Emergency episode, recorded Oct. 9. Organizers in Little Rock asked us about LRSD Forward, the district's plan to close Western Hills, Mabelvale and McDermott elementaries in fall 2027. There's a board vote expected this month.

In this episode:

  • Context: Arkansas's 3rd-largest district (18,964 students), disproportionately Black, Hispanic and English learners, down 22% since 2005 while the 10 largest districts grew 18%. Add LEARNS vouchers, a new $50K teacher-pay floor, and a formula the courts have found inadequate (Lake View).
  • The savings math: the district assumes a closure cuts 40-45% of a school's operating cost (Arkansas Times). But utilities don't cost that much. People do..
  • Will the real reserve number please stand up? $11M (district), $6.7M (Sept. 24 board meeting) or $14.6M (the state's statistical report)? Either way, it's thin, but these numbers shouldn't disagree with each other.
  • The debt: $490.7M outstanding, mostly 2021 and 2024 building bonds. Debt service ($26M a year) now tops food spending.
  • Who's on the list: the closing schools are 90% free/reduced lunch and 8% white -- student populations less wealthy and less white than the schools to be kept. See the Segregation Explorer and Oklahoma City v. Dowell.
  • The research: Francis Pearman's California study found closures don't balance budgets and cost districts students.

The elephant in the room: closing buildings only saves money when it goes along with staff cuts -- a thing districts never want to talk about. Ask for the staffing math, get clear on the reserve number, and where the receiving schools' families stand.

Further reading: Democrat-Gazette · NAACP on the plan · Josh Cowen, The Privateers · Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Golden Gulag

The receipts: our full district briefing and closure-plan brief are in the companion post.

Music: Carsie Blanton. Art: Soumya Dhulekar. Got a budget worth a closer look? Send us a request.