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BY DEREK OXFORD

FAYETTEVILLE—Who would have thought that a three-day summit on the top of Mount Sequoyah in March 1993 of a group of 30 administrators would set the stage for a school district that has since catapulted itself into being not one of the state’s, but the nation’s best?

No one, probably, unless you were crazy.

But Steve Percival was at that Mount Sequoyah summit, and his vision, along with the others involved, paved the way for the Fayetteville School District to become arguably one of the premier educational programs in the United States.

“The mission that was formed during those three days has stood the test of time,” Percival said. “It still exists today.”

Percival, who has served on the district’s school board since 1995 and was president for several years, describes the time he’s put in on the board as “tremendously rewarding.”

“I still can’t believe I was that lucky,” Percival said. “To be able to be associated with outstanding teachers, dedicated administrators, and focused school board members, has been one of the highlights of my life, outside of my family.”

The district’s website, www.fayar.net, describes the district’s mission as being that “every student will leave with a full understanding of his or her potential and the skills necessary to be successful in an ever-changing, global society.”

That vision statement is the mission that Percival and his colleagues drew up in order to cater to a fast –growing student population that was aggressively testing the limits of what high school students normally accomplished.

So the 1993 excursion took care of that, revitalizing the curriculum while providing for the students’ needs as they appeared.

At the time, however, Percival and the rest of the administration did not realize that down the line, the facilities that the students were utilizing were going to need a significant upgrade.

Now with 2009 inching closer to its conclusion, all anyone converses about is what to be done about building a new high school.

“The new high school is an investment in our children and our future,” Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan says. “We must be bold in securing that future and prepared to make the commitment now.”

With students’ getting their athletic and scholastic expectations met, however, some members of the community might wonder why a new high school needs to be built.

The answer?

“This is Fayetteville,” Percival said.

Translation: that this college town tucked away in the northwest corner of Arkansas is fueled by constant debate and relentless discussion whenever an issue creeps up.

“Fayetteville is a community that is well known for its population and their diverse interests and beliefs about what’s best for the town,” Percival said. “That’s one of the things that make Fayetteville a great place to live. People care about where they live, are passionate about what they believe, and become interested and engaged in the things they hold dear.”

The difference here though is that the issue of a new Fayetteville High School is colossal compared to what has been dealt with in the past, as noted by UA journalism and international relations professor Hoyt Purvis.

“A subject such as this has stirred considerable public interest and involvement,” Purvis said. “Fayetteville is also a community that highly values education, and as a result of that and the proximity to the university, the high school will always receive lots of attention.”

With the dreams of the Mount Sequoyah meeting fulfilled, along with expectations for learning not only met but surpassed, Percival says that in order to continue have a great school system, there must be great employees and great facilities.

“We will have both [with the new high school],” Percival said.

Percival obviously knows the ramifications of the actions the administration is taking. It’s not the first time they’ve met and discussed the future concerning the district.

His arrival in Fayetteville back in 1989 to accept a job at Washington Regional Medical Center was his first foray into a community brimming with potential.

The potential, over a span of twenty years, has become reality to Percival.

“When I applied for the job at Washington Regional, I didn’t even know where Fayetteville, Arkansas was,” Percival said. “Now I can’t imagine raising a family anywhere else.”