The headline was that Jefferson County schools had received “poor” grades. You could use other adjectives there. Horrible, miserable and inexcusable come to mind.
Even though the state Education Department made some changes to the grading system for how public schools are assessed, as it strives for more transparency, the new system, like the old system, showed the local education system to be Failing, with a capital F.
Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel and even sometimes high-flying Friendship Aspire Academies all failed. White Hall received a C, which is nothing to get excited about in the regular world, but it seems to be the shining star of academic excellence, such that it is in Jefferson County.
Not that there weren’t some positive elements noted in the descriptions of these school districts. But they were rather few and far between. In Pine Bluff, for instance, only 8% of students reached proficiency in math and science, while the state average was 33% and 36% respectively.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
And certainly, there are positive outlooks.
Said Pine Bluff Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree: “The Pine Bluff School District acknowledges the 2024-25 letter grades released by the Arkansas Department of Education and remains steadfast in its commitment to continuous improvement. While the district’s grade reflects a state metrics at a single point in time, it does not define the dedication, talent or potential of Pine Bluff’s students, staff and community.”
Watson Chapel Superintendent Keith McGee struck a similar chord, saying his district was focusing on improving achievement.
“When we say achievement, we’re making sure all kids understand that they are being taught the standards and using high-quality instruction material,” he said. “We believe that if we continue to do that … that’s going to help to improve the overall growth.”
And yet, the public waits for better days. Or maybe it doesn’t. As the area population has dropped and likely continues to drop, it’s hard not to consider the educational offerings as a key culprit.
Both Pine Bluff and Watson Chapel are in the middle of construction projects to revamp their campuses. But even when that’s all been built and everything is shiny and new, will anybody come if, in the grand scheme of things, F work is going on inside them?
What choice does a Jefferson County parent have? Not a lot, it would appear.