Public School Enrollment
| LRSD | PCSSD | NLRSD | Conway | Bryant | Benton | LISA | eStem | |
| 2004 | 24,424 | 17,961 | 9,110 | 8,442 | 6,598 | 4,254 | 163 | 0 |
| 2005 | 25,095 (+671) | 17,943 (-18) | 9,368 (+258) | 8,618 (+176) | 6,851 (+253) | 4,409 (+155) | 299 (+136) | 0 |
| 2006 | 25,500 (+405) | 17,756 (-187) | 9,334 (-34) | 8,774 (+156) | 6,862 (+11) | 4,591 (+182) | 359 (+60) | 0 |
| 2007 | 25,738 (+238) | 17,395 (-361) | 8,974 (-360) | 9,002 (+228) | 7,163 (+301) | 4,506 (-85) | 411 (+52) | 0 |
| 2008 | 24,660 (-1,079) | 17,410 (-15) | 8,970 (-4) | 9,144 (+142) | 7,383 (+220) | 4,527 (+21) | 433 (+22) | 755 |
| 2009 | 24,380 (-280) | 17,126 (-284) | 9,119 (+149) | 9,083 (-61) | 7,669 (+286) | 4,587 (+60) | 465 (+32) | 931 (+176) |
| 2010 | 24,226 (-154) | 16,828 (-298) | 8,862 (-257) | 9,256 (+173) | 7,949 (+280) | 4,666 (+79) | 476 (+11) | 1,231 (+300) |
| 2011 | 24,049 (-177) | 16,959 (+131) | 8,545 (-317) | 9,432 (+176) | 8,291 (+342) | 4,618 (-48) | 599 (+123) | 1,457 (+226) |
| 2012 | 23,594 (-455) | 17,245 (+286) | 8,610 (+65) | 9,630 (+192) | 8,620 (+329) | 4,768 (+150) | 792 (+193) | 1,485 (+28) |
| 2013 | 23,676 (-82) | 17,060 (-185) | 8,553 (-57) | 9,733 (+103) | 8,862 (+242) | 4,922 (+154) | 799 (+7) | 1,462 (-23) |
| 2014 | 23,363 (-313) | 16,592 (-468) | 8,576 (+22) | 9,771 (+38) | 9,017 (+155) | 5,000 (+78) | 797 (-2) | 1,462 (0) |
| 2015 | 23,164 (-199) | 16,562 (-30) | 8,413 (-163) | 9,734 (-37) | 8,969 (-48) | 5,045 (+45) | 825 (+28) | 1,462 (0) |
| 2016 | 22,759 (-405) | 12,199/3,927 (-436) | 8,405 (-8) | 9,920 (+186) | 9,134 (+165) | 5,108 (+63) | 1,261 (+436) | 1,462 (0) |
| 2017 | 22,338 (-421) | 12,101 (-98) | 8,427 (+22) | 10,001 (+81) | 9,121 (-13) | 5,286 (+178) | 1,340 (+79) | 1,968 (+506) |
| 2018 | 21,595 (-743) | 11,863 (-238) | 8,145 (-282) | 9,975 (-26) | 9,136 (+15) | 5,547 (+261) | 1,374 (+34) | 3,070 (+1,102) |
| 2019 | 21,472 (-123) | 11,801 (-62) | 8,076 (-69) | 10,117 (+142) | 9,299 (+163) | 5,558 (+11) | 1,395 (+21) | 3,202 (+132) |
| 16 Year Totals | -2,952 (-12%) | -398 (-3%) (Since 2016) | -1,034 (-11%) | +1,675 (+20%) | +2,701 (+41%) | +1,304 (+31%) | +1,395 | +3,202 |
Assessment
Over a sixteen-year period, the Little Rock School District (LRSD) “lost” a total of 1,952 students (-12%). In the same period, North Little Rock lost 1,034 students (-11%), a nearly identical percentage to Little Rock.
In the three years since the Jacksonville/North Pulaski County School District separated from the Pulaski County Special School District, PCSSD has lost 398 students (-3%).
Meanwhile, neighboring districts in contiguous counties all experienced double digit percentage growth, led by Bryant’s +2,701 (+41%) growth, Benton’s +1,304 (+31%), and Conway’s +1,675 (+20%).
The combined enrollment of the Conway, Bryant and Benton School Districts was 24,974 in 2019. The combined enrollment of the Little Rock, North Little Rock (NLRSD), Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski (JNPSD) School Districts was 45,363.
However, Conway, Bryant and Benton grew by 5,680 students (+30%), while LRSD, NLRSD, PCSSD and JNPSD lost 6,132 students (-12%). It is estimated that over 100,000 people who work in Pulaski County live in another county.
The largest open-enrollment public charter schools in the LRSD footprint, LISA Academy and eStem Public Charter Schools, enrolled students from all Pulaski County districts, as well as students from contiguous counties. They also attracted students from private and home schools. Those charters alone grew by 4,597 students over the same period.
The biggest drop in enrollment in LRSD (-1,079) came between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years. That is also the period when Superintendent Roy Brooks was fired.
In Pulaski County south of the river, 65% of students are in traditional public schools (54% in LRSD, 11% in PCSSD), 18% are in private/independent schools, 15% are in open-enrollment public charter schools, and 2% are home schooled.
State foundation funding (approximately $6,800 per student) follows students to their public school district or charter school of choice. School districts, however, retain 100% of local property tax revenue dedicated to public schools. Little Rock School District is so rich, it only receives $2,732 in State Foundation Funds per student.
Students who move from or never move to a school district, utilize Inter-district School Choice, attend private/independent schools, or are home schooled have the same fiscal impact on their resident school districts. Those who attend their resident school district’s schools then choose an open-enrollment public charter school have a lessened fiscal impact because their resident district retains their respective State foundation funding for 1.5 years following the students’ departure from the district.
In other words, the districts retain 100% of the State (and local) funding without the expense of educating the student.
New Board?
Those opposed to State intervention in LRSD and now aligned against the millage extension for new, refurbished facilities have lamented that the “new” board was not given a chance before it was dismissed. What they don’t explain is that with seven elected zones and staggered terms, there was essentially a “new” board every year. Throw in five superintendents in eleven years (25 in 34), and there was constant “new” governance in the district.
| Year | Super. | Board Zone 1 | Board Zone 2 | Board Zone 3 | Board Zone 4 | Board Zone 5 | Board Zone 6 | Board Zone 7 |
| 2004 | Roy Brooks | Katherine Mitchell | *Robert Daugherty | Bryan Day | Baker Kurrus | Larry Berkley | Tony Rose | Sue Strickland |
| 2005 | Roy Brooks | Katherine Mitchell | Robert Daugherty | Bryan Day | Baker Kurrus | Larry Berkley | Tony Rose | Sue Strickland |
| 2006 | Roy Brooks | Katherine Mitchell | Robert Daugherty | *Melanie Fox | Baker Kurrus | Larry Berkley | *Charles Armstrong | *Dianne Curry |
| 2007 | Roy Brooks | Katherine Mitchell | Robert Daugherty | Melanie Fox | Baker Kurrus | Larry Berkley | Charles Armstrong | Dianne Curry |
| 2008 | Linda Watson | Katherine Mitchell | Robert Daugherty | Melanie Fox | Baker Kurrus | *Jody Carreiro | Charles Armstrong | Diane Curry |
| 2009 | Linda Watson | Katherine Mitchell | Robert Daugherty | Melanie Fox | Baker Kurrus | Jody Carreiro | Charles Armstrong | Dianne Curry |
| 2010 | Linda Watson/ Morris Holmes | Katherine Mitchell | Mike Nellums | Melanie Fox | *Greg Adams | Jody Carreiro | *Tommy Branch, Jr. | Dianne Curry |
| 2011 | Morris Holmes | *Norma Johnson | Mike Nellums | Melanie Fox | Greg Adams | Jody Carreiro | Tommy Branch, Jr. | Dianne Curry |
| 2012 | Morris Holmes/ Marvin Burton | Norma Johnson | Mike Nellums | *Leslie Fisken | Greg Adams | Jody Carreiro | Tommy Branch, Jr. | Dianne Curry |
| 2013 | Dexter Suggs | Norma Johnson | *C.E. McAdoo | Leslie Fisken | Greg Adams | Jody Carreiro | *Tara Shephard | Dianne Curry |
| 2014 | Dexter Suggs | *Joy Springer | C.E. McAdoo | Leslie Fisken | Greg Adams | *Jim Ross | Tara Shephard | Dianne Curry |
| 2015 | Baker Kurrus | |||||||
| 2016 – | Mike Poore |
*New
Assessment
Of the seven superintendents in eleven years, six were not retained. Four, all African-American, were not retained by the local boards.
From 2004 to 2014, every year was a “new” board except 2009, 2007 and 2005. The most “new” members (3) were in 2006. There were at least two “new” members four times in eleven years, including the board that was dismissed.