001Mhm. >> Mhm. >> [snorts] >> We're going to call the meeting to order. Good evening and welcome to the Little Rock School Board Board meeting. Today is April the 23rd, 2026 and our time is 5:32. So, we have a lot of events going on tonight, so we're going to go ahead and get started. Okay, Dr. Wright, district celebrations? >> [clears throat] >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Members, there is a request to move agenda items 9.4 and 9.3 to take place after the consent agenda items. Items. Is there a motion to suspend the rules? So moved. I'll second. It has been [clears throat] moved and second to suspend the rules to move agenda items 9.4 and 9.3 to take place after the consent agenda items. This requires a 2/3 vote. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed?
002Motion carries. All right, is this 9.3 and 94 or 92 and 93? It's 94, 93 and 94. >> [snorts] >> Should there be another one? No. Okay. All right, good evening everyone. We're going to go ahead and get started with our district celebrations starting first with our [snorts] acknowledging our volunteers. Oh, no. I'm sorry, starting first with Ms. Linda Neal with a special acknowledgement regarding reading in the Rock. Good afternoon, Dr. Wright and school board directors. I am Linda Neal and I serve as district lead for our library media programs. This week we celebrate National Library Week and that's a time where we recognize [snorts] the powerful role that our school libraries play in the lives of our students. This year's theme is spread joy. And tonight that's exactly what we are here to do.
003Share the joy that is alive in our libraries every day. Before we recognize our students, I want to ground us in the work that's happening in our libraries every day and what's driving that work. Through intentional access to books, community partnerships and consistent support from our librarians, we're not just promoting reading, we are building a culture of reading. Our Reading in the Rock initiative has been one of those major forces behind the growth that we are seeing in our schools. And our librarians are helping [snorts] helping to lead that work. This year alone, 11,594 instructional lessons were taught in our media centers. 1,443 collaborative lessons were taught and delivered alongside our classroom teachers. 1,541 professional development sessions were led by librarians. >> [clears throat] >> And over 210,000 books were circulated across our district. That's
004up from 192,000 last year. That's a 10% increase. That growth, it does not happen by accident. It's a direct result of a strong, intentional library program that puts books in students' hands and it keeps them engaged. And then came March. If you thought the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament was competitive, you should have seen what was happening in our libraries. Our Reading in the Rock March Reading Madness challenge took that momentum and it turned it into excitement across the district week after week. The leaderboard shifted from Forest Park to Wakefield and Kay Chico and Gibbs and Bale, Mabel Dale, Stevens, all of them pushing each other for that covenant title. But in the end, Wakefield Elementary took the top spot with over 48,000 minutes, and that's in 1 month, for the month of March, followed
005closely by Forest Park and Bale. District-wide, our students logged 320,000 minutes on myON, 98,000 minutes through their reading logs for a total of 418,753 minutes for the month of March. Now, that's impact. Students were reading at school. They were reading at home. They had ebooks, and they also had their physical books from their home libraries. And that's exactly what Reading in the Rock was designed to do. Extend reading beyond the classroom and into our students' daily lives. Our secondary schools, they joined in, too, with book clubs that were supported for our library from our librarians. Now, to the highlight of tonight, our top readers. These students represent commitment, consistency, and a genuine love for reading. On Monday night, they will come back and receive a citation from Dr. Wright, and he will also join them
006in a wonderful dinner that I'm sure he's going to help prepare and serve. >> [laughter] >> Our top reader was Mahan was Muhammad Aman from Forest Park with 1,579 minutes. >> All right. Eleanor Burnett from Fulbright with 1,068 minutes. Jalissa Lopez from Wakefield with 921 minutes. Jordan Carson from King with 657 minutes. Caleb Creasy from Gibbs with 557 minutes. Josiah Peters from McDermott with 547 minutes. Joanna Mora from Otter Creek with 539 minutes, and I think Joanna is with us tonight. Uh Aryan Compton from Chico with 512 minutes, Maybelline Hernandez from Bale with 500 minutes, and Eliza Smith rounding up our top 10 from Pulaski Heights with 441 minutes. These students are why we do this work. Our students are why we do this work. So, as I close, I'm going to leave you with
007this. Spread joy is more than just a theme. It's what our librarians do every day. Through the books they share, the instruction we provide, and the opportunities we create for every student to see themselves as a reader. Thank you for continuing to support our libraries and our librarians, and helping us to spread the joy of reading. We have a small token to remind you of the importance of spreading joy, and a short video that's going to highlight what the joy that's taking place in our libraries every day. My librarians? Thank you. I thought I was going to be left out. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Um I didn't get a bag. >> [laughter] >> Maybe next time, Dr. Wright, Dr. Wright. I'll I'll see you. Okay. >> [laughter] >> That's all that matters. Thank you,
008ladies. All right. Moving on. I do want to say as a result of a lot of the work that our media specialists do in conjunction with our teachers and our extra focus on literacy for the last couple years and um you know, we we made some modest improvements and as you know, we're testing right now across all of our schools and we don't have official data, but we have started you know, the difference about testing this year is we actually can see the results like the next day. And so we've been closely monitoring how our kids are doing paying specifically to how our third graders are doing and based upon preliminary numbers right now, I I think a lot of our efforts are really really paying off with the exception of literally four schools thus
009far and that's four schools out of probably 26 or 27 with elementary grades. With the exception of those four schools, every single one of our schools have seen significant increases in the number of third graders who are reaching level three and level four in reading and so that is a huge accomplishment and so thank you to everyone for the hard work that you do each and every single day and as we continue to keep giving our students our very best, we're going to continue to see increases in student achievement. So thank you to our media specialists and all of our teachers and staff and principals for all the work that you do each and EVERY SINGLE DAY. >> [applause] >> AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO recognize Oh, we got the video. I'm sorry.
010>> [music] [music] [applause] >> And now for the third time >> [laughter] >> we will recognize our volunteers. Yes. Officially us, thank you. Dr. Wright, Board of Directors, it's a privilege for me to be here. And happy Volunteer Appreciation Week. Who knew that we were competing with Library Week, too? But both both good missions and objectives, but I know many of you joined us on Tuesday evening when we celebrated Little Rock School District volunteers. And what What a great night it was. I hope you agree. There's a few of those slots up there. And as we look at those bright, shining, smiling faces, I think we can say that everyone had a good time. But when I look at that picture, I also see a lot of kind and caring individuals with big hearts. And
011it's not just because I know them. It's because I know all the things that they do. You know, they say a picture says a thousand words, but we look at that and we say, "Well, what are they really thinking? What are they really saying?" So, because of this week, the VIP staff does hear from folks. They tell us what's going on. And I just want to share just a a few words with you just so that you can appreciate how fabulous they all are. This was from a nominee that attended the event. She posted it on Facebook. "I'm very proud to be among the nominees for the VIPs Awards. There is so much incredible heart-led work happening across the district, and it's really amazing to witness. Volunteer work is not all about goodwill. Our time
012has real impact and real value to the district. Congratulations, everyone." And another attendee posted, "While we didn't take home an award this year, being recognized along such incredible volunteers and nominees was truly an honor for us. We're grateful to be a part of a community that shows up and gives us back in such meaningful ways. And from a parent, our dedicated PTA and community volunteers really make things flow for us. They help make our school be all that it can be. And from a principal, we are so grateful to our community partners and all they do for our staff, students, and their families. Thank you VIPS for honoring them and all of our volunteers. And this is from a school volunteer that wasn't even at the event, but I like these kind of emails. I
013got this as an email. Thank you for the volunteer assignment you gave me. I love how you know the things I enjoy and you share them with me. I always enjoy my time on my VIPS duties. Isn't that wonderful? I'm going to try to clone her. Uh but this is just to reassure us that it really does take a team. It's not just one person, one person's perspective. It's everybody. So all contributions matter and we want to thank all volunteers. And before I hand over the partner in education portion to Jackie, I do want to make mention that we have one of our volunteer award winners here tonight. And he wasn't there on Tuesday night. I when I walked in the room, I was like, I think I recognize him from the nominee slideshow. Coach
014Robert Tucker from the from the Central Softball Girls team was nominated with a a very wonderful award nomination. That those parents could not say enough great things about him. And when I walked in, I introduced myself and I said, are you Coach Tucker? And he said, yes, ma'am. I said, you won an award Tuesday night. Where were you? Guess where he was. Just guess. No, he was at a game. He was AT A GAME. >> [cheering] >> SO, IT SAY IT TAKES ALL OF US. OKAY. SO, we're we're double duty in here, but I'm so glad to see you guys lots of you for the second time this week. Um but let's let's move on to meeting some of our newest uh partners. Dr. Wright and Director Nichols, I will ask you guys to come
015down here um to help us welcome our newest partners in education. Principal Christie Strong and any other Hamilton representatives, also private, please join US UP FRONT. OKAY. AND THE first partner in partner that we are going to welcome is Tree of Life Church of God in Christ. The church is led by Pastor Jonathan L. Brown. Any members present from Tree of Life? Okay. Well, the church members will support mentoring efforts at the school and dedicated food and clothing initiatives in support of students. I believe C. G. Scott will be coordinating their participation. And we thank you so much Tree of Life Church. Okay. The next uh partner that we will be recognizing and welcoming is the Melanin Land led by Drakia Wrights. Anybody from the Melanin Land present? Melanin? I WANTED TO SAY IT THAT
016WAY, BUT IT WAS SPELLED OUT DIFFERENT HERE. >> [cheering] [applause] >> OKAY. THIS organization is an empowerment group for black business women. And what a fabulous resource in offering workshops, classroom presentations, and professional resources to the Hamilton Learning Academy students. We really appreciate your support. Wonderful organization. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM WE ARE ALSO welcoming McLarty Nissan this evening. COME ON UP. ARE YOU NATHANIEL? YES, MA'AM. I WONDERED. OKAY, so this is store manager and he is the lead of this project. Nathaniel Newond. A M See. That's okay. I got it. Okay. Um dealer associates associates will work with students on professional communication skills, uniform compliance, and team building strategies. So a lot of a lot of really important skills there that are not as so easy to pick up in everyday scenario. So thank you.
017Thank you. NORTHERN TECHNICAL BARBER COLLEGE. THIS THIS INITIATIVE IS led by store manager Trevena Jefferson. Are you Ms. Jefferson? Yes, ma'am. Nice to meet you. Ms. Jefferson um So you're joining these barber schools have really stepped up to the plate for the district lately. With a constant pool of older students Northern Tech can support Hamilton with mentoring initiatives and career guidance. Okay. Thank you. SUPER FUN. I'D WELCOME YOU TO SPEAK ON behalf of Hamilton about these wonderful organizations. I just want to say when I do it, I do it big. >> [laughter] >> I just want to thank everybody for their support and believing in the alternative program at Hamilton Learning Academy. And I also want to say, "Hey, catch the podcast Right on education episode 9 featuring Hamilton Learning Academy. THANK YOU." >> [applause]
018>> YOU KNOW, AND I AND LAST I THINK THEY WERE HERE JUST A couple of months ago recognizing partners and I said then, "Look at how many staff come up and support these groups. That means they're going to be successful at what they do." So, GOOD THANK YOU, MA'AM. >> [applause] >> THAT'S WONDERFUL. OKAY, BUT [laughter] AS WE CONCLUDE, what I would we would like to also do is uh we do some like to do something. It's clearly been demonstrated tonight volunteers and partners support our district in various ways. Their contributions are all invaluable in helping ensure Little Rock School District students and schools thrive. Thank you to these generous contra contributors. Edwin Craine, $1,500 to Central High School band department. Nancy Russo, $1,250 for Central High School alumni bench. Kim and Barbara Sanford, $100
019for a Central High girls and boys state. Dr. Mark Murphy, $75 to Hall West High senior class. Margaret Freeman, $500 for JA Fair Prep next generation program. Little Rock Links chapter, $1,500 for JA Fair Prep next generation program. Melinda Monica, $68 for JA Fair professional uh paraprofessional luncheon, Melinda Monica $350 for J.A. Fair prep Atlas celebrations for students, Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation $500 for McDermott Elementary Food Courts Garden Club, Little Rock Links Chapter $1,500 for Southwest High School band program trip, Alpha Phi Alpha Incorporated $500 for Southwest High School band program trip, and Andre Ferguson $125 for Southwest High School band program trip. Thank you community partners, volunteers, donors, and contributors. We appreciate you. Yes, ma'am. Excuse me. Can you go back to that screen? Just want some clarity on Margaret Freeman was it $500
020or $50? It's 50. I said 500? Oh, well, I bet she liked that. Yes, I'm sorry. Thank you for clarifying that. I appreciate you. See, it takes a team. All right, thank you to our VIPS partners for recognizing our volunteers. We're going to get right to our celebrations for the month of April and we have quite a few and that's because we have lots of great things happening across our school district every day. And we'll start first with if you missed Championship Sunday last Sunday, you missed a real treat. We want to thank the city of Little Rock and First Security Bank for sponsoring a first a first ever parade of champions due to us having state basketball championships from three different schools in the city. The boys from Hall and Parkview and the girls
021team from Pulaski Academy. I asked the mayor what he thought about honoring our kids efforts in bringing the city together and he was all in. And the next few slides will give you just a glimpse of the parade and the pet rally that followed at the First Security Amphitheater downtown. Stop right there. Congratulations also to coach John Coleman. He was recently recognized as the 4A boys coach of the year for the state of Arkansas. And of course Park View coach Jason Harrison was recognized as the 5A boys coach of the year also for the state of Arkansas. We're proud of them for leading and inspiring their teams, stressing the importance of being great students first, being great young men, and then handling their business on the basketball court. So congratulations to our two coaches. >>
022[applause] >> All right, we already had a little preview about our Reading in the Rock Mart March March Reading Madness challenge and we saw we recognized the top 10 schools and the top 10 students. I mean we're also going to recognize those schools and students on Monday and have dinner with them as well for all of their achievements during the month of March. So congratulations again to all of those schools and students. A big congratulations to the incredible students of Pinnacle View Middle School for their outstanding performance at the National History Day state finals. After a year of in-depth research and competition, these students ranked among the top 9% in Arkansas, earning their spot at the state level held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. So congratulations to students of Pinnacle View. >>
023[applause] >> ANOTHER STANDOUT FROM PINNACLE VIEW WAS THE power power I was getting ready to say powder, but it says the Powerpuff Girls a student investors. Following their regional victory amassing a portfolio value of $161,664. They were treated to an awards luncheon. Team members are Sophie Korczak, Kaylee Jones, and Samaya Paris. They demonstrated exceptional skill in market analysis, strategic decision-making, and teamwork throughout the competition. Starting with a hypothetical investment portfolio, this trio of students successfully navigated real-world market conditions, outperforming competitors across their region. So, congratulations to Sophie, Kaylee, AND SAMAYA. >> [applause] >> WE'VE ALSO GOT SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE WITH MABELVALE Middle School. Congratulations to Ms. Feloncia Earnest, who was named Arkansas National History Day Teacher of the Year, leading students to the National History Day competition 2 years in a row, which is no
024small feat. And let's hear it for our incredible students who are headed to national competition. We're so proud of everyone who participated FROM MABELVALE MIDDLE. WE'RE PROUD OF THESE TIGERS. I BELIEVE THIS WAS the National High School Ethics Bowl. Um, these outstanding students competed at the national championship and earned an impressive top 15 finish in the nation, ranking fourth among traditional public schools throughout the entire country. Shout out to sponsor Scott Hairston and Jacob Morris for their leadership and support. Way to represent, AS ALWAYS, TIGERS. AND IF YOU DID NOT SEE THE FEATURE IN THE Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, you're going to see it here. Uh, they highlighted the incredible achievements of our Little Rock Central High School debate students. We're so proud of Jack Lu and Shang Shang Wu Wu for representing LRSD on a national
025stage and making history with their Harvard tournament win. >> [applause] >> Two students from Hall West High School of Innovation showcased their talent on a statewide stage, competing among 15 over 1,500 young artists from across Arkansas, and they delivered. India Jacobs earned second place in portraits, one of the most competitive categories. And Caden Bryant took third place in the on-site drawing competition creating a powerful piece in just 45 minutes based on the prompt, "Something small appears monumental in scale." So, congratulations to two of these students FROM HALL WEST. >> [applause] >> STAYING AT HALL WEST FOR JUST A MINUTE, THE future of healthcare took center stage at Hall West High School of Innovation. Students in the UAMS University of Arkansas for Medical Science Health Science Academy proudly received their white coats and pins during a
026recent ceremony celebrating their commitment to career careers in health healthcare. In addition to the students who received their white coats, I think one of the most impressive things to me about um this event was that we had a uh doctor of physical therapist, um a pharmacist, and I believe it was someone else um who were there to pin the students and they were all uh graduates from Hall West Wolf from Hall High School, and so that was uh definitely something uh great to see. So, congratulations to those students AND UH ALUMNI. >> [applause] >> LITTLE ROCK SOUTHWEST STUDENTS HOSTED their inaugural Boss Up Day organized by students you see standing in the corner of this slide, Tyler Urban and Elan Rivas. Elan Rivas. Uh this The event was designed to promote career opportunities for young
027people and to introduce them to professionals who provided tips to these young entrepreneurs. The public was also invited to patronize the budding business owners. The student organizers also opened this event to other high schools in to to other high schools in and out of the district. Shout out to business class sponsor, Ms. Renita Bullard, and other Little Rock Southwest volunteers who showed up last Saturday on a rainy day to SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. >> [applause] >> LRSD STUDENTS RACKED UP BIG cash as they do every single year at the Ralph Vines public speaking contest with two of our students taking home the top cash prize. Riley Spriggs from Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School and Sherian Roy Chowdhury from Roberts Elementary School each won more than 1500 in cash prizes including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller
028Grand Prize. Shout out to all of our other student winners, too. You represented LRSD WELL. >> [applause] >> ALL RIGHT, LRSD STUDENTS BROUGHT THE ENERGY to the fifth annual for the culture Battle of the Bands and the results speak for themselves. Little Rock Southwest High School earned overall grand champion for the fourth straight year along with first place band, first place auxiliary and second place drum line. Hall West High School of Innovation took first place overall band and first place drum line in their division marking back-to-back wins and capping off an incredible season of achievements. And last, but definitely not least, a first-year music program at J.E. Fair K-8 uh showed out and placed second place in band and percussion. So, congratulations to all OF OUR STUDENTS. >> [applause] >> AND IF WE DON'T HEAR
029ENOUGH ABOUT LITTLE Rock Southwest band, we're going to keep hearing about the band. Um Oh, I was like, who was that clapping? >> [laughter] >> Uh congratulations to Little Rock Southwest band and band director Jose Holloway. They made serious noise in Memphis at the Blow Down Showdown. >> [laughter] >> Interesting name, Blow Down Showdown Battle of the Bands, and walked away with the overall grand champion trophy out of 12 bands from across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Not only did they earn the top overall score, they also brought home first place band, uh the AAA division, second place overall color guard, third place overall majorette, and third place overall drum line. Congratulations again to the BAND AT SOUTHWEST. >> [applause] >> LRSD'S INAUGURAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP institute was a success with over 75 students from all four
030of our high schools participating in at least one of three sessions between January and March of this year. The Institute empowers young people to lead with confidence, purpose, and impact by exposing them to real-world leadership experiences and to people from business, nonprofit, and the government sectors. Students were challenged to become informed ethical leaders by fostering critical thinking, collaboration, leadership skills, and civic responsibility. Guest speakers included the mayor, state representatives, local business owners, authors, nonprofit executives, and many more. We thank Philander Smith University, the Clinton Center, and the Capitol for being partners in hosting each of these sessions. >> [applause] >> A FEW MORE TO GO. WE RECENTLY celebrated excellence with the recipients of the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund. One of our extraordinary educators and a group of standout scholars were recognized recently during the
0319th annual OWJEF Gala. Ann Freeman, the leader at Rockefeller Pre-K Center, was chosen as the 2026 Educator of the Year. Congratulations to YOU, MS. FREEMAN. >> [applause] >> AND THREE OF OUR STUDENTS, AUGUST OLIVER, Madison Morris, and Zanaya Hawkins, all students from Parkview, were scholarship recipients. So, congratulations to all of those students as well. [applause] And I'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot about these students on Monday night as we do this time every single year. Our Metro Career Tech students showed out at the Arkansas SkillsUSA competition. Representing the high schools across the district, these talented students competed in a wide range of career and technical events and brought home some incredible results. Multiple gold medals in areas like Health Knowledge Bowl, Medical Terminology, Nursing Assisting, and Technical Related Math. Strong silver finishes
032in events like Crime Scene Investigation, Customer Service, and Prepared Speech. And bronze medals across categories including computer programming, criminal justice, baking and pastry arts. Yum yum. And many more. So, congratulations to our incredible students AT METRO. >> [applause] >> AND ONE OF OUR VERY OWN, UH THE world's most well-known communications director, uh Pam Smith was recognized this week by the Arkansas Alzheimer's Association. Pam has been volunteering with the organization's Conway chapter for nearly 20 years and was named the 2026 volunteer champion. So, congratulations to you, PAM SMITH. >> [applause] >> AND SHOUT OUT TO OUR VERY OWN BOARD MEMBER, MR. Osiris Bailey, for his motivational messaging at our schools. Earlier this month, Mr. Bailey visited Carver Washington to help get the students excited about testing. He was joined by local author Wes Peters who shared
033his book and messaging about anti-bullying. Thank you and way to go, MR. BAILEY. >> [applause] >> I THOUGHT WE WOULD AT LEAST GET A SMILE, BUT UH >> [laughter] >> OKAY. WELL, we'll take that. All right. And if you like what you've seen from our students and staff, come on and join the Little Rock School District. As we've mentioned several times and we'll keep saying, this is the time that students who do not live in our zones are invited to join our schools. We are saving a seat just for you. Uh more information may be found on the registration page of our website. And keeping with the spirit of customer service, we have been focusing on making sure that we are doing the very very best to provide uh excellent customer service to all of
034our stakeholders. And this month, we are recognizing our customer service stars of the month. We are proud to recognize this month's customer service ambassadors um who go above and beyond the call of duty. And I happen to know both of these individuals very well for different reasons. Uh they came highly recommended by their colleagues. So, we want to congratulate Ms. Monica Hughes uh from Roberts Elementary and Denise Smith from Human Resources. If you all can COME ON UP. >> [applause] [applause] >> AND I BELIEVE I SAW A MISS HUGHES' PRINCIPAL, MR. ROBERTS, UH, MR. ROBERTS. >> [laughter] >> MR. HELMICK, you can come on up. Uh, we want to thank you for always delivering excellent customer service, and you do it with a smile. Thank you both, and I have your certificates, so let me
035get you up. >> [applause] >> And I am going to let it be focus on the script first. Um, Happy belated Administrative Professionals Day. Uh, I didn't get a chance to properly recognize all of our incredible administrative professionals across the Little Rock School District this week, but your impact never goes unnoticed. You are the steady hands, the problem-solvers, and the welcoming faces that keep our schools and offices running every single day. And I'd be remiss if I did not give a special shout-out to the one who attempts to help keep me on track. Uh, Miss Greta Freeman. Where's Greta? I did all of that, and she's not even in here. >> [laughter] >> She's working. I cannot believe this. >> [laughter] >> Just say it all over again. I'm not reading all this again. As
036she is coming. >> [laughter] [snorts] >> Pam, you were supposed to make sure she was here. >> [cough] >> Aw, man. She watched the video. Tell her to get it on the live stream. Happy Administrative Professionals Day TO YOU ALL. >> [applause] >> THAT IS IT FOR OUR CELEBRATIONS FOR the month of April. Okay, so we're going to move on into our public comment. This is the place in the agenda where we hear from the public, parents, stakeholders, and friends of LRSD. We like to hear public comment regarding LRSD issues. We allow 3-minutes for public comment. Our responsibility is to listen to your comment. We are not allowed to respond or have discussion. Okay, so is that Ms. Posie Alexander? >> [applause] >> Dr. Wright and members of the board, thank you for having me
037here today today. My name is Posie Alexander and I'm a sophomore at Central High School. This is my second year as a varsity softball player at Central. My older sister played for the softball team and my godbrother played for the baseball team. Right now we're playing on a field at Interstate Park. It's run-down, shared, city-owned, and a little embarrassing. As my coach always says, "Softball is 90% mental." Confidence and believing in yourself and your teammates is the most important part of the game. However, it's sometimes hard to do so when it seems that your community doesn't support you. >> [snorts] >> My team, coaches, and the parents of my fellow teammates have spent hours cleaning and working to make Interstate Park feel like it's ours, but it cannot cover up the fact that it has
038never really belonged to us. The baseball program was built a brand new field that opened this past year. As a Central softball player myself, I can wholeheartedly say that we are not in any way trying to take anything away from the baseball team and their opportunities. >> [snorts] >> The Central softball team deserves just as much opportunity as the boys do and vice versa. There should be no competition between two sports of the same school regardless of gender. My godbrother played on the Central softball or Central baseball team for 4 years. He played on an on-campus field for those 4 years. My sister, who was on the softball team for 3 years, however, did not. >> [snorts] >> There was no equal opportunity for the softball players even before the athletic building construction was started
039and the science building construction was thought of. The baseball team, coaches, and families deserve to play, watch their teammates and players on a field that they can claim, call their own, and be proud of. So, why shouldn't we? This isn't a competition or a plea for us to be able to share the field with the baseball team. This is a declaration that we deserve a field of our own. I hope that you, as leaders of the school board and school district, as mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, and members of the community, put yourselves in our shoes. All that we ask is that you see that this is not a girls versus boy versus boys issue and not a baseball versus softball issue, but it's a deprivation of our Title IX rights and our rights as student
040athletes. The baseball team deserves to have a field of their own, and so do we. It's 2026. Women should not have to work this hard to have the same opportunities as men. Thank you so much for your time. Audrey Spivey? Did I get that right? Spivey. Spivey. Okay. Good afternoon. I'm Audrey Spivey. I'm a freshman on the Little Rock Central High School softball team. I'm proud to be a tiger, and I'm proud to represent my outstanding school by playing on this outstanding team. But, we need your help to reach our team's potential. The Central softball team is a community left to fend for itself. During preseason, we did not have access to the Interstate Park bathroom. We are a team of young ladies, and we need a bathroom. We also did not have running water
041at the park. The city would not turn on the water or give us keys to the bathroom until March 1st. As you probably know, we play conference teams twice. Once at our home field, and once at their own field. It's embarrassing to watch schools like Conway and Jonesboro with nice facilities see our rundown city field as one of the most historic and relevant high schools in the nation. Even Southwest, part of our own school district, has a well-kept and well-managed softball field. When the athletic facility was built, we expected better treatment. We need our own field, but at the very least, a locker room. We currently have to keep our bags in a conference room that most times isn't even unlocked. So, we have no choice but to keep our bags in the open hallway
042of the athletic facility. Coach McGee, the athletic director at our school, previously pointed out to us that these bags have an expensive value. Most bats are $200 to $700, and other things like gloves, helmets, face masks, batting gloves, and the bag itself bring the average bag to around $800 worth of equipment. If we had our own locker room, we would be able to safely store our things. In the girls locker room portion of the athletic facility, there are three sections of lockers. One section is for cheer and dance, one section is for wrestling, and one section is for soccer. That leaves the softball team with nothing. The baseball team, on the other hand, has its own locker room dedicated to its team alone. Not only does this locker room have enough lockers for all the
043baseball teams to use, but has showers, changing rooms, and even ping-pong tables. The Central softball team has nothing. There is not one section within the entire 28 acres of Central High School dedicated to softball. We are actively being discarded and ignored. A few weeks ago, Coach McGee sat us down before a game. We were in trouble for leaving a trash can to prop open the conference room door. This was our solution to avoid leaving our bags in the open hallway, cuz we eventually expected the locker or the conference room door to be locked up. But, he said it was unsafe and leaving our bags unprotected. While I don't entirely disagree with him on this, it's a prime example of how neglected we are. It seemed that our own athletic director was against us in that
044moment and threatened to take away the only thing that was somewhat ours at the school. If we had our own locker room, this wouldn't have become an issue and it wouldn't have villainized Coach McGee and his intention of keeping our things safe. We ask for change, action, and support. How are we supposed to grow as a team when we are actively being disburdened? Thank you for your time. OKAY. KENNEDY SMITH HI, MY NAME IS Kennedy Smith and I'm a freshman on the varsity Lady Tiger softball team. Even though I'm entering this experience this year, I have already experienced avoidable and unnecessary preference and praise for other sports and little to none for my own. One of the biggest issues with the field situation that we are in is the travel troubles and the large amount
045of valuable time that is lost as a team. For games, we have only a bus to rely on to take us everywhere, including games at home, which doesn't always work out. Most of the time, our buses are late or sometimes don't even show up at all. Most multiple times, we have had to find our own methods of transportation to the fields unexpectedly. Our team should not have to cram ourselves in the equipment into the personal vehicles of our players and coaches just to get where we play, nor should we have to worry about if we're going to make it to the fields on time or at all. Not everyone on the team has the ability to drive themselves to the fields, which often leaves them behind or without a ride to practice or a game.
046Our travel methods are unreliable and we can eliminate some of the pressure on our coaches and players to get us to our home games by reducing the amount of buses we need if we didn't need them for home games at all. Time for us is lost before games, practice, and even on our own schedules. For our home games, we have to leave our classes at 2:00, which results in loss of lots of lost class time, falling behind on work, and not even being able to attend some classes just to have adequate time to prepare for our games. Whereas the teams that actually play on campus really have to miss class at all, especially since all of the others have an athletic period designated for practice. Combining this with the late buses or other methods of
047travel, there's also often wasted time that could have been used for things that are important to us, like our very own classes. We shouldn't have to sacrifice our time and resources just to ensure we can make it to our own home games. Not only is having no true home field eating into our own work time, but our time as a team is cut short as well. For our after-school practices, we get out at 4:00 and with the cramped changing spaces, immense traffic, and regular commute time, sometimes we are unable to start practice until about 4:30. This reduces our amount of time to improve and get to work together and collaborate as a whole. How are we expected to improve with limited practice time and representation for the challenges that we face? This team should not
048have to be sacrificed and buried and should be able to showcase and display our abilities with easy access like the other Central High teams are. Thank you. Thank you. HOLLIS SAXTON I AM HOLLIS Saxton and I'm a freshman that plays on the softball varsity team. I'm here to talk about the playing conditions of the field that we were left. The baseball has exclusive new field that features synthetic playing surface. Softball does not have exclusive use of a field at a city park. The field was constructed on top of an old landfill and the landfill was built on a swamp. The result of this The results of this is a field that has poor drainage and not and is prone to settling. The lack of proper drainage results in canceled games due to wet conditions. There's
049little support from the city parks and there appears to be little support from the LRSD maintaining the field. Much of the maintenance is performed by the players and coaches, one of which is a volunteer. In the pre- In the preseason, the team organized work events to maintain the field. This include pulling weeds from the infield that was not properly treated with weed control. Some of these hazards from using the city park field include potential inj- injuries from the uneven surface and holes, broken glass found all over the field, and no warning track. Some of the sports structure Some of the support structure from the dugout are missing due to rot. The dugout frequently floods and requires sweeping and shoveling to remove the water and mud. The dugouts are small compared to our competitors. Bleachers only
050exist on the visiting team's side and the baseball field came with new batting cages and the existing softball cages are at the school and not at the city park and are also dilapidated. Thank you. Blair Jelica Is that right? Say it again, please. >> Jelica Okay. Hi, I'm Blair Jelica, a freshman on Central's softball team. I'm here today with my teammates to discuss the blatant Title IX issues that our team is struggling with. As a freshman at Central, we all take a government class and as you may imagine, we spend a considerable amount of time learning about Central's role in civil rights and also learning to form and express our political opinions. Well, here's mine. I'm proud of the role my school has played in advancing civil rights and I'm shocked and embarrassed that the
051same school district has created such a basic and obvious civil rights violation. I'm grateful for the chance to attend and represent a school steeped in history, but embarrassed to walk walk past the new luxurious baseball field as I board the bus waiting to take us to the dilapidated city park where the school district enforces the girls to play softball. Our off-campus field presents many inequities, most of which most of which my teammates have spoken to. But I want to draw your attention to our safety concerns. At the field, we often encounter adults with no affiliation to our team loitering in the parking lots. We regularly see the liquor bottles and paraphernalia left at the field by people and activities that rightfully leave us feeling uneasy. Last season, the team saw many men and women we
052presume had mental health issues. And this season, we've seen a few random men watch our practices while pointing and gesturing at us. As a young female, I don't always feel safe at Interstate Park and more importantly for this discussion, I don't feel fairly treated. The boys are practicing on campus every day with the presence of police and LRSD security officers for their safety. While the girls are sent to a city park that's open to the public and we only have security officers on our game days. There are no locks on the field or our dugouts and anyone could walk into our practices at any time. On the other hand, baseball has privacy, protection, and the security that comes with being on campus. People across our nation think of Little Rock Central High when someone mentions
053equality or civil rights. How sad is it to see that almost 70 years later, we are still struggling to meet the basic demands of civil rights. If any school in Arkansas can and should do better at addressing an equity, it's Central. The damage was done years ago when the decision was made to fund the baseball stadium without consideration for the softball team. Now is the time to acknowledge the wrong and correct it by giving the girls an equal facility on campus. Thank you. Thank you. Zoe Webb. Um, just want to apologize in advance for coming up here like this, but this is a topic I feel very passionate about, so I'm risking it. Um, hello. My name is Zoe Webb and I'm currently a senior at Little Rock Central uh High School on the varsity
054softball team. About two years ago, my mom met with the district leaders after raising concerns about the lack of softball field for Central. She made them aware that this was a Title IX issue, that our softball team was not being Shortly after the baseball field was built. And don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful field and we're all applauding the boys for it and they deserve it a lot. They've earned it and we celebrate that with them, but we are still currently waiting for that those same opportunities. While our team continues to go without a field, the district has committed $147 million toward building a new high school in West Little Rock. A school that as of today has zero students enrolled. That future school is already planned to have both baseball and softball complexes
055built. It is expected to open in fall of 2027 with athletics beginning in 2028. Just this week while playing against Mount St. Mary school, we learned that their district built a baseball field without a softball field. After raising title nine concerns, they had a softball field built within 6 months. That shows what is possible when equality is treated as a priority. We are simply asking for the same consideration. Sharing a field with a baseball team is not a solution. This year alone, both teams had eight home games scheduled on the same days. Coordinating games and practices in one space would be unworkable for both teams and unfair to them as well. That is their field. What we need is our own. We deserve a place to practice, to complete to compete and call our home
056as well. And finally, I want you to picture this. Coming back from me coming back from one college day, cuz I will be graduating soon, having all of my teammates there celebrating on their new field. That is something that I want to see in the future. And hopefully you all would want to hear us see see that too. That is why we are asking you today do the right thing and help us, please, get in our own field. Thank you. THANK YOU. EMORY BLACK BLACKWELL. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME is Emory Blackwell. I'm currently a junior at Little Rock Central High School and this is my third year playing softball at Central. I've been consistently playing ball since I was 3 years old and by 10, I moved into competitive travel ball. Softball isn't just something
057I do. It's a big part of who I am. It's taught me discipline, teamwork, and how to push through challenges. That's why I'm here tonight, because the challenges we face right now aren't coming from the game. They're coming from unequal treatment. Title IX requires equal treatment, benefits, and opportunities. That's not happening at Central. The baseball team has a dedicated on-campus field with full access. The softball team practices and plays off-campus at a public city park that we don't even control. Let me tell you what that looks like. My freshman year, we shared a field at J.A. Fair with Parkview High School. We had to split practice days, which meant we only got on the field two or three days a week. On other days, we practiced on the football field, which we also had to
058share with multiple other sports such as soccer and track. When the season started, it got worse. There were scheduling issues, and somehow Parkview had priority. Because of that, we were forced to play home games at other schools. For example, we played a home game against Bryant at Bryant. This wasn't just unfair to us as players, it also meant our school and district lost revenue from ticket sales and concessions. We also had to play several games at Southwest High School, even though it was in our district, it was not our home field. The truth is that Central softball doesn't know what it truly feels like to have a real home field advantage. My sophomore year, we moved to Interstate Park. But even now, we still don't have guaranteed or exclusive access. Last May, our coaches showed
059up for scheduled tryouts, and the field was being used by a city team. Our facilities don't compare, either. Our dugouts at Interstate Park are small and worn down with limited seating. The restrooms, concessions, and scoreboards are outdated. There's one set of bleachers, and it's on the visitor's side. Until last week, when our story broke out on social media, we didn't even have a sign showing it was our home field. We don't have batting cages there. The ones we use are on campus. They are uncovered, run-down, and have broken nets. We We even have a bullpen for our pitchers to warm up. And let me not fail to mention that the players, coaches, and our parents maintain the field. Our parents make sure that the bathrooms are clean and stocked. And did I say that they
060spend their personal money to stock the bathrooms with toilet tissue, hand soap, and air fresheners. Our parents and coaches also use their personal equipment to keep the to keep the field playable. Meanwhile, Central baseball has large dugouts, proper seating for both teams, a big scoreboard, and a new covered batting cages right next to their field. And who maintains the grass? No one, because it's turf. This is what inequality looks like. And lastly, how can we expect to to compete with some of the state's top teams when limited access to the field is only allowed? This year, we had only three practices on the actual field prior to our season starting. Three. Just 3 days to prepare for a full season, and this is because the city had not given us access yet. That matters. Field
061access isn't extra, it's basic. It affects how we communicate, how we move, how safe we are, how confident we feel. You can't expect a team to be ready when we've barely had time to practice where we actually compete. I wanted to see when other schools started practicing on the field, so I conducted a little survey. I asked a few of my friends across the state of Arkansas who play travel ball, but go to different high schools. Here's what they told me. Bryant starts on the first day of school and goes all the way through state playoffs. Greenbrier starts the first day of school and practices every day until the state playoffs. Bauxite start Bauxite starts conditioning in October and begins practicing in early November. Conway has optional practices starting in July. Carlisle starts in the
062summer around July. Quitman has an extended summer season, then starts again on the first day of school and continues through state playoffs. Benton has summer workouts, fall conditioning, and starts practicing in November, then practices every day until the state playoffs. Now, that's normal. Three days is not. We're not asking for anything extra, we're asking for equal access, equal facilities, and a fair chance to prepare and compete. We put in the same work, and we represent the same school. We should be given the same opportunity. And to be clear, we are not asking to share, we want our own. Please don't let the next group of players stand here and tell the same story. THANK YOU. JANIE BALDWIN IT'S ALL GOOD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> [clears throat] [laughter] >> Does it go Good afternoon, board
063members. The definition of pride is a deep sense of satisfaction derived from one's own achievement, the achievement of those that that are connected to them. And the respect they carry from where they're from. Hey, my name is Jerry Baldwin. And I stand before you as the head softball coach of Little Rock Central. Uh before I arrived at Central, um I served as officer coordinator, eighth grade football coach, and the head softball coach in Watson Chapel in Pine Bluff. I spent seven I spent 3 years pouring into student athletes, building a program get grounded in discipline, accountability, and pride. I'm from Southwest Little Rock. I grab my I'm a proud graduate of McClellan High. Um growing [clears throat] up, Little Rock Central High was considered the school of standard. Excellent, rich in history, culture, and pride.
064So, when I was blessed with the opportunity to come back home to serve my community, I embraced it fully. Today, I stand before you with a great concern that challenge that their very pride. Our girls don't have a place called home. As a coach and as an advocate, as a parent, as as a coach and advocate for our parents, I am most importantly, I stand for my student athletes. I don't stand adjacent to them. I don't stand behind them, but I stand in front. Right now, our softball program is practicing and competing on a re-purposed, run-down baseball field. That baseball field was never designed for them. All right? And that field does not reflect the hard work, the dedication, the commitment that these young ladies uh exemplify every day. Let's be clear. This isn't bigger
065than softball. This isn't bigger than softball. >> [clears throat] >> It's about what doing what's right. It's about holding upholding the standard that's set by Title IX, that requires an equal opportunity for treatment for female student athletes. Because one group has access to proper facilities, resources, and a true home, the other group is left to adjust, to share, make do. Our young ladies show up every single day, and they put in the work. They compete. They They represent Little Rock Central High with pride. But what message are we sending them right now? Are we sending them telling them that you're a second second option or afterthought? But I refuse to stand for that. I'm not here just to criticize or just to to point fingers, but we want action. We want change. We want investment.
066But most importantly, we're asking for action. Because [bell] pride is something that you don't say. It's something we exemplify and we represent. So today, I challenge the board. As you see these young ladies come up and speak, let them know that they're heard. That their voices don't matter. Um before I leave, I want to say um thank you all for having us and come to speak today. It's been my pleasure. GO TIGERS. >> [applause] >> REBECCA THACKER. >> [applause] >> GOOD EVENING. Thank you so much for having us this evening. My name is Rebecca Thacker. I am a senior nursing director at a local hospital. Uh my family is actually zoned for PCSSD and we choose to send our children to LRSD. We chose Central specifically for the rich history, the phenomenal leadership, and the
067promotion of culture and diversity. I have volunteered with the softball team for 2 years. My middle daughter uh is currently managing the team. And my oldest daughter played for Central softball for 3 years and now plays softball at North Arkansas College. I'm going to be reading a statement um from her to tonight, McKayla Shea, my oldest daughter. I played 3 years of softball at Little Rock Central High. Throughout my experience, it often felt like there were constant obstacles preventing our team from growing and reaching our full potential. One of the biggest challenges was that Central High has never had its own softball field. Because of this, our team has always had to rely on transportation to off-campus fields just to practice and play. Most of the time transportation was not provided and players had to
068carpool to the field. This made it difficult to create a consistent practice schedule because we never knew whether we would have a field available or a reliable way to get there. On several occasions, we had to go to out of our way to practice at Dee Bates simply because we had no other option. This created a significant burden on both students and parents who had to take extra time to transport players who did not have their own vehicles or another way to get to practice. During my senior year, we were finally able to use a field that we could temporarily call our own. However, even then, we still lack proper transportation to get there. The field itself was also in poor condition and far from what should be expected for an official high school team
069facility. It was entirely the responsibility of the softball team to clean and maintain the field before it could be used. As a result, preparing for games became even more challenging because we never knew if the field would be ready or if we could even get have reliable transportation to get there. Experiencing this as a female athlete was discouraging. It was difficult not to notice the difference when our school invested significant resources into men's sports while our team struggled to access even the most basic necessities needed to compete and improve. Having an official softball field at Central High School would make a meaningful difference for the program and the athletes who are part of it. A dedicated field would provide our team with a reliable place to practice and compete, allowing us to build consistent practice
070schedules and focus on improving as a team. It would also remove the transportation barriers that place a burden on students and families. Most importantly, it would show that female athletes are valued and supported equally within our school community. Providing a proper facility would give current and future players the opportunity to fully develop their skills, represent represent their school with pride, and compete on the same level as other athletic programs. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. AND JEFFREY. UH OKAY, it looks okay. D A W N Okay, that's it. Thank you. Hi, my name is Dawn Jeffrey and I reside in Ward 6 and I will be speaking in my personal capacity and no one else's. Um before I start this, I want to say that I am a proud graduate of the LRSD Parkview
071class of and I believe in this district so much that I worked hard to get my daughter enrolled there as well, pulling her from another district, which was Bryant. Much better softball fields as well. Um also Parkview girls softball team is in a similar boat, but uh maybe not even in reference to Title IX, but we do have a brand new West Central complex that the taxpayers have invested their money into that we would like for the Parkview softball uh girls to be able to use and maybe even the boys. Um and I think what's going on now is just the cause of building new schools instead of investing in the current schools, which I know McClellan is, you know, no longer in the district as well. Um so, finally, the main reason I'm here.
072While I was at Parkview, Coach Harmon and Mr. Wilson exhibited behaviors just like Ms. Davenport. There were whispers, but no one did anything because they were all allegations or they weren't taken seriously. Fast forward to 2016, >> me, ma'am. >> Yes, ma'am. Do not call names, please. Um he's already been arrested and charged. That's public knowledge. Oh. Thank you. Okay, well, it's already been said. I'll go ahead and move on without the names. Um there were reports and whispers, but no one did anything because they were all allegations and they weren't or they weren't taken seriously. Fast forward 2016, he was arrested and later sentenced for sleeping with a 17-year-old student. He was allowed to resign and wasn't fired from the district until the final verdict. What's going on now is again that children are
073be being expected to fulfill the burden of proof. I don't believe the teacher in question that starts with a D is only is the only one who experienced a lapse of judgment as as Jamel Wright explained as described by the superintendent. I believe that personal relationships between involved parties, the school, and even the district has also caused a complete lapse in judgment. In the same way this situation has been handled, especially when there are allegations and whispers of sexual assault. What the demands are and I've spoken to a few community members and parents at the school. I have a vested interest. I am a parent of a student. Uh the demands are and I'll follow up with Mr. Nichols to check and see the progress of the board. Um an independent investigation of this incident
074and all allegations of sexual assault on the campus going forward, require student education. You gave them this I'm I'm requesting from the board that I get the same time to complete my statement that everyone else has. Just go ahead. Go ahead and close it out. Mhm. Thank you. Sexual assault on campus going forward require student education around grooming and sexual assault and the laws. Recommend that the board make recommendation to stop the renewal of KD contract that which is the teacher in question. A review of the parent notification process because the parents weren't notified by the school district. They were notified by social media. And um create a reporting hotline for students if there isn't one already so that they can report incidents anonymously without fearing retaliation. It is up to parents and community to
075advocate and protect these students. And like I said, I will follow up with you and maybe we can talk more to make sure these things are carried out. Thank you. THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> IS THIS R A R I RIGHT? How do you pronounce that person's name? It's right. What's your first name? Rory. Rory. Rory Wright. Okay. Hi. Hey. My name is Rory Wright. I attended schools in LRSD all my life and graduated year 2020. On August 7th, 2024, I was actually assaulted by a man who is currently a teacher in LRSD. I filed a police report August 14th, 2024. After the incident, he called me and apologized with various reasons on why he did it. I went through a lot of physical, mental, and emotional pain after this incident to the point that
076I was not able to work. This man was not prosecuted due to the fact that he told North Little Rock Police Department that we had a consensual sexual relationship and that was not true. My case was never investigated, surprisingly, just by going off of his lie. After I came out publicly with this information over 20 other young ladies came forward online and in person to speak out about how he has assaulted them dating back to 20 years. There is also a support group online with multiple women. I know this man does not belong around children and I would like something to be done instead of many who know about this sweeping this information of the under the rug. He does not need to be mentoring any young ladies, neither working with children in the LRSD.
077I truly hope LRSD would do the proper research to get this man removed from the district. It took a lot of It took a lot of courage to tell my story again at the expense of having continuous nightmares and receiving backlash online because of everyone's beloved teacher, Lorna McCadoo. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Monica Hughes Monica Hughes Will Black Latoya Morgan Before I begin, um I would like to applaud all of the young women that stood up for themselves today and spoke their truth. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Okay, try to get myself together here. Oh, okay. Good evening. My [snorts] name is Latoya Morgan Phillips and I'm an educator, librarian, uh member of public school strong and advocate for strong public schools. I've had the opportunity to work alongside several highly effective reading interventions
078during my time in this district. Because of that experience, I was alarmed to learn that in some of our schools, students in need of dyslexia intervention are not consistently receiving services prior to advancing to the second grade because they are not being screened. Given [snorts] that we have known since 2023 that third grade retention would be a significant outcome tied to literacy performance, I must ask, are we holding our third grade students more accountable than the systems designed to support them? Additionally, I have several questions regarding our current practices and supports. When a student is not progressing within an intervention program, what are the next steps to ensure growth? Do we have alternate or supplemental programs in place when a student is not successful with the initial intervention? Can the district provide data on how
079many K-1 students identified with literacy needs and are currently receiving intervention services? How are we ensuring early identification translates into immediate and effective support? As testing [snorts] results are released, there is a growing sense of urgency and concern. However, for many of us, these outcomes are not surprising. They reflect gaps in early intervention and access to support. I am also concerned about the equity and access to additional resources. I understand that some students were eligible for the $1,500 tutoring grant provided by the state of Arkansas, but when but but were unable to receive it due to limited funding. This raises an an important question. How are we advocating for sustained and equitable funding to ensure all students receive the support they need? At the same time, we must acknowledge that schools cannot carry this responsibility
080alone. Strong family engagement is a critical component of student success. It is imperative that parents and caregivers are actively involved in the early development and literacy practices of their children. >> [snorts] >> If we are serious about improving outcomes, then we must address early access, family partnership, and system accountability simultaneously, not in isolation. Our students deserve proactive systems, not reactive responses. I look forward to understanding how the district plans to address these concerns and strengthen support for our earliest learners. Thank you. THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT WANT TO speak that didn't sign up? Okay, then we're going to move on from public comment. Comment. It is? Your name? Okay. What's your name? Patrice Blackwell? Yes. Okay. Good afternoon. I'm first first say thank you all for hearing us.
081Uh my name is Patrice Blackwell. And I'm a proud parent of a student-athlete on the Little Rock softball team. I'm here tonight not just as a parent, but as someone who has watched these young women show up, work hard, and represent this this school with pride despite circumstances that would discourage most teams. What these girls have accomplished is remarkable. Last season, they finished with a 17-9 record. This year, they were ranked among the top 25 teams in the state by Prep Sports Arkansas. And for the past 2 years, and heading that way again this season, they have qualified for the state playoffs. That is something Central and this district should be extremely proud of. And they did not get there with the same resources, the same access, or the same support as many of the
082teams they are competing against. They earned that record, that ranking, those playoff appearances while on a field they don't control. They earned it while dealing with limited and inconsistent access to that field. They earned it without proper facilities, without adequate batting cages, without a bullpen, without the basic infrastructure that most competitive programs take for granted. They earned it while their parents and and coaches took on responsibilities that should not fall on families, maintaining the field, cleaning bathrooms, and paying out of pocket for basic necess- necessities. And they earned it while carrying the feeling that the sport they love is valued less than others at Central. There are so many issues and challenges that these young women face, but the one that lights a fire under me the most is transportation. The inconsistencies with buses are
083unacceptable. When my daughter was a freshman, I had three choices. Leave work early every day to get her to practice, let her miss practice, which was not an option because I raised her to be committed, or have her to ride with other students to Jay Fair. And that last option made me sick to my stomach. But it was the only feasible one. Now my anxiety has changed. My daughter is the is one of the student drivers. When the bus doesn't show up, she's the one behind the wheel with other students lives in her hands. That is not just stressful, it's a liability. And it's not acceptable solution. So I ask, what could this team achieve if they were given an an equal opportunity? If this is what they can do with so little, what can
084they do with fairness? Thank you. SO WE WANT TO MOVE ON TO DISTRICT COMMITTEE REPORTS, certified PPC. Hello everyone. Hi. Superintendent, board members, I'd like to formally introduce myself to board member Jackson and I mean board director Jackson and um board of directors Nichols and good to see you too, Mr. Krupitsky. Um the certified PPC, we did meet this month um and we talked and we have decided to withdraw our original motion as it relates to the inclement weather days because we wanted to support what Dr. Wright had mentioned at your planning meeting this month. And we really would like for you all to support what Dr. Wright has said as well. Um in the meantime, I have put together a small committee so that we could come together for an inclement weather policy for
085the district. So Ms. Burgess will be getting with you next week so she could sit in and Dr. Wright, you as well to look at the language that we're starting to come to develop so that you all could have some input and we get somewhere with that by your next um planning meeting. Um other than that about 20 days out. Um again, I'm glad to meet everyone. Looking forward to working with everyone and that is actually um the board report that we have for the month of April. Thank you. I like the jacket. Thank you. THANK Y'ALL. >> [applause] >> PLUS FIVE PPC. PRINCIPALS ROUND Principals round table. I didn't hear it. Superintendent Student Advisory Board. All right. Good evening, board members. >> Good evening. How you doing? I'm Tony here with our ninth monthly
086board report for the Superintendent Student Advisory Board. First, with some celebrations. As we know, our students are highly accomplished and we want to present that. Some of our students participated in Parkview's ASL concert and annual play Suzukou. One Parkview student, Anaya Hawkins, and two Central students, Amira Choudhury and Akshaj Narabulou, received the Stephens Award earlier this week. Micah Harris was recognized for an outstanding scholarship in digital marketing at the honors convocation. Ethan Tang, Charlie Coleman, and I'm in Ali were selected out of 500 students for the Outstanding Achievement Award. They will receive a $500 college savings plan to support their educational aspirations. They were the only students selected for this award in Little Rock School District and in Little Rock. Daniel Carillo also won the very the Volunteers in Public Schools Student Volunteer of the
087Year Award this year, sending over serving over a 600 hours. This past months, we hosted our final student leadership institute at the capital and our monthly board meeting. This last session was focused on teaching our high school students business and corporate skills. The first part of our session, held in the old courthouse, featured our keynote speaker, Fred Love, the Democratic nominee for governor. We then proceeded to have our panel of city board members, Pulaski County Clerk, and state senators, Kathy Webb, Virgil Miller, Tippi McCullough, Clark Tucker, Judge Terry Harmon, Dr. Chris Jones, and Mayor Frank Scott. We proceeded to inquire about our concerns and seek guidance from them. Also, thank you to Solange Jackson and Norma Johnson for showing their support. We then had lunch and then held our graduation ceremony. We had about 50
088students who attended all three sessions and were pinned at the parents pinning ceremony. About 75 students attended at least one of three sessions. Our second and next event this month was our monthly student board meeting. We first met our newly elected school board member, Solange Jackson. We asked questions based on her zone and how she wished to contribute to the school district. We were later given social media training by Kristen Bellue, who works in the communication department, on how to properly use our new Instagram account and represent our school district accordingly. The next part of our meeting consisted of talking with our Scholastic Partner Representative, Todd Zoros, on involvement with the community and his role in contributing to our district. We also spent time reflecting on our accomplishments this year and how we want to
089improve for next year. Thank you, board members, for your time. Any questions? Now, one thing I do want to mention is we do have a new URL. So, if you want to see the next update or see previous board reports or the full text site text version of it, you can go to lrac.org/sab. THANK YOU. >> OKAY. SO, CONSENT I agenda items, the chair will entertain a motion. I move that the LRSD Board of Education approve the consent agenda items as follows: 5.1, personnel changes. 5.2, round 3A personnel recommendations for 2026-2027. 5.3, March purchasing reports. 5.4, approval of school board meeting minutes. 5.5, donation of property. 5.6, Paloma agreement for 2026-2027. 5.7, Apptegy community experience subscription and attendance pro subscription. 5.8, recommendation for certified staff makeup days. Second. It has been moved by Director Jackson
090and seconded by Director Strong's that the LRSD Board of Education approve the consent agenda items as follows: 5.1, personnel changes. 5.2, round 3A personnel recommendations for 2026-2026 through 2027. 5.3, March purchasing reports. 5.4, approval of school board meeting minutes. 5.5, donation of property. 5.6, Paloma agreement of 2026-2027. Apptegy community experience subscription and attendance pro subscription. 5.8, recommendation for certified staff makeup days. It has been moved properly seconded. All those uh in favor of say aye. Aye. Opposed. Motion carries. Okay, so 9.4. All right, I think What is 9.4? I don't even have my sheet. >> [laughter] >> It's the Title IX resolution. >> Uh 9.4 is the Title IX resolution. Uh is David Okay, our staff attorney is um away from the district, but he is on Zoom to Zoom to give us an update
091um as to where we are with the Title IX issue. Good evening, board members. Uh at the beginning of this report as a preface, I'd like to let you know that I've had open and clear conversations with parents of Central Softball students that appeared at the work session last time we were together. And the through line of all those conversations has been about how to improve the student experience with softball and how everyone can partner to make things better. I've had very positive interactions with softball parents, and it's been really helpful to get their feedback and their thoughts. They were fabulous to talk to and interview. This evening, I'm going to talk in broad terms the legal requirements of Title IX and the concerns and facts that I've discovered to this point and then uh
092conclude with a few items on where I'd like to do some further research and advance your May work session. Title IX has a general requirement and then a factors test to determine whether the general requirement has been met. Uh facts then become extremely dispositive and of great importance in addressing any Title IX concerns. The general rule is that schools have an obligation to provide equal athletic opportunity for members of both sexes. The statute then gives 10 factors for evaluating equal athletic opportunity and whether it exists. The first of those factors is do choice of sports and levels of competition effectively meet the interests and abilities of members of both sexes? Second factor is provision of equipment and supplies. The third factor is scheduling of games and practice times. The fourth factor is travel and per
093diem allowance. The fifth factor is opportunity to receive coaching and academic tutoring. The sixth factor is assignment and compensation of coaches and tutors. The seventh factor is provision of locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities. The eighth factor is provision of medical and training facilities and services. The ninth factor is provision of housing and dining facilities and services. And the 10th factor is publicity. As you all have probably intuited by now, Title IX applies both to K-12 schools and to university athletics. So items like factor nine, provision of housing and dining facilities and services, often in the K-12 context is generally treated as neutral or non-applicable because it just typically isn't provided to either sex. We don't house students. The statute does not require equal spending for members of each sex. However, the failure to provide
094necessary funds may be considered in determining the general rule of equality of opportunity. So, that's the statutory standard that applies around Title IX issues. The facts that I've discovered to this point and are reporting on this evening relate to concerns that come through the softball parents and my own observations of Interstate Park. And these concerns come into into five broad categories. There are a few others that are that are around the edges. I'm not minimizing those. I'm just saying that these five are things that I heard from every single softball parent. There are a few other things that I think probably need to be considered as I go forward. But, these are the five that everyone mentioned without fail, without exception. The first of those is the playing field at Interstate Park. As you heard
095in student comments earlier, Interstate Park is a fairly recent decision around Central softball. Previously, games were played at the facility of J.A. Fair. Interstate, as I understand it, was a decision to attempt to designate a playing field exclusively for Central softball that's located a little bit closer to their campus. I went out to the field at Interstate Park and I toured it with athletic director Turner, Mr. Bailey, and Coach Baldwin, and I looked over the field and the facility. Most of what I'm going to tell you, you've already heard from the students. Central has access to the field and the press box building. The press box building consists of an upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs has a concessions area, bathrooms, and some limited storage space. The upstairs press press box area is where Coach Baldwin
096tells me that a lot of times students are dressing out for games, even though from what I understand, sometimes the students are dressing out in the bathrooms. The bleachers are located on the visitor's side of the field, and there are some poured, I guess, concrete bleachers behind the backstop. And I'm using bleachers loosely there. Uh, each side has an open dugout. Both dugouts are showing age and signs of disrepair. Uh, that conforms very much to what you've already heard from the students tonight. Um, a creek runs roughly parallel to the first baseline out of the park, and it's notable because several parents commented that foul balls will often end up in the creek, and so a few foul balls are lost most games. Uh, the field itself has a movable chain link fence to establish
097the outfield, and there's a banner with central branding on it. My understanding is that the banner is a relatively new addition. I can comment to you that the field is not uniformly level. It shows spaces where water will collect in places. Uh, that's primarily in the outfield, but there are a few low places in the infield, and when there is a a high level of rain, uh, those places where water are held become bigger. Uh, I think they're particularly uh, I think Coach Baldwin mentioned to me that around the backstop water will collect there. The day that we were out there, the city was mowing some of the other fields, uh, with what appeared to be like a tractor and a pull behind mower. Um, I couldn't see how that the field was accessible to
098any passenger vehicle traffic, and I didn't see any ruts through the field, but I did see some what looked like tractor tracks. Uh I suppose if the field were wet, those uh tracks would be more pronounced. Uh in my conversation with Coach Baldwin, he told me that uh the same thing that you've heard in student comments, that parents and players have come out to the field and done a good deal of the work to prepare it for play. So, things like weeding the infield, cleaning the bathrooms, cleaning and stocking the concession stand were all done with parent and student work. Coach also told me that the students were using the press box uh and bathrooms for dress out prior to play, and that's where any of their gear will store during game time. >> [snorts]
099>> Um in conversations with softball parents, uh they've all identified these same items that you've heard through the student public comments earlier in this meeting. Um All the all the cleaning and preparation's been done with parent tools, equipment, and investment uh as to cleaning materials and the like. Uh the parents have uniformly, and I think this is important to mention, have uniformly expressed a desire to either share the field at Central or have a new single-use field for softball as close to Central as possible. Um it's also worth noting that uh none of the parents uh expressed that they didn't I Let me say this better. They weren't afraid of any sweat equity in making Central softball as good as it could be, but they did comment that it felt disproportionate that parents are out
100there weeding the infield, and parents are out there doing the cleaning, and parents are out there stocking the bathrooms. Uh and that did that came through in every single interview. Transportation is the the second big bucket of concerns. Bus transportation has been unreliable for the softball team to and from practice and games. Players have often had to carpool from school to Interstate Park and back as you've heard in the public comments. Every parent I spoke to expressed the same concern. A third big bucket is sort of related to that. That parents have observed they've they've taken a lot of work to maintain the fields, the bathrooms, the concession areas. And they've also they feel like they're carrying the program without any meaningful support from the district. They've also talked about having some concerns about practice
101sessions with just the players and the coach at the field and any parents who happen to be there. There's no security presence during practice times. My understanding is that security is there for games but not for practice. Um those are an area of of additional concern. Uh the fourth big bucket of concern that was expressed to me through every interview was the need for secure gear storage, place to dress out, locker rooms, and the like. Uh as you've heard from several of the students, softball can be uh an equipment heavy sport. Bats, gloves, batting helmets, catcher's gear, the bags themselves, any other gear can be bulky and expensive. Uh parents have come in that the students need designated secure storage for their gear during the school day. And they also it it's impractical to carry
102your bat bag and all your gear from class to class. They need a spot to to leave it so that it's up, secured, so it'll be where they need it when they go when it's practice time. And there's also been some concerns raised by the softball parents about space in the athletic facility at Central. The final of the the big buckets that every single person I spoke to uh mentioned were scheduling issues. So, concerns about things like access to batting cages, earlier access to the field for practice in advance of the season, making softball a year-round athletic period with year-round coaching. Um sort of it well, it makes me wonder if in the past there were poor scheduling and coordination around the J. Fair facility, which left some real problems in practicing and scheduling games.
103Several of the parents expressed concern around these scheduling issues and suggested that perhaps more centralized scheduling could alleviate some of the problems there. The next phase I'd like to undertake is take the next couple of weeks to meet with staff in the athletic department and staff members over at Central to talk through these concerns and how to meaningfully address them. My goal is to have all of this concluded uh by the time of the next work session and to have uh concrete recommendations for the board to consider uh during that either that work session or special meeting at that time. Any questions, Mr. Director Strong, go ahead. Thank you so much. Um Madam President, um I uh wanted to just thank everybody for coming tonight. Thank you all. It's been great to work on this
104with some folks. I have learned as I played three sports in high school, but none of them involved balls. So I really I learned a lot about softball and the differences in softball fields and baseball fields and all of that from some of the folks who reached out to me back last fall. And it's been great to work with them and I really appreciate everybody for tonight for coming and staying and I know it's late on a school night getting there. Y'all have homework to do etc. So I just wanted to say that thank you Mr. Kazee for all the work you've done on this. I know I've heard from parents who are grateful to have talked with you and for the time you've given to them. I know you have a lot on your
105plate and appreciate that and I look forward to seeing the report you bring forth. I just wanted to share one other kind of piece to this and and it is really addressing the long-term and I have asked Mr. Kazee and talked to Dr. Wright about drafting a policy for our for our board policy that would require our district to have a Title IX evaluation for any new investment in sports whether that is fields or staffing. I think you know this happened before I was on the board and and I know that our previous board didn't do this intentionally and I I think that you know I I know I voted to approve the maximum amount of money we would spend on the boys field and I never asked and I'll say that a lot I
106never asked about well where's the girls softball field? So I hope you know that we're all up here learning. We are grateful for you to you for helping educate us on what we need to be doing and on how we can better serve girl sports in our district while also supporting our boy sports too cuz we want everybody to have access. So thank you all. And if you all have thoughts on other things we as a board can be doing from a board policy perspective and what we can be doing to look for the long-term. I really welcome that as well. That's all. DIRECTOR FITZHUGH, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK all of you for being here today and having the courage to tell us exactly what is going on because that's the
107only way we can know to make changes. And I'm sorry first of all what you all have had to go through because you shouldn't have to be going through those things on a daily basis and for your parents. Thank you to you all for making the sacrifice of doing what you've been doing and going way above and beyond to make sure these girls can have a positive experience from a softball perspective. Mr. Causey, I have a maybe more of a direct question and and something for you to hopefully think through for the next one. Several of the board members actually toured Central's facilities this morning. And we actually went with Coach McGee to look at potential options of locations that are near Central's grounds. And so if you wouldn't mind as part of your presentation
108to the board for the next go around to also include the aspect of a potential feasibility and cost study of what it would look like to potentially acquire land and build a softball facility. I think that would be appreciative just to see what the cost of that would be and I'm not saying that we need to engage in the feasibility and cost study yet but it's something that I think would be a potential next step for a long-term solution. And so if you could include that, I don't know if you all have engaged in anything like that at to this point but if we could make that part of the presentation, I would appreciate it. Yes, sir. Can I respond Director Bali? I just specifically I want to say thank you to the parents, to
109coaches and most importantly to the to the young women student athletes for coming here today. Um It's It's important that you always understand the importance of of speaking up and voicing your concerns when you feel like something is not going right, especially when it pertains to um discrimination and equal treatment and equity. And so, I just want to encourage y'all to when y'all have something to say, please come to the board meeting and speak because we often times we hear too much from I ain't going to say too much, I'm sorry. We hear more often from parents and faculty and staff, but uh their education is always directly impacted by our decisions. And so, it is and it's important that you bring this to our attention, so uh it's our duty as board members to
110represent you all and make sure that we mandate fair treatment for y'all as well, too. So, I just want to thank y'all for speaking up because we wouldn't have known this probably if uh all of you didn't come together, organize, and uh come speak today. So, thank you for that, and I hope we can make a good a good decision on your behalf and and work with you so that uh this issue doesn't continue to go on. Dr. Jackson. I too want to say that we hear you today. As a former student athlete at Little Rock Central, I also played softball when I was younger. I also worked for the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department, and I'm familiar with Interstate Park and your challenges there. So, I understand clearly, and we hear you clearly.
111And I want you all to know that we are going to work hard to fight for Little Rock Central softball program, and I also want to say I hear you. The young lady in the red, um I forgot your name. >> Ms. Morgan. Okay. So, I want you to know that that's very important to recognize the challenges early and we want to address that also. So, I heard you today. And I want to thank you all and I want to say a special thank you to the parents and the coaches. So, we appreciate you. George Adams. Thank you, Ms. Johnson. I just add my thanks to you all who came out. It's really important for us to hear and and um I think we all regret that that uh we're in this spot and that
112we need to figure something out and that you've had the courage and carry things until this point. Dr. I wanted to to come to you to as Mr. Kazee, thank you for having Mr. Kazee look into this and would want to add that along with uh what Mr. Krupitsky said, I think that it seems to me that it'd be helpful to we may not be able to get it in a couple of weeks, but we do want to hear about a short-term recommendation and then also about a long-term recommendation. Um whether or not that's ready, soon, I don't know, but I would also ask that um I think that many of us and probably including yourself, I think here up here um this time last year were not aware of these concerns or it would
113have been addressed. And and I wonder if if we could also ask administration to to take a look at our other athletic programs across the district just to make sure that we don't have any other underlying you know, fairness concerns that that we also should be paying attention to. I'm going to go. >> Just like my colleagues, I want to thank each of you all for being here on this evening. When coach talked about Tiger pride, I know a little something about that myself as a graduate of Little Rock Central High. And we want to thank you all for having pride in yourselves, having pride in your team, having pride in your school. And we want you to know that we share that same pride in this in this school, but as well as this
114entire district. So just know and rest assured that we're going to work tirelessly to come up with a solution that's equitable for each and every one of you. Thank you. I JUST IF IF IT'S OKAY TO ADD ONE OTHER quick thing that I meant to mention. When this was brought to me back last fall, one of the ideas that I had brought forth was a resolution that we have had drafted that it's kind of been in a holding pattern, but it is I mean the I think our biggest concern as a board is is money, right? What where do we find the facilities money to buy property or build a new softball field? It's not free. And so I think that's that's the biggest question I think we have right now. And at the time
115last fall, we were discussing putting a couple of our properties on the on the market that are not used anymore. I think Meadowcliff was one of those. I'm looking at my fellow board members. But one of the ideas within that resolution was to dedicate any revenue from the sale of our real estate to rectifying Title IX issues. And so that is still on the radar for me to just as more of as we kind of get these plans back from the district staff and the district team. If and as we know about have a better idea of the of the cost of that, trying to figure out ways that as we come into dollars that are flexible to use for facilities that we are able to do that as well. So, I just wanted to
116put that out there as well very publicly to say that that is on my radar thanks to our staff and contracted attorneys for working on that resolution with me. Director Bali. Yeah, yeah. And I I forgot to mention this. So, I I think when when uh Director Adams mentioned something about short term, uh part of Title IX uh the discussion about it is transform opportunities that's outside of the classroom. And so, one of my major concerns from just listening to uh these young women speak was just uh that softball should be a safe space for them and they need to be feel like they're protected while they're out there at Inner State Park and that's doesn't seem like that's the case. And so, I think that's definitely something short term that can be done. Uh
117I'm big on transportation as well, too. Every year well, since I've been here, I I get up here and talk about our after-school care program to make it sure that they have a bus uh so that our kids can get transported in a safe way. So, uh transportation and definitely if there's ways that we can provide some security while they're practicing so that they don't feel like anybody could just walk up and interrupt their practice and disturb their peace. So. Okay. I also would like TO THANK I would like to thank everybody that uh stepped up and spoke up about the situation. But, I also want to kick myself because I think I was a little naive on this issue because I just assumed that when you're embarking on such a big endeavor, that everybody
118would be included. Everybody [snorts] would have a place at the table. So, I don't think that worked out like that because if it had, we wouldn't be having the issues that we're having. So, I was a little naive, so I'm going to kick myself for that. But, going forward, I'm going to make sure that the people at the table are the people at the table. Even some of the students, you know, I feel like you should be able to sit at the table as well. Because we're talking about you, and who know you better than you? So, you know, and I tried to play baseball. I got hit in the eye the first time around. I said, "Okay, I'll play Connect Four." >> [laughter] >> And I just never went back to it. But, yeah,
119I I'm going to take a little bit of that blame because I really didn't know, and I was just a little too naive. So, we going to try to do better. I just want to say a couple things, and I'm not going to echo what everyone has already said, but I am proud of each and every one of you for for coming in advocating for yourselves. And I'll just say this, and I if it's not okay for me to say it, it's too late cuz I'm going to say it anyway, but it is utterly Um it's utterly embarrassing for me to sit here and listen um to you guys describe the experiences that you have um been experiencing with with your softball program. I mean, it's it's it's I'm ashamed um regardless of if I
120was here or wasn't here um when a lot of these decisions were made, it is utterly embarrassing um because what you have described um is the total opposite of what we want to provide for um our students. And so, I just want to apologize for what you've endured, and it seems like you've endured this for a long time. Um but we're going to do everything we can um to address it. I'm not going to make any promises that we're going to be able to give you everything you want tomorrow. Um but we are going to we do realize the urgency of this matter. Um and so, we are prepared to come with at least a short-term um recommendation to the board um at our next meeting uh on the 14th 14th of May. Um and
121secondly, I just wanted to put this out there as well. You know, part of the um and this is all along the same lines of of of equity. And I know we're not here talking about Parkview um but when we take a look at all of our schools in our district, I think we have done a lot to build new facilities Um and every time we build new facilities we make sure that those schools have exactly what they need. Central has been around a long time and I think the issue of land availability on the current campus has kind of negatively contributed to us being able to provide some of the things that we provide at all the other schools, but we also can't forget about Parkview and I just want to put that out
122there as well. Right now they don't have hardly anything and they share facilities for everything and so while we are looking at solutions for Central cell program we can't forget about other issues that we have around the district and Central and Parkview are the only two high schools that we have that are old. Central got some upgrades this year with a science building and the athletic indoor athletic facility. Um Parkview has gotten nothing but well nothing in terms of sports. Yeah. I said nothing in terms of sports. So while we're having these conversations we can't forget about all of our schools and I just wanted to make sure that we were just want to make sure that I said that and that we were cognizant of that as well. All right. Okay, we're going to
123move on to 9.3. Attorney Have a good night. Good night. Don't leave her there, right? >> [laughter] >> Oh. Don't leave me. You're welcome to stay. Yeah. >> [laughter] >> So fun. A captive audience. >> Mhm. I think we're just waiting on them. I think the lawyer said Mr. Joyce Jackson Oh, okay. I think somebody needs some sugar. Yeah, >> [laughter] >> I think we need a break. Everybody okay? Keep it moving. I'll keep it moving. Who wants a break? I think everybody here is taking 30. No, they take 30. Like 5 minutes. I know, I just Well, I will. I'll take a break my own break in a minute. Well, I I was going to listen to this thing. Maybe after after Hiller we could do a little bit. Yeah, that's good. Come on
124up, Mr. Hiller. I don't I don't know if we had any uh board member who wanted to kick off this uh particular topic around um the lawsuit, but that's what this agenda item is for. I mean, could Would it be fair for us to just get an update on where we are in the lawsuit? Maybe I think I know we're obviously waiting on the judge's ruling, but I think Mr. [snorts] Hiller, if you could just kind of give a a broad perspective on where we are uh you know, obviously since the board the previous board voted to move into this lawsuit, and then I imagine we'll probably all have some questions. Right. Well, and good evening uh board members and Superintendent Wright. Um I can tell you what happened uh briefly since September 29, 2025
125when the board voted to seek to intervene in the Faulkenberry against the state federal court case. Um we moved to intervene on October 24th. Uh the briefing was done by the end of the year, December 31. We had a hearing on February 17 uh with Federal Judge Price Marshall. He ruled that day. The hearing was really about two things. Uh motions to intervene both by parents as defendants and by LRSD as a potential plaintiff and also about the state's motion to dismiss the Faulkenberry plaintiffs' claims. Uh the judge issued an order that same day after ruling from the bench and said that the establishment clause claims brought by the Faulkenberry plaintiffs survived the motion to dismiss. So, their case goes on. The judge also asked for more briefing from us about the standing issue. So,
126we provided that as well as a amended proposed complaint in intervention. And that briefing was concluded on March 23rd of this year. Uh I think the only thing that's happened since then is we have a scheduling order and there's a trial set for July 12, 2027. So, that's where we are right now and as as you said, Director Krupetsky, we're waiting to hear what Judge Marshall has to say about our motion to intervene. And and the July 12th, I imagine is for the main case, the Faulkenberry plaintiffs as to the merits of the the case at that point. >> without us. 27. 2027. >> 27 of 2027. Okay. Um so, I do have actual questions outside of that if if unless somebody else has some. Yeah. So, Mr. Eller, one one of the the questions
127that I had and this came up, Mr. Adams and I Director Adams and I both had a similar I guess question. Um when I watched the original board meeting back in September, one of the concerns and and I don't know that anybody asked the question at that point in time, but I thought was an important one to ask. Um and that is there was already an existing lawsuit. We were obviously asking to intervene to be additional plaintiffs. And the question that I don't think was asked at the time was if we're allowed to intervene, what additional um either credence um do we give to the lawsuit um or what additional um advantage would the lawsuit have if the LRSD was a plaintiff? Because obviously as I shared in my thoughts last meeting um the lawsuit
128based on the previous ruling is going to go on with or without us. And so what I'm trying to balance is our participation and does it lend extra credence to it versus the financial burden when we're dealing with budgetary constraints. Um so if you could maybe talk to that and the merits of of us intervening in the lawsuit, please. Right, and that's um there there is an important balance there, but I think we do add a lot of credence to the lawsuit. The Little Rock School District has been often alone, occasionally with other districts um a leading district in advocating for uh the what's required by the Arkansas Constitution for education in the state of Arkansas and what's required by federal law and the United States Constitution. We did that bringing the desegregation case, the
129interdistrict desegregation case in 1982. Uh we were in the middle of the Lake View cases, probably went to the Supreme Court six or seven times about funding for our district and other districts in the state. Um and this is something I think the kind of thing that the Little Rock School District can bring some credibility that would help the case and also you know, a somewhat different perspective. Our position as a district with the responsibilities we have under the Arkansas Constitution and state law puts us in a little bit different position than the current plaintiffs who are teachers and parents. So I think there is something that we add would the case definitely uh turn out differently if we're involved or not involved. I can't I can't say that. I think of course the you
130know, I've been working with Richard Mays, the lawyer for the plaintiffs and you know, they greatly appreciate our effort to become involved and would hate to see us go, but so they think we add value to the case. And there's some things too, for example, at the hearing on February 17th we had the opportunity to address the merits of the case as well as our intervention. And we had some points to make that had not been made. So, I think we just have something that we can add and we've got resources, of course, that these and a history and expertise that these parents and teachers don't have. You know, we've we've got all of the staff you rely on every day who can provide information and understand how school systems work and how school finance
131works and some of the issues that uh an entity like this can bring to the case that's not there without us, but so, that's you know, I think that's what we have to to offer to the case. Mr. Eldon. Do we have a date or time frame? Are we aware that a decision will be made that allows us to be a part of or not a part of? >> Could be any day. The case is sitting with the judge right now. It's fully briefed and it's great we're just awaiting a decision. Could come anytime. Director Adams. Thank you, Ms. Johnson. Mr. Heller, could you walk us through um the potential decisions that the judge could make and what the implications for those decisions could be? Well, I think >> as our standing and participation. Yeah,
132I think um for us, it's either going to be that we're allowed to intervene and it won't really matter to us whether we have, you know, the rule provides for intervention of right in certain situations. We've argued that we're entitled to that, but the rule also rule 24 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure also allows for inter-permissive intervention, and we've asked for that alternatively as most pro- prospective interveners do. So, the judge either grants intervention on one of those bases or not. And then, if the judge uh does not allow us to do that, we've talked before about whether we could potentially file briefs um as friend of the court briefs on different issues if we decide to do that. There's some question about that in federal court and whether you parties should be
133able to do that, but Judge Rodowsky, for example, encourages friend of the court briefs at the district court level. Um so, I think that's at least a possibility if we're not allowed to intervene. Director Armstrong. Thanks for being here, Mr. Heller. Um two questions for you. Um one of the statements you made in response to um Director Kupietzky was that we have resources the plaintiffs don't. Um I would just say I guess ask you in a in a situation where we were $15,000 in the black last year for our our budget. Do we really have resources that the plaintiffs don't to fund what you said they greatly appreciate our experience and work in this and to me it sounds like we're funding the plaintiffs legal work and by coming to the table to support this.
134So that's the first question and then if I can follow up after you answer that one. >> Sure. The resources I was referring to would be my ability to call somebody like Kelsey Bailey or Shawn Burgess or somebody who has had years or decades of experience in schools dealing with school finance, dealing with State Board of Education issues. So that that's what I was referring to. >> Okay. Um and we haven't, you know, so far other than standing up and talking briefly about the merits in the at the February 17th hearing we haven't and drafting a proposed amended complaint and intervention, we haven't done much that or anything that really directly supports the plaintiffs in this case but that it would be a shared effort. So yeah, we would be spending money that hopefully, you
135know, not only supports the plaintiffs but public education in Arkansas. So yeah, but that's by resources I meant all the people that I work with that have expertise in our district. >> that's helpful and I think that really leads well into my second question. If I'm remembering correctly, you had as provided an estimate of about $10,000 for us to be part of this lawsuit at minimum and we had as of our last board meeting, I think Dr. Wright said we had spent over $40,000 and that had been the month before it had been about $30,000. So we're spending $10,000 a month approximately on this lawsuit um, this at this current time. Do you have an updated estimate of how much you think, if the judge ruled that we could continue to fully participate and our
136board did, you know, endorse that path as well, um, and supported a budget for the next school year that would allow us to continue to do that, what do you estimate that the cost would be to get to the July 2027 court date and make it through all of that? Well, as you pointed out, you know, it's it's hard to anticipate what's going to happen, so I didn't think uh, we were going to have to go back and write another brief, two more briefs, and uh, a revised complaint and intervention and those types of things, so, um, really, and I can say that, um, since uh, in the last month, at least, Mhm. we haven't billed anything. Okay. So, you know, it's not like it's $10,000 a month, it just depends on the situation. So,
137I it would probably be better for me to sit down, uh, and try and calculate something like that, what it would take, you know, after the state lost on its motion to dismiss, you know, the next thing would be a summary judgment argument at some point, and then if we get past that, and we're into discovery, I'd have to probably think through how many depositions that would involve and and those kinds of things, so, it probably better for me to just prepare a comprehensive budget and share that with you than to try and pull a number out, right now. >> that I would I'd be happy to wait for a strong estimate on that. And along with that, I would really love it if you could, kind of to Mr. Krupitsky's point, um, prepare a
138little more comprehensive briefing than we got on the credence and credibility that we bring to this, um, for our board. And I mean I think as we look at this and the potential cost and weighing, you know, is it a better for us to invest in this in the short term over tutoring for our students who need tutoring. You know, I think that just as we kind of weigh all these pieces and what those dollars could be used for in the short term, medium term, long term and our all of our commitment to public education. I think we have to as a board be thoughtful and weigh those decisions um together. So I'd love it if you could bring us a a bit of a more comprehensive brief brief than we got back last September
139on how likely or what what you think we bring that the plaintiffs don't have that would help the case prevail. That's what and the risk we have in doing so just if if we don't prevail. Right. Because I think that's what I risk about is setting bad precedent and being part of setting bad legal precedent. I think when you enter into judicial advocacy, I think you have to have a really clear path and we didn't set this path. You know, we didn't come to the table and say we're filing this case. We jumped onto someone else's case. And I think when you engage in judicial advocacy, just I just think you have to be really thoughtful about it. And so, you know, if you could have started over, is this the same path you would
140have taken? And you don't have to answer that right now. Well, But but I think those are important questions for us as a board to understand and wrestle with as we determine whether or not we continue to spend resources that could be put directly toward children's education. Thank you. >> Yeah, and it's you know, it's the the law on standing is evolving. It's difficult. It's, you know, and and the law on the merits, um you know, there are four major cases we talked about and I could explain to you why I think this is an entirely different situation, but people I think you mentioned uh Uh, last time we talked about this Director Strong, that you had talked with lawyers who uh, expressed a valid fear of setting a bad precedent, but here's uh, I
141can give you my 2-minute version of where I think we are compared to the four most significant, probably, precedents in this area, and it goes back to the all United States Supreme Court cases, but it goes back to 2002 with Zelman against Simmons-Harris. And that was just a case in Ohio involving districts under state control, which amounted to only one district, the Cleveland School District. So, that whole decision, and so it was a tuition program to help students in the Cleveland School District, and the court said, you know, if you're going to provide assistance, public assistance to a failing school system, um, you can't discriminate on the basis of religion between uh, between schools, that they can receive tuition assistance. So, that's how big that program was. That was the Cleveland School District. The next
142one is Trinity Lutheran, uh, which didn't really involve education directly, but recycled a program that provided playgrounds for different schools and other entities with recycled tires. So, that also was not a big program, and the court said that your vi- you know, you get this balance in the First Amendment between Clause, right? You can't establish religion, but you can't impair the free exercise of religion, so you've got that balance, and the court says, if you don't allow a a religious entity to participate in the recycled tire playground program, that's just a discrimination violation of the Free clause. And then you get to uh Espinoza against the Montana Department of Revenue. And that involved tax credits um for tuition assistance. And in the face of Montana's constitutional provision that says no aid for uh religious entities.
143And the that program was $3 million a year for 7 years. So another very small program. And then you get to the most recent one in Maine, Carson against Makin. And the situation there was Maine is, I think the Supreme Court said, the most rural state in the country. And they have a lot of school districts that don't have secondary schools. So they established a program to provide tuition for secondary schools, but attempted to exclude religious schools. And the court said, "You can't disqualify those schools entirely because they're religious." But so what we have here is, you know, a playground program, one that just involves the Cleveland school district, one that involves $3 million a year for 7 years, and one that involves a few rural secondary schools. And now we have a situation in
144Arkansas where we're spending more than $300 $300 million a year and increasing. And in in the face of a state constitution that requires the state to ever maintain a free system of robust public schools, we're creating an entire separate system of publicly funded private, mostly religious, schools. So I think there's an order of magnitude difference here if you're looking at whether or not there's an establishment of religion between, you know, letting a religious entity uh become involved in a program that gets a recycled tire playground or $3 million a year program compared to what's happening here. So, I think and you know, these these are difficult precedents, but that's what I think the distinction is in this case that makes it possible for the plaintiffs to get some kind of relief in the case. So,
145I just thought I'd So, Mr. Eller, who's actually read all the briefs of the original court filing, um I heard you say that that the court granted standing on the establishment clause issue. Um am I to assume then that on the equal protection clause issue, they said they do not have standing or has he not ruled on that part of the original Falkenberg case? >> Oh, you you mean on the motion to dismiss? >> Yes. Yes, the the only part of the Falkenberg plaintiffs case that remains is the establishment clause part. I think they uh in the middle of the argument or maybe at the beginning withdrew uh the uh equal protection argument. Okay. There's a question about whether you can bring that in federal court. So, so then here's really the gut of my
146question is the Falkenberg case stands on the on the uh establishment clause question. If we withdrew, will it still stand on its own if we decided to pull out of the the lawsuit and not intervene? Yes. And so, the the part that I think Director Strong is getting to is if we decided to withdraw, if they still have a strong argument on their own other than the resource piece, do you feel like they still should be able to move forward on that 2027 date with or without us? Yes, assuming they make it through whatever summary judgment motions come up in the meantime. Yes, they would I mean I think their plan is to pursue the case. The judge has denied state's motion to dismiss on the establishment clause issue and they're moving forward on that.
147I think actually I can't you know the Fogarty plaintiffs have a state court case as well and I saw a letter to the Attorney General's office requesting some depositions but I can't I'm not sure if that was in the state court case in the federal And that's on the state constitutional grounds I imagine. >> Yes. Well, as soon as we hear something from Judge Marshall and if that doesn't happen quickly the next thing will be the budget and the explanation of the value that the district brings to the case. Do you have an estimated date when you may be able to complete that comprehensive update? Uh hopefully next week. Okay. Thank you. I mean I and definitely I want to do it before you know um your work session. Okay. in May but I I
148think I can do it faster than that. Okay, thank you. Thank you so much. All right, we're going to take 10 minutes. This just was really nice. It felt hurtful. Yeah. >> Mhm. >> All right, we're back from our short break and we're going to keep it moving. We are getting to schools and academics 6.1. Hello. All right, good evening. Um we are here to um what you'll see in the agenda is um just to make sure that everyone is updated. I know Dr. Wright sent this out in the weekly updates to you all, but um it is official and Little Rock School District is the first in the state to pilot Not pilot, sorry. Let me start again. Is the first to uh roll out a dual language uh PROGRAM FOR KIDS. >> [cheering]
149[applause] >> YES. UM IT IS TRULY HISTORIC. It's um you know, I think in 2018 Act 663 made it so um you could go beyond English only instruction in classrooms. And so, a couple of years ago, the state put out the opportunity for us to apply. And so, we did. And we have spent um a long time, 2 years, maybe even longer planning for this programming. And I want to acknowledge the gentleman next to me, um, Mr. Chris Jackson, who is principal at Watson Elementary and one of the schools that will be rolling out the dual language program, uh, at Watson. So, um, this isn't you know, it's not an easy thing to take on something totally new. Like there is no dual language program in the state of Arkansas, right? And so, Principal Jackson
150and Principal Curry, who isn't able to be here tonight, um, both raised their hands to say this is what we want to do cuz this is what we think is best for kids. Um, and so just want to give, um, him kudos and him kudos for STICKING AROUND, TOO. >> [applause] >> AND PAM, I'M NOT HAVING ANY LUCK, SO YOU MIGHT HAVE to move me. Um, I am. I'm good. So, so here it is. Oops. I'm crazy. Um, yeah, so we just said Chico and Watson. And just to to be clear, um, it is a year-over-year, uh, growth model, right? So, we will start in kindergarten, uh, next year and then each year will build on another grade. Um, the plan also then is to bring in Lacy to also then have, uh, a kindergarten
151dual language in their building. The Lacy team is already excited, um, to come on board uh, and and to to to plan alongside us. We'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge all the people that have been a part of this, um, including, uh, Director Johnson, who has been a very regular, uh, contributor at our advisory meetings. The advisory team's been coming together for over a year. Have you missed one? Okay, I I don't know if you've even missed one. Um, yeah, she's there, um, and and as well as, you know, folks on the district team. Dr. Henry is not feeling well tonight. Want to acknowledge her efforts, right? Our director of multilingual programming, um, has been vital and is, you know, again, someone who's not afraid to to step forward and take this on. Dr.
152C. Yang is our program coordinator, also with children tonight, but yeah, also just want to say those names out loud. A lot of other people um Your staff members, we've got Ms. O'Connell who's been a part of it. We've got um uh gosh, Ms. Deanna Camarillo, our assistant superintendent, have been a part of this. Um we've had other community members, some fam- some parents to be a part of the advisory and planning. Um so just want to acknowledge all of them. And just for level setting, like why dual language? Some people, you know, it's it's not hasn't been a thing in Arkansas, and so there are a lot of questions including with the team of folks that have been planning this. What does it look like? What does it mean? Why is this the what
153we should be doing for kids? And so, you know, these four bullet points really, you know, are are encapsulating, you know, some of what is beneficial about a dual language program. And I think the theme that you'll see is, you know, it is about academic achievement. It is also a lot about identity, belonging, and intercultural competence, right? And so, you know, these are all um really key components of a of a strong dual language program. And at the end of the day, this is the thing for me that is, you know, very compelling. When you think about all of the different models and the way that you can organize learning for students whose home language might not be English, right? And even for students whose home language is English, but they want to learn another
154language. Um really, the bottom line is what this graph really says is the dotted line is average reading proficiency for kids who grow up being what what is, you know, stated as native English speakers. The two bars that go above that line are a dual language model. Right? So, there are a lot of different bilingual education models. When I worked in Chicago, we had a different, right, kind of bilingual education model, but the only two, right, that really have been proven to exceed academic performance for kids are dual language models. So, this is This is the way to go. Um in our programming, we've got a one-way model at Watson, right, where the students in the classroom will all be heritage Spanish speakers, right? And then at Chico, we're actually doing a two-way model. And
155so, a little different. Some of the students in that classroom will be native English speakers, some of them in that classroom will be native Spanish speakers. Okay. Here's our logo. I went to grab some stickers, so I'll owe you all a sticker. We're giving everyone our dual language stickers. But, um this logo really has a lot of significance like tucked into it. So, green and blue are, right, green is for English, blue is for Spanish. It's intentionally two colors to represent the the dual language. The three pillars represent what's around the circle. So, the three pillars of the program are about developing bilingualism and biliteracy. Right? So, it's not about just speaking Spanish and speaking English, it's also about reading and writing in Spanish and reading and writing in English and developing that skill set.
156It's obviously about academic achievement. We just looked at that graph and and showed, you know, what the outcomes of strong dual language programs are. And another big pillar is cultural competence, right? That is a goal of the program. And so, really the colors, the pillars, and all of those things hold um significance. Oops, wrong way. So, I won't get into this too deeply, but the team, the advisory, labored over every word in this vision and in these goals, right? And so, this vision and these goals have been what, you know, has been what has been driving decision-making around schedules, around curriculum materials, around um staffing, right? And so, um you know, really, really important that this is clear and, you know, while these are the district vision and goals, the way they play out on
157these campuses will look, you know, slightly different. Do you want to take that? Okay, so He's like, "No." [laughter] You don't have to, but you can. >> we had to go through a process of of developing what we call a language allocation. And so, when you hear dual language, um our students, 80% of their day will be completely in Spanish, even in the two-way model, and 20% will be in English. And so, that uh 80% they have what, second language uh acquisition as well as all of the core subjects within Spanish. And so, we're excited. And so, that's what that represents, uh that they will have their com- almost complete day in Spanish. So, I'm excited about this because um at Watson Elementary, our students, we're right at about 55% English language learners. And so,
158these students have an opportunity where as they're seen as behind in many of our English-speaking classes, they'll have an opportunity uh to encounter learning in their home language for the first time. And so, we're excited about the outcomes that will come as a result of that. I think Greg Adams has a question. Yeah, great question. Yeah, thank you. Before we go further, I just want to make sure I'm following well. So, um in that kindergarten class on both times, is that going to be one class or all the kindergarten classes? Yeah, thank you. Good clarification. Um it's one class in each school. So, it's what you call a strand within a school. Um so, some of the classrooms will, you know, not look different than they do now, except I, you know, I think the
159whole school will adapt a little bit as some of these dual language strategies become more a part of what the school does. Um, but it will be one classroom at Chico and one classroom at Watson. And a follow-up with that, so how how will those students be chosen to be a part of of that class? We have a multiple processes in place. So, throughout this year, uh, we've had multiple parent meetings in which, uh, parents have expressed their interests. Uh, we've also we've, uh, had contact with all of the pre-K centers, uh, especially those who feed into us, Guyer Springs, as well as Chico. And so, those parents have had an opportunity to not only just have information about the meetings, uh, but they've had an opportunity, in fact, they met with our consultant, uh,
160Ms. Beeman, and where she went through the characteristics of a dual language program, and they and she's a native Spanish speaker. And so, uh, many of those families, they felt better about what the program entails. And so, we've gone through, but we've also looked at a lot of characteristics because we wanted there to be sustainability in the program. So, we, you know, we understand that many of our schools in Southwest high mobility. And so, when we were looking at the students and choosing those students, we want to make certain that they stayed for a while. We wanted to make certain that they had, um, perhaps siblings that were coming along. In fact, many of the students in Watson's program, uh, many of them have older siblings that have, uh, transitioned through our school. So, we
161know that the families have long sustainability in the area because, ultimately, what we'd like to see from this year is an outcome. Well, that's any, uh, but but we'd like to see from year to year because we intend to add grades year after year. And at Watson's case, looking at our demographics, it could be a primary feature of our school for years to come. Thank you. And I I I I do want to say I'm I'm just I'm very excited by this. So So when it goes up as it goes up, will will there be other opportunities for students to join later or do they have to have joined in kindergarten first? >> Yeah, it's a it's another really good question. So there are some I think there's we have to look at the whole
162student experience, right? So if a child like I think in first grade that consideration is easier than in second or third or after, right? Or but I would say that let's say, you know, in in terms of this program being English-Spanish, if a kid had been educated in their home country in Spanish, right? Then the chances of them being able to come in at a later grade are higher, right? So there just different factors to pay attention to. And we feel like we have enough cohort intact as much as possible. Yeah. And we feel like we have enough bilingual staff to to support that? I mean it's it's a huge, you know, it's it's a this committee I think Director Johnson can probably speak to this too. It's been a topic of conversation in our
163advisory. Um we were uh you all know like Stephanie when she came to us was a Clinton fellow. We had a Clinton fellow work with us this year um in the uh on the advisory and she was Ashley Delgado actually I should have said her name too has been really really helpful um along the way and I think if we get the chance I mean one of the things we've talked about is you know, can we get someone to sort of help spearhead um just outreach for for more and more bilingual staff. It's a need. Thank you so much. Yeah. Also, we need to make it clear that for those two schools you have to live in the school zone. Correct. Okay. >> [clears throat] >> I have two questions. So So the first is
164I love the idea here and obviously the outcomes based on what you showed. Is the goal eventually to continue to expand based on population need for this? Because I imagine for a lot of our dual speaking students, this would be a huge asset once we have proof of concept, which I imagine is what where we're heading to. Is that fair? Yeah, we intentionally aren't trying to start too big. I mean, you know, when Dr. Wright came to the planning table, he wanted to go a lot bigger, a lot faster. Um, because you're right, the need is there. >> [laughter] >> I mean, the need is there and it and it is the right programming. It's the right thing to do, but I think, you know, as we said, this is new in in Arkansas and
165like, you know, we've we've have um we've got a couple of staff members that have been in dual language programs in other states and so they bring that knowledge. And this team that we were talking about has committed a lot of time. We are working with a consultant that knows this work very deeply because we recognize that the support of the adults like organizing this is really is critical. But, yeah, I mean, the ultimate goal is that we have this programming where there is need everywhere. And and I think also, while we've talked a lot about the benefit for like heritage Spanish speakers, you know, the reality is you can grow up in a family that speaks English and like we're we're you know, to to graduate bilingual and biliterate is a huge skill set.
166Um, and so, you know, ultimately we'd like to to target, you know, we'd like the purpose of the program to be uh way broader. And how cool would it be if we could do dual French and do you know, anyway, we'll start with dual language. So, my my other kind of follow up when I see this schedule, because I love the fact that all of the fundamentals are taught in Spanish, that way the learning is there. And then the afternoon it appears is really focused on English. My thought immediately goes when you're thinking of kindergarteners to third graders with learns and and the hope I imagine with this program is to help prepare them, because if I remember correctly, in the learns act requirement for the third grade, um you know, testing is the only
167exception is if they've had less than 3 years of instructional English. So, now that we've had the 3 years, so they wouldn't fall under that exception, how do you see this in helping maybe bridge that gap and and kind of closing that as well? Within the instructional model, there there is you said the word bridge. There is a bridge where they do bridge some of those English language concepts, but also within our application, that's one of the things that we acknowledge that uh there may be a lag in terms of testing wise. But for me as a principal, it was a whole student thing. It wasn't just a test score because eventually they will get there if they're strong both in Spanish language as well as English language. And so for me, those the lag
168was well worth it. And and this is something that we communicate. Oh, I'm sorry. This is something we've communicated within the application to the state as well. Well, it seems like based on the results, they we should get there faster because they're learning in their native language and then transitioning. Is that a fair assumption or >> Yeah, I mean, you know, you have to think about right now most of our students who might be heritage Spanish speakers aren't spending any of the day really unless there's a staff member that happens to be able to communicate with them in Spanish, right? So, you know, when you if you if you look at the the Spanish morning, right? Where it says Spanish language arts, it's integrated with social studies and science content. So, what Principal Jackson is
169talking about is I might be learning this content through Spanish text and through Spanish Odyssey in the classroom, right? And when he's talking about the bridge, there is an intentional part what a teacher does is says, "Okay, you've learned in kindergarten they're learning about their community, right? For example." And so when you learn about your community in kindergarten, you don't have to relearn that stuff in English. You know the content. You just need to be able to attach the words to it. And so that's the bridge. It's like you're learning the content in Spanish and then you take time very intentionally to say, "Okay, so here are some keywords that you're, you know, talking about in your comunidad, right?" And here's what that word is in English. And so then kids can sort of bridge
170that knowledge, right? To your point, our state test is an English test, right? And so it is critical that we, you know, along the way, you know, we're we'll be testing in English and in Spanish. We'll be testing their English proficiency. We'll be testing their Spanish proficiency because that will be important for us to to track and monitor. Um but I'm hard pressed to believe that with this good instruction in a language that's more accessible that we actually won't see better results. Is this And this is just for Spanish speakers for now on on the instructional side being in another language, right? Yes. Do you know what our third most common spoken language in the Little Rock Little Rock School District is? Uh >> top of your head, sorry. That's a pop question. >> No,
171I don't I don't. Do you? Is Is this a pop No, >> [laughter] >> it's a quiz. No, I just didn't know. I don't know and I was curious. I just know I mean, I know which I know what like what our language programs are across the district. I know what we offer. I just know that they're like 40 something >> probably can. >> Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, I'll I'll I'll circle back on that. I just I know we have I've heard there like 49 languages spoken at Central. Somebody said things said that to me several times, but but just thinking about where we might go from here and and thinking about teacher recruitment. I know that's got to be challenging. >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. >> We'll borrow some from Northwest Arkansas. Wherever
172we can I have a question. I have a question. This is going to be a little bit of a stretch. Do we know whether or not our universities here in the state of Arkansas are requiring teachers to be somewhat fluent in a second language. No. Yeah, and I mean in fact like, you know, this is something also as a state that we need to to create, which is a bilingual certification. There isn't right now. To be a teacher in a dual language classroom, you don't have to have like in Illinois, there was a bilingual certification. We couldn't hire teachers for our bilingual classrooms if they didn't have a bilingual certification. Um and I think I'm I'm hopeful that, you know, the state has put forward this application, which I also think was, you know, brave
173of them to take on at this time. And and I I'm hopeful they will create that certification because right now we have our own internal things that we're looking at when we interview candidates in terms of their Spanish proficiency, but there isn't anything really dictating that. Any more questions? Well, we can't wait to have you all come and see uh see instruction at Chico and Watson. Um but uh wanted to make sure that you all were up to speed. Um we are super excited. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Finance and operations. Good afternoon. Plugged up here real quick. Oh, there we go. How are doing? All right. Well, before you have a few one board reports the financial report here. Not too much going on, but we'll go through.
174I see you smiling over there, miss. No, I was just wondering if they won the game or not since you were coaching. >> the game 15 to 11. So, I was coaching when I coached the game right before the board meeting. I said I'll probably make it back before my turn. So, I helped coach anyway. But, uh this is our our summary here. I'll go back so that the pages typically don't change too much as far as the financial reports here. They're typically about the same amount. Uh usually about 21 pages is all inclusive in here. But, going looking at our revenue update here. So, you And I know we're going to go probably do a board training probably with uh Stevens. They've offered to do something. They usually do something y'all get continued aid.
175But, uh our property tax collection is basically broken into two account codes and two object codes we call them. So, the first line is collections from July 1st through December 31st. Once that time is over, so we're projecting and I'll show you the actual projection there. Our projection was about 2.3 million more than we actually collected. Our property tax collection for the second half of the year is at uh 11 1 20, which is runs from January 1st through June 30th. Uh the major tax collections typically come in late October. Taxes usually due October 15th. After that, you're late, so we get them October and November. And then next collection start end of this month along with May as well. So, a lot of you paying a mortgage and you have escrow payments and different
176things. They usually submit their taxes when the books open. So, right now we're about uh almost 12% as far as our collection. So, our major major money will come in uh end of this month early early uh May. Delinquent tax we're just about where we projected at. Uh we'll probably get a a little more delinquent in, but we're almost 100% collection there. 99.8%. So, excess commission we're pretty much where we projected about 4 million. 99.4%. Those are pretty close. Land redemptions people continue to pay those uh about 78% Got another part interest most all our tax collection that come in For the most part where we projected with the exception of the first half so you really never can tell you look at that historical picture of how people pay taxes and collection and sometime
177you have a little more come in before December and some that comes in a little bit after so Interest on investment you'll notice is over that what we project 132% so we've had some interest that from my from my actual deposit that's been very favorable [snorts] based on interest rates right now. Typically only provide The revenue that kind of ebbs and flows the property taxes are the ones the state revenue comes in accordingly so when you look at we'll go through our revenue page most of the state revenue and all the federal revenue flows as expected because it's allocated at that point so property taxes are based on assessments and you hope that everybody pays their taxes on time so. As far as our expenditures right now we're still projecting about a three and a
178half million dollar to come in under budget about three and a half million with salaries and benefits based on several vacant positions that were out there we deleted some that we felt weren't going to be filled we still have some out there as well but based on those who about a three and a half million dollar I think hopefully a savings that come in I don't think we're going to be hiring massive amount of people over the next month or two. The security piece I'm going to keep this on the to the end so close out that was a one-time thing so if the public ever looking at there they may only catch this one meeting that was that we had some invoices from the previous two years that we were trying to get from
179the C down on a SO program so they all came this fiscal year so we had to pay them so. Other professional services we have quite a bit in our what's called 6B I spared area where they they outsource quite a bit of speech OT and PT based on a shortage in-house so that pot seems to be growing a little bit. So, we're looking at some of those contracts as well. So, I know they put them out for bid, but that's the area of concern. We want to make sure we look at for next year. So, that may be covered by our 6B or other sped funds, but maybe a little short fall, but I put all these things in red so when you look at the other pages, you'll see those things that pop
180out. So, we got an explanation. Yes, ma'am. On the OTPT speech, are we not able to bill for those services? They are billing for some, but this is outsourced portion. I'm not sure how they're billing on the outsource, but usually though those are costing us more than Well, if we're having to outsource it, I would just think that those people would bill for their services. I don't know. That's going to be a I I don't know. If you're I don't know. Maybe I don't know. That's an interesting It's just an interesting question cuz I wouldn't think we would be out a million Is that I'm reading that right? A million dollars? >> over with >> services that are billable to Medicaid and health insurance for the most part. I think uh in the past roughly
181was maybe 250,000 on the collection on some billable. On I think we were up to 500,000 last last year. Hopefully, she's going to hit Okay. >> almost a million this year. So, she has a person strictly dedicated, but it's a lot of these So, on this part when I say 6B, that's federal dollars. Okay. >> I'm not sure the rules and regulations behind that, but if it's a staff member providing that service with federal dollars, you can't bill a federal program >> Yes. Yes, of course. But it So, maybe we're outsourcing the federal program parts and not parts that are I don't know. That's just It's something I want I know that the the sped auditors are working on. >> going to let you bill for those services. Just thinking I can check on it
182because we Regardless, we're paying from somebody in house, out house, out service is being paid with federal dollars, so you can't >> Uh-huh. Those services being provided by federal dollars, so you couldn't bill federal back. So, I think so. I'll check on that. I'll have a update for you next time. Rental equipment vehicles Was that? Yep. Okay. And some of these uh where I have like in conferences like student transportation, uh fuel cost was is up there now. Diesel cost is way above $5 right now. Uh we typically buy we have our own fuel tanks out of our first student location where we provide fuel. We got some before increases, but uh this area I pretty much we have in commerce that we've reduced some routes there based on the snow days. We had 6
183days where we didn't have to provide transportation, so I think we're going to be able to dissolve those. Uh supplies and special tracking, those are just some highlights that you'll see on the report, but they're actually in the parent object code 66100 instead of the 110 and 150, so those should be good. Other ones are just some some budgetary piece here. I have the diesel and uh gasoline on there, so that may be a true deficit at the end of the year depending on where prices are with gas and diesel. Scrolling down to the next one real quick, so our our fund balance right now, operating fund balance is as of the end of this month of the end of March was 37 almost 38 million 37 million 933,684 dollars. Uh capital improvement fund balance
184currently at the end of March was 38 million 300 1,178. And our federal fund balance we ended we have some account receivables uh that we are waiting on for this month, so we have a I think a big part of that is our magnet school grant along with the grant from DOJ, so we're waiting on some of those reimbursements to come in. So, and typically when you close out a month you're waiting on some reimbursements, so. Child nutrition fund balance still healthy about $2 million at the end of this reporting period. So, you'll see that that operating fund balance continue to go down until we get our next uh big amount of money which I said be a lot of part of this month next month, so it'll and then climb up and then we'll
185have to spend down for the rest of the fiscal year. That's just kind of pictorial picture of where our fund balance is at right now. Uh just going through here, all the details are back here. So, if you want to see all the actual revenue pieces here, so that's a page of our revenue. We have I think four pages of revenue. You can see all the different funding sources over there. A lot of mistake funding pieces. So, typically I just highlight, like I said, the ones that uh the the tax revenue. These are all allocated to come. So, typically we don't have any issues on the collection, so. And then the next one, once you get to the this page here, you'll see uh I'll make it a little bit larger where I can see
186it up here. You'll see the actual expense there. You'll see available balance of 9 million on certified. Some of that's depending on encumbrances we will have to pay off some uh compensated absences like vacation when people actually change contracts, reduction of contracts, and things like that. So, they'll eat up a little bit of that, so. Any questions so far? Yes, ma'am. One more question for you. Can we at some point soon get an update on our um just on our millage money, our facilities fund, and where where we've spent down dollars and what we have left to go. And I know there are some big things on our agenda tonight with HVAC and such, but I just I know I can see the balance, but I'd love to see the kind of the list of
187projects that are >> most part, this whole balance is going to a West Little Rock. The the 38 million, okay. So, we've So, we had chiller replacement at Pinnacle View. We finished up the projects at at Central. We may have some retainage we have to pay. As I think all the stuff on the punch list uh plus Parkview is over as well. So, those are the major We're not putting any more projects out here, but I'll get a report for you. So, we've done a lot of stuff around the district as well, so. I know I know the Dunbar windows, I think. I mean, we're right where we're going to pull this, yeah. I just I'd love to see just in talking about all the baseball fields stuff. I went back and looked at what
188was the from 20 21, I think, whenever that was approved. I went and found that original list. It was a long time ago. That was kind of referred to the voters for the vote and was curious where we stood on each one of the things on there and I'm sure you have that list somewhere. I do. We Thank you. >> That list is in >> I know I've seen it, but yeah. Well, that's it as far as the the summary unless you all have any any questions. I I don't have a question. I was just wondering if for the fund balance sheet that you show, it's slide 49 for us that is the graph. Is there a way that on the next slide we could get like the previous three months? So, like in this
189case March, February, January, but the actual numbers year over year for the last two years. Okay. >> Um and the reason I'm asking for that is because that way we can see trend lines cuz as we start talking about the 15 million that we need to cut and and obviously rebuilding that operating fund balance, it's really difficult for me to like I'm trying to compare them and so if we could maybe have just the year over year for the last three years numerically so that we can see the trend line cuz eventually want to see that trend line going up. Um I think that could be helpful especially over a rolling three-month basis. If if you wouldn't mind just adding that additional slide, the numerical one would be great, I think. >> Okay. And I
190can add I'll probably I mean, I have more than probably what you all need on here. So, if I added numbers on here, probably wouldn't be as convoluted here. So, I I'll I'll play around with that I'm not doing this right. >> Yeah, I think the trend line is really what I'm most concerned about and I think that will be helpful for us to have confidence in the the budget cuts that are being made to know that the operating fund is moving in the opposite direction. So, this the trend I I we can't have another time here. >> Correct. And and so that's what I'm saying. If we can see it like the last three months, March, February, January year over year 26 over 25 versus 24 numerically, that'll tell us are we on trend
191to then turn it around and get back to the fall. >> Okay. Got you. Thank you. Any more questions? Mhm. Oh, sorry. My nipples. Mr. Bailey. Yes, sir. We were talking about facilities. Uh we talked about a little bit about cost. Do we currently have a maintenance plan for each building or is it uh pretty much you let us know what's wrong and we'll put it on the list? It's it's a little bit of both. We do have is what's called a master facility plan. So, every building has a master facility plan. Uh the other part is our buildings are average 65 to 70 years old. >> Right. So, you sometime you don't know about anything till it breaks or vandalism. I mean, we have a lot of vandalism that happens around there. So, you're
192not planning on replacing, you know, these units on gears, but over this weekend somebody got on the roof and decided they wanted to get $500 worth of copper and caused us $30,000 of damage or uh or whatever penetrations to the roofs and different things like that. So, but it's a little bit of both. So, schools actually submit work orders through our uh it's called uh What is it called now? What was operation hero? Uh so, we do have plans on different renovation. A lot of the stuff you may not see is uh infrastructure stuff. So, the stuff you'll see you're going to vote on tonight was voted on October is the infrastructure for Plastic Heights Elementary Middle School and uh Forest Park. Uh we see a lot of the painting and the carpet, but those
193uh infrastructure pieces like electrical, plumbing, and heating and air, they're 50 plus uh some of them are old as the building. Uh but, there are plans. It's pretty detailed plans out there. We try to not to try to try to plan it in advance, but we really hadn't had the money until we did the actual millage uh restriction. So, we did a lot of infrastructure stuff there. A lot of the stuff that uh like I said, people never see the roof, the heating and air, plumbing and electrical upgrades. So, some buildings weren't built in that time to house the stuff we have housed now, but Okay. Thank you. And athletics, I mean, when I got here athletics facilities were Well, y'all grew up in Luray. You know the tale. >> [laughter] >> Wouldn't So, we've
194come a long ways. Still got a long ways to go. So, we identified probably a billion dollars of I guess the renovation we could have done years back. So, Are there any more questions? Just What one quick question. Do you all have a dream list? And what I mean by that is like a wish list that if if we could do everything we want to do to improve the schools, here's what it would cost. Do we have that? I don't have it anymore. Yeah. Okay. Those costs, I mean, since the pandemic, those costs have more than doubled. So, we would have to go back. So, I we've caught up quite a bit uh based on this millage money we've received in the past. So, we don't have So, before we came, I know people used
195to come to the board complaining about leaking roofs and different stuff. We still have a few here, but it's no areas that are just dilapidated. Uh but, I mean, it's always work you can do. So, the equipment you're buying now is not going to last 50 years. So, if you get 10 years out of a hot water heater or a boiler or something, that's going to be good. You're not going to get those the standards you have at Central and different other older buildings where you have something last 25 or 30, 40 years. So, So, the reason I ask is at some point, if we could, as we continue to reimagine the school district, and we start thinking about future millage issues, it would be good for us, as we start thinking about what we
196want LRSD to look like, that if we could have a dream list, and what that would cost us, right? per school and across the district, then I think it's incumbent upon us to go, okay, how do we get there? And see what efforts we can make towards future millage pieces to to maybe create the equity, some of the things we talked about this evening, but I think that would be helpful if if we could have a list like that. Do you think that um each individual school should do their own dream list? >> Yeah, that's and that that, you know, I think there's this whole question of where we should have schools long term and and resource allocation and you know, but but I I think at some point allowing us to know what that
197number is. I'm not saying we need to get to it, but you know, I I was inspired by Dr. Jenkins at our training when she said that in their school district they're replenishing and refurbishing schools every 7 years, which is incredible to me. And I'm not saying we can get to that point, but obviously if we've got great places for people to choose as we talk about these days of school choice, then we will drive attendance back to the LRSD. And so it would be nice to know what that number is. >> Yeah. We'll we'll work on it. So we it was a pretty comprehensive plan we it's been probably it's been a while now. Forgot when that plan was Y'all weren't on the board at that time. So we had a we had a
198a dream list as far as you know, having schools around in different quadrants the size of Roberts in different places around the city. Uh so you can get some economy of scale. Uh right now it's hard to staff a lot of different especially support areas. So you're short on child nutrition, transportation, security officers, custodial uh especially when you're spread out like that. So one of the things in that task force Dr. Wright had a few task force. I think I was the capital improvement in some facilities, but determining a footprint of what Little Rock footprint needs to look like as far as number of buildings. That has to be determined because if the footprint is going to be smaller, you don't want to invest in an area that So those are things. So we don't
199really I mean roaming is kind of up and down at times. So hopefully we'll plateau here soon. So but definitely I got it noted here. Director Jackson. Any more questions? The chair will entertain a motion to accept the March 2026 financial report. Second. No, you got to You got to make the move. do? Make that move. I'm moving. >> [laughter] >> I move that we accept the financial report for April 2026. March. You're good. Yeah. Yeah. Second. I move that board accepts the March 2026 financial report. Second. It has been moved and seconded that the LRSD Board of Education approve and accept the March 2026 board financial report as submitted. All in favor? Aye. Those opposed? Unanimous. 7.2 Legislative audit. He's on here. So, our audit finished up last Well, it was approved on last
200month. So, it was I think it was approved the day of the board meeting. So, I couldn't get it uploaded, but this is a Little Rock School District participating in legislative audit. So, prior to 2015, we had private audit, but since 2015, we've been legislative audit. So, the report attached I typically do a summary on it. This is kind of the summary. It's a long pretty long audit here, but I'll go through here as quickly as possible, but basically on pages 3 through 5, I'm going to get off this. This is a summary. You you all may have it. I'm going to pull up the actual audit on the screen here as well, but starting at page 3, it's going to talk about independent audit report. So, it's going to talk about an unmodified opinion
201on regulatory basis of accounting. School District in the state of Arkansas on the here to generally accepted accounting principles. We have what's called regulatory basis of accounting. It's based on state law. So, you'll see a it says an adverse opinion on accepted accounting principles. That's because we are required to report on a regulatory basis. So, that's mandated. The basis for opinion here is also on here as well. So, there was an adverse opinion based on not following GAAP financial statements. And you you all can slow me down. I'm not going to read all this to you all. This is some some fine reading later on at night if you hadn't hadn't read it, but we'll go through it fairly fairly fairly quickly, but it'll be it'll be posted online as well. So, all our audits
202have been posted online. Uh getting to page six on there, going through the the summary part is the independent audit report on internal controls. Uh and so, when you go through here, it's going to they're looking at all internal control. Internal control is just pretty much the things we put in place to mitigate uh fraud from happening and making sure financial reporting is in accordance to whatever standards you're using, whether it's GAAP or regulatory basis. So, a control may be to have dual signatures on on our paychecks or things like that. So, make sure if any fraudulent things happen, you can catch it in a timely manner. So, they reviewed our internal controls over financial reporting and other compliance matters and and and the report here, we don't we have no instances of or compliance
203issues on uh internal controls. So, basically, it's clean on that. Uh going to the next one, page eight and nine, it's our federal programs. So, uh they look at our federal programs. So, typically, they're testing multiple programs within our federal uh uh program budget. So, you can go through here and see that as well. So, it's going to say down here, district complied with all aspects of all material aspects as far as our our federal programs. And I'll list I'll show you the the federal programs a little bit later as well in the report. We're looking at page 10. This is our balance sheet. So, it's going to show you our assets, our general fund, our special funds, other aggregate. That's typically going to be our capital improvement and fiduciary funds are like activity funds
204uh school like your basketball and cheer, and different other activity funds there. It shows you our total assets, our liabilities as reported as of June 30th of 2025. Our fund balances in those areas as well. And scrolling down. And tell me if I'm moving too fast for you. Next part, you're going to have our our statement of revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balance. So, it's going to show you all our revenue sources uh combined here. Expenditures in this based on programs here. You can see some different aspects of those. I'm just going to scroll a little list a little bit here for you as well. I'll get down to the good part. One second. So, if you don't know a whole lot about school finance, these notes are good a good place to start
205uh read starting at page 14 through 25. It's going to tell you a lot about the different funding types. It's going to tell you about retirement and other things uh fund balances and different definitions out there. I don't know if y'all had a chance to look at any of this. And y'all may have it and you can ask me questions anytime in any meeting. So, if you hadn't got a chance to digest all this, just go through it at your convenience. I'm going to scroll down to the good part. >> [laughter] >> What's the good part, Dr. Wright? No finding. All right. I'll We get smarter now, you? Yeah, that's it. Going down here uh in schedule capital assets as well. So, federal awards on 27 and 29. So, some people ask about all the
206federal funding we get. You can see that along with the CDA FA numbers as well and the amount that we received on the federal. So, the these next two pages are all our federal funds we have here. Getting down to pages 30 and 31, the favorite part. It could be your favorite if you have some of these checked on yes, it's not your favorite, but it talks about our financial statements. So, in internal control and the federal awards. So, we have a non-reported no material weaknesses significant deficits on any of those. So, that means it's clean at that point. Uh no You won't always see that there's no findings in the prior audit as well. So, no federal award findings as well. So, the audit was clean. It's thankful for our staff that works in
207our finance division along with all our bookkeepers and principals. So, I mean, we put it together. We try to make sure we do the necessary training have the internal controls up there. So, So, that's that's part of part of it, but uh you have a summary page as well at the end to kind of give you some fund balances and and I mean, general fund and different expenditures over 5-year period as well. So, >> Where's your graph year one? I don't know if it I think it's going to I'll do cuz you probably want to see on a on a monthly basis as well going through that. >> month [clears throat] over the last three running Yeah. Yeah. So, these are previous fiscal years. So, we're just about ready to close this fiscal year out
208June 30th. That's the end of the fiscal year. So, we'll start prepping doing final reports. Uh auditors typically get here about October, November. They typically leave about February. So, typically about three or four months here. But, that concludes the audit report. So, clean audit. Any questions? Mr. Chairman, entertain a motion for 7.2. I move the LRSD Board of Education approve the attached fiscal year 2025 regulatory financial statements and legislative audit report for the year ended June 30th, 2025 as presented. >> [snorts] >> Second. It has been moved and second that the LRSD Board of Education approve the attached fiscal year 2025 regulatory financial statements and legislative audit report for the year ended June 30th, 2025 as presented. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried. Who was the second? Director Jackson. Congratulations. Thank you. 7.3
209How you move up in the organization the less and I talked to when I teach class and less control you have lower down. So when I was a staff accountant I actually did it and I could trust everything but so we trust a lot of people we try to make sure they have the necessary tools to do it so I get a chance out there whether good or bad presenting but it's really at our school level so I think our bookkeepers and everybody and our principal is doing a great job and the policies you all have so My last and final I think here is a resolution for our amendment to the energy performance contract. >> and final? I got two more. You're the rest of the agenda. 7.4 You got one more after this
210one. Okay, y'all added my name by there huh? So budget update. So these are this is something we as the board actually approved in October so we had to go back so I think the major change you had a four pipe system going into Pulaski Heights. Will Miss Black you come up with me as well if You may I will stay right there then you may not have to but we had to go back to our Oh yeah I need some more Yeah you stayed up here you might as well get on camera so Yeah >> [laughter] >> So one of the parts we didn't actually have to finance speech we had to go back and make some amendments to the actual build out based on facility division approval. So right now we're we're coming
211back for the actual finance part so we have to have board approval on this resolution so this is going to actually affect Pulaski Heights Elementary Pulaski Heights Middle School and Forest Park. And I have attached pictures I attached everything from the October especially for the board members that weren't here that time and you can see some of the photos. I don't know if I want to pull up any on the screen tonight but I could can if you want me to. That's okay. Okay. >> [laughter] >> So they're they're still working so we have one of the units in a lot of uh what to do. fan controls on the side so I know the rooms are going to be a lot quieter. Uh air quality is going to be a lot better as well,
212so Will, anything you want to Mr. Black? No. Okay. No, that's good. We're getting geared up. Uh you know, just kind of a where we are right now. We've got uh plans with the state right now for approval. Construction I'm sorry. Construction documents are at the state for approval right now uh for both of those campuses. Uh we're looking at Let's see. It's Let me look at my notes cuz make sure I would got this right before I get up here. Um Pulaski Heights Middle uh will do this summer. Forest Park will do this summer. Pulaski Heights Elementary will start this summer and finish up next summer. And then the controls piece is being ongoing since back in October, well, November probably. November and it'll go all the way through duration of the project into
2132027. So, that's kind of where we are, just the state of the union on that. So, the state is actually contributing a portion of this with matching funds. Uh the debt service payment is going to be paid based on the energy savings on the control pieces there. So, it's a cost neutral, but you get some some renovations much needed, so yeah. Any questions? I just had one quick one. Um when I read through it, um I just happened to have been overseeing the HVAC remodel at our congregation. Um so, it looks like everything's like VFT VFT drives and stuff like that is what we're putting in. And then the manual overrides, that is just for on-site staff to basically override programming that's set on the VFTs for normal school day. So, if they're there after
214hours or things like that, that's the purpose of the the manual. Okay. give them a you know, probably 2-hour window and then it'll revert back to the schedule we'll have set. >> Got you. Okay. Perfect. That's part of the energy savings piece. Okay. More questions? Chair, will entertain a motion. You're the pro at it today. Thanks. I move the Little Rock School District Board of Education approve the attached resolution. amendment uh energy performance contract approved 30 October 30th, 2025. Second. It has been moved and seconded that the LRC Board of Education approved the attached resolution amendment to energy performance contract April approved October 30th, 2025. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. We'll need a signature from the president and secretary after the meeting on the resolution, please. 7.4 budget update. As I prepare
215to talk about this particular update, wanted to just let the board know if you remember the timeline that we started, well, we had a different board, but um >> [laughter] >> there was a timeline for our FY27 budget development and we are a little behind. And so, what you get in today is just a piece of another set of reductions, but we are still working to bring you, you know, the previous board approved where we were up until that point, but we will be bringing back hopefully whenever we find time to work. >> [laughter] >> Um but the goal is to bring that whole document back to you for you to review and approve hopefully by the end of May. We're just a little bit behind, but this is just a piece of One of
216the pieces. >> Yes. Yes. So, I guess I'll I'll jump in again. So, three of these divisions are mine under under support services. So, the last I guess 3 years, well, this is the third year, we've gone from student contact days to minutes. So, about student contact days have gone from 178 down to 174. So, the the need for these positions aren't needed for at least 4 days. So, some of them are being cut by four, some of them are a little bit less. So, on the transportation drivers and aides and monitor contracts, the reduction based on 4 days. So, they typically have two of the days they do training and dry runs and different things like that. So, security officers three days. Like I'm saying, they're four less student contact days and all these
217are based on the four less student contact days. This year was actually 10 less student contact days cuz we out six snow days. So, one of weather days. So, this is what we call it. Not a whole lot of money affected typically going to be about 20 some dollars a pay period for the affected staff, but it's going to make sure we stay in the line with our our money coming in and money going out. So, to be in good stewards of what we have. So, they've tried to make up different training and different things to try to accommodate these days, but it's not you can't have that much training. Possible. So, yeah. So, that's why you have the proposal before you on the first three. The next one is the middle school registers contract
218reduction of 10 days. So, you have nine people. You see the number staff members that are currently affected and the amount of savings. Not a whole lot of savings, but we'll take any that we can, but mainly just being good stewards of the of the personnel we have here along with the funds we have. So, Any questions you have? Go ahead. >> Well, I was just going to say that we we did meet with the classified PPC and they did approve this. So, this is a joint proposal. So, of course, this is not something that we want to do. It's something that we must do. So, Mr. Bailey came in and we worked together to come down to this number, but we will have some more at a later day. Okay. Any questions from the
219board? The chair will entertain a motion. I move the LRSD Board of Education approve the joint employee contract changes proposal. Second. It's been moved and seconded that the LRSD Board of Education approve the joint employee contract changes proposal. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you, board. Thank you. Communications and community engagement. All right, so I will um attempt to to make this as as quick but informative as possible. I know we have some members of our board who were not here when we initially started this. Um not sure if everyone has had a chance to review the Visioning Together um document, but it's basically a document that outlines all of um all of the things um that we need to be giving giving attention to as we think about making sure that
220the Little Rock School District is healthy and viable, able to compete, um addresses some of the financial constraints and pressures we've been dealing with. It's a short and long-term strategic planning to make sure that we are viable 2 3 4 5 10 20 years from now. Um so what I would like to propose um for the board to do today is we have um uh Solution Seekers who is already doing a lot of um small group focus groups with various stakeholders um throughout uh the the city. While that data is being collected, um I'm asking I'd like to discuss and asking the board to go ahead and move forward with the development of two of the task force committees. Um and if you look at uh the agenda today, uh there are if you look
221at the document, uh problem of practice and key challenges one and two are all around our finances, resource optimization, and um enrollment. And so I am proposing that there is one committee uh that combines uh those challenges one and two, the resource optimization and enrollment task force committee. And then the other one um when you look at key challenge three it's all about developing the types of programs and innovative programs that we need to begin addressing this age of choice that we in. We want to we know that we are in a age where we have to compete. We know that we our parents and community has lots of different interests and needs and so we just want to make sure that we are providing the type of innovative programming that attracts parents and families
222to our district. And so that third the second taskforce is aligned to key challenge three and it's the LRSD advantage and quite a bit of work to anyway. The LRSD advantage taskforce committee. And the reason why I'm asking the board to to consider go ahead and establishing these committees now when I say establishing these committees I know that there are a couple of board members who have a vested interest in kind of leading this. We have some staff members who are already kind of geared up and ready to start getting to work on some of these things. We don't have a process yet for determining who the other members of the committee will be but I think that's something that the co-chairs will work out amongst themselves. But we really just want to get started
223because there are some key things that we've already started having discussions about that we want to actually move forward with possibly implementing in the fall of 27. Not this upcoming school year but in the fall of 27. So we want to go ahead and and start getting cutting some of you all loose to go ahead and get started >> [laughter] >> with some of the work that I know you guys are interested in doing. And so that's what's before you today. I know that Mr. Krupinski and I Krupitsky and I had a conversation around the board policy around the establishment of committees and I'm not sure if you want to add anything to that or if this is in line with what that policy policy states. But Yeah, I mean there there is a board
224[snorts] policy that if it's a standing committee so I I think it's a question of definition of whether this is a committee or a task force, that committees have to be empowered by the board per section 1.12 or whatever one I can pull it up in a second. Um and and so those do have to be authorized by the board to move forward and then obviously are subject to FOIA or whether this is just a task force appointed by the superintendent. I think that becomes this question is if this is going to be a committee sponsored by the board, Director Johnson, that we need to formally vote and empower that committee to to then report back to the board with recommendations. I think probably very similar to what Director Strong did in looking at the
225policies for >> If you may hop in. Yeah, I mean yes, absolutely. I mean kind of what I've been doing on the policy work. I would think this would be very similar. Um One thing with that one and with also we had right after I started, I feel like maybe my second month, so it would have been in like the winter of 2023 early 2024, we had task forces on our magnet schools, early childhood, and maybe some facilities work I think were the three. And each one of those had a board leader on them, but we had some really clear and shared um processes for how we select the members of those task forces and we had an expectation that they involved community members and those task forces were public and I just I want
226I want to I mean I think absolutely if there is a and I I really like the idea of having like a board staff dyad to help maybe kind of carry some of that forward um in each each task force, but as we do that, just really being transparent about how many people are on the task force, how it's moving, um and how what the composition of that looks like. Having some shared accountability in this group on that and just shared understanding of that I think would help us all build our our shared understanding of that. But yeah, I would not say this is a committee of the board. It's not a subcommittee of the board because it's not going to be made up of only board members. Well, so >> eyes. So section 112
227reads from time to time in order to obtain inter-agency public participation in the operation of the district, the board may appoint committees which may include members of the public, students, parents, and school employees, as well as members of the board. Um so that's why I brought it to Dr. Wright's attention when we were talking about this as a possibility. That is by definition what what Director Strong is is is discussing and that's why we wanted to I think bring this to you all to say does this require a formal board vote? Not to say that I I think it's just the establishment of the committee. It can then be left to the committee to decide how many members, the size. I think it would behoove us um as we think about these committees and what
228they are going to do that they be very representative of different parts of the city um and making sure that all of the voices of our community are are intact, but making sure that the boards are the committees are not too large to where they become overly cumbersome and and can't move uh you know, actually. And I'm sorry. I just want to add a little little piece to like before at least in my mind before the co-chairs even begin to think about committee size and who needs to be on them, there's a whole lot of data digging and information finding that I think needs to be done, which is why I'm trying to which is why I'm suggesting that we establish them now so that those folks can get started with all the data finding
229and then um to you know, determine who needs to be on them. And as um uh I was about to say Dr. Krupiski. Uh Director Krupiski stated um that the whole point of this was to was to find people in our community who have skills and expertise and backgrounds in the area that these task forces are designed to address so that um they can actually help us come up with solutions and and have the knowledge and expertise needed for to bring things to the board that will actually help help meet the task that they're designed to to achieve. Director Adams. >> [clears throat] >> I'm certainly in favor of going forward with with both of these. I And I think that that it's it's good that the board you know, own this process. It's that
230you know, to to authorize it, empower this process, and and get reports back. I do wonder about in my head always in organizations I think about a committee as something that which is ongoing and with no end no with no particular end and a task force is something that that that has a list of goals and tasks and then at the end that it's then it it ends. And so is that when I was thinking about this I was thinking about it more like a task force that that this is not something that we we but that perhaps not is that the not the intent? Dr. Wright, I mean is this something that you see existing 5 and 10 years from now or that this would be work that would be done within the next
231few years to bring a report, recommendations, and then we would let it go and and then another day we would maybe take up some of these same issues again. >> Yeah, what I foresee is each of these task forces coming up with short-term recommendations. Um but the most important thing is thinking long and when I say long long-term I'm thinking the next couple years. Um so so yes, it's not a I don't think it was the intent for these things to be around forever, but for several years to help address the the issues that they're designed to address. Thank you. I I like the I like the the thought of them as as a That makes me sense to me as a task force so that we know that we they they have a mission,
232they do it, they make the recommendations, we respond, we thank the people, and we We from [snorts] there. Director Jackson. Uh yes, I was just going to ask so according to the policy um that you're reading would we have to go ahead and make a motion and so we can start or is this going to have to be a process to even start? Because I think we should um get moving. Yeah, no I I think the policy literally says from time to time. So I think it's an issue of semantics, right? I I think the this is not a standing committee which you would see in a lot of board structures where it lasts indefinitely. Um this this provision of the board policy says from time to time. So I think we can call it
233a task force or committee. The policy identifies it as a committee uh but it says to encourage public participation in the operation of the district. That to me means a temporary standing committee uh or temporary committee. So I yes, I think the board policy requires that the board authorize it and so and maybe this is a question for Mr. Kazee if he's still on uh but I think it would behoove us and I think gives the the the committees more credence and credibility to go out and do the work when it's empowered by the board. Is Mr. Kazee still on? I don't think he is. He's not but we actually drafted motions. >> I just saw that. Actually he is. Oh he is? Oh. Oh he is. >> [laughter] >> So you do I didn't
234know you were still there. I'm yeah, I'm here. I'm I'm rocking some corduroy fashion, you know. >> [laughter] >> Could you guys repeat the question, please? So I do see both motions and I do see a blank. So right now are we filling in the blank or are we just going to leave it blank? No, it it needs to the it it needs to the blank is for whatever board member is going to co-chair this with a staff member and we it was left blank until you all decide who those people are. >> want to work on the Advantage Task Force. One One thing just I want to note as we talk about this um if we do have more than one board member on any task force, we'll have to do like the public
235announcement. It'll have to be a public meeting with potentially live stream, etc. I just want to note that. Um one of the things that has in some ways been kind of nice about the policy committee is we I mean everything's public cuz it's in record, but we can have conversations that are real and frank and um open in our policy committee cuz we only have one board member on it. Um And then we bring that back to everything back to the board, but it is kind of nice in a way just to say that out loud. Um I just wanted to make sure to be transparent about that. So, Ms. Jackson, you're interested in the second one. Mr. Krupiski, are you interested in the first? >> [laughter] >> I I I Dr. Wright and I
236may have had a few conversations about the topics and that. That was my impression. >> [laughter] >> Are you interested, Greg, in I would be glad to make those motions. I think we should take advantage of that initiative and interest. Oh, let's go ahead and get the new members right on. Yeah, I think I think Director Adams was doing one of these. Director O'Bally? Yeah, um I just wanted to bring up on the point for like community engagement in these discussions about a task force or a committee. Uh I I would like to see some youth and student participation on both of these committees. Definitely. I would get their input and make sure that their voices are heard as well as looking at maybe some non-traditional people who may not likely be asked to be
237on these type of committees with other organizations, but they can just add just valuable insight and and ideas that often aren't heard. And I will say that if any board member, you know, knows people um in our community that you think would be good for either these task forces, you you you definitely should bring those those names to the the chairs for consideration. >> [snorts] >> You took the words right out of my mouth. >> [laughter] >> Well, we got one [snorts] done. What about the other one? Are there any volunteers? I think we had a volunteer for both. Mr. Johnson. Who's the first one? Mitchell Kurp- Kurp- Kurpinski. >> All right. Director Kurpinski. If the floor is open, Mr. Johnson, I'll be glad to make a motion. >> Okay, let me put this in
238here so I can write it down. Okay, go ahead. I will move that the LRSD Board of Education approve the creation of the Resource Optimization and Enrollment Task Force a committee co-chaired by board member Eugene Kurpinski and staff members Kelsey Bailey and Dr. Shana Lorance. Second. It has been moved and seconded that the LRSD Board of Education approve the creation of the Resource Optimization and Enrollment Task Force Committee co-chaired by board member Director Kurpinski and staff members Kelsey Bailey and Dr. Shana Lorance. All in favor? I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. I thought Mr. Bailey was coming in to protest. >> [laughter] >> Throw a shoe. Oh, he was aware? Yeah. Then, Mr. Johnson, I'll be also glad to move that the LRSD Board of Education approve the creation of the LRSD Advantage Task
239Force Committee co-chaired by board member Solandra Jackson and staff member Dr. Jamal Wright. Second. It has been moved and seconded that the LRSD Board of Education approve the creation of the LRSD Board Advantage Task Force Committee co-chaired by Director Solandra Jackson and staff member Dr. Jamal Wright. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Woohoo! Yay! Um can I ask one question before we move on from this item? Can we get an update from Solution Seekers if they're already having conversations and such? Like I have not heard about that in my community at all, but I would love to recommend some conversations and It's just started. Okay. >> in the past month and a half. Okay, cool. I just I feel like we have not seen them since they presented. Maybe I'm wrong about that,
240but I'd love to know a little bit about what's been going on. Okay. 9.1 All right, to make this a little easier and move a little faster. If you look in your folders, there is actually an updated document with some highlights. And for those of you who are still watching, the document is available on the board agenda online, so you can follow along with us. We've had so much fun with our principal selection process this year >> [laughter] >> for lots of different reasons. And so we've had some conversations around what the process is to get into our pool and then how we select principals. There's a PowerPoint on here that we've used a couple of times. I'm not going to go through the PowerPoint. >> [snorts] >> What I unless you feel that we
241need to, but there is a document and the PowerPoint they both say the same thing. They're just presented in different ways. We have gotten some feedback this year to kind of help strengthen Excuse me, strengthen this process. And so I've taken some of the recommendations that have come from Mr. Krupitsky and I have highlighted them on here already, so we won't have to but I wanted I did want people to look at you and everyone else to look at the the language to see if it actually reflected what it needed to reflect. If not, we can make those changes and and >> [snorts] >> So I'll to help if you flip to 5D, one of the things that we wanted to clarify uh um interim principals. Like, I think this is the first year that
242we actually had an interim principal leading one of our schools that was not in our traditional principal pool. Um she met the qualifications to be an interim principal because she had served as a principal before and if you look at our previous document, we can appoint um interim principals who are either in our pool or folks in our district office who have served as principals in other places. And so, what we did with 5D just to clarify that if an interim principal um [snorts] is automatically considered in the pool and eligible for consideration for the permanent position if they so want to. Um we just clarified that cuz it wasn't clear before. I have a question about that. >> Mhm. What if they don't want to be? They then they don't yeah. Yeah, then it's
243well, the the word, you know, automatically and I was like, well It's automatically put into the pool, which means that they will get notification when there's a vacancy and if they want to apply for it, they can submit their yeah. Yeah. I got you. This is Well, anyway, no need to harp on all that. Um the other change 6C. So, and we may want to have some conversation around this. So, um the first set of highlighted language that was added, all staff and parents assigned to the school with the vacancy will be invited to serve on an interview committee and will have at least 5 days to respond to the invitation just making clear that folks know that they, you know, have some time. The other piece, you know, there may be some conversation with
244this. We We and I thought we [snorts] changed this, but when I went back and look, I see it was still there. We had specific recommendations for how the interview committee was supposed to be put together. Um as [snorts] you can see uh three to four classified, two parents, one or two community uh uh anyway, you can see it there. What happened in a lot of cases is in some cases we did not even get enough applications to fill all of these. And so what I didn't want to do is specify this is what this is how they're going to be made up all the time because it doesn't necessarily end up that way. So later on you'll see there is a minimum number that we want to have on the committee and that's seven.
245But we also want to have the flexibility to have more based upon the school size. And so I just didn't I didn't want to I didn't want to say it's going to be this many parents, this many certified, this many, but just to leave it open because it doesn't always end up like that. I don't want to be held, you know, to what's on paper. I don't know if everybody's okay with that or Okay. And then the last one or I think I just said that. Yep. Yeah. Was the minimum of seven individuals are required to have a an official interview committee. And I think that's it. Oh, we did actually include about four um We didn't have In the letter that we sent out we said that we talked about how the interview people
246who will be on the interview committee will be selected, but we didn't have it here. So I put here the superintendent and or his designee will identify the individuals to serve on the school committee interview committee and in cases where there is a either a current or incoming PTA president that you know, that person will be given preference for one of the parent spots. Just make that clear. Although that's how we operated always. We just put it on there just to be clear. That's great. Thank you, Scott. Any questions? No, I just want to thank Dr. Wright. I know he and I went through all these and kind of some suggestions that we had made. A lot of these came from parent concerns from the last search. And so I think we addressed a lot
247of them. The specifics about the five days, there was a question of when did emails go out. Now we know in writing there's at least 5 days and then I think Ms. Burgess for you obviously as you think about future searches, you know, if it's a larger school having a larger group. I was part of the central one and having a larger one for that obviously made sense and and having an equal balance of staff and parents and the one other thing that I would maybe add is that perhaps because I know staff want to be involved in those decisions that it seemed like sometimes the emails didn't go into the right place if perhaps we could notify even whether it's the principal and ask the principal to somehow communicate to all of their staff.
248Hey, by the way, this email is going out. Please be on the lookout. That way we don't get those same concerns as we did in this last search. Maybe just another good suggestion. Okay. That's point two. [clears throat] Disbursing officer resolution. A little quicker than I thought. Chairman. I'd like to entertain a motion. I move the LRSD Board of Education approve the attached disbursing officer resolution that's pretty easy. You good with it? Yeah. >> [laughter] >> I second. You second? Yes. I second. Okay, it's been moved and seconded that the LRSD Board of Education approve the attached disbursing officer resolution. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. All right, board number 10 board resolutions. No. 11 executive session. No. 12 board comments. Do I have one? Director Strong. I wanted to talk a little
249bit about early childhood and summer time. I made a post on my social media last week. I've been um I'm I'm interested in a summer program in Little Rock School District for my four five-year-old who's coming out of our pre-K four and have been talking as a mom with um with Ms. Jones in the district um early childhood office just to kind of understand what's going on. Um and it sounds like this district has been still waiting on the state to on whether or not as I I think as is everyone around the state about whether or not there are any school readiness assistance voucher or vouchers um available for early childhood for this summer right now. Um I got um there is a new report on the Arkansas Department of Education website, kind of
250a fast facts on early childhood, which is really helpful. Right now, there are about 3,000 kids on the school readiness assistance waitlist. And so I don't know what's going to happen with that. When the district went ahead last summer, the district had put together a paid option for families who didn't qualify for those vouchers because as you might know our the Arkansas Better Chance Early Childhood Program only goes during the school year. So in the summer, the only options really are either paid program or a voucher. And so the last summer there was a paid program. I know it was about $1,100 a month and that's what they had put out here this year again. It's about $1,100 a month, which I think Mr. Bailey reflects the true cost of the of care that we
251are providing for kids with our certified staff and our um our really high quality programs and the ratios that we have in early childhood. So I just wanted to let families know that I know that that dollar amount I mean my eyes went very big on that. Um I know that we were paying not quite that when my son was in a child care program outside of the district, but um that's a lot of money for a full-time program um in the summer, and I know that that is out of reach for many probably most of our families. Um but we hope to hear more news soon. Um and that it I just wanted to say that cuz there was a lot of feedback on um online about that, and I just wanted to make
252that comment here for anybody who might still be listening. That's all. Can you make clear again cuz I want to make sure that people understand that It's not the district's decision to whether to not offer the voucher program. Is that what I'm you want to make it clear? >> Yes, and and that The district has >> because the vouchers aren't available. Correct. >> Yes. Or for families who don't qualify for the voucher. >> Not that we just wanted to charge. And a lot of families were like, "Well, this program was free last summer." And it's true if you qualified for vouchers. Or people are like, "This is as much as rent." And it is true that if you are in a place where you're choosing between childcare and rent, usually and typically a school readiness
253voucher would um step in and be able to help your family afford to have your child in a high-quality childcare program. So, the vouchers do cover all cost. This the those kinds of vouchers do, yes. There is a sliding scale that we're putting in place for the Arkansas Better Chance next year for the families who are right now over the limit um that we've we've typically covered those out of our district K-12 dollars, and we're going to have a slide we we approved that as a board to have a sliding scale for those families above that. Um that limit So, anyway, but that's for next year. But the summer is just totally different it's just fine the financing of early childhood is really complex everywhere in our country and in our >> on the millions
254of dollars for I'm making a point. Anyhow, I just wanted the And yes, these are very different vouchers than the K-12 vouchers that are in the news right now. These are for These are federal dollars for early childhood um school readiness assistance that have been around for a long time. Director Jackson Yes, I wanted I wanted to thank Director Kaputsky and Adams and Director Johnson for joining me today at Little Rock Central Athletic Facility Tour. And it was very eye-opening. I also had one by myself at Southwest. And I just want to say that collectively we will come up with some ideas to address the challenges that they that they're facing. So we're building great facilities. We just want to make sure that we keep it them up. I'll leave it. Okay. Director Nichols. Yes,
255I just wanted to take this time to thank our students that came out today, our parents, community members that shared your concerns regarding equality, safety, security. And we want you to know that we value and appreciate your feedback. And that we are committed to rolling up our sleeves, going to work on these concerns, and providing solutions that are just and that are fair. I also want to highlight Ms. Timi Blaylock and Jackie Merrell for the work that they do with VIPs. Several of us had the opportunity to attend the VIPs Awards on Tuesday. On Tuesday. And and highlight our volunteers of our district. They do a wonderful job organizing and maintaining that whole situation. And we are very appreciative of them and their staff. But also our volunteers. We Let me see. Volunteer hours for
256the year is 590,898. That is amazing. We thank each of you for your service, for your commitment to our district. Our district is only as strong as our community. And according to this uh these total of hours, we're very strong. Uh so, we're very appreciative to you as well. The dollar amount was over $20 million. But the number hours you It's over $20 million. Um I have a couple of comments for for the board members. Okay. Go ahead, Director O'Balle. No, no, I was just saying I got one, too. I didn't want to interrupt. Okay. Um please remember to sign up for your one-on-one dashboard training. Um it ends on the 27th, but if you can't make the 27th, whatever you can do, just set it up with somebody. And also, please go on the
257ASBA website and take some of those courses they have. They're hour long. You could take it while you're driving to work or you while you Whatever you do for an hour. >> [laughter] >> Okay, Director O'Balle. Yes, I I just want to reiterate our thank you to the parents and the and the students and the staff who showed up today to uh and help empower our youth and it's very important that we do our best to protect them and support them in everything they're doing, especially when they're we're trying to provide safe spaces for them. But I also want to bring up um community [snorts] service learning partners. Um since I believe '95, '96, Arkansas has uh given a credit to students that complete at least 75 hours of volunteer hours towards their graduation credits.
258And so, this is the last year that they're eligible for it. Uh uh I guess because that's what the LEARNS Act says. So, I just want to make sure that uh any youth out there looking to get their graduation hours complete, make sure that you talk to your school, talk to your staff, but also uh look for those options out there in the community. Uh we got a a bunch of different opportunities that'll be happening uh in May, so that they want to complete it before uh graduation. But, just encouraging that and I and hopefully, anytime we ask the youth to come do anything, whether it be a task force committee, uh or the advisory board, there are ways that we can provide those hours for them for doing that work because uh like they
259showed up today, they don't have to be here. But, you know, we need to look at every avenue and every opportunity to make sure that they're completing those graduation hours because next year it's a requirement for everybody in the state. So, uh I just want to make it easier on them so they're not waiting all the way to April and May to complete those. We can start completing those immediately. So, that's all for I have one other thing. Go ahead, Director Jackson. >> Um well, two things. One is the student advisory board meeting um that I attended um What day was that? >> Wednesday. Wednesday. They wanted to encourage all of the board members to attend as soon as you can. They had a lot of good questions, and they want us to visit their
260schools and let them take us on a tour of our schools. So, I wanted to make sure I brought that information. And I also wanted to say uh congratulations to uh Dr. Wright. The parade was very successful. They announced uh the mayor said that was your brainchild, and that was really nice that you know, he said it was your idea, so it was great. And I just wanted to say congratulations on that though. I said thank you. Director Adams. Yes, I I just want to add my appreciation and congratulations for the the VIPs uh event and and all the volunteers and the award winners and and some and my regrets that I was not able to be present because of my day job, which is sometimes an evening job. And and the same and then
261the pay it forward for congratulations and regrets for the employee and teacher and other employee of the year event coming up in May because again my day job is an evening job um on that same same time too, but we are so appreciative of all the great things that happen um in so many different ways and you know, throughout our year for our community and for our staff. I'm open for comments. Superintendent comments. Just one brief one that I know we'll we're we will um report on this later, but I want to give a shout-out and I'll make sure that I clip this recording and send it to them to our CTE department. Um of course they always do great work, but yesterday they hosted an event that um was one of those events that
262I didn't exactly know what exactly what they were going to be doing, um but when I showed up and really took in what was happening, it was one of those things where it really symbolizes um what the power that we have um as a district um to really give our students the type of motivation motivation and for them to see what they can become. It was a uh minority women and minority small businesses. We had um over uh I want to say 50 um that were represented yesterday, but um it it was a panel. Um students got a chance to interact with them, ask them questions, then they had a chance to like meet with them in small groups over lunch. Um but it exposed our students to the path of entrepreneurship um and what
263it can take, but the most powerful thing about the event was most of these folks were local uh local individuals and citizens to Little Rock. They graduated from our schools. Many of them had kids who were still in our schools um and uh it's just different when you have people from your own community who have you know, been successful in business and entrepreneurship sharing tips and advice and encouragement to students and then and then to hear the students reflective feedback at the end, you know, to hear a student say "Because of you, I can see what I can become." I mean, it just it it was it was just amazing. And often times we you know, and there's nothing wrong with us having, you know, business partners from some of these big corporations because they
264have their place, too, but we have been neglecting people that are right here in our own backyard who have so much to give to our students. And so, the next step of this is uh a lot of these businesses are going to give our students internship opportunities. Many of our students have interest in owning their own business. And so, anyway, talking a whole lot, but we'll share more about it later, but it was just a powerful example of the talent that we have right here in our city. Products of our own school district. Um I think I mentioned this while I was there at the white coat ceremony at Did I mention that today? Yeah. >> [laughter] >> I mean, we two African-American doctors who graduated from Hall in their They couldn't have been any
265more than 30. Um pinning students at Hall. It was it was just magical. And so, these are the types of things that uh Dr. Dr. McGummy Shamika Montgomery and her team and Dr. Waring have been doing that is really making a big difference in empower empowering the students that we serve in our district. So, I was just excited to to experience that yesterday. Motion to adjourn. Submit. All in favor? All right. All right.