LRSD school day hours under review
The Little Rock School Board could vote as soon as Thursday on a proposal to extend the length of the elementary and secondary student school day by as much as 30 minutes, starting with the 2023-24 school year.
Superintendent Jermall Wright and his staff are recommending a 30-minute addition to class time in the elementary school day to accommodate more science and social studies instruction.
Elementary school hours would become 7:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m., if the plan is adopted by the board.
Middle and high school hours for students would become 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. That's an increase of 15 minutes, which are needed to provide sufficient time for school buses to pick up and drop off elementary students before making second runs for the older students.
The proposal comes without any corresponding pay increases to employees for additional work time, an issue that was of concern to some board members last week. Wright said that teachers are compensated for a 7.5-hour work day and that is not being changed.
All district teachers will get raises of at least $2,000 this year as a result of the provisions of the Arkansas LEARNS Act or Act 237 of 2023 that raises the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 and provides $2,000 raises to those who already make $50,000. The district is also providing an employee retention incentive -- $3,000 paid in November 2022 and another $2,000 to be paid in November 2023.
The issue of an extended day has been an ongoing discussion among the administration and board.
Teacher pay draws county district look
The School Board for the Pulaski County Special School District is yet to agree on a teacher salary schedule for the 2023-24 school year that incorporates the salary requirements of the Arkansas LEARNS Act or Act 237 of 2023.
The board discussed salary schedule options at its meeting last week but two options supported by the Personnel Policies Committee were tabled. That was done over the objections of two board members who ultimately walked out of the meeting.
One of the tabled plans would cost the district about $1.2 million more than the $4.7 million the state is expected to provide for the state-required $50,000 base salary and $2,000 for teachers already earning more than $50,000. A second option would cost the district about $1.6 million above the state-funded level because it added to the experience steps.
Board President Stephen Delaney made a motion to direct Superintendent Charles McNulty to produce a third option -- "a freeze proposal" -- to be considered at a future meeting. That passed 4-0 by Delaney, Laurel Tait, Wendy Potter and Heather Smith. Board members Tina Ward and Eli Keller, who had favored the first option, left what had become a contentious meeting. Shelby Thomas was absent.
A freeze proposal would keep every teacher at their current step on the salary schedule with no advancement for an extra year of experience or attainment of education credits. Their current salaries would be raised to the $50,000 required by the new law or by $2,000 if they are already making $50,000 or more.
Entergy supports 'Kids to College'
Entergy Arkansas has introduced "Kids to College," a my529 child savings account program to help families save for their children's higher education, with a pledge to match up to $100,000 for qualified customers.
"Kids to College is an investment in the future of our young people and the future of Arkansas," Laura Landreaux, Entergy Arkansas president and chief executive officer, said in announcing the plan. "We've been a leader in helping advance education and workforce development in the state for decades and are excited to be extending that legacy by launching this program for all of Entergy here in Arkansas. It will help ensure our children have an equal chance at achieving their dreams."
In partnership with the Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association, Entergy Arkansas will help up to 2,000 low- and moderate-income Arkansas families establish a child savings account and provide a $50 match. Accounts can be opened with less than $50 initially.
A college savings account is designed specifically for postsecondary education costs, including tuition, but also for books, computer technology, room and board, and other related fees. These accounts allow families -- parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and more -- to put money away to start saving for their children to attend a two- or four-year college, trade school or technical school.
Families can enroll each child under 16 in the household in a Kids to College my529 account. Kids to College match participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Family is an Entergy customer.
Family saves at least $50 per account.
Family has an annual income at or below $52,000 for single-earner households and $60,000 for dual-earner households.
Entergy is powering Kids to College by dedicating matching funds for 8,000 child savings accounts across their four-state service area. The program is made possible through an endowment fund created in honor of Entergy's late Chairman and CEO J. Wayne Leonard.
More information is available at www.entergy.com/csr/kids and at each of the community action agencies, which can be found online at www.ACAAA.org or by emailing ARKids2College@acaaa.org.
Eligible individuals can also sign up for an account through the Kids to College portal: https://signup.my529.org/setup/GettingStarted.aspx?ref=7F84858C-B862-4744-A87F-EB52BEB00BA7