The North Little Rock Board of Education is seeking community input as it relates to two issues and has formed task forces to address them.
The two task forces are the following: the Citizens Committee Task Force to improve the letter grades at five elementary schools in the district, and the Ole Main Task Force, which will provide direction to the Board of Education on how to preserve the historic building.
Each member of the Board of Education will recommend a citizen of the community to each task force. In addition, three more members of the community will be appointed by the Board President to serve on the task force.
The Citizens Committee Task Force
The North Little Rock School District is committed to making sure every student succeeds. We will not be content until every school in our district earns an A on the Every Student Succeeds ACT (ESSA) Report Card.
In the release of the ESSA Report Card for the 2018-19 school year, five of our elementary schools earned either a D or an F. These five schools have talented and capable administrators, teachers, and staff, and their expertise is truly valued in improving the letter grade at their respective schools.
It takes a whole village to raise a child. Educating our students should not be the sole responsibility of school professionals. It will take the entire community to support the schools, the students, and staff to improve the letter grades of the five elementary schools.
Hence the impetus for the Citizens Committee, a group of engaged members of the community who are passionate about student learning and achievement. This committee will work with administrators, teachers, and staff and make recommendations on ways to improve the quality of schools.
These are the requirements for joining the Citizens Committee Task Force:
- A patron of the North Little Rock School District;
- Possess a strong desire to affect positive change in the education of students;
- Have a flexible schedule to survey schools and meet with fellow committee members; and
- Have a team mindset to work with committee members to exchange ideas.
This committee will report to the Superintendent of Schools with recommendations on ways to improve the letter grades of these schools.
The Ole Main Task Force
The Ole Main high school building is a fixture in North Little Rock. It’s recognizable. It’s the backdrop for many high school senior portraits and class reunions. Former North Little Rock residents who attended Ole Main drive by the building, along with those students who attended classes in the historic structure when it served as North Little Rock High School-West Campus.
In 2012, North Little Rock residents voted to approve the $265 million construction project that led to the building of a brand new North Little Rock High School. The new building, which houses students in grades nine through twelve, is a state-of-the-art facility that meets the academic and social needs of our students. This amazing structure is located adjacent to Ole Main.
While we should offer our students the very best in facilities, the new building leaves the former Ole Main/North Little Rock-West Campus building vacant. The decades-old building is too beautiful to decay. Therefore, it is out of this need that demands a group of North Little Rock citizens to discuss ways to preserve this building.
Providing Input
If you would like to join any of these task forces, you must express interest by writing to the North Little Rock Board of Education. The letter should detail why this issue is important to you and why you should be a part of the task force.
The letter should be addressed to the North Little Rock Board of Education. The address is 2700 N. Poplar Street, North Little Rock, AR 72114. The letter must be postmarked by October 29, 2019.