Pine Bluff School District officials tell story of return to local control

LITTLE ROCK — Just a year ago, the Arkansas State Board of Education granted a local board back to the Pine Bluff School District, but with limited authority.

Since then, the board successfully campaigned for a millage increase to fund a $65 million high school project ($67.34 million construction bond issue, including fees) and scored another victory when the state board — visiting its district for a monthly meeting — granted the seven-member PBSD board full authority.

On Thursday, PBSD board President Sederick Charles Rice and Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree were back at the state’s capital to share the district’s five-year journey from state takeover back to local leadership, fulfilling a goal they publicly shared when meeting with the state board in September.

They presented an hourlong breakout session, “The Magnificent Journey of the Pine Bluff School District: From State Control to Local Control,” complete with slides and videos. The session was part of the Arkansas School Boards Association’s 70th annual conference at the Little Rock Marriott near the Statehouse Convention Center.

“It feels amazing, and like I said at the beginning of our story — and I encourage every board member and every superintendent — if you’re not telling your story, someone else will,” Barbaree said. “We have a great story. We’re just starting this journey, but even in the last nine months, there has been a lot that has happened with Pine Bluff School District. Being able to talk to others, and I think also encouraging others to be board members and understand what their true role is and how the board makes such a big impact on the district, I think that’s a big deal.”

Barbaree and Rice shared the PBSD’s story from September 2018, when Jeremy Owoh was appointed superintendent of a district that just saw the state board order its local board dissolved, through changes in superintendents and annexation of the Dollarway School District to its newfound independence. Barbaree has been superintendent since January.

The state board granted a limited-authority PBSD board last December following a month of vetting 30 applicants for seven positions. More than a month after the district was given full authority, Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington conducted a drawing of election dates for each board member, with one each up for election in 2024, 2025 and 2026; two in 2027; and two in 2028.

It’s a cycle that’s drawn contention from some in the community, who say not having all board members up for election in 2024 hinders the democratic process. Rice has defended the cycle, saying consistency on the board members is needed for the district.

“I believe all school board members should be vetted, but that’s not the law,” said Rice, who recalled losing a School Board election one time by 24 votes and not getting to be elected on a second attempt when the PBSD was taken over.

“This is not just something you do,” he said. “We have one of the most accomplished school boards in the state of Arkansas.”

Among topics the district leaders shared:

Barbaree and Rice began to establish a strong working relationship when they agreed the superintendent speaks for the district and the board president speaks for the board. “She’s the CEO for the district, and we had to understand that,” Rice said of the board. “We probably had that problem before we were taken over.”

The present board members underwent training for their roles and learned that serving on the board is not about exercising control but about working together. “I’ve noticed School Board and City Council meetings will become your entertainment,” Rice said. “That’s what [we] want to prevent our board from becoming.”

A campaign committee for the millage rate hike of 6 to 6.9 mills to a unified 47.7, along with Barbaree and Rice, were tasked with showing related data to voters proving the need for a new high school, which will be built at the site of the current location. “We used our opposition to work harder,” Rice said. “They got a lot of votes. Some people didn’t want to see our kids have better. We went at them.”

Regarding any concerns about the cost of the project, Rice told the convention attendees: “I don’t be cheap with the kids. Our kids deserve the best.”

The tally on the election night of Aug. 9 was 1,740 for and 1,060 against the increase.

Barbaree also revealed she met face-to-face with an opponent of the increase while maintaining professionalism after the opponent reportedly spread misinformation about the campaign in the media.

“I went to that person and I told her, if your kids do not get a new high school, it’s your fault,” Barbaree said.

Two members of the Watson Chapel School Board, President Goldie Whitaker and Vice President Kevin Moore, listened to the PBSD presentation. Watson Chapel district voters passed a similar millage campaign in August 2022 to build a new high school of its own.

“In passing our millage, our board — the seven of us — along with the superintendent had to be one cohesive body,” Whitaker said. “We were going to promote that our children deserved the best, as Pine Bluff did. We just believe our children deserve the best. It’s a great place to educate your kid, and it’s the place you want to within the city of Pine Bluff.”

“I feel Dr. Barbaree has done a really good job of going forward with the Pine Bluff School District getting back out of state control,” Moore said. “It’s under her leadership it’s been done like this.”

Whitaker also works in the PBSD. That allows her to see how both districts have worked to “grow and advance” their students.

“By us still in our own district and local control, it teaches us to work a little harder in perfecting the skills to enhance children’s growth,” she said.

Watson Chapel, however, is two months into a yearlong accreditation probation by the state board for violating three accreditation standards related to maintaining student records. The district will offer its monthly report as part of the sanction during a state board meeting on Dec. 15.

Desmond Hammett, president of the Blytheville School Board, said he’s paid attention closely to how the PBSD faced its challenges. Those are similar to what Blytheville faces and relate to both academics and the dynamics of a board, he added.

“It’s no secret about our state report for each of our schools in Blytheville,” Hammett said. “There are some opportunities and challenges that are there, but seeing that people are focused and dedicated to their work and different strategies, anything we can take from Pine Bluff or any school district is something we can help and better set ourselves up for student success in a better community.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated the wrong date for the next state Board of Education meeting.