An unofficial count of Little Rock School District enrollment on Aug. 20 shows a drop of almost 700 students from the enrollment count on Aug. 22 last year — from 25,827 to 25,131.
There was a drop of 667 black students and 221 white students, with a rise of 192 students in the “other” category.
Middle school accounted for most of the enrollment drop — 290 students, with a 183 drop in high school and 223 in elementary grades. The drop follows some small increases in recent years and follows a year of turmoil over leadership and creation of several charter schools, including the e-STEM school which took more than 400 students from the district.
PS — If somebody has a mind, feel free to post any comments re the Little Rock School Board’s special meeting here. Perhaps enrollment will come up, though the main discussion seems likely to be about amending Superintendent Linda Watson’s contract to specify an annual $25,000 annuity payment. That’s not what the contract provided, though she and others indicate that was a drafting error. It would be the same amount former superintendent Roy Brooks received.
UPDATE: I missed most of the discussion, but the annuity issue was tabled because of what Board member Charles Armstrong called a “stalemate” on resolving the question.