Sherwood is moving forward with its plans to break away from the Pulaski County Special School District with help from a former district official who probably knows better than anyone that PCSSD’s problems can only be solved at the local level.
Like Jacksonville, Sherwood is fed up with poor results from the Little Rock-based district that consistently struggles with test scores and upgrading its school buildings and curriculum.
Linda Remele, who retired as a deputy superintendent in June, was quickly recruited by Sherwood Mayor Virginia Hillman to evaluate how the city can form its own school district, as reported in The Leader today by Rick Kron.
“I feel we can have our own school district. Our first step is a feasibility study,” Remele told the city council Monday night.
Sherwood will have to prove that it will have at least 4,000 students. Current enrollment in Sherwood’s schools is approximately 4,400. The city will also have to demonstrate that it is sufficiently desegregated. That could be more challenging considering that racial-balance has been tied up in court for decades.
Remele has also formed a committee, which includes business owners, community leaders, parents and developers, to plan the city’s split from PCSSD. The committee will inform the public about its work during meetings from 7 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, O
ct. 15 at Sylvan Hills Church of Christ at Maryland Avenue and Hwy. 107 and from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 at New Dora Baptist Church, 317 Jamison Ave., behind Harris Elementary.
It is clear that both
communities want out of PCSSD to offer the same quality education that our
neighbors to the north do so well.