Board session centers on community schools

Concerns raised on neighborhood ties

Proposals for the governance and expansion of Little Rock School District community schools, as well as a possible tax question for the November ballot, are among the issues before the School Board this month.

Board members also have asked for draft policy that would allow them to participate in board meetings from remote sites.

The nine-member board tackled the issues at a special meeting/agenda meeting Thursday night in advance of three days of board training and strategic planning at the end of this week and the regular monthly meeting set for June 24.

That June 24 business meeting is when decisions could be made or at least discussions advanced.

Discussion on the community schools dominated Thursday's nearly four-hour session .

Much of the discussion centered on whether community school partnership and services are bubbling up from school neighborhoods or are being orchestrated in a top-down manner by government agencies.

Jay Barth, the city's chief education officer, told the board that a potential $1 million may be available from an unnamed state agency toward expanding the community-school model from the existing four elementaries to two more campuses -- Mabelvale Elementary and Middle schools.

Chicot, Watson, Washington and Stephens elementaries are the district's designated community schools.

Board President Vicki Hatter argued to Barth, her board colleagues and others that "a deep dig" below the"nice presentations" on community schools in Little Rock reveals "a shell" of what a community-school model is meant to be.

While she said she has studied and supports the model, Hatter also said, "Black and brown and poor children are being guinea-pigged. I see red flags and caution signs.

"Avenues to engage the community are not being taken," she said, adding that at times it is inappropriate for government organizations to "sell" or "give" the school neighborhoods the model and leave the community members out of the planning.

"We want to create space where the community can be empowered," Barth responded at one point.

WHAT IT IS

The community-school model, used in cities across the country, is one in which a network of partnerships is formed to provide services that meet the needs of students and their families -- such as after-school care, food pantries, health services and job training -- as a way to promote student success. Each Little Rock site has a council and a coordinator. Each district-employed coordinator is the liaison to the surrounding community and the service providers.

The adoption of the community-school model in Little Rock is a byproduct of the 2019 debate over the whether the district should be fully released from more than five years of state control. Mayor Frank Scott Jr. at that time offered the city's support to the development of a community-school concept at some of the district's academically struggling campuses.

Barth and Darian Smith, the Little Rock district's director of elementary education, asked the School Board to support the formation of an eight-member task force to craft an overarching governance structure and memorandum of understanding between the city and school district for the initiative.

The proposal calls for the task force -- made up of city, district and community representatives -- to make its recommendations by Sept. 1.

In response to board member questions, Barth said a governance plan would require approval from the School Board and city Board of Directors.

He offered assurances that the city is committed for the long-term to the community schools.

He told School Board member Evelyn Callaway that the employment of social workers for the four schools is a top priority and can be done with city funds and grants.

School Board member Ali Noland noted that the community schools would remain under the direction of the district and any memorandum of understanding would center on defining the district and city partnership. She urged that all decisions be guided by community input and that community outreach be a priority.

Board member Jeff Wood questioned whether the district can move forward with obtaining funds for the schools while at the same time asking residents what they would like to see created. He said he had a difficult time walking away from the funding opportunity.

School Board member Sandrekkia Morning said that she understood that community-school planners believe they have solicited public input, but she also saw that they have not done so to the satisfaction of Hatter or others. Morning said the answer may be a written plan for community involvement.

TAX ELECTION

Also Thursday night, Hatter and other board members batted back and forth over whether the June 24 agenda should include a 30-minute discussion on the process to decide whether to ask voters in November for an extension of 12.4 debt service mills as a way to raise money for construction and repair needs in the district.

Noland asked for the discussion on the process, which is to include how to involve the public, for deciding how the tax money would be spent. She also repeated earlier requests for a draft policy on allowing School Board members to participate remotely in meetings.

Hatter voiced concerns about the length of any meeting that would include the millage discussion. She asked whether a special meeting could be held during the day out of respect to district employees who attend the night meetings.

"Your board is telling you that they want it on the agenda," board member Greg Adams told Hatter.

Micah Ali of Synergistics Solution will provide training to the board members later this week. Ali is a school board member in Compton, Calif., who has provided training in affiliation with national school board and superintendent organizations.

The training in Little Rock will start Thursday with one-on-one meetings between board members and Ali. The entire board will meet with Ali from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday and again 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

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