Two eastern Arkansas junior high schools that have seen declining test scores and enrollments will receive $6.1 million in federal improvement grants intended to fund programs to raise educational proficiency.
Wonder Junior High School in West Memphis will be given $3,721,470 over three years, and Forrest City Junior High School will be awarded $2.4 million over two years, said Rick Green, the administrator for School Improvement Grants with the Arkansas Department of Education.
The grants are awarded to schools that state officials consider “priority” schools because of low performances on state assessments. Green said 40 priority schools in the state that have scored at the bottom 5 percent of test scores were eligible to apply for the School Improvement Grants. Of those, 24 schools applied this year.
The grants announced Monday are to be used to help fund before- and after-school instructional planning, additional staff, technological improvements, tutoring programs, interventions to help reduce suspensions and dropouts, and other programs. The grants were awarded through a competitive process, the Education Department said.
“The federal funds will allow these schools to implement new programs that will improve the overall education and learning environment for students,” state Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell said in a Monday news release. “When students have more hands-on resources and assistance, the end result is improved academic performance.”
At Wonder Junior High School, news of the grant came Friday after a day of anxious waiting, said Principal Palmer Quarrels, who is in her first year as the school’s principal.
“We knew when the date was,” Quarrels said. “I checked my e-mail all day for any word.”
The notification that her school received the award came late Friday afternoon, when most teachers were heading home.
“I was shocked. I was shouting,” she said. “I was thanking God. I met with our faculty, and they were cheering.
“We went in with that on our minds, and we went home that night with smiles on our faces.”
Wonder Junior High will use the money to help pay for needed transportation for students who are involved in after-school tutoring, she said.
The school also plans to update its technology on campus, provide a live instructional video feed for students in in-school suspension and hire additional personnel for math and literacy programs.
“We received a tremendous blessing,” she said of the grant.
Forrest City Junior High Principal Reginald Murphy said his school will use the $2.4 million grant to buy education tablets, such as iPads, for its 475 students.
“We want to give our students access to the tablets for research and presentations to enhance their education,” Murphy said. “We’ll be able to give each one their tablet in the morning home room. They’ll have access to it during the school day and then return it at the end of the day.”
He said the grant will also support initiatives for both students and teachers. Upon improvements in academic proficiency, students will be offered field trips and teachers will receive performance bonuses, he said.
“This is a unique gift,” he said. “We stand a chance. We’re working hard, and we’ve made strides in the last three years. This will put us one step ahead.”
Murphy said the district began falling behind as the result of factory closings in the St. Francis County town. The junior high saw declining enrollment as families moved away, which resulted in less millage revenue from property taxes and less state funding, which is tied to the number of students.
“Money is tight,” the principal said. “Our school is the microcosm of society. If there are no jobs and there are factory closings, it’s going to hurt our enrollment drastically.
“I think these initiatives will help encourage people to move back and we’ll see results.”
Green said both schools will be monitored closely as they use the grant money. “We may have people visiting two or three times a week to help,” he said. “We’ll make assessments and check on their progress.”
The grants are renewable after the first year, on the basis of achievements, he said. If schools make predetermined goals, they can receive funds for a second, or in Forrest City’s case, a third year.
“This gives schools the opportunities to go out and start programs that they might not normally be able to afford,” Green said. “That’s what this is about - to help turn them around.”
Front Section, Pages 1 on 04/15/2014