At his final Little Rock School Board meeting, Zone 2’s Dr. Michael Nellums challenged Dr. Suggs’ proposal to convert Forest Heights Middle School into a STEM Academy, saying it would turn Forest Heights into a “one-race school.”
In one his best moments on the Board, Zone 4’s Greg Adams countered, “It’s already a one-race school.”
Therein lies the issue. By its own actions and/or inactions, the Little Rock School District has allowed to evolve not only “one-race,” but “one economic level” schools. At the same time, it rails against charters, demonizing them as “predominately white, low poverty schools.”
Here are the demographic facts regarding Little Rock School District and Open Enrollment Public Charter Middle Schools in the District’s footprint:
| LRSD | %Free/Reduced Lunch | %White | %Hisp. | %Black | %Other | %Minority |
| Cloverdale | 90% | 3% | 20% | 77% | 0% | 97% |
| Dunbar | 81% | 7% | 8% | 84% | 1% | 93% |
| Forest Heights | 85% | 9% | 4% | 85% | 2% | 91% |
| Henderson | 90% | 5% | 8% | 85% | 2% | 95% |
| Mabelvale | 84% | 7% | 12% | 81% | 1% | 93% |
| Mann | 61% | 30% | 9% | 56% | 5% | 70% |
| Pulaski Heights | 44% | 45% | 2% | 50% | 3% | 55% |
| Public Charters | ||||||
| Covenant Keepers | 87% | 0% | 38% | 62% | 0% | 100% |
| eStem | 35% | 43% | 5% | 48% | 5% | 57% |
| Lisa Academy | 35% | 26% | 8% | 41% | 25% | 74% |
| Little Rock Prep | 68% | 0% | 4% | 93% | 2% | 100% |
Look at the percentages. One could reasonably argue that five of seven Little Rock School District middle schools are “one race, one economic level” schools.
Only two schools, Pulaski Heights (LRSD) and eStem (Public Charter) come close to actually mirroring the demographics of the City of Little Rock, not the failed demographics of the Little Rock School District (72% FRL, 19% White, 11% Hispanic, 67% Black, 3% Other, 81% Minority), but the actual demographics of our community (18% Persons Below Poverty Level, 49% White, 42% Black, 7% Hispanic, 2% Other). Beyond Black and White, our most multicultural public middle school is Lisa Academy (Public Charter).
Perhaps most telling is that all public middle schools in Little Rock, be they traditional or charter, are majority minority schools.
Also, note that Mann, the Court-ordered, State-funded Stipulation Magnet, intended as a racially balanced school, is 70% minority.
Lisa Academy is the closest public middle school to the proposed location of Quest Middle School of West Little Rock. The Little Rock School District’s attorney is seeking an appeal before the State Board of Education of the school’s unanimous (6-0) approval by the Charter Authorizing Panel, saying that it “will likely be established as a predominately white, low poverty school which operates to the detriment of both LRSD and PCSSD.”
How so? The only Little Rock School District middle schools with a White population above single digits are Pulaski Heights (full) in Hillcrest and Mann (Magnet), on Roosevelt, east of I-30. The remaining middle schools are already from 91% to 97% minority. The middle school projected by District officials to replace Forest Heights as the zoned school of West Little Rock (if the proposed STEM Academy conversion is approved) is only 5% White.
Think it gets better in High School? Think again.
| LRSD | %Free/Reduced Lunch | %White | %Hisp. | %Black | %Other | %Minority |
| Central | 42% | 33% | 4% | 55% | 8% | 67% |
| Hall | 77% | 5% | 17% | 77% | 2% | 95% |
| J.A. Fair | 79% | 7% | 8% | 85% | 1% | 93% |
| McClellan | 81% | 3% | 7% | 90% | 1% | 97% |
| Parkview | 49% | 27% | 10% | 57% | 6% | 73% |
| Public Charters | ||||||
| Covenant Keepers | 73% | 1% | 30% | 69% | 0% | 99% |
| eStem | 31% | 36% | 7% | 47% | 10% | 64% |
| Lisa Academy | 35% | 26% | 8% | 41% | 25% | 74% |
| SIA Tech | 99% | 10% | 2% | 85% | 3% | 90% |
Once again, even though all public high schools in the Little Rock School District footprint are majority minority schools, eStem is the public high school which most closely matches the demographics of the community. It didn’t get there by fighting its perceived enemies, but by providing excellence to attract students from all cultures, from all economic circumstances, from all parts of our community. While the Little Rock School District has Magnets in name, eStem is a Magnet in action.
When 31 years, $1.2 Billion in State funding, the $5.3 Million paid intervention of those purporting to represent African-American students, and an $870,000 billed-by-the-hour annual legal budget don’t work, blame the charters, existing and proposed.