Born in Leachville, raised in Monette, and pledged to the growing community since she can remember, Mrs. Kima Stewart has fundamentally changed her hometown  for the better. As a child she was told and educated by both her family and church that helping others was the most fulfilling and honorable thing a person could do. Taking these lessons to heart, Stewart started working and volunteering in her community through both her church and whatever jobs she could find. Throughout her life, she indebted herself to bettering the lives of the people of Buffalo Island. 

“I was really blessed in lots of ways and that spurred my desire to share and improve, not just the school, but the community at large over a lifetime,” said Stewart. 

Taking her philosophy-there isn’t as much given as is expected and that actions speak louder than words-into adulthood, Stewart became a worker at the newly established Buffalo Island Central in 1985, teaching lessons and classes to both students and teachers alike. In August, 1992 she was promoted to the elementary principal for her hard work and dedication.

 In the many years she worked in her career, she was nominated for principal of the year twice, largely because she strove to push students to become the best version of themselves as she held high expectations for all students of the district.  Perhaps the most difficult thing Stewart oversaw was the merging of BIC East and West elementaries under one roof when the new school was built in 2018.

In the present day, Stewart is still hard at work even after her retirement from BIC in 2024. Stewart retired originally to help out her daughter with her profession as an orthodontist, but she has continued her work in the community as well. She has been raising money for both the firefighter grant for new radios and the juvenile diabetes research foundation, has contributed to charities that raise awareness for breast cancer, and she has also lent a helping hand in rebuilding after the two terrible tornados Leachville and Monette recently endured. Despite an impressive resume in community service, Stewart stated that her proudest achievement yet is the success of her daughter, Savannah.

While Stewart is no longer working at BIC, she has not left education altogether, as she continues to work as an adjunct professor for ASU in the educational leadership department.

For now, Stewart hopes our community will receive more volunteers willing to help out with the current issues and projects. She believes that our future needs a well thought-out plan and plenty of hands on deck to make that plan come to fruition. Stewart believes that you must satisfy one’s own conscience, and doing something that will help others is the way that she aims to do this.

“If it helps even one person, it’s certainly worth it,” said Stewart. 

Stewart is a wonderful person, mother, wife, professor, principal, and friend. She is open to all and believes that anyone deserves help. She is truly an inspiration for those who strive to improve their community, and hopes younger people take up the ropes of citizenship as elder members of the community age.