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Greetings Springdale Schools Family,
Please see the newsletter that announces Remote Learning for November 30th to December 4th. Plus includes important information about ASP, Food Services, Remote Learning tips and much more.

https://www.smore.com/w8014

Michele Hutton, the principal at Elmdale Elementary, shares what she is thankful for this Thanksgiving! #WeAreThankful

BRIAN TREAT – SRO SUPERVISOR, JUNIOR HIGHS AND HIGH SCHOOLS

Brian Treat’s favorite time of year is right around the corner. A member of the Springdale Police Department since 1999, Treat loves “Shop With A Cop,” the program that allows students to go Christmas shopping with a student resource officer. Even though it will be a little different, he can’t wait for this year’s event.

“One of my responsibilities is to organize Shop With A Cop and work with the schools,” says Treat, who oversees the SROs at the district junior highs and high schools. “The most needy kids in our schools, over 200 of them, usually gather with their families and go shopping at Walmart for things they would like for Christmas. McDonald’s also participates and one of our officers usually comes as Santa Claus.

“Each kid gets somewhere between $150 and $200 to spend. To see the expressions on their faces is amazing. The students may have a two or three-year old sibling and they will buy for their younger brother or sister without being prodded. To see the smile on a toddler’s face when receiving a toy is priceless. It is the highlight of the year.”

Treat also enjoys shopping with the junior high and high school students. Their officers take them to the mall as well as surrounding stores.

Funds are raised through donations from the community to the police department and by the schools themselves throughout the first semester. The shopping takes place in December.

“We are still doing it this year but if will have a different look,” Treat explains. “It will just be the school SROs and their kids rather than one big event.”

In his current capacity Treat is involved in community events all year, including the Fourth of July parade, the Christmas parade and the Halloween outing at Willie George Park. He notes, “Our SRO program has the manpower to staff those events. I also work with our junior and senior highs to schedule SROs at athletic activities as well as serve as a liaison between the district administration and the police department.”

Before becoming a supervisor, Treat served as an SRO for six years. It was while he was at Southwest Junior High that he met his wife, Laura.

“I met her in passing and we had some light conversation, then she went to work at Springdale High School,” Treat says. “I hadn’t seen her in a while when one of Southwest’s assistant principals said I should connect with her. We swapped phone numbers, started dating and were married a year later.”

Laura now works as the registrar for the district’s special education department. Together they enjoy outdoor activities.

“I’ve got an old Jeep Wrangler with no top and we drive it around in the forest on dirt roads looking for deer,” Treat says. “I like to hunt and fish and Laura and I go hiking together.”

Treat knows where the best spots for hunting, fishing and hiking are since he grew up in Springdale. He attended Smith Elementary, Central Junior High and Springdale High School. Even then he knew he wanted to be a police officer one day.

“I wanted to be in the military and eventually a police officer,” Treat says. “Both of my grandfathers were in the military. One fought in World War II and the other was in the Korean War. My dad served in Vietnam. I am as proud as I can be of them.

“My best friend’s dad was in the National Guard. I joined the National Guard and served six years in the same unit he was still in. My friend’s name is Michael Hancock. I saw his dad, Floyd Hancock, at an event in Little Rock two or three years ago. I’m sure he knows how much he influenced me.”

Treat’s respect for the military led to his career in law enforcement.

“I always wanted to serve my community,” says Treat. “People in the military were my heroes. Law enforcement protects the community. Since I grew up in Springdale, I never applied for a position on the police force anywhere else. If I didn’t get hired here I would have done something else. This is my community.”

Treat served on patrol during his first 10 years as an officer. He notes, “Patrol is the backbone of the department. But, there are a lot of divisions. When an SRO position became open I was told it was a perfect fit for me because I love kids. I hadn’t thought about it until then.

“When I became an SRO, there were only six of us. I was at Southwest, Tyson Middle School and four elementary schools. I had some apprehension at first but it didn’t last very long. Brice Wagner was the principal at Southwest at the time. He was a long-time educator and it was good to learn from him.”

He learned enough to be promoted to his current position. He is proud of the district and still has three children in school. He and Laura have a second grader at Shaw Elementary. By previous marriage he has an eighth grader at Central and a senior at Har-Ber High School. His oldest daughter is a dispatcher at the police department and wants to become an officer.

Because of his time as an SRO, it’s almost like he has other children all over Springdale. He notes, “I can’t go into a grocery store or buy gas without someone coming up to me and telling me they were at Southwest when I was the SRO there. In fact, we have six people working in our department now who were students at Southwest when I was there.”

Once one of just six SROs, Treat now helps oversee a program that has grown to 18. Eric Gregory supervises the elementary and middle schools and Jeff Taylor presides over the entire program. The amazing SRO program is another reason Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.