State Board approves some — not all — of charter school’s proposals
John Bacon, executive director of e-STEM schools in Little Rock, presented a report to the State Board outlining the current status of the three schools. The enrollment of the high school (grades 9 and 10) is 187 students with 42 percent white, 58 percent nonwhite and 30 percent economically disadvantaged, The middle school has 396 students with 42 percent white, 58 percent nonwhite and 30 percent ecomonimally disadvantaged. The elementary school has 360 students with 42 percent white, 58 percent nonwhite and 36 percent economically disadvantaged. The majority — 71 percent — of the students live within the city of Little Rock.
The proposed caps were for 400 maximum student enrollment at the high school, 500 maximum student enrollment at the middle school and a 495 maximum enrollment at the elementary school.
The proposal from e-STEM also contained plans for a new high school building that will open in July 2010 in the former Federal Reserve Building at 123 West Third Street in Little Rock, which is directly across the street from the current campus.
The State Board voted to raise the cap for the high school enrollment and also to approve the relocation of the high school if the final lease contains no terms less favorable that what was included in the commitment with the landlord presented to the State Board.
The State Board also voted to raise the caps for the e-STEM middle school. Discussion around the proposal for the elementary school cap increase centered around the fact that the e-STEM elementary school did not meet adequate yearly progress during its first year of operation. The motion to increase the cap failed with a 3 to 4 vote.
Posted by JJT.
