On ‘Taking’ LRSD Students, ‘New’ Boards

Public School Enrollment

  LRSD PCSSD  NLRSD Conway BryantBenton LISA eStem 
 2004 24,424  17,961 9,110 8,442 6,598 4,254  163 0
 2005 25,095 (+671) 17,943 (-18) 9,368 (+258) 8,618 (+176) 6,851 (+253) 4,409 (+155) 299 (+136) 0
 2006 25,500 (+405) 17,756 (-187) 9,334 (-34) 8,774 (+156) 6,862 (+11) 4,591 (+182) 359 (+60) 0
 2007 25,738 (+238) 17,395 (-361) 8,974 (-360) 9,002 (+228) 7,163 (+301) 4,506 (-85) 411 (+52) 0
 2008 24,660 (-1,079) 17,410 (-15) 8,970 (-4) 9,144 (+142) 7,383 (+220) 4,527 (+21) 433 (+22) 755
 2009  24,380 (-280) 17,126 (-284) 9,119 (+149) 9,083 (-61) 7,669 (+286) 4,587 (+60) 465 (+32) 931 (+176)
 2010 24,226 (-154) 16,828 (-298) 8,862 (-257) 9,256 (+173) 7,949 (+280) 4,666 (+79) 476 (+11) 1,231 (+300)
 2011 24,049 (-177) 16,959 (+131) 8,545 (-317) 9,432 (+176) 8,291 (+342) 4,618 (-48) 599 (+123) 1,457 (+226)
 2012 23,594 (-455) 17,245 (+286) 8,610 (+65) 9,630 (+192) 8,620 (+329) 4,768 (+150) 792 (+193) 1,485 (+28)
 2013 23,676 (-82) 17,060 (-185) 8,553 (-57) 9,733 (+103) 8,862 (+242) 4,922 (+154) 799 (+7) 1,462 (-23)
 2014 23,363 (-313) 16,592 (-468) 8,576 (+22) 9,771 (+38) 9,017 (+155) 5,000 (+78) 797 (-2) 1,462 (0)
 2015 23,164 (-199) 16,562 (-30) 8,413 (-163) 9,734 (-37) 8,969 (-48) 5,045 (+45) 825 (+28) 1,462 (0)
 2016  22,759 (-405) 12,199/3,927 (-436) 8,405 (-8) 9,920 (+186) 9,134 (+165) 5,108 (+63) 1,261 (+436) 1,462 (0)
 2017 22,338 (-421) 12,101 (-98) 8,427 (+22) 10,001 (+81) 9,121 (-13) 5,286 (+178) 1,340 (+79) 1,968 (+506)
 2018 21,595 (-743) 11,863 (-238) 8,145 (-282) 9,975 (-26) 9,136 (+15) 5,547 (+261) 1,374 (+34) 3,070 (+1,102)
 2019 21,472 (-123) 11,801 (-62) 8,076 (-69) 10,117 (+142) 9,299 (+163) 5,558 (+11) 1,395 (+21) 3,202 (+132)
 16 Year Totals -2,952 (-12%) -398 (-3%) (Since 2016) -1,034 (-11%) +1,675 (+20%) +2,701 (+41%) +1,304 (+31%) +1,395 +3,202

Assessment

Over a sixteen-year period, the Little Rock School District (LRSD) “lost” a total of 1,952 students (-12%). In the same period, North Little Rock lost 1,034 students (-11%), a nearly identical percentage to Little Rock.

In the three years since the Jacksonville/North Pulaski County School District separated from the Pulaski County Special School District, PCSSD has lost 398 students (-3%).

Meanwhile, neighboring districts in contiguous counties all experienced double digit percentage growth, led by Bryant’s +2,701 (+41%) growth, Benton’s +1,304 (+31%), and Conway’s +1,675 (+20%).

The combined enrollment of the Conway, Bryant and Benton School Districts was 24,974 in 2019. The combined enrollment of the Little Rock, North Little Rock (NLRSD), Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski (JNPSD) School Districts was 45,363.

However, Conway, Bryant and Benton grew by 5,680 students (+30%), while LRSD, NLRSD, PCSSD and JNPSD lost 6,132 students (-12%). It is estimated that over 100,000 people who work in Pulaski County live in another county.

The largest open-enrollment public charter schools in the LRSD footprint, LISA Academy and eStem Public Charter Schools, enrolled students from all Pulaski County districts, as well as students from contiguous counties. They also attracted students from private and home schools. Those charters alone grew by 4,597 students over the same period.

The biggest drop in enrollment in LRSD (-1,079) came between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years. That is also the period when Superintendent Roy Brooks was fired.

In Pulaski County south of the river, 65% of students are in traditional public schools (54% in LRSD, 11% in PCSSD), 18% are in private/independent schools, 15% are in open-enrollment public charter schools, and 2% are home schooled.

State foundation funding (approximately $6,800 per student) follows students to their public school district or charter school of choice. School districts, however, retain 100% of local property tax revenue dedicated to public schools. Little Rock School District is so rich, it only receives $2,732 in State Foundation Funds per student.

Students who move from or never move to a school district, utilize Inter-district School Choice, attend private/independent schools, or are home schooled have the same fiscal impact on their resident school districts. Those who attend their resident school district’s schools then choose an open-enrollment public charter school have a lessened fiscal impact because their resident district retains their respective State foundation funding for 1.5 years following the students’ departure from the district.

In other words, the districts retain 100% of the State (and local) funding without the expense of educating the student.

New Board?

Those opposed to State intervention in LRSD and now aligned against the millage extension for new, refurbished facilities have lamented that the “new” board was not given a chance before it was dismissed. What they don’t explain is that with seven elected zones and staggered terms, there was essentially a “new” board every year. Throw in five superintendents in eleven years (25 in 34), and there was constant “new” governance in the district.

Year Super.Board
Zone 1
Board
Zone 2
Board
Zone 3
Board
Zone 4
Board
Zone 5
Board
Zone 6
Board
Zone 7
2004Roy
Brooks
Katherine Mitchell*Robert Daugherty Bryan
Day
Baker KurrusLarry
Berkley
Tony
Rose
Sue Strickland
2005Roy
Brooks
Katherine MitchellRobert
Daugherty
Bryan
Day
Baker KurrusLarry
Berkley
Tony
Rose
Sue Strickland
2006Roy
Brooks
Katherine MitchellRobert
Daugherty
*Melanie Fox Baker KurrusLarry
Berkley
*Charles Armstrong*Dianne
Curry 
2007Roy
Brooks
Katherine MitchellRobert
Daugherty
Melanie
Fox
Baker KurrusLarry
Berkley
Charles ArmstrongDianne
Curry
2008Linda
Watson
Katherine MitchellRobert
Daugherty
Melanie
Fox
Baker Kurrus*Jody CarreiroCharles ArmstrongDiane
Curry
2009Linda
Watson
Katherine MitchellRobert
Daugherty
Melanie
Fox
Baker KurrusJody
Carreiro
Charles ArmstrongDianne
Curry
2010Linda Watson/
Morris Holmes
Katherine MitchellMike
Nellums
Melanie
Fox
*Greg AdamsJody
Carreiro
*Tommy
Branch, Jr.
Dianne
Curry
2011Morris
Holmes
*Norma
Johnson
Mike
Nellums
Melanie
Fox
Greg
Adams
Jody
Carreiro
Tommy
Branch, Jr.
Dianne
Curry
2012Morris Holmes/
Marvin
Burton
Norma
Johnson 
Mike
Nellums
*Leslie FiskenGreg
Adams
Jody
Carreiro
Tommy
Branch, Jr.
Dianne
Curry
2013Dexter
Suggs
Norma
Johnson
*C.E.
McAdoo
Leslie
Fisken
Greg
Adams
Jody
Carreiro
*Tara
Shephard
Dianne
Curry
2014Dexter
Suggs
*Joy
Springer 
C.E.
McAdoo 
Leslie
Fisken
Greg
Adams
*Jim
Ross
Tara
Shephard
Dianne
Curry
2015Baker
Kurrus
       
2016 – Mike
Poore
       

 *New

Assessment

Of the seven superintendents in eleven years, six were not retained. Four, all African-American, were not retained by the local boards.

From 2004 to 2014, every year was a “new” board except 2009, 2007 and 2005. The most “new” members (3) were in 2006. There were at least two “new” members four times in eleven years, including the board that was dismissed.

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