Audits show LRSD high schools strengths, weaknesses

The Little Rock School Board on Thursday saw a presentation that brought together results of independent audits of Little Rock Central High School, Parkview Magnet High School, Hall-West School of Innovation and Little Rock Southwest High School.

The reports, which are several months old now, identified serious weaknesses, particularly in mathematics, attendance, college and career advising, and the translation of course participation into measurable achievement. But they also identify substantial strengths. LRSD has established advanced academic programs, career and technical education pathways, magnet offerings, extracurricular activities, graduation-tracking systems and relationships between students and adults. Students are earning college credit, completing career pathways, receiving recognition for bilingual achievement and participating in programs that can open doors beyond high school. 

The district has established credit monitoring and progress-tracking structures across all four schools. Parkview consistently graduates 94 to 95% of its students. Hall-West’s graduation rate has been reported in the upper 80s to mid-90s, depending on the measure and report. Central’s rate is around 85%, while Southwest’s is 69.22%. All four fall short of the 95% state benchmark. 

Mathematics is the most urgent academic concern identified. The audit reports mathematics proficiency of 4.57% at Hall-West and 1.29% at Southwest. At Parkview, Algebra I proficiency is reported at 12% and Geometry at 9%. Central’s audit also identifies substantial weaknesses in foundational readiness, with mathematics proficiency just under 15% in the individual school summary.

The audits identify inconsistent instructional practice, uneven independent work, interventions that are not always built into the regular school schedule, and inconsistent support for multilingual learners and students with disabilities as problems requiring attention. 

Across the four schools, the reports identify a common pattern. LRSD has built programs and structures that give students access to opportunities.

But the reports also show that access is not the same as achievement. Enrolling in an AP class is not the same as earning a qualifying AP score or college credit. Completing a Career and Technical Education (CTE) sequence is not necessarily the same as earning an industry-recognized credential. Graduating from high school does not automatically mean a student is prepared for college-level work. The audits identify disparities in AP participation and results, uneven access to concurrent credit, gaps in multilingual support, and inconsistent academic scaffolding for students with disabilities.

The district proposed a three-year implementation approach to address the shortcomings. The first six months would focus on attendance, scheduled interventions, mathematics benchmarks and readiness dashboards. The following 6 to 18 months would emphasize analysis of student work, CTE alignment, advising systems and graduation tracking at Southwest. Over 18 to 36 months, the district proposes to improve mathematics proficiency, AP pass rates, and credential attainment while reducing college remediation and improving graduation outcomes at Central and Southwest.

The appendix includes specific targets, such as having 70% of students in grades 10 through 12 enrolled in or progressing through an approved CTE sequence, and having 10% of CTE completers earn at least one aligned industry credential. It also proposes increases in concurrent-credit participation and a goal for 50% of students to apply for FAFSA and scholarships. The district is currently in month 8 or 9 of implementation.

The board also unanimously approved a $480,000 grant to fund student behavior, social-emotional learning, and mental health supports. The district applied for these state funds and received notification on October 14 that it had been awarded the funding, six days after submitting its proposal, budget and supporting documents. 

The money will pay for four initiatives intended to strengthen the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports, or MTSS, which provides different levels of academic, behavioral and social-emotional support based on students’ needs. About 1 in 4 LRSD students had at least one discipline incident during the 2025-26 school year. The district says the programs are intended to improve students’ sense of belonging, help them respond more productively to behavioral challenges, and reduce chronic absenteeism. 

Chief Financial Officer Kelsey Bailey presented the September 2026 financial update, which showed a negative operating fund balance of $5.13 million, compared with positive operating balances  $1.17 million in September 2025 and $10.51 September 2024. He stated that November is the big month for tax collection and these numbers should clear up.