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Little Rock School District honors volunteers; district reports 590,898 service hours valued at more than $20.5 million
Summary
The Little Rock School District held its VIPs volunteer awards ceremony, where officials reported 590,898 volunteer hours this year (valued at over $20.5 million), presented awards to dozens of volunteers and partners, and highlighted a new Chico Elementary bluegrass string band funded by an Arnold Schultz grant.
The Little Rock School District honored hundreds of volunteers and community partners at its VIPs awards ceremony, where Superintendent Dr. Jamal Wright reported volunteers contributed 590,898 hours this school year — an amount organizers said represents more than $20.5 million in value to the district.
Dr. Wright thanked volunteers for “the time, the money, the funds that you expend to our schools to support our students,” calling their work essential to the district’s ability to serve students amid challenges facing public education.
Organizers presented awards across categories including Employee Volunteer (Alexis Peters and Charles Smith), Alumni Volunteer (Ryan Davis, accepted in absentia), Student Volunteer (Daniel Cabillo), Family Volunteer (Grady Fuller and Robert Tucker), Mentor programs (Lessons for Life; Step Encouragers), Leadership Support (Tyrone Harris), Community School Volunteer (Bobby Duncan), community-resource honors (Feed Arkansas Kids; District 7 NWGPH lodge), and a VIPs Champion award given this year to St. Andrews Church.
Event hosts described student- and school-level impacts alongside program-specific achievements: Jefferson Elementary’s PTA reported a revived STEAM night drawing more than 400 attendees and a three-year average of about 100 volunteer hours per student; Wakefield Dental Clinic partnerships with the US School of Dental Hygiene were credited with improving student access to dental care; and several volunteers were noted for operating weekly pantries and weekend meal programs for food-insecure students.
The program opened with a performance by the newly formed Chico Elementary string/bluegrass band. Sheri Ooric, a Chico Elementary music teacher who introduced the group, said the band was funded by the Arnold Schultz grant and explained that Arnold Schultz, an African-American fiddler, taught many songs to Bill Monroe and influenced bluegrass history. Ooric said, "As far as we know, this is the first and only all Black string band in the state of Arkansas," and introduced the student performers by name.
Organizers highlighted individual stories: Charles Smith, a longtime volunteer and licensed barber, gives free haircuts to students; Daniel Cabillo — student body president at Central High and a member of the superintendent’s student advisory board — was recognized as the Student Volunteer of the Year and credited with documenting over 600 volunteer service hours, described in the program notes as the first immigrant to serve in that student leadership capacity.
Will Trice, the evening’s master of ceremonies and executive director of the Repertory Theater, framed the event as a community celebration, and award presenters repeatedly invited volunteers and partners onstage for recognition and photos. The program closed with final remarks and a call to continue volunteer engagement next year.
No formal votes or legal actions were taken at the event; the program served to recognize volunteers and publicize district volunteer metrics and partner contributions.
