Interim Superintendent Mr. Black used the Nov. 11 board meeting to give a state-of-the-district report and lay out four district priorities for the year: academic achievement and student success, culture of excellence, transparency and trustworthiness, and stakeholder-driven strategic planning.

Black highlighted that Conway Public Schools was rated a B under the Arkansas Department of Education’s new district letter-grade system and summarized the district’s demographics and scale: about 9,500 students with an enrollment mix the superintendent described as "44% white, 31% black, 14% Hispanic or Latino, 8% two or more races, and 2% Asian." He said the district’s budget is roughly $108 $109 million and noted that about 75% of that is for salaries, with supplies and services and debt service taking other shares.

Black also described operational metrics (roughly 1,300 staff, 100 buses covering 3,200 miles daily, 14,000 managed Chromebooks and more than 8,000 service tickets handled so far) and highlighted special programs: a preschool community collaborative to better align 4-year-old programs with the district, a 'Project Conway Forward (C4)' initiative to coordinate academics, arts, activities and athletics with community partnerships, and expanded RBT (behavioral support) staffing across campuses.

The superintendent said the district would publish the presentation packet to the public the next day and noted work on a graduate profile, mentoring partnerships with local judges and organizations, and a plan to present a district math plan in December.

What’s next: administration will release the full report for public review, continue community forums, and bring the district math plan to the board in December. Black said the emphasis is on 'decentralized command and ownership' to allow leaders to execute district priorities.

Attribution: Interim Superintendent Mister Black presented the state-of-the-district report and answered board questions during the meeting.