In the Saturday, September 23, 2017 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Rita Sklar of the Arkansas ACLU, repeated what has become a constant talking point of those opposed to both charter schools and the State’s intervention in the Little Rock School District.
“Here in Little Rock, the process of re-segregating our classrooms has accelerated since the state takeover of the Little Rock School District in 2015, and new state-initiated and authorized charter schools are being created at a breakneck pace and with a fervor that is obscene.”
And yet, no evidence is ever provided regarding the district’s “re-segregation” since State control nor the charters’ alleged role as accomplices. In fact, the district’s decade-long, locally-controlled history of “re-segregation” is conveniently ignored.
The reason no evidence is ever provided is because none exists. In fact, the truth is just the opposite of the status quo’s re-segregation fabrication.
Here are the demographic data for the district since the advent of the first charter school in 2004.
| 2 or More Races | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native American/ Alaskan | Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander | White | Total | Total Black/White Enrollment | Black/White Enrollment Gap | |
| 2004-05* | NA | 430 | 16,738 | 1,226 | 62 | NA | 5,968 | 24,424 | 22,706 | 10,770 (74%/26%) |
| 2005-06 | NA | 399 | 17,173 | 1,343 | 69 | NA | 6,111 | 25,095 | 23,284 | 11,062 (74%/26%) |
| 2006-07 | NA | 412 | 17,432 | 1,553 | 76 | NA | 6,027 | 25,550 | 23,459 | 11,405 (74%/26%) |
| 2007-08 | NA | 436 | 17,715 | 1,733 | 81 | NA | 5,773 | 25,738 | 23,488 | 11,942 (75%/25%) |
| 2008-09** | NA | 432 | 16,936 | 1,865 | 73 | NA | 5,354 | 24,660 | 22,290 | 11,582 (76%/24%) |
| 2009-10 | NA | 450 | 16,574 | 1,927 | 76 | NA | 5,363 | 24,380 | 21,937 | 11,211 (76%/24%) |
| 2010-11 | 126 | 509 | 16,245 | 2,174 | 83 | 2 | 5,087 | 24,226 | 21,332 | 11,158 (76%/24%) |
| 2011-12 | 177 | 534 | 16,114 | 2,322 | 75 | 8 | 4,819 | 24,049 | 20,933 | 11,295 (77%/23%) |
| 2012-13 | 199 | 523 | 15,708 | 2,540 | 69 | 6 | 4,549 | 23,594 | 20,257 | 11,159 (78%/22%) |
| 2013-14 | 227 | 579 | 15,689 | 2,728 | 64 | 9 | 4,380 | 23,676 | 20,069 | 11,309 (78%/22%) |
| 2014-15 | 271 | 557 | 15,371 | 2,925 | 65 | 10 | 4,164 | 23,363 | 19,535 | 11,207 (79%/21%) |
| 2015-16*** | 272 | 567 | 15,070 | 3,124 | 55 | 11 | 4,065 | 23,164 | 19,135 | 11,005 (79%/21%) |
| 2016-17 | 285 | 563 | 14,603 | 3,183 | 57 | 14 | 4,054 | 22,759 | 18,657 | 10,549 (78.3%/21.7%) |
| 2017-18 | 318 | 595 | 14,040 | 3,350 | 54 | 10 | 3,971 | 22,338 | 18,011 | 10,069 (78%/22%) |
| TOTAL LOSS/GAIN | 318 | +165 (+38%) | -2,698 (-16%) | +2,124 (+173%) | -8 (-13%) | 14 | -1,997 (-33%) | -2,086 (-8.5%) | -4,695 (-21%) | -701 (+4%/-4%) |
| BEFORE STATE CONTROL LOSS/GAIN | +271 | +127 (+30%) | -1,367 (-8%) | +1,699 (+139%) | +3 (+1%) | +10 | -1,804 (-30%) | -1,061 (-4%) | -3,171 (-14%) | +437 (+5%/-5%) |
| STATE CONTROL LOSS/GAIN | +47 (+17%) | +38 (+6.8%) | -1,331 (-8.7%) | +425 (+14.5%) | -11 (-17%) | +0 (+/-0%) | -193 (-4.6%) | -1,025 (-4.4%) | -1,524 (-7.8%) | -1,138 (-1%/+1%) |
* First Year of Charter
** First Year of African-American Majority Board
*** First Year of State Takeover
Meanwhile, at the charters…
| District/School | 2 or More Races | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native American/ Alaskan | Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander | White | Total |
| LRSD | 318 (1%) | 595 (3%) | 14,040 (63%) | 3,350 (15%) | 54 (.2%) | 10 (.04%) | 3,971 (18%) | 22,338 |
| All Little Rock Charters* | 133 (3%) | 215 (5%) | 2,501 (53%) | 804 (17%) | 16 (.3%) | 3 (.1%) | 1,024 (22%) | 4,696 |
| eStem | 81 | 45 | 1,049 | 147 | 6 | 2 | 638 | 1,968 |
| LISA Academy Chenal | 15 | 59 | 274 | 152 | 4 | 0 | 82 | 586 |
| LISA Academy 7-8 | 14 | 68 | 148 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 355 |
| LISA Academy High | 10 | 28 | 193 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 399 |
| Little Rock Prep | 0 | 0 | 186 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 213 |
| Exalt | 2 | 0 | 160 | 204 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 375 |
| Premier | 0 | 0 | 108 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 114 |
| SIA Tech | 0 | 1 | 166 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 188 |
| Covenant Keepers | 2 | 0 | 48 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 141 |
| Quest | 1 | 14 | 53 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 105 | 188 |
| Rockbridge | 8 | 0 | 116 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 169 |
* The recently approved open-enrollment public charters – ScholarMade (2018), Einstein (2018) and Friendship (2019) will open at 2410 South Battery, 3615 West 25th Street and Southwest Little Rock, respectively.
Here are the facts:
- LRSD lost 2,698 African-American students since first charter in 2004
- LRSD lost 1,997 White students since first charter in 2004
- Little Rock open-enrollment public charters gained 2,501 African-American students since beginning
- Little Rock open-enrollment public charters gained 1,024 White students since beginning
- LRSD lost 1,367 African-American students (-8%) between first charter and State intervention
- LRSD lost 1,804 White students (-30%) between first charter and State intervention
- LRSD lost 1,331 African-American students (-8.7%) since State intervention in 2015
- LRSD lost 193 White students (-4.6%) since State intervention in 2015
- West Little Rock’s LISA Academy, which was vigorously opposed on grounds of “re-segregation,” has 586 students – 82 (14%) White, 4 points less than the LRSD’s White enrollment.
Past Thirteen Years – From First Charter to Present (2004 – 2017)
- African-American students and families are choosing charters at a rate 2.44 times that of White students and families.
- African-American enrollment in LRSD has decreased every year since 2008, which was also the first school year of a majority African-American school board.
- White enrollment in LRSD has decreased every year since 2005, three years before the first majority African-American school board.
- The largest one-year drop in African-American enrollment in LRSD was -779 between 2007-08 and 2008-09, the year of the first majority African-American board. That was also the largest one-year drop in White enrollment (-419).
- The three smallest annual drops in White enrollment in LRSD were the three years of State intervention, -99 in 2015-16, and -11 in 2016-17, and -83 in 2017-18.
- Hispanic and Other (Asian, Native American/Alaskan, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) enrollment (4,009) now exceed White enrollment (3,971).
- The growing demographics in the LRSD are Hispanic (+173%), 2 or More Races (+152%), and Asian (+38%).
- The declining demographics in the LRSD are African-American (-2,698/-16%) and White enrollment (-1,997/-33%).
Before State Intervention (2004 – 2015)
- Prior to State intervention, LRSD lost White students at a rate 1.32 higher than that of African-American students.
- Prior to State intervention, the district averaged losing 180 White students a year.
- In the ten years before State intervention, the enrollment gap between African-American and White students increased from 10,770 to 11,207 (74%/26% to 79/21%).
After State Intervention (2015 – 2017)
- After State intervention, LRSD lost African-American students at a rate nearly seven times higher than that of White students.
- After State intervention, the district averaged losing 64 White students a year.
- In the three years of State intervention, the African-American and White enrollment gap decreased 1,138 students (-1%/+1%)
- In 2016-17 (Superintendent Mike Poore’s first year), for the first time in thirteen years, both the total number and percentage enrollment gap between African-American and White students decreased (-456, -1%/+1%)
- In 2017-18 (Superintendent Mike Poore’s second year), the district had the lowest total number enrollment gap between African-American and White students (10,069). The previous low was 10,770 in 2004-05.
It would behoove those who value their credibility, and the journalists who quote them, to check the facts before simply parroting the party line.
We welcome correction of any inaccuracies.
Source: https://adedata.arkansas.gov/statewide/Districts/EnrollmentByRace.aspx