[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6456124,"mediaKeyId","5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41","parentId",5701433,"title","Board tables $80,000 contract to provide arts instruction in ALE program after members and teachers press for details","audioSeconds",2328,"startMs",3260000,"endMs",5588000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41&start=3260&end=5588","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41/thumbnail_3260000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6456124/Arkansas/Board-tables-80000-contract-to-provide-arts-instruction-in-ALE-program-after-members-and-teachers-press-for-details","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6456124-98fd7a0ed2175c6c3d4f75dc4b263c19/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418705&Signature=K3f6PLhq0WChjX4DmEBVAlTj-s20NfyrpPn9NrafROY3o23P1WT0p9S8sFVPBbbzG6s~~YR2N0ITmdqJTnOwjYhg~pN-sgr~jjb8lptDqgZbVSKy0xN0qM6qd8yQCq3xoJQk67FIeWyerd4plTB6xP~B7M6HhNCuTNREilCSrQP4uBYjpq6awyPxq9sKTH68Hld9uHPmA2t82Xwd~CIotBXTgcYkukucSKuP0h4Vh1Se3UvX7a1kTiMI7l-dtOJeoskOCRlkKan-shysbOprUE00hAhpp1N0jzlaIbPH4vdIAR4FYcmmexGbmo5uVyUjufUTpgFiZWyli1i9RAdlHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT","date","2025-08-29T03:14:26Z","article","The Little Rock School District Board of Education on Aug. 25 voted to postpone consideration of a contract to bring an external arts instructor into the district's Alternative Learning Environment (ALE), after board members, teachers and administrators aired concerns about certification, oversight and contracting procedure.

Board member Director Adams moved to postpone the item to the board's next meeting so administration could respond to concerns. The motion passed. \"I would like to see if there's a way to salvage this plan... give the administration a chance to respond to the concerns that were raised and then bring this back,\" Adams said before he moved to postpone.

Administrators told the board the contractor had already begun work in the ALE to provide an arts/digital curriculum and SEL-related programming designed for that student population. Superintendent Dr. Wright described the contractor as \"highly skilled\" and said she was working under the supervision of a licensed teacher of record who remains assigned to the ALE building. Wright said background checks and fingerprints were completed before the contractor started and that the district uses contractors for a variety of instructional-support services.

Several board members and teachers questioned whether the contract effectively replaces a district employee with a vendor performing an employee-like role. Director Rose summarized concerns shared by teachers about certification, liability and who would be the teacher of record: \"It is about circumventing the hiring process of taking a teacher out of the classroom and then hiring a contractor which is gonna perform work as an employee,\" she said. Others raised specific contract language items: the contractor's ability to subcontract, the district's lack of explicit control over the contractor's day-to-day methods, and payment for professional development days.

Board members requested clearer documentation about the curriculum approval, the course code and whether Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) requirements are met. Dr. Wright said the course code in question is a general fine-arts code approved by ADE and that the teacher of record assigned to the building is licensed for the code in use.

Several board members urged contract revisions to strengthen student-safety provisions, require background checks for any subcontractors and clarify reporting/accountability lines. Director Stroll said she was not opposed to the concept and praised the contractor's qualifications, but asked that the contract be rewritten to better protect students and give the board clearer control over on-campus practices.

Because the contractor had already started work pending background checks, some board members said they did not want to block current services but sought more formal oversight and clearer contractual protections before approving a multiyear contract.

Ending: The board voted to postpone the contract until its next meeting so administration can address the board's questions about certification, teacher-of-record responsibilities, curriculum alignment and contract language on oversight, subcontractors and background checks.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting - Aug 28 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Little Rock School District Board of Education voted Aug. 25 to postpone a contract that would bring a private contractor into the district's ALE program to provide arts and digital instruction, citing unresolved questions about certification and oversight.","taxTitle","LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, Arkansas","taxId",13594,"location","Arkansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6456129,"Little Rock board and neighborhood spar over Hall High School's future as enrollment falls",3759,1309000,5068000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41&start=1309&end=5068","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41/thumbnail_1309000.jpg","/articles/6456129/Arkansas/Little-Rock-board-and-neighborhood-spar-over-Hall-High-Schools-future-as-enrollment-falls","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6456129-e66dae0f55170ad7d7da6f55abaac715/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418705&Signature=gOxSkzaogz4DiIXQpuD3d2E6hCp2vFN2Ns8XBO1xNnh45EqrtbVc9YokTy9W2OHkA8QhtFi8qVdUt3i9Tn75bkmxc4GfRW3RRIvA0e1CrSdbNs6-KjfB8Z0scLLXkRtICFqlbASEAIUd8hq8iAkFSs93507bYjggAa87q9uj4MXTDnKEwXPj5fJzdGM7kIO2Cfifqe~6gPuCWr-YIVEjIVGjdQZ7BDj7Shnjkst8klVGag4YlQb9sJ8UwzTSn6ouLe7OIjO~7rzDZSLt8msugcgdn9o63mIaf84UFxVdcLZ0Con6J6CtSn1knUdn16tOqJOxXajBTvGvQRzghi-iPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Little Rock School District Board of Education spent more than an hour on Aug. 25 discussing the future of Hall High School amid steeply declining enrollment, attending community pleas to keep the campus serving students and outlining alternative uses if a traditional high school proves unsustainable.

In public comment, alumni and neighborhood leaders urged the board to preserve Hall as a neighborhood high school. \"We have a great opportunity to ensure not only that our school district is on point, our city is on point,\" said Darius Kinnebrew, identifying himself as representing the Hall alumni association, The Tribe. Carrie McDonald, president of the Hall High Neighborhood Association, asked to be included in planning: \"We want to be involved on the future planning also.\" Parent and neighbor Carrie Case said she supported whatever decision the board reached but urged clarity and follow-through: \"Whatever is decided, that you commit to that decision, you be clear about that decision, and that you support that decision.\"

The board heard that Hall had fewer than 250 students this school year and that the campus lacks an attendance boundary, which complicates reenrollment. \"We don't have enough students for the four high schools that we have, and we definitely aren't gonna have enough for the fifth high school once it opens in 2027,\" Board President Dr. Wright said, describing the districtwide enrollment decline and the scheduling difficulties created when a school has few students in each grade.

Administrators outlined candidate alternatives to keep the Hall campus active for students if a traditional high school is not viable. Options discussed included moving the district's adult education programs to portions of the campus, relocating alternative learning programs (ALE/ACC) into underused Hall buildings, co-locating early childhood seats and establishing career- and community-oriented programs (for example, a ninth-grade academy, a cadet or vocational site, or shared athletic fields). Superintendent Wright also noted the district has considered using the Hall property for Hamilton Learning Academy or other district programs and said some short-term moves were already in planning to improve facility utilization.

Board members and neighborhood speakers repeatedly urged the district to engage the Hall community in planning. \"We want to be a part of working, thinking and supporting some of the ideas that we may have,\" Kinnebrew said. Director Adams asked administration to prepare more formal pros-and-cons material and enrollment projections as a next step; administrators said they would bring more detailed analysis and options to the board for further consideration.

No vote was taken on whether to close, convert or repurpose Hall. Several board members cautioned that previous changes and inconsistent communications had undermined neighborhood confidence. Director Calloway asked for the same level of transparency and community engagement the board provides when discussing other neighborhoods. Several board members said they favored a measured, data-driven process that includes public meetings, and some offered specific ideas — for example, a ninth-grade academy or temporary relocation of early childhood programs while other renovations occur — to preserve neighborhood access to schools.

The board did not set a final timetable for a decision; members said they expected follow-up reports and community meetings in the coming months so the district can present clear options before families make enrollment decisions next year.

Ending: The Hall discussion concluded with no formal action; board members asked administration to return with clearer enrollment projections, facility-cost estimates and community engagement plans to inform any final decision. Community members at the meeting reiterated a request that the neighborhood be included early in planning and that the board make a transparent, durable decision once data and community input are compiled.","Board members, neighborhood residents and school staff debated possible futures for Hall High School after public commenters urged the district to preserve a local high school. No formal decision was made; administrators outlined reuse options and said more community engagement and data will be needed before action.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6456114,"Little Rock School Board votes to join multi-district litigation against social media companies",795,5656000,6451000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41&start=5656&end=6451","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41/thumbnail_5656000.jpg","/articles/6456114/Arkansas/Little-Rock-School-Board-votes-to-join-multi-district-litigation-against-social-media-companies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6456114-2fdd9e44079744559acebef01907be11/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418705&Signature=jHmIAqMrUtjtqfA8hK12dHXugMncxK1XWnLXO9PnwMR~uud-C9QfN3DXaITUHMT~XsDpjqU45hU3TPCDsCz04G2He7dSIwN-idx24ofYf77ZcGxLk8DbP72O0W6-~YcS-wxdv5tog93kjKLLcDYkwkhhfyNdtSmSiyCe7PwUXNIHyrKKGRCHqOGcUSfoNDHAgCj8qieDeKOR7juPTcnQspzWFFa3TH4TCpzbBWoGfMdFmZf4AaQ9XjAswn6rwL8VqXhIfpQadIs3VpLhfnVLD~3fqhb4~h~ctg2gjbvyP0kRtTvH9XvFBukeIpLp4RFGJ8jmfDFDKHATNXhjWWtpHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Little Rock School District Board of Education voted Aug. 25 to join a multi-district lawsuit alleging that social media platforms have harmed adolescents' mental health and school performance.

Attorney Eric Spencer Buchanan, who addressed the board before the vote, summarized ongoing litigation developments and said judge-led selection of bellwether cases could resolve causation questions applicable to many districts. \"Internal studies confirm that social media use amplifies anxiety, depression, and self-esteem problems, particularly among young users,\" Buchanan told the board and said a prompt filing is needed to preserve claims.

Board members debated the move. Supporters said the companies' business models and their focus on engagement create real harms that affect students and classroom learning. Director Adams said he supported participating because, if successful, litigation could yield remedies benefiting students and districts. Opponents and one board member urged caution, questioning the use of the term \"addiction\" and warning about staff time and complexity. \"The scientists have not said it is a thing,\" one board member said, arguing that the clinical term ‘‘addiction’’ is not established in the peer-reviewed literature for social-media use.

Legal counsel clarified that joining the litigation under the proposed contingency arrangement involves no upfront cost to the district; counsel said plaintiff firms work on a contingency-fee basis and that the district would not pay legal fees unless a recovery is obtained. Board members also discussed the practicalities of participation, including investigators' access to district data and staff; counsel said most fact-gathering can be handled by phone and document production and that investigators would coordinate to limit disruption.

After debate the board voted in favor of joining the litigation. The board directed counsel to follow established steps to join as a plaintiff district in the coordinated litigation; counsel will handle filings and coordinate with the lead plaintiff attorneys.

Ending: The board approved joining the litigation. Counsel will proceed with filings and coordinate next steps; the district will not incur attorney fees unless a recovery is obtained or the board later authorizes a different arrangement.","The board voted to join existing litigation alleging harms from social media to adolescents. A community member and attorney presented plaintiffs' evidence; the board approved joining the suit after debate about scope, terminology and staff time.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6456119,"Certified employees raise pay and schedule concerns after three middle schools assign extra non-instructional duty",809,2240000,3049000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41&start=2240&end=3049","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701433-5f84223df17d573fbec30a686ac47f41/thumbnail_2240000.jpg","/articles/6456119/Arkansas/Certified-employees-raise-pay-and-schedule-concerns-after-three-middle-schools-assign-extra-non-instructional-duty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6456119-b051c1735bdf09d57ccb1dc936a7e447/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418705&Signature=E07oUhTVK0-i8fbdFDoBNY0Chx3CW~NR8zWZiiymqWzWQaP618PyD9Uowc9P3l-~IFdSpuDwz1AbXxjdZDJCK9XQ7d26880pbZfwlBlBOZT3LSQx4MMI8fPpgaXEb6nEFGEaaXKi~S6xcZbjuijm9aAHN~W~wfncvGbwqgD992kka0eYjWa9XtcrRno9CQt3oWhCXpbQy8~Gg2l7ao2t3VWw6wAC0pfRxeg6hjwBVwnYBMO9pfZjPvo4G2KXA3lRpZ~SojLcplSAuBguX8nEr~bKfAfxXs0ttoDTt7vjp~~VlBjwVK6JVzOSfprCYZydZXF~FWlsjw~~tn9m5zx-bA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the district's Certified Personnel Policy Committee (PPC) told the Little Rock School District Board of Education on Aug. 25 that certified employees at three secondary schools — including one K–8 — are being assigned up to 60 minutes of non-instructional duty before or after school in addition to substitute assignments, a practice the PPC says conflicts with adopted policy guidelines and could lead to unpaid or underpaid work.

At the board meeting the PPC representative explained that board-adopted policy allows elementary certified employees to be assigned up to 60 minutes per week of non-instructional duty without additional compensation and that secondary certified employees should fulfill non-instructional duty by subbing one period per week (or equivalent for block schedules). The committee said that in three schools principals had created duty schedules requiring staff to come in 15–30 minutes early or stay late on multiple days and then also to sub in the same week, which could trigger additional compensation under policy.

The PPC highlighted that the district's stipend schedule lists AM, PM and lunch duty stipends; it said staff who sub in the same week they perform additional duty could be owed daily-rate compensation rather than the lower stipend listed on district schedules. PPC urged employees to track duty hours and raised the prospect of a group grievance if unresolved.

Board members asked whether the PPC had followed internal channels; PPC said it had raised the matter in committee and requested action but had not yet received a definitive HR response. Superintendent Dr. Wright told the board the duty assignments appear to have originated at individual campuses and that administration had not centrally ordered the change. Wright said HR would follow up and asked to report back to the board at its September meeting.

Ending: The board requested administration investigate the three-school practice, clarify which duties are compensable under board policy and report findings and any corrective action at the board's next business meeting in September.","The district's Certified Personnel Policy Committee (PPC) reported that three secondary schools are requiring certified staff to perform non-instructional duty (before/after school) in addition to substituting, creating potential pay discrepancies. Committee members asked administration to investigate and report back in September.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board tables $80,000 contract to provide arts instruction in ALE program after members and teachers press for details

Little Rock board and neighborhood spar over Hall High School's future as enrollment falls

Little Rock School Board votes to join multi-district litigation against social media companies

Certified employees raise pay and schedule concerns after three middle schools assign extra non-instructional duty