purple overalls and armed with a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
, was adopted as the school emblem in 1935. Purple and gold were adopted as the school colors the same year, replacing the red and white that had been used. The mascot and colors were similar to that of what was then the College of the Ozarks
University of the Ozarks
The University of the Ozarks is a private, four-year liberal arts, comprehensive university located in Clarksville, Arkansas, a community of just over 9,000 people and the county seat of Johnson County. U of O is located at the foot of the Ozark Mountains, about west of Little Rock...
, whose mascot was the Mountaineer until the 1980s.
The original mascot was the Bulldogs until the 1930s when the school board voted to change it to the Hillbilly. In 2008, the high school baseball team tried to revive the original logo and colors, displaying the original "OHS" logo on their baseball hats which symbolizes a large "O" representing a baseball with an "H" in the middle symbolizing the seams on the baseball and then the letter "S".
Athletics
The school is a member school of the Arkansas Activities Association and competes in the 4A classification and is a member of District 1 as of the 2011-2012 school year. Below are the head coaches and sponsors for the different sports and clubs which are overseen by the AAA for Ozark High School.- Football Head Coach: Jeremie Burns
- Baseball Head Coach: Matt Coleman
- Boys' Basketball Head Coach: Brad Johnson
- Girls' Basketball Head Coach: Bret Nagel
- Boys' Golf Head Coach: Kendra Mainer
- Girls' Golf Head Coach: Kendra Mainer
- Boys' Track Head Coach: Eric Capp
- Girls' Track Head Coach: Rick Gage
- Girls' Cross Country Head Coach: Windi Acord
- Softball Head Coach: Windi Acord
- Bowling Head Coach: Cliff McAnally
- Band Director: Kevin Hume
- Choir Director: Melinda Keeton
- Student Council Sponsor: Francis Smith
- Journalism Sponsor: Pam Irvin
- Speech Sponsor: Ann Guthrie
- Chess Sponsor: Marc Dietz
- FBLA Sponsor: Suella Bratton
- FFA Sponsor: Sarah Walker
- FCCLA Sponsor: Twyla Couch
- Beta Sponsor: Alicia Farmer
- VICA Sponsor: Twyla Couch
- Dance Sponsor: Donna Hillard
- Thespian Sponsor: Melinda Keeton
- Cheerleading Sponsor: Kristi Griffin
- Art Sposor: Clinton King
- Quiz Bowl Sponsor: Linda Vest
Sources
- 2004-2005 Arkansas School Districts and cities
- Arkansas School Information Site
- Arkansas Activities Association