Mayor Elumbaugh proclaims Batesville a R.I.S.E city, A & P Commission presents report

Above: Students and faculty of Batesville School District gather around as Mayor Rick Elumbaugh reads and signs R.I.S.E proclamation

The Batesville City Council met in regular session Tuesday night at the Batesville Municipal Building downtown.

Along with routine reports presented by the police department and city engineer, Mayor Rick Elumbaugh signed a proclamation to proclaim the City of Batesville as a R.I.S.E city.

R.I.S.E. is the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence program.

Jennifer Douglas, an assistant superintendent for Batesville School District, shared more info about R.I.S.E. and its importance.

“Batesville School District, as a part of the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, has partnered to become a R.I.S.E. district,” she told the council. “I’m sure we can all agree that reading is key to student success at not only school but in life in general. It takes more than the school operating alone, it takes all of us working together to help our students be successful.”

Afterward, the council heard a presentation from Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Crystal Johnson regarding data from the A & P Commission.

The collections from A & P tax increased quite a bit over 2020. 2020’s collections were impacted significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic. The total reported for 2021 exceeds $113,000, surpassing the amount collected in 2019.

The report also shared that over $18,000 in event grants have been issued. Applicants must meet certain criteria for event grants.

The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce and the A & P Commission now look to prepare for this year’s holiday lights display.

The Batesville City Council will meet again on Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Batesville Municipal Building. All meetings are open to the public.