Arkansas posts steepest enrollment decline in 10+ years; parents cite ‘crisis of confidence’ over outcomes

Arkansas parents Zac and Christina George had thought public school a great fit for their daughter until she entered first grade.

“Her kindergarten teacher was great and we loved the experience, but when they start getting into first grade and really have to sit down and start reading, and writing, and doing math and things like that, we felt that a smaller class size would be better for her,” Zac told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, noting they eventually enrolled her in the School House of Russellville microschool.

“She has trouble opening up in public settings and so that smaller class size and just more attentive learning, getting away from screen and technology, being outside more, all the (elements) of the School House just really, really fit for where we wanted her education to go.” 

Other parents joined the Georges in withdrawing their children as public-school enrollment plunged across the Natural State this year, “its sharpest decline in at least a decade,” the news article noted. 

“Just four of the 20 districts that saw the largest rate of declining enrollment received F letter grades, according to the Arkansas Department of Education. Of the remaining 16 districts, three had D’s, nine had C’s and four had B’s.” 

‘The overhaul that we believe public school needs’ 

Parents choose to withdraw their children for several reasons, including the failure to meet specific health-related needs. 

“If you have a child that has a medical condition or special needs, I would make sure they’re following whatever plan they are supposed to be following,” said Tresa Stone, who withdrew her sons from public school. 

Stone believed school staffers were not ensuring one of her children with asthma was receiving needed medical attention. 

The Georges, who have a son still enrolled at a public high school, described their experience as a “crisis of confidence” in the direction public education was heading. 

“I definitely have had some guilt over it, if I’m being honest, but I didn’t realistically see the overhaul that we believe public school needs,” Zac said. 

The family used the state’s school choice program – now universal to all students – to finance their daughter’s microschool enrollment. 

Factors influencing their decision involved the microschool’s de-emphasis on screentime, smaller class sizes and more outdoor time for students. 

“We really weighed the pros and cons of moving her over,” Christina George said, adding their daughter struggled with developmental and social-emotional challenges. “Ultimately for us, it came down to making the right decision for our kid.”