Dear Benton Grade School Rangers,

It’s a special kind of pride that fills the pages of this alumni issue—a pride born not just from where our students have gone, but from where they began.

At Benton Grade School, we often refer to ourselves as a K-8 district, but what that really means is we’re in the business of beginnings. These hallways and classrooms are where confidence first takes shape, where curiosity is fed, and where character quietly forms in the steady rhythm of ordinary school days. But as you’ll see in the stories that follow, there’s nothing ordinary about the lives being built here.

Whether it’s a fire chief or a pharmacist, a school board member or a sheriff, the men and women profiled in this issue all share one common foundation: Benton Grade School. Their journeys may have taken them far, but their roots run deep—anchored in a community that believed in them early, and in teachers, coaches, and mentors who helped them chart a course.

We’re proud to share these stories with you because they reflect something fundamental about our town: we show up for our kids. In classrooms and on ball fields, in art studios and robotics labs, in foreign language programs that rival those found in much larger districts—we invest in their potential and in their future. For a rural elementary district, we do pretty well, and I hope you’ll agree, it shows.

I’m honored to serve alongside an incredible team of educators and staff who understand what it means to build a strong foundation. They see every student not just for who they are, but for who they can become. That belief, when paired with a community like ours, is nothing short of transformational.

So thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting our school. And thank you for reminding us, through the remarkable lives of our alumni, why these early years matter so much.

Warmly,

Dr. Steve Smith
Superintendent
Benton Elementary School District 47