The next time anyone says or writes that charters are responsible for “destroying” the Little Rock School District, counter with this (not that the truth has ever mattered).
It had long been obvious to those who form opinions and make decisions based on data where the Little Rock School District was losing and gaining students:
In the last years of local control:
- Biggest Loss: Between 5th and 6th Grades (-327, -16.5%)
- Biggest Gain: Between 8th and 9th Grades (+340, +21.6%)
- Second Biggest Loss: Between 10th and 11th Grades (-244, -13.5%)
- Third Biggest Loss: Between 11th and 12th Grades (-180, -11.5%)
- Fourth Biggest Loss: Between 9th and 10th Grades (-216, -11.4%)
However, those numbers and percentages have shifted under state control. Last year:
- Exodus between 5th and 6th grades dropped to -185 (-10.2%)
- Biggest Gain: Between 8th and 9th Grades (+286, +19%)
- Biggest Loss: Between 9th and 10th Grades (-393, 21%)
- Second Biggest Loss: Between 5th and 6th Grades (-185, -10.2%)
- Third Biggest Loss: Between 10th and 11th Grades (-159, -10.5%)
- Fourth Biggest Loss: Between 11th and 12th Grades (-123, -8.9%)
In 2005-06, there was only a 28-student exodus between fifth and sixth grades. In 2015-16, the loss had swelled to -368, -19.2% of the class’ enrollment. Since the opening of Pinnacle View Middle School’s sixth (2016-17) and seventh grades (2017-18), however, the loss has dropped to -185, -10.2% enrollment. With the addition of eighth grade in 2017-18, that number and percentage will drop even further.
Students and families continue to return to the district for high school in greater numbers than left for middle school. In 2016-17, there was a 355-student, 22.6% increase in the class. Unfortunately, those gains were more than lost in 2017-18 – between 9th and 10th – when 393 (21.5%) of the class left the district. The district continues to bleed students for the remainder of high school.
| Grades | 2004-05 | 2013-14 | Grades | 2014-15 | +/- | Grades | 2015-16 | +/- | Grades | 2016-17 | +/- | Grades | 2017-18 | +/- |
| K | 1,882 | |||||||||||||
| K | 1,956 | 1 | 1,979 | +23 (+1.2%) | ||||||||||
| K | 2,062 | 1 | 1,991 | -71 (-3.4%) | 2 | 1,927 | -64 (-3.2%) | |||||||
| K | 2,055 | 1 | 2,052 | -3 (-.15%) | 2 | 1,934 | -118 (-5.8%) | 3 | 1,878 | -56 (-2.9%) | ||||
| K | 2,018 | 2,220 | 1 | 2,202 | -18 (-.8%) | 2 | 2,172 | -30 (-1.4%) | 3 | 2,067 | -105 (-4.8%) | 4 | 2,040 | -27 (-1.3%) |
| 1 | 2,059 | 2,160 | 2 | 2,107 | -53 (-2.4%) | 3 | 2,043 | -64 (-3%) | 4 | 1,957 | -86 (-4.2%) | 5 | 1,914 | -43 (-2.2%) |
| 2 | 1,997 | 1,996 | 3 | 1,947 | -49 (-2.5%) | 4 | 1,910 | -37 (-1.9%) | 5 | 1,809 | -101 (-5.3%) | 6 | 1,624 | -185 (-10.2%) |
| 3 | 1,901 | 1,900 | 4 | 1,867 | -33 (-1.7%) | 5 | 1,856 | -11 (-.59%) | 6 | 1,584 | -272 (-14.7%) | 7 | 1,525 | -59 (-3.7%) |
| 4 | 1,890 | 1,974 | 5 | 1,921 | -53 (-2.7%) | 6 | 1,553 | -368 (-19.2%) | 7 | 1,533 | -20 (-1.3%) | 8 | 1,467 | -66 (-4.3%) |
| 5 | 1,949 | 1,836 | 6 | 1,509 | -327 (-16.5%) | 7 | 1,490 | -19 (-1.3%) | 8 | 1,468 | -22 (-1.5%) | 9 | 1,754 | +286 (+19%) |
| TOTAL Elem. | 11,814 | 12,086 | 12,099 | 12,095 | 11,714 | |||||||||
| 6 | 1,835 | 1,636 | 7 | 1,604 | -32 (-2%) | 8 | 1,568 | -36 (-2.2%) | 9 | 1,903 | +355 (+22.6%) | 10 | 1,510 | -393 (-21%) |
| 7 | 1,822 | 1,672 | 8 | 1,614 | -58 (-3.5%) | 9 | 1,763 | +149 (+9.2%) | 10 | 1,582 | -181 (-10.3%) | 11 | 1,423 | -159 (-10%) |
| 8 | 1,881 | 1,576 | 9 | 1,916 | +340 (+21.6%) | 10 | 1,694 | -222 (-11.6%) | 11 | 1,538 | -156 (-9.2%) | 12 | 1,415 | -123 (-8.9%) |
| TOTAL MS | 5,538 | 4,884 | 4,727 | 4,611 | 4,585 | |||||||||
| 9 | 2,324 | 1,899 | 10 | 1,683 | -216 (-11.4%) | 11 | 1,531 | -152 (-9%) | 12 | 1,437 | -94 (-6.1%) | |||
| 10 | 1,827 | 1,802 | 11 | 1,558 | -244 (-13.5%) | 12 | 1,470 | -88 (-5.6%) | ||||||
| 11 | 1,561 | 1,560 | 12 | 1,380 | -180 (-11.5%) | |||||||||
| 12 | 1,360 | 1,445 | ||||||||||||
| TOTAL HS | 7,072 | 6,706 | 6,537 | 6,458 | 6,460 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 24,484 | 23,676 | 23,363 | 23,164 | 22,759 |
Source: https://adedata.arkansas.gov/statewide/Districts/EnrollmentByGrade.aspx
And where are students going? For those quick to blame charters, the district lost more students to “other schools” (i.e. other districts, private) in 2003-04 – when no charters existed in the footprint – than any subsequent year.
Quick observations:
- Lowest Loss of Students to Other Schools – 347 (2015-16; First Year of State Control)
- Loss of Students to Other Schools Was Four Times Higher in 2003-04 than 2015-16
- Loss of Students for Other Reasons (See * Below) in 2015-16 Exceeded 13-Year Average of 410
| Other Schools | Private | Home | Out-of-State | Early Graduates | GED | Other | Total | |
| 2003-04 | 1,452 | NA | NA | NA | 58 | 77 | 554 | 2,141 |
| 2004-05 | 1,237 | NA | NA | NA | 82 | 36 | 561 | 1,916 |
| 2005-06 | 1,092 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 141 | 385 | 1,618 |
| 2006-07 | 1,237 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 154 | 118 | 1,509 |
| 2007-08 | 1,059 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 140 | 494 | 1,693 |
| 2008-09 | 983 | 11 | 50 | NA | 87 | 29 | 226 | 1,386 |
| 2009-10 | 371 | 26 | 19 | 82 | 109 | 23 | 222 | 852 |
| 2010-11 | 337 | 20 | 27 | 151 | 95 | 26 | 618 | 1,274 |
| 2011-12 | 371 | 7 | 26 | 154 | 128 | 17 | 558 | 1,261 |
| 2012-13 | 476 | 23 | 33 | 171 | 14 | 14 | 338 | 1,069 |
| 2013-14 | 516 | 31 | 26 | 185 | 10 | 12 | 458 | 1,238 |
| 2014-15 | 508 | 24 | 26 | 193 | 16 | 8 | 342 | 1,117 |
| 2015-16 | 329 | 5 | 13 | 127 | 0 | 3 | 464 | 941 |
| 2016-17 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| TOTAL | 9,968 | 147 | 220 | 1,063 | 599 | 680 | 5,338 | 18,015 |
*Other (Includes Incarcerated, Deceased, Failing Grade, Suspended/Expelled, Lack of Interest, Conflict with School, Economic Hardships, Pregnancy/Marriage, Peer Conflict, Alcohol/Drugs, Health Problems, Other)
Source: https://adedata.arkansas.gov/statewide/Districts/DropsWithdrawalsByReason.aspx
If the district and its alleged champions are truly interested in stemming enrollment losses, it/they will correct its chronic middle school deficiencies and stop the “Other” losses in high school.