Stories by Cynthia Howell

Little Rock school for older students endorsed as a model for state The state Charter Authorizing Panel on Tuesday endorsed plans to duplicate Little Rock's Excel Center charter school model for students 19 and older at sites in Springdale, Jonesboro and Fort Smith. ... June 16, 2021

Goodwill Industries wants to expand its adult charter high school to 3 other Arkansas cities The state Charter Authorizing Panel on Tuesday endorsed plans to duplicate Little Rock’s Excel Center charter school model for students 19 and older at sites in Springdale, Jonesboro and Fort Smith. ... June 15, 2021

Board session centers on community schools 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 th... June 13, 2021

State's schools all accredited, board advised All 262 Arkansas public school systems and 1,050 schools are accredited by the state with none on probation and none even accredited-with-citations for the 2020-21 school year that has just ended. Th... June 11, 2021

Board retains Arkansas Tech as host of summer Governor's School Arkansas Tech University will continue to be home to the Arkansas Governor's School through the summer of 2024, the state Board of Education decided Thursday. The summer residential program for the s... June 11, 2021

Math textbooks receive approval of LRSD board The Little Rock School Board on Thursday approved the purchase of math textbooks for elementary students as well as for eighth-grade algebra I and ninththrough-12th grade math courses. The board’s 5-... June 11, 2021

Accreditation status good for all state public schools, education agency says All 262 Arkansas public school systems and 1,050 schools are accredited by the state for the 2020-21 school year that has just ended, with none on probation and none accredited-with-citations. The Ar... June 10, 2021

Arkansas Tech will continue to host Governor's School Arkansas Tech University will continue to be home to Arkansas Governor’s School through the summer of 2024, the state Board of Education decided Thursday. The summer residential program for the state... June 10, 2021

Pulaski County district advances student meal deal The Pulaski County Special School District is taking steps to employ Chartwells Schools Dining Services to operate the 12,000-student district's breakfast and lunch program at all campuses. The Schoo... June 10, 2021

54 state students win Merit Scholarships Fifty-four members of the newly graduated Arkansas High School Class of 2021 are among 3,100 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. Colleges and universities. The awards are for up to... June 10, 2021

Masks optional at Jacksonville district The wearing of face coverings for preventing the spread of covid-19 are optional in the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District, the School Board decided Monday night. The district had required we... June 8, 2021

Face masks to be optional in Jacksonville/North Pulaski schools, board decides The wearing of face masks for preventing the spread of covid-19 are optional in the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District, the School Board voted Monday night. The district had required wearing ... June 7, 2021

Pulaski County Special School District set to extend math, English periods The Pulaski County Special School District is moving toward a class schedule at its four middle schools in which math and English/language arts courses will each be 80 minutes per day, five days a wee... June 6, 2021

Districts study on relief funds Arkansas school leaders are moving out of a pandemic-scarred school year and into the summer with decisions to be made about how their districts will continue to use federal covid-19 relief money. Th... June 6, 2021

6 organizations file to open 7 charter schools in state Six organizations have submitted initial applications to the state to establish seven new open-enrollment charter school campuses, five of which are proposed for Pulaski County and two are planned for... June 4, 2021

In trying year, Little Rock school pulls rabbit out of hat Dewey, the very real rabbit that spends his weekdays in Little Rock's Jefferson Elementary media center, doesn't seem to pay much attention to the highs and lows of school operations. He was not faze... June 1, 2021

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK: PBS mini-lessons set to begin July 6 | District picks new curriculum exec PBS mini-lessons set to begin July 6 Television mini-lessons taught by Arkansas teachers for kindergartners through fifth-graders will be broadcast this summer on Arkansas PBS and on other, related v... May 30, 2021

Board approves 20 districts’ online academy proposals The Arkansas Board of Education on Thursday approved virtual instruction plans from 20 of 152 school systems that have submitted proposals and asked for waivers of some state laws and rules to carry t... May 28, 2021

Pulaski County district OKs extra pay for school staffs' virus efforts State-licensed educators and support staffers in the Pulaski County Special School District can expect to receive next month a round of covid-19 compensation payments for their on-site work during the... May 26, 2021

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK: 4 finalists selected for Hope district job | Johnston now leads charter school unit | Answers requested in school lawsuits 4 finalists selected for Hope district job Marvin Burton, principal of Little Rock Southwest High School and former deputy superintendent of the Little Rock School District, and Jonathan Crossley, an... May 23, 2021

Arkansas schools put 152 online ed pitches on the table Arkansas education leaders Thursday explored parameters for the future of online, remote K-12 schooling after a year in which the covid-19 pandemic pushed districts to set up an array of remote, digit... May 21, 2021

State panel backs charter changes The Arkansas Charter Authorizing Panel on Tuesday endorsed amendments to the state-issued charters held by four high schools to accommodate school plans for operating digital learning academies in the... May 19, 2021

Board seats filled in Jacksonville district Voters in Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District's Zone 4 on Tuesday elected Laura Walker over Theresa McClendon for an open seat on the district's School Board. The complete but unofficial resul... May 19, 2021

Walker wins Zone 4 seat on Jacksonville/North Pulaski School Board Voters in Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District’s Zone 4 on Tuesday elected Laura Walker over Theresa McClendon for an open seat on the district’s School Board. The complete but unofficial resul... May 18, 2021

State charter panel endorses 4 online academies The Arkansas Charter Authorizing Panel on Tuesday endorsed amendments to the state-issued charters held by four high schools to accommodate school plans for operating digital learning academies in the... May 18, 2021

1 seat contested in school election; 2 newcomers faceoff in Jacksonville Tuesday's election for the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School Board features a contested race between newcomers Theresa McClendon and Laura Walker, and uncontested runs for two other seats on the seven... May 16, 2021

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK: Lee County district gets Level 5 rating | Jang, Zhan earn academic honor Lee County district gets Level 5 rating The Arkansas Board of Education last week classified the 617-student Lee County School District as needing Level 5/intensive support, which is the highest leve... May 16, 2021

Ideas sought on covid cash for education The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is asking the public for help in formulating a state plan for using federal covid-19 relief money to meet student and teacher needs in the w... May 15, 2021

Little Rock board approves covid compensation pay for school employees Most Little Rock School District employees will receive a one-time "covid-19 additional compensation" payment by the end of June as the result of School Board action Thursday night. The board voted 8... May 14, 2021

State holds off approval for virtual school plans The Arkansas Board of Education on Thursday postponed decisions on all but one of the first round of applications from school districts that want to operate digital or virtual learning academies in th... May 14, 2021

Governor fills seat on state Education Board Beth Anne Rankin of Magnolia is the newest appointee to the nine-member state Board of Education. Rankin, 50, appointed to the position by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, will fill the unexpired term of Brett Wi... May 14, 2021

Vote on covid pay in Little Rock district set The agenda for the Little Rock School Board meeting tonight includes a vote on a one-time "covid-19 additional compensation" payment for employees and a discussion on lengthening the school day for el... May 13, 2021

Pulaski County district set to start on campus design Days after a federal judge directed the Pulaski County Special School District to propose a plan by Aug. 1 for equalizing two of its newest campuses, the School Board on Tuesday authorized staff membe... May 12, 2021

Pulaski County school districts’ desegregation case, explained This story is a part of The Article, your guide to Arkansas news and culture, presented by the Democrat-Gazette. Sign up for The Article's twice-weekly newsletter here or to see stories that have appe... May 11, 2021

Central High volunteers shine in pandemic When a global pandemic handed out lemons to a 2,400-student urban high school this school year, the Little Rock Central High's Parent Teacher Student Association turned the challenges into a slate of ... May 10, 2021

Hopefuls at 4 for Jacksonville/North Pulaski school positions Four candidates are running for election May 18 to three seats on the School Board for the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District. Lauren Martin is running unopposed for the Zone 1 seat now held ... May 9, 2021

School-tax increases on 3 ballots Cleveland County, Mountain Pine and Mountainburg schools districts are asking voters to approve property-tax increases in the May 18 school elections. South Pike County, Elkins and Springdale district... May 9, 2021

With one hitch, 2 Central Arkansas districts ruled as free of court The Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts are unitary with the exception of some facilities issues, Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. said Thursday. "Is... May 7, 2021

Pulaski County Special, Jacksonville/North Pulaski districts partially unitary, judge rules The Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts are unitary with the exception of some facilities issues, U.S. District Chief Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. said Thursday. "Is... May 6, 2021

LISA to bump starting salary LISA Academy Public Charter Schools announced Tuesday a new annual starting salary of $43,000 for a beginning teacher with a bachelor's degree and $47,000 for a new teacher with a master's degree. Th... May 5, 2021

Central Arkansas school board takes step in replacing 2 facilities The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School Board moved forward Monday with plans to replace Murrell Taylor and Bayou Meto elementary schools despite uncertainties about campus locations and a possible cour... May 4, 2021

Winners announced in 5th coding contest Students from the Don Tyson School of Innovation in Springdale won first place Saturday in the fifth annual Governor's All-State Coding Competition held at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. ... May 4, 2021

Schools, districts selected by agency for training cohort Thirteen schools and two districts are the latest schools and districts to be selected for the Arkansas Professional Learning Communities@Work project that trains educators in collaboration as a way t... May 3, 2021

State allocates $77M for construction projects in 24 school districts Twenty-four Arkansas school districts are approved to receive more than $77 million in state funding for construction, expansion and replacement of academic-related spaces on 32 campuses in the coming... April 30, 2021

State students' exams totaled at 1.2 million More than 1.22 million ACT Aspire tests in math, literacy and science have been administered to public school students in grades three through 10, a state testing program manager reported Wednesday. ... April 29, 2021

ESTEM to boost pay for teachers ESTEM Public Charter Schools Inc. announced Tuesday that it will raise the pay of its teachers by more than $3,800 in the 2021-22 school year, making $40,000 the starting salary for first-year teacher... April 28, 2021

School systems told of allotments from teacher-salary fund Efforts to raise teacher salaries in 74 of the state's school districts and charter school systems are underway after lawmakers created the Teacher Salary Equalization Fund earlier this year. The Ark... April 27, 2021

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK: Schoolkids invited to join science fair | States to get funds for aiding homeless Schoolkids invited to join science fair Arkansas' elementary pupils are invited to take part in a nationwide virtual science fair now through Aug. 1 to earn rewards that include the chance to fill a ... April 25, 2021

Little Rock School District announces details of digital academy The Little Rock School District's plan for offering kindergarten-through-12th grade students a remote, online instructional program now has a name and an initial student registration deadline. May 3 ... April 25, 2021

States to get funds for aiding homeless States to get funds for aiding homeless The U.S. Department of Education has announced plans to distribute to the states a $200 million share of the $800 million available to help support the needs ... April 25, 2021