Friends,

We are about a month into the new school year, and students, faculty and staff throughout Little Rock are working to make this the most successful year yet. We all have a vested interest in ensuring our children have the best education possible and that they are equipped with all the resources they need to be the next doctor, engineer or Mayor. 

The City of Little Rock proudly partners with the Little Rock School District to help improve educational outcomes in our City, and we know our Community Schools model is an effective way to help students and all the interconnected groups that work collaboratively toward student success. Because we know the value of community schools, we have added two new community schools this year.

This morning, we took time to celebrate the addition of those schools - McDermott Elementary and Dunbar Magnet Middle School - with a news conference at Dunbar. A few weeks ago, we joined LRSD administrators and staff to welcome students at McDermott and offer support and encouragement to the next generation of Little Rock leaders.

These community schools are a successful partnership between LRSD and the City of Little Rock that has seen tremendous success since we launched the initiative in 2020. McDermott and Dunbar bring us to a total of eight community schools in the City.

Community schools are intended to address the holistic needs of students while providing a platform for collaborative leadership. The community school model gives parents, guardians and the local community a voice in determining what types of support and resources are needed for a particular school. 

From school gardens to health clinics, mental health services to after-school programs, and even banks, these community schools are a testament to our commitment to comprehensive support. In addition to the community schools model, multiple other pieces of our education strategy are in place to ensure we bring equity and improved outcomes to our students, all the way from cradle to career.

McDermott and Dunbar join Chicot Elementary, Mabelvale Elementary, Mabelvale Middle, Stephens Elementary, Washington Elementary and Watson Elementary as Little Rock community schools.
 
We are grateful to our partners at LRSD, including Superintendent Dr. Jermall Wright, the LRSD Board, Briana Davis, the director of community schools for the district, and Stefanie Vestal, director of strategy and external affairs.

This week, we are observing Community School Coordinators Appreciation Week. Coordinators at all eight schools are essential to ensuring this model works and meets the needs of students and the community. Be looking for more highlights and information about our great community school coordinators on City of Little Rock and LRSD social media channels throughout the week!

As promised in this year's State of the City address, we are providing yet another way for residents to learn more about how city government operates and see the benchmarks for our success in bringing results to the people of Little Rock. We have published our first-ever ROCKFolio, a progress report for every city department for the first six months of 2024.

With ROCKFolio and our accompanying data platform, data.littlerock.gov, we demonstrate our commitment to being accountable, clear and transparent. The 144-page progress report offers information about each department, their goals and how they are moving forward with operational improvements for the benefit of Little Rock residents. The first report provides data and insights based on the first six months of 2024. Our next report in early 2025 will provide a complete review of this year and show to residents where the City measures up on the goals and key metrics we've put into place.

ROCKFolio is one aspect of our citywide data strategy led by Chief Data Officer Marquis Willis. As a data-driven City, we focus on data indicators to shape city policy and systems management. We appreciate our department directors and the data coordinators within each department who track the goals and metrics that lead to better results.

We use the data to become more effective and efficient, ensuring better stewardship of the resources we receive from our residents. The progress report is a way for residents to track our goals, see our "math" and hold us accountable for the work we do on their behalf.

The report is 144 pages of information about where we've been, where we are now and where we plan to go. I hope all residents take the time to review it, and let us know how we can keep earning strong returns on their investments in this community.

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, click here. 
• The "Movies at MacArthur" series continues Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 W. Ninth St. in historic MacArthur Park. This month's featured film is "My Lai." The showing is sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department in collaboration with Arkansas PBS. A discussion of the film is planned, and refreshments will be available. 
• On Wednesday, Sept. 18, the Little Rock Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting at noon at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St.
• The Code Enforcement Division of our Housing and Neighborhood Programs Department kicks off its Residents Academy on Wednesday, Sept. 18. This is a free, five-week program for Little Rock residents who want to learn more about how the Code Enforcement Division operates. The academy is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the department's services and meet the staff that provides those services. The academy's initial meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St.
• The Community Development Division of Housing and Neighborhood Programs will host a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Hinton Center, as it crafts its 2025 plan. Residents are asked to attend the hearing to provide their feedback and comments on community development and housing needs within the City.
• On Thursday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City of Little Rock will host one of its periodic events intended to offer resources and support to the local unsheltered population. At the event, residents will have access to employment and housing resources, health services and food and water. The event is at the City Center, 315 N. Shackleford Road.