(^rr-e.ci-e J 10/19/1995 14:24 5013242231 LRSD STUDENT ASSIGNM PAGE 03 /08/93 11:31:46 PAGE 1 Entry * Withdrawal Coda Entry/Withdrawal Description E AR CS DZ DO HS IE LR NO NP PO RE FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ARKANSAS CHANGE TO ENTRY RECORD FROM DETENTION FACILITY IN ARKANSAS FROM DETENTION FACILITY OUTSIDE ARKANSAS FROM HOME SCHOOL INITIAL ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR FROM ANOTHER LRSD SCHOOL FROM NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL OUTSIDE ARKANSAS FROM NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ARKANSAS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL OUTSIDE ARKANSAS RE-ENROLL APTER EXIT SAME SCHOOL W AO ex DC DF ED EM EP EX EY FL GR ID LT ML MM MO MR NA NE NZ OT PC PG PS SC SI TI UN VD XH ADMINISTRATIVE REQUEST CHANGE TO EXIT RECORD DECEASED assigned to a detention FACILITY EXEMPTED BY THE DISTRICT WITHDREW/EMPLOYMENT WZTHDREW/EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS EXPELLED BY THE DISTRICT END OF YEAR WITHDREW/FAILING GRADES STUDENT GRADUATED DUPLICATE ID LONG TERM SUSPENSION WITHDREW/ENLISTED IN MILITARY M TO M TRANSFER moved TO ANOTHER DISTRICT WITHDREW/MARRIAGE WITHDREW DUE TO NON-ATTENDANCE ON RECORD BUT NOT ENROLLED WITHDREW/LACK OF INTEREST OFFICIAL TRANSFER WITHIN DISTRICT PEER CONFLICT WITHDREW/PREGNANCY ENROLLED IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL ENROLLED/POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL WITHDREW/SERIOUS PERSONAL ILLNESS TRANSFER WITHIN DISTRICT/MOVED WITHDREW/UNIDENTIFIABLE REASON WITHDREW VOLUNTARILY/DISCIPLINE EXIT TO HOME SCHOOL Ji END O F REPORT10/19/1995 14:24 5013242281 LRSD STUDENT ASSIGNM PAGE 02 CORRECTED COPY Little Rock School District Exit Totals 1994-95 August 22, 1994-June 30, 1995 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS central jA fair'.............. hall MCCLELLAN PARKVIEW subtotal JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS Cloverdale DUNBAR FOREST HEIGHTS HENDERSON MA8ELVALE"2 "" MANN magnet"' PULASKI HEIGHTS SOLITHWeST ~ SUBTOTAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BADGETT BALE RELINE BOOKER MAGNET BRACY CARVER MAGNET CHICOT ____________ CLOVERDALE____________ DODO____________________ FAJR PARK FOREST PARK I aiL, i Ji T J
' 21 1 1 ! 2. r FRANKLIN FVLflRIQHT GARLAND GEYgR SPRINGS GIBBS MAGNET jEFFSRSQN mabelvale MCOERMOTT meaooacliff MITCHeiX OTTER CRSgK PVIASKIH6IGWT5 RpHTSELt " RQCKEFELLCT ROM! Ng STEPHENS TERRY_________ ^*M(EFfELD WASHINGTON WATSON i^STERN HILLS ^iams'magnet i^ON WOORUFP SUB total .. ,......... TT 2! 1
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ilWl'iili' fl! 26$i 611 2! 21 I n li 1 f 1 T 1 TT 3 38 ~~46 38 ts 1?1 34 110 71 68 31 39 34 116 22 _5e 2S 72 103 ~i7 103 18 37 69 9 27 44 J. I I 1 88 81 72 60 56 41 I ! I 38 221 12i 2032 !___' 1181 1! 2l 4580 Rrp4r6 by AMLw10/19/1995 14:24 5013242281 LRSD STUDENT ASSIGNM PAGE 01 OfRCE of SwdENT AssiqNMENT SO! Sh^XMAN UnU Rock, AR 72202 Tlpltox SO I-724-2272 Fax SO I-724-2231 FAX COVER SHEET DATE TO -0 C) fyy Fax NiMbat, 3>'7l'-C) / 0 o FROM. SPECIAL INSJRUCTIONS // NUMBER OF PACES, INCLUDING COVER Arkansas Democrat W(5azcttc WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1995 Extra 689 pupils straggle in at LR schools BY SUSAN ROTH Democrat-Gazetto Education Writer The Little Rock School District period last year, the district pulled 689 students out of a hat in gained 309 students. the last month, raising enrollment figures that initially showed dramatic losses. On Sept 1, the district recorded 24,233 pupils. On Oct. 2, the count was 24,922. Officials shrug, unable to explain the surge. The only thing I can think of is the districts official total that is, we feel that some parents dont will be filed with the state for persend their kids back to school un- manent records and for comput- til afl
er Labor Day, said Snellen ing state education funds the dis- Vann, district spokesman. Were always up by the October count But not that much. In the same And some confusion remains over whether this years 24,233 September head count was taken before or after Labor Day. The forms used in the count are dated Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day. The October enrollment figure trict will receive. Compared with last years October enrollment, the district is down 309 students. Little Rock will not lose state funding this year because of the loss of students, but the numbers will count for next years state funding. In the coming budget process, the school district can expect to lose about $3,800 for every lost pupil a total of nearly $1.2 million. But state officials have pointed out that the district is still among the richest in the state. It actually grows richer with the loss of students because the citys education tax levy remains the same regardless of enrollment figures, officials say. Schools that appear to have the largest enrollment declines since last October are Hall High School, which lost 103 students, or 10 percent of its population
and Henderson Junior High, which lost 125, or nearly 14 percent. Both schools had a startling growth in violent incidents in 1993 and 1994. Little Rock continued its long- See SCHOOLS, Page 10A Schools Continued from Page 1A time racial trend this year, growing steadily blacker. Last year, 64.9 percent of the districts students were black, compared with 66.5 percent now. The October figures showed 381 fewer white students and 112 fewer other students than a year ago. The number of black pupils rose by 184. Schools that had significant increases in the percentage of black population include McClellan Community High School, up by 43 to 80.4 percent black
Cloverdale Junior High, up by 6 to 86.5
and Henderson, which lost 38 black students and 77 white students to increase to 78.6 percent black. Among elementary schools, Chicot Cloverdale, Fair Park, Fulbright, Meadowcliff, Wakefield, Wilson and Woodruff all increased their black populations more than 5 percent A report on students who left the district during the last school year shows that 2,^ moved to other districts, while 285 withdrew to private schools. The district had another 1,494 pupils on record but not enrolled A total of 4,580 students left for a variety of reasons during the course of the year, according to the report Little Rock Sehool EnroIJment J 64.9% 32.5% ^vhite Uack 1994 Total studoatK 25,231 if 2.6% other Figures taHen Oct 3,1394 31.3% white 66.5% black ^2^% other 1995 Total atudenti: 24,922 Figures taken Oo. 2,1995 Difference fran last yes' 200 o-J -200 Black +184 Down 309 students overall from 1994 White -aai other -112 -400 NOTE: ThosnamttloflnaKIgiirottbn school dbtilet sahmlts to the slots for ponnanent records and funding puposet. SOURCE LRSD Arkansas OemocratXiazette/UZ ROBERTSI Leave a system with so much? They wouldnt BY SUSAN ROTH AND CYNTHIA HOWELL Oemocrat-Gazette Stall Wrttefs One Saturday in the middle of her sixth-grade year, Melissa Rudder marched up to the principal at a Pulaski Heights Elementary School open house and asked to observe a class. She never went back to her private school. Penny and Patt Rudder moved their family into the Hillcrest neighborhood from a Houston See LRSD. Pane 8A I Arkansas Democrat W^azcttc SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1995 Copyright 6 UWe Rodt Newspapers, Inc. I LRSD Continued from Page 1A suburb the week before school started eight years ago. They didnt know a soul here. high school. It took her three weeks to catch up academically, Penny Rudder said. The deciding factor was academics a few years later when Christian chose a high school. riculum at private school. Melissa, now 17, is a senior at Central considering a myriad of i districts 12-year-old school de- it is those schools that have lost mentary, where her daughter is buc uiuoL as in sixth grade, and at Pulaski Little Rocks enrollment contin- Heights Junior High, where her son is an eighth-grader. At my first parent conference last year, sitting before us the most students this year as So many segregation case. times the administrations hands are tied by a court order. She said teachers and parents worked hard to try to close the disparity between black and white pupils' standardized test scores at Forest Park Elementary. While scores for white students in the Little Rock district are among the highest in the state and stack up well nt^- ues to decline. Parents still speak of positive college choices. Many families like the Rudders are growing more passionately vocal in support of the Little Rock School District in the experiences at Hall High, J.A. ence Fair High and Parkview Magnet in semicircle were my son s six High, and at Mann Magnet Ju- This nior High and Dunbar Junior teachers, East related. The Rudders worried about re- ------------------ ports of violence, and several of face of dropping enrollments Christians classmates decided especially a dramatic loss of Hi^. donl**put\our*dmi2it*er' hi toe to attend Catholic High. white children in the last three public schools, PennyRudder recalled. They took toe advice, fearing the public schools from ^Christian wL fine at I^laski would have had to give up Span- thT'^laskTHeightso?Hiiicrest students, teachers and parents. neighborhoods, like the Rud- ^e?pS= eo^=a
^^
oi
toe'-has".... m ever made chose Central. Christian, now 20, increased. nnaiitv Thpv sav Heishts and she acknowledged trate on those who need it mosL ever mane. ic a snnhnmnre at Harvard Uni- Teachers at some secondary is academic quality. 1 hey say tieignts, ana sne .. .Ea. nmhahiv lafcas Melissa encoimtered intoler- is a sophomore at Harvard uni frustration their children are far safer in that some may not be as safe. ant students and teachers who versi^. schools speax itn Little Rock schools than they are I know some things have failed to supervise at the school, The reason he was so well about a^^lack of omte at shoS been handled very poorly by the SLi sx'
isssx"i's SiSUgjsa .k.'sskt
s's,'?es.'^.'5n PTA i boUl Forest Part El. os.-E. sold, ret.^W to Ot. The few people we were able to meet said, Your son will be Une at Pulaski Heights, but is really strange, I thought at first. But we sat there and lis- We did check out private years. schools, and we found them to While many of L^e Rocks be academically much inferior elementary schools have active options, Rudder said. He parent ^oups would have had to give up Span- neiKiiis duuiui ish and a year of math. was miserable. The Rudders call After companng course offer- But the most aggressive tened to a forum on our child, cheerleaders for the secondary what they each thought his schools have children at Pulaski strengths and weaknesses were. .......... Heights Junior High and Central It really bolsters the child as an pmeiii and abundant High School. They tend to be af- community support, the junior fluent white couples who five in U really ooioie.o me emm aa tioually, black studeuts gener- individual and as a student and ally score much lower than boosts communication among whites. ,-----1 " We were just really concen- ! trating on those kids, East said. r Thats one of the reasons white is a sophomore at Harvard Uni- Teachers at some secondary is academic quality. They say schools speak with frustration their children are far safer in - - --=- Little Rock schools than they are UUiei JUIllUi uisbb ovuwio --------- - -- , , in their not have the same atmosphere people dont go to the schools, found at Pulaski because teachers really concen- I cant deny that probably takes away a little bit from my child, who could read when she got in there. Like others, the Rudders said See KIDS, Page 9AArkansas Democrat (gazette Kids We want to be a Continued from Page 8A pOSitive VOiCO for the they feel confident the district can schools in the turn around its problems one U/a a/cn school at a time. Parents mention COmmumty. rVe aiSO two programs. Vdunteeis m Public SChoolS Schools and Partners in Education, community. We also that help. The volunteers program encourages parental participation in the schools. Schools with few active parents to the mark and help them put together ways to evmuate and report how they are doing. Its should get more financial support J _ from the district and more active business partners, Penny Rudder \ said. The Partners in Education pro- set them. We want pMieinOCCOC with fHp t SKSpSSarmSK themtobesuccessfuL rtal-world learning experiences and mentors for children and the school has sought to suspend or expel fewer students, he said. There has been one incident involving a weapon. School officials took an ice pick from a violent student during the first period on the first day of school j Washington believes his school is safe although he acknowledges that there have been problems on buses and at bus stops this year. While Washington, parents and many other school district leaders ' and cheerleaders frequently blame the media for Little Rocks image problems, the Rudders have another idea. What all the schools need, they saii is more support from Little Rocks political and business leaders, o The city business leadership is Scott Christie behind the schools, Patt Rud- ff M&rtha and Scott Christie, a west ^7, , L-rttteRock couplMecengr^ to 'ai^anize another association called Parents In Public Schools. der said. I think maybe they\e giv- I think we will go from 30 people to 100, and from 100 to several thousand, said Scott Christie, a father of four and a global sales sup- SSIS'/SSKtoS wtu.(-"-I. ____________ I en up on the school system. Its very she predicts that parents of some of difficult to get community leaders to her sons friends will opt for private step up and say Yeah, TU serve on . schools next year.________________the school board. We have to help S Lite other families, the Christies them realize its worth their while. say they will visit all the junior The way they will do that, they i highs to select one for their son and said, is to keep talking to people then will involve themselves at the until were blue in the face. in Jackson, Miss., and chapters across the country use Jackins One person who plans to work hard to recruit families like the charter and bylaws as models. J^es Washh^n, p^ There are three things this or- cipal of Henderson JimiOT High, the ........ school that got the worst rap last year. Washington looks back on last year and shudders. You dont have lor me scnouis m me eeumiumu,. to tell him that was not a We also want to hold the schools to goo^ear for his schwl. the mark and heln them put togeth- Every day when I get to work, I ganization wants to accomplish, Christie said. We want to be a positive voice for the schools in the community. the mark and help them put togeth- to evaluate and report how think about what I was doing a year ago, he said. And what was he doing? Probably busting up a fi^t Even his mother in Hot Springs er ways they are doing. Its not that we are out to get them, he said in an aside. We want them to be suc- cessftil. worried about his safety. A 10-year district veteran, Wash- T7ie third thing we would like distnet veteran^. w^- to'de is understand the federal ington started work Sept 21,1994, at courts involvement in our school Henderson, replacii^ a principal who was transferred because of her syStem and see if there is not a way to get more local participation in decision-making in our schools. highly publicized disputes with the staff. Parents reacted to the problems Early participants in the group ------------ . have mostly been white parents with by send^ their children els" children in schools on the citys west where this year. The enrolment of side. The group wants to expand its 917 at Henderson, the distnci s membership to include more black largest junior high l^t ye^, participants and representatives of dropped by 125, mostly white schools all over the city. pupils. This year, 17 new staff members, leave me _______-__,___ including two new assistant princi- Martha Christie, who has a masters pals, have injected new energy, md degree in education firom Columbia there is more collegiality, Washing- University in New York City. I ton said. have a child going to junior high L We do understand why people the Little Rock district, said Last year's distractions are gone,I Arkansas Democrat ^(OazcUc SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1995 Copyright O Little Rock Newspapers, Inc. k DRAIN ON THE DISTRICT Urban fears pose problem for Little Rock schools Many parents found they couldnt love LRSD and so were happy to leave it BY CYNTHIA HOWELL, CHRIS REINOLDS AND SUSAN ROTH Democrat-Gazette Staff Writers Last June, the White family sold their west Little Rock house nt n los.s, packed their beloiieings and left town. I he faniily moved to Cabot, a bedroom community of about 8,3(X) people northeast of Jacksonville. Now they have five acre.s of land and a two-stoiy house with an American flag in (lie front yard. a There's no shopping mall, and they have a half-hour commute to Little Kock. But (he White.s they did the right thing. The schools were the No. 1 say reason we moved, L......... .. _ i said. "We wanted a better. rpasor ^hite safer environment for (he kids. Scores of families, particularly whites, have fied the majorityblack Little Rock School District for suburban or private schooLs fru.strating the districts desegregation efforts, ramifies who moved out say they found better teaching, discipline, buildings and supplies in other districts. T he,v also found lower taxes and less crime (han in Little Rock. The Whites never viewed private schools a.s a good alternative. "Were adamant about using the public schools, not just fieeing to Pulaski Academy or a parochial school, Jim White said. So, when White to a x-w. i OU, wneil vvniie became fed nn ThaVUka n. . Arkansas Democrat-GazeltaDAVID GOTTSCHALK <'*s<^ipHne problems - mwed I?"!- Brandon (left), 11, and Colin, 6 r f Seer,tv,P.gA I Arkansas Democrat ?9>(Bazettr. Family put its house up for sale and got out of Dodge Continued from Pans 1A _______ __________________ Page in Little Rocks public schools, he took his family to Cabot Brandon White, 11, was enrolled in Terry Elementary in west Little Rock after the family moved to Arkansas from California. Brandon and his younger brother, Colin, a kindergartner at the time, transferred to Fulbright Elementary the next year. At Fulbright. Brandon was moved nearly every day to sit next to a child who was misbehaving. Jim White said. The boy was used as a role model for a bad student But the concept backfired, and Brandon went home with a bad attitude and foul language. My kids are not there to be teaching other kids how to behave themselves, White said. In Cabot they expel kids. They dont sacrifice the majority for the rights of the minority. And, regardless of integration efforts. White felt a cultural gap remained between poor black inner-city children and west Little Rock middle-class white children. Brandons fourth-grade teacher at Fulbright didnt speak proper En^ish, White said The teacher didnt seem to check homework or show concern that homework was completed, and she could not control the students, he said White and other families criticized the Little Rock disWct and measuring THE DROP IN SEARCH OF SAFETY --------- ... many otn- * lu mierviews that would have paid had they reason not to go back to LitUe ers have taken the same ao- diey bailed out of the LitUe Ropk P'odjor private schools - an op- Rock." said Blck Lafferty, M Droach Tha diehenF . w. onihA/xic p tioD, uicy considered. In the last six years, many oth- 5 havA Pole.*.. 4.U_ . Parents said in interviews that same ap- ***'-'* UA uuB ijime nocs Si n ' has reported s'I>ols m the last few years rnain- eyollment losses each of those better and safer facill- yean, exc^tforagainof552stu- to , Paula Launius, for example, "w. lost 618 Stu- yed 15 months ago from the .U A.SP.PP'^ on student exits for school year shows that 4^ students left the LitUe Rock schools during the year 18 ner- cent of the enrollment Wlule Uie report does break dom the staUsUcs by race, ft does offer figures to 28 cate- h? po'ftding those assigned io detenUon faciliUes (28 pupils) and dropouts (68). for spending tOT much energy and 49 perreto^or 22M toto desegrogauon and n't heir eh.J.-.. VBO J ':~ luiioiosiu- AU luuuuis aeo trom thp wtoto neighborhood in South- districts west Little Rock to Cabot with her Mike, and their two ele- steady 64 per- mentary school-age sons, Rick, 12. cem black to percent black. and Timmie, 6. They now lire to ...^^^i'n?'*t"etis66per- walking distance of both Soth- St and Cabo?ju- ment fell by 309 students, and nior High schools. ofwh'itTwJL^^SlToSi^^^ abo\f.r''^ a'' gam in black students to the W ^O-to six years, the schools tost 1S """"te' 'a. .... students, or 4 percent of enrollment But the loss of white pupils numbers 1218, or 4.7 percent Distoct officials say they cant reasons families iMve. But they are starting to track some trends, in keeping mto a promise they made IM ^y live in not Superintendent Henry Williams "Dr. Williams is a politician ... a., sninon,. and is trying to get tilings accom- whether they moved pushed, White said. "But theyre the schroK tor just strangling the teachers with a new job to MothTS'** no money, no supplies. , Another i tle^R "t ftioted but?ever shoUfui'fo? tie Rock a young, energetic P black woman was excellent, class. Officials dont know why the Whites said. But she became About 6 percent, or 285 frustrated with district adminis- students, said they had switched trators and the school principal private schools. and took a job in the private sec- ask students tor e next year. The physical condition of the school also was deplorable, White said. So we decided to put our house up for sale and get the hell out of Dodge, White said. Out here, its hometown USA. school. Their son is in second grade
their daughter is 4. It was a wonderftil school, Lieblong said, but it was not your standard school in Little Rock. agent with Liber^ Real Estate in Bryant He sard his company sells to many families who leave Little Rock for various reasons, includ- They dont even want to go Rick had to work a little harder at his new school, his mother said. But the family found the school more orderly, a result of more restrictions and more incentives for good behavior. And. unlike Little Rock, Cabot allows corporal punishment in schools, giving teachers an additional tool for maintaining order, she said. Parent involvement also is high in Cabot, which Launius said was different from what she saw ... ------ - The problems in the Little back to shop there, Lafferty said. Rock district stem from societal Theyre just sick of it They want problems, Lieblong said. Working a little bit of old Americana. parents, single parents and ne- In the early 1970s, the first few giectftil parents pour undisci- years of forced busing in Little plined children into Little Rock Rock, many families moved out of schools, he said. Pulaski County, but several ---------- --------- Tlie/re fighting a losing bat- Saline County school officials tie. I just think its broken, and said white flight had slowed in re- they dont know how to fix it I cent years.----------------------------------dont think they can fix it I dont 40-mtoute?ommut7,'
hl^rf''hl'' me ao "Bryant is not growing like Con- think they can make parents husband way and Cabot," said Danny care," he said. LitUe Rock and wealth of volunteers leaves them Spadoni, principal of Bryant High Lieblong said he wanted to We wmiSd toT r '"tribute. School. Eight or nine years ago, we support the Little Rock school areata bSe? *5 Rick, now a seventh-grader, had a lot coming from the metro- but his children come first Launius, a nurse. I wSi we had Sd'? htoT nnd wtoto Pit"" "t"-tt"!so much now." .7, ,,3^ people tell me that if I moved here five years ago. We love there^^e atentoges CHIUHIEN COME FIRST left I wouldnt be helpi^ the situ- It ................* -T,_____J r i.Li____ation, he said. But its the an- Launius, 39. has no regrets in Little Rock. If parents dont ifa Fka on . . sign up early in the year to do tasks at the Cabot schools, the Launius had nothing but praise for Little Rocks Mabelvale Elementary and its teachers. Thats where her son Rick attended kindergarten through fifth grade except for second grade when he went to Washington Mae- net Elementary. But the fear of junior high, particularly of youth gangs and the need for metal detectors to scan chitoen for weapons, scared the family into leaving the ci^. Launius, a LitUe Rock native called the meUl detectors "a wake-up call to her at a time when Rick and his friends were talking more and more about* gangs. Rick came home one day almost in tears asking, How am I going to make it with the gangs? his mother said. scan We honestly did not move here to get away from blacks. It was for a safer community and better schools, Launius said. She described her new home as a relaxing, small, country town populated with friendly people_a town where she can send her children off to school with a minimum of worry. The familys new red-brick house has about 300 more square ^t of space and cost about 530,000 more than their Little Rock home. The monthly house payment increased by about $100 much less than the tuition the There is a lot less cussing at ...... Tom and Mary Lieblong chose this school, he said. You dont Cabot when they decided to leave have to be scared about violence. Little Rock. The property values If I went to junior high at Mabel- in Benton and Conway had skyvale. right now I would feel so rocketed because of population worried every day at school I growth. would try not to mess with some people. I just wouldnt have anything to do with some people. Tom Lieblong said the family decided to move to Cabot while land prices were still affordable. Other nearby districts have When he first moved to Cabot, seen an influx of Little Rock fam- Lieblong made a 50-minute com- Ilies over time, but ofilcials in mute to an insurance sales job in Benton and Bryant said few, if Little Rock He is now trying to any, families moved there recent- establish a client base in Cabot ly from Little Rock because of the - - -.................. The Lieblongs moved after schools. In fact Bryant and Ben- their son completed kindergarten ton enrollments declined this fall. at Little Rocks Jefferson Elemen- School principals, real estate tary in 1994. The family sold their agents and parents said they Kingwood home near Cantrell knew couples who moved before Road and Mississippi Street for a they had children or when their new country house and what they children were Infants, fearing the believed would be a better educa- schools before their children en- tion system in Cabot tered them. Others came from Like the Launius family, the other parts of Arkansas or out of Lieblongs didnt have any probstate and chose to avoid Little lems with their child's elemen- Rock altogether. tary school but worried about the We get a lot of people who, future junior and senior high once they move out here, look for swer for me. DISAPPOINTZD IN MSCIPUNE Little Rock lawyer John Moore moved his family out of west Little Rock a little more than a year ago, not because of the schools, but for a new house in west Puias- k County. After the move. Moore's oldest son continued to attend Little Rocks Henderson Junior High Schoolfor a while. He started this year at Arkansas Baptist School I dont want to slam the district, said Moore, who was president of the Little Rock School Board in 1992-93. But, the main reason we left was because, while I heard the administration talk about a strict discipline policy, I never saw it get down to the school. My son was tired of being in classes where teachers spent most of the time trying to maintain discipline. Im almost embarrassed to say I dont have any kids in the district, even though I dont live there anymore, Moore added. . But my boy actually made the re- quest to change.
Henderson lost 125 students, 14 percent, this year and more than any other school in the district The exodus followed a troubled year that included a controversial midyear change of principals and a steep increase in violent incidents. Moore said he believes Principal James Washington is working hard to improve student behavior, and he feels Henderson is a safe school. Moores niece continues to attend Henderson.-I I- - 'J Arkansas Democfat-GazettaSTcPHEN 9. THORNTON But Moore also believes teach-', ers and the principal didnt have the authority they needed last" year to deal with the troublemak-I ers. There were students at Henderson who shouldnt have been, in a regular public school, said! Moore, who was a frequent visitor to the school and its classrooms. Moore said Washington would! beg district administrators to get. those students out of his hiiilrling, Some were removed for awhile.. but returned at the beginning
of? the new semester to cause more problems. tziiMfr, Dale Gunter, an engineer wjth the citys public works depMt , ment said he moved his 14-yeary old son, John, from Hendersonrto-. Robinson Junior High in the Pu-'
u.ski County Special School Dis- People would just hit me, jump me, simply because youre white, happened all the time. The education theyre trying to sve you is good, but the fear tand of distracts you. I was so unhappy there, I didn't care about my grades anymore. Im 6-l,:.-
'I60 pounds, and I was terrified. I doirt partcularly like to fight i
,... At Robinson, the princip^ doesnt give you any slack no matter what color you are. The teachers have the guts to stand up to students. .At Henderson, the teachers are scared of being shot up. II UI'.' Gunter is frustrated because he wants to support the Little Rock schools. His stepdaughter is now in seventh grade at Dunbar and has had no problems so far, he said. tne: to escape the climate of fear a -. J u. to try to stick with public scho'o'ls Both his son and stepdaughter, j-.i- . One of the reasons we chose attended Fulbright Elementary. They had nothing but positive'^ experiences, Gunter said. When it was time to choose a' junior high, the family investigated six different schools, including, private and parochial schools.' The promise of a specialty in health sciences attracted them to. Henderson because it fit Johns.' career interest in physical thera-, py. I felt his educational opportu-. nities would be better at Header^, is that, as a public official. I feel a community is no better than its school system. Gunter said. My personal feeling was that I had an obligation to the city to try to set an example. We really tried. And there are good schools. But they have to get a grip on discipline and security. My sou will stay at Joe T. Robin- son for high school. He's theyve lost one I tri lEU-, O. I nWOII I ------- ------------ ----. --------------. Tea^ Beisr Henderson (rigM) tells Henderson Junior High Principal James being expelled. The school lost 125 students this year after a sharp increase last private schooisi Washington of the improved attitude of a student who had returned to class after year in violence and discipline problems The first year at Henderson Moore said his advice to the school district is unchanged since the days when he was on. the board: Follow the student TUte S'- 3^
2yjqw BUCK -153 book to the letter, and. when students continue to misbehave,4st was satisfactory, Gunter said..Buti them out of the school. Give the the school fell apart last .yasat- teachers the auonty to act to get and, though Washington stabifp those students out lized it the damage was already, Moore isnt as involved in his done. he said. sons new school as he was with the There was a distinct, dual set ...... ~ little Rock schools. But his son gOE wffiM xjom OIHER .251 of rules for discipline for white,, likes Arkansas Baptist, is doing well versus black students, he said. ., academically and participates in John said it made him mad tO
extracurricular activities. I * kzn see blacks with drugs get ex-n We go to the football games, peiled, then return to school thert Moore said. My boy plays footnext week, while a white student^ ball. Its the way school used to go SOURCE. jOeAccx Senoo Qstci Afkartsas Oemocral-Gazene/UZ ROBBTTS caught in horseplay would get suspended for two or three wee!is,i He said black students could even,
wear things whites couldn't be.
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