Pulaski County Special School District

School district in Arkansas

The current Pulaski County Special School District was established on July 21, 1927, by referendum pursuant of Act 152 of the 1927 Arkansas Acts by the Arkansas legislature joining thirty eight independent school districts into a "special" school district. As of 2019–20, PCSSD has the sixth highest student enrollment in the state. Geographically, PCSSD is the state's fifth largest district and encompasses a total 729 square miles (1,888 km2), and includes most areas of the county—incorporated and unincorporated—excluding most areas within the city limits of Little Rock, Cammack Village, most areas within the city of North Little Rock, Jacksonville, and a section of McAlmont.

Prior to July 1, 2016, the three school districts within the county—Little Rock School District (LRSD), North Little Rock School District (NLRSD), and Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD)—have been involved in a desegregation case that the courts determined were unconstitutionally segregated and placed under court supervision since 1982. The Pulaski County Special School District had a segregated administrative structure well into the late 1970s. Viola Harris was the Assistant Superintendent for the segregated schools located in the rural predominantly Black communities of Pulaski County encompassing College Station, Sweet Home, Pankey, McAlmont and others. The Black teachers and principals reported to Viola Harris, and were paid significantly less than their white counterparts in the Pulaski County Special School District. The current Harris Elementary School was named to honor Viola Harris and her dedication to the education of Black students in the rural communities of Pulaski County. Students in the Black Schools received the discarded and outdated textbooks from the white schools in the PCSSD. The desegregation litigation sought remedies for these historical disparities. After numerous actions were satisfied, the courts determined that LRSD to be unitary (or integrated) and generally coterminous with Little Rock's boundaries. In doing so, these actions led to the annexation of J. A. Fair High School and other schools from PCSSD to LRSD in 1987. In 2007, the courts determined that all actions by LRSD were completed and that court supervision continues until NLRSD and PCSSD actions are completed.

On May 19, 2011, the court determined that PCSSD had not completed nine of twelve actions required by court supervision with regards to being unitary in the desegregation case. On June 20, 2011, the Arkansas Department of Education abolished and dissolved the PCSSD School Board and fired its current superintendent, Dr. Charles Hopson amid alleged financial troubles and the aforementioned lack of completing required desegregation actions. This also lead to the state department taking over the school district.

This district boundary includes, in addition to the Sweet Home CDP, the entirety of the Pulaski County municipalities of Maumelle, Sherwood (including the former Gravel Ridge CDP), and Wrightsville, as well as portions of Little Rock and North Little Rock. It also includes the portion of Alexander in Pulaski County, which is an exclave. It also includes the census designated places of Sweet Home, College Station, Hensley, Landmark (formerly Parkers Iron Springs), Natural Steps, Roland, and Woodson, as well as portions of McAlmont and the Pulaski County portion of Scott. and Ironton. The district extends into Saline County, where it serves a portion of Shannon Hills, into Lonoke County, which includes its portion of Scott CDP, and into Faulkner County.

Enrollment by year School Year Total Students Full Time Equivalent Teachers Pupil/Teacher Ratio 2012–13 17,937 1,126.25 15.93 2011–12 17,637 1,188.87 14.84 2010–11 17,501 1,235.13 14.17 2009–10 17,734 1,411.00 12.57 2008–09 18,063 1,354.00 13.30 2007–08 18,016 1,369.00 13.20 2006–07 18,374 1,168.00 15.70 2005–06 18,587 1,186.00 15.70 2004–05 18,449 1,144.00 16.10 2003–04 18,522 1,202.00 15.40 2002–03 18,323 1,213.00 15.10 2001–02 18,657 1,270.00 14.70 2000–01 18,735 1,235.00 15.20 1999–00 19,045 1,130.00 16.90 1998–99 19,437 1,289.00 15.10 1997–98 20,029 1,203.20 16.60

Since 1997–98, PCSSD has served approximately 17,500 to 20,000 students each year supported by approximately 1,100 to 1,400 full time equivalent teachers, with a steady reduction of the pupil/teacher ratio from 16.60 to 1 (1997–98) to 14.84 to 1 (2011–12). The assumed course of study for students at each high school follows the Smart Core curriculum developed by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), which requires each student to complete 22 units to graduate; 16 units are from the Smart Core and 6 units that are career focused in occupational pathway areas. According to the Arkansas Department of Career Education (ACE), the Standards of Accreditation of Public Schools require that each school offer three programs of study in three different occupational pathway areas. Wilbur D. Mills High School offered 13 programs of study in 13 different pathways. North Pulaski High School offered 12 programs of study in 12 different pathways. Joe T. Robinson High School offered 10 programs of study in 10 different pathways. Sylvan Hills High School offered 9 programs of study in 9 different pathways. Sylvan Hills Freshman Campus offered in 10 program 6 different pathways. + Sortable table School Name Location Grades Opened/Current Facility NCES School ID CEEB Code Website(s) Maumelle High School Maumelle 9–12 2011 041861 Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School 9–12 1969 (Opened) /2018 (Current) 042390 Joe T. Robinson High School Unincorporated 9–12 1927 (Opened) /1980 (Current) 041430 Sylvan Hills High School Sherwood 11–12 1956 (Opened) /2020 (Current) 041872 Sylvan Hills High School NorthGibson(Unincorporated)9–102016TBATBAOfficial website