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PCSSD board approves $131,845 MOU with Academies of Central Arkansas
Summary
The board unanimously approved a partnership MOU with the Academies of Central Arkansas, paying $35 per high-school student for the 2025–26 year (total $131,845) to support the Ford Next Generation Learning/Academies model.
The Pulaski County Special School District board voted 5-0 on Aug. 12 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Academies of Central Arkansas, a public‑private partnership that supports career‑themed academies in the region.
The MOU cost for PCSSD is $35 per student in grades 9–12, totaling $131,845 for the 2025–26 school year, according to presenters. Chamber and foundation representatives described the program’s history, growth in employer partnerships and outcomes: increased industry tours, internships, industry certifications and college credits earned by students across participating campuses.
Representatives from the Little Rock Regional Chamber and the Academy Foundation presented data from the 2023–24 implementation year showing growth in student participation and employer partners. They outlined plans to hire partnership managers to recruit and deepen employer engagement and to develop a local professional development hub to reduce reliance on out‑of‑state training.
A motion to approve the partnership was made and seconded; the board voted 5-0 to approve the MOU. Board members asked for follow‑up on student outcomes and asked staff to help the foundation track where academy participants land after graduation.
The district’s MOU will fund academy coordination, partnership recruitment and work‑based learning infrastructure across PCSSD’s high schools; the board did not allocate additional district funds beyond the contracted amount at the meeting.
Closing: District staff and Academy partners said they will return with more data and outreach plans to increase employer awareness of the program in local communities.
