Arvest Bank honors local teachers with $500 classroom grants

Two local teachers were recently recognized by Arvest Bank as part of the bank’s annual “We Love Teachers” initiative, receiving $500 each to help purchase supplies for their classrooms. The teachers honored this year are Jessie Jefferson of Flippin and Sara Smith of Yellville-Summit.
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Teachers were selected in partnership with school administration based on classroom needs. Across Arvest Bank’s four-state footprint, a total of 137 K-12 public school teachers received the $500 award this year.

“Supporting education starts with supporting educators,” said Layton Lee, Loan Manager of Arvest-North Arkansas. “We know that teachers often reach into their own pockets to provide supplies for their students. We hope this money can help ease that burden, allowing them to purchase the creative tools and essential materials that help students thrive and succeed in the classroom.”

Arvest’s “We Love Teachers” initiative began in 2016. According to a 2025 Teacher Spending Survey by AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers spent an average of $895 of their own money on classroom supplies during the 2024-2025 school year. Over the past ten years, the program has donated $608,000 to teachers in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas.

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