Dear Patrons of the North Little Rock School District:
It is with great pleasure and excitement that we present you with the 2023-2024 Annual Report to the Community. In our busy lives, we sometimes forget about some of the highlights and accomplishments over the previous school year The Annual Report to the Community serves as a reminder of the progress that we have made and guides us in developing strategic goals for the future.
Just like any other sector, we face our fair share of challenges. However, the North Little Rock School District has always been resilient. We have been able to do so because of the compassionate teachers and administrators and supportive families that love this school district. Most of all, our students have been our motivating force and drive our commitment to stand tall, as they daily remind us why we were called to this profession. Our scholars’ futures depend on us, and we will never forget that.
I encourage you to peruse this report. It provides a comprehensive overview of student achievement, financial details, and noteworthy initiatives from the 2023-2024 school year We have come a long way in so many years, but we are not done yet.
Schools play an essential role in our communities, as they serve as havens for developing the future for our children. I implore you to consider signing up as a volunteer or mentor in our schools. We have a moral obligation to nurture our youth. Being involved in our schools creates a sense of ownership and provides additional support for our students to be successful. We welcome your partnership. Reach out to a nearby school today!
Thank you for being a friend of the North Little Rock School District!
Sincerely,
Gregory J. Pilewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Vision Statement
Our Community. Our Schools. Where Your Future Begins.
Mission Statement
The North Little Rock School District will prepare all students for their future by offering a well-rounded rigorous, relevant, and innovative education that allows each child to achieve their full potential in a safe, supportive learning environment to be future-ready.
Moral Purpose
As a community, our moral purpose is that all children will achieve, have a high-quality teacher, have a high-quality leader, and a supportive learning environment. We will not allow an achievement gap in the North Little Rock School District.
5 Year Strategic Plan Goals
The NLRSD Graduate Profile of Future Ready Skills
Acquired Upon Graduation
Environmental
Civic
Ethics
Leadership
Perseverance
Culture
Personal
Research
Creativity
Work
FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
Highlights from the 2023-2024 School Year
• Dr. Nadia Saint-Louis, the Principal of North Little Rock High School, received the Arkansas Communication & Theatre Arts Association’s Administrator of the Year Award.
• Tysen Bradden’s (C‘25, NLRHS) pass to Caiden Pettus (C‘25, COE) earned the title “Sweetest Play of the Week,” following online voting on THV11. The Varsity Football Team enjoyed ice cream, compliments of Yarnell’s as a result.
• Caroline Jones (C‘26, COE) and Kensley Capel (C’25, NLRHS) helped the Charging Wildcats win the Class 6A Girls Central Conference title in tennis.
• Garron Alison (C’26, NLRHS) received free Raising Cane’s for a year following a successful field goal kick.
• North Little Rock High School opened a College & Career Center. The space, located in the Media Center, serves as a place for students to apply for scholarships, colleges, careers, and other post-secondary endeavors.
• Lakewood Elementary School improved its school letter grade, earning a B.
• Meadow Park Elementary School received the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association Red Ribbon Week Grant. The funds are used to purchase materials that promote a drugfree community.
• With the goal of improving teaching and learning, NLRSD Superintendent Dr. Gregory J. Pilewski formed the Teacher Advisory Committee, which is made up of teachers from across the district.
• Schools closed on April 8, 2024, to observe the solar eclipse.
• To drive student achievement, all schools released early each Wednesday during the first semester to allow teachers and administrators additional time for professional development and data analysis.
• The North Little Rock High School Charging Wildcat Band earned the 2nd Division Excellent rating at the State Marching Contest. The band earned its highest score to date at the State Marching Contest.
• Meadow Park Elementary School, North Little Rock High School, and the Center of Excellence each received the “Beating the Odds” award, which recognizes schools in low-income communities for high growth on the 2023 ACT Aspire.
• The Arkansas Department of Education awarded Crestwood Elementary School with $24,750.00 for high student performance on the ACT Aspire.
• Elementary and sixth grade basketball resumed following a hiatus due to COVID-19. The Glenview Chargers won the Elementary Basketball Championship. North Little Rock Sixth Grade Gold Team won their division.
• Bobbie Riggins received the Homeless Liaison of the Year award at the conference.
• The district began a partnership with Rock Region Metro to offer free bus fares to all high school students.
• Edmund Bryant, (C’23, COE), performed in Super Bowl LVIII with his college band, Jackson State University’s “Sonic Boom of the South.”
• Charging Wildcat Arena served as the host site for the 2024 Class 6A State Basketball Tournament. Both of our teams ended their seasons in the semifinals.
• The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission presented the North Little Rock School District with the “Conservation Education Project of the Year” award. This award salutes the district for implementing outdoor curriculum across schools.
• Jordan Bowden (C’26, NLRHS) and August Buenger (C’26, COE) represented their schools and the district in the STEMliner Program, a three-day immersive experience designed to ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The highlight of the experience was being at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.
• Lauren Smithey, the Gifted and Talented Facilitator at Indian Hills Elementary, was named a Javits-Frazier Scholar. This recognition, presented by the National Association for Gifted Children, provides teachers of students of all backgrounds in gifted programs with advanced learning and new perspectives on what giftedness looks like in different environments.
• Herman Johnson, a security officer at North Little Rock Middle School - Seventh & Eighth Grade Campus, launched a mentorship program through cutting boys’ hair.
• The North Little Rock School District began a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This partnership is meant to develop a love of reading among children from birth to age five who live in the NLRSD zone. The books will be provided to children free of charge until their fifth birthday.
• Ten high school students earned praise from the National College Board Recognition Program. The program grants underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country.
• Seven students from Amboy Elementary School earned awards for their artwork from the Arkansas State PTA Reflections Program.
• The NLRSD Pre-K Program was recognized for being a high-quality early childhood program by Better Beginnings, an arm of the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
• James Couch (C’24, NLRHS) and Kassidy Nichols (C’24, COE) both received the Gates Scholarship. This scholarship pays 100% of their tuition and fees.
• The district adopted a science curriculum.
Jonah Pulliam Achieves Perfection
Jonah Pulliam (C’25, NLRHS) is in a class where only a fraction can boast. Pulliam has scored a 36 on the ACT, which is the highest score possible.
“It was unreal. I couldn’t believe that it actually happened. I’ve been working on it for a while. I took it the first time in ninth grade and got a 28 and since then I’ve been just steadily improving,” Pulliam said.
Pulliam earned this score in March 2024, when the Class of 2025 at the school took the college entrance exam. It was Pulliam’s fourth time taking the exam.
“I reviewed notes from other classes. The only studying that I did was taking some practice exams. I used some of the release tests and went through them, marked my answers, and checked them against the answer key to see what I got wrong and worked on that specifically,” he said.
Earning a top score on a standardized test is nothing new for Pulliam. Back in November 2023, he got a perfect score on the P-SAT. Pulliam was recognized by the Superintendent and Board of Education for accomplishing the rare feat.
Pulliam is an active student. He is on the Cross Country and Track & Field teams. He is also a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the North Little Rock Mayor’s Youth Council. Pulliam is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction. This designation goes to students who scored an average of 3.5 or higher on all AP exams taken and scores a 3 or higher on four or more AP exams.
After graduation, Pulliam plans to attend college to study applied math or finance and pursue a career in one of those fields. He is undecided about the college he would like to attend.
Aspiring Leaders Program Launched, First Cohort in Leadership Roles
In an effort to develop new leaders from within its own workforce, the North Little Rock School District has begun an Aspiring Leadership Academy aimed to broaden teachers’ impact beyond the classroom.
The NLRSD Aspiring Leadership Academy launched in spring 2024 and was created to address the growing need for effective, innovative, and ethical leadership across the district. The program identifies outstanding teachers who demonstrate a potential for leadership, but may need further coaching in certain skills and competencies.
“This program allows us to create a pool of leaders in the district who are prepared to meet the specific needs of our students and community,” said Dr. Shawn Nickerson, the Director of School Effectiveness and Literacy Enforcement.
The seven educators who made up the district’s first cohort included the following: Mika Bishop, Jasmin Davis, Marla Thompson, Mira Smith, Elizabeth Jackson, Natalie RhodesWarren, and Andrea Robertson.
The group participated in sessions aligned with the Leader Excellence and Development System (LEADS) 2.0. This system provides rubrics based on the State Board of Education’s adoption of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) as Arkansas’ Leadership Standards. Leaders from across the district led sessions to discuss their respective roles within the organization. The educators engaged in case studies and scenarios to develop their problem-solving skills and participated in mock interviews to prepare them for leadership roles.
Elizabeth Jackson, who most recently taught third grade at Glenview Elementary School, is now Assistant Principal at Amboy Elementary School.
“The Aspiring Leaders Program helped to build my confidence, to examine myself as a leader, to develop an understanding of how a school district functions, and to learn my role as a leader in a school district,” Jackson said. “It allowed me to work alongside other future leaders and learn from their experiences and perspectives. My confidence in who I am as a leader and what I have to offer to a school has grown immensely.”
Board of Education
The North Little Rock Board of Education is made up of seven dedicated individuals who represent their respective communities to serve as strong advocates for the students and employees of the North Little Rock School District.
Board members regularly visit schools to meet with students, teachers, and administrators, to approve the district’s budget and policies, and to work closely with the Superintendent of Schools to determine the direction of the district.
Meetings of the North Little Rock Board of Education are open to the public:
• Board Workshop Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month.
• Regular Board Meetings are held every third Thursday of the month.
• Special Board Meetings occur whenever the need arises.
Meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Administration Building, which is located at 2400 Willow Street.
State law requires annual professional development for Arkansas school board members.
Board members each hold up a plaque to celebrate twelve schools for earning EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Certification. This recognition is presented to the most energy-efficient buildings in the U.S.
Pictured with the board members are representatives from Cenergistic and Dr. Pilewski.
GRADUATES
$4 Million+ IN SCHOLARSHIPS REPORTED
NORTH LITTLE ROCK
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
85 HONOR GRADUATES
45 SENIORS ENLISTED IN THE ARMED FORCES
NORTH LITTLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL
McClure Named 2024 NLRSD Teacher of the Year
Christon McClure, an English Multi-Classroom Lead Teacher at the North Little Rock Middle School - Sixth Grade Campus, was named the 2024 North Little Rock School District Teacher of the Year. McClure earned this title after having the highest score following the Teacher of the Year application submission and in-person interview.
The surprise announcement came at the 2024 Night of Honors, which is the district’s signature event to recognize Building-Level Teachers of the Year and Classified Employees of the Year.
McClure received a crystal award, a laptop, a basket of NLRSD paraphernalia, and a $1,000 check from the Bobby Gosser Family. In 2022 Bobby Gosser, an alumnus, former school board member, and longtime supporter of the district, pledged $50,000 over a ten-year period to the Night of Honors, which includes a check to the NLRSD Teacher of the Year. To commemorate this contribution, the award has been renamed in honor of the Bobby Gosser Family.
This year’s level winners were recognized with a crystal trophy, an iPad, and a basket of NLRSD goodies for having received the highest scores from the Teacher of the Year Application and inperson interview in their respective grade levels. The winners include:
• Elementary School Teacher of the Year: Gerald Baker, Fourth Grade Teacher at Meadow Park Elementary
• Middle School Teacher of the Year: Akeyla Barksdale, Seventh Grade Science Teacher at NLRMS Seventh & Eighth Grade Campus
• High School Teach of the Year: Jonathan Calvin, Biology Teacher and Coach at NLRHS
The Night of Honors takes place because of the generosity of sponsors. The Steering Committee paid tribute to the slate of sponsors, which includes local businesses, organizations, and schools.
The program had solemn moments. The NLR JROTC paid a special tribute to Stanley Whisnant, one of the North Little Rock High School Teachers of the Year. Whisnant passed away in January 2024. He had been with the NLRSD for 26 years.
Prior to the Night of Honors, the honorees and Platinum-Level sponsors joined Dr. Gregory J. Pilewski, Superintendent of the North Little Rock School District, and Dr. Torrye Hooper, Deputy Superintendent of the North Little Rock School District, at the Mocktail Hour, which is an opportunity for everyone to mix and mingle over light refreshments.
The honorees and attendees had a chance to take pictures at the photo booth. Each honoree participated in a grand entrance into the event space, which was coordinated by the NLR JROTC.
The NLRHS Jazz Band provided entertainment prior to the start of the program.
Capri Salaam, the 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, served as the emcee. Salaam, who taught in the district for eight years, was the 2022 NLRSD Teacher of the Year before nabbing the state title.
2023-2024 Teachers of the Year
School Teacher(s) of the Year
Amboy Elementary
Boone Park Elementary
Crestwood Elementary
Glenview Elementary
Indian Hills Elementary
Lakewood Elementary
Meadow Park Elementary
North Little Rock Academy
North Little Rock Center of Excellence
North Little Rock High School
NLRMS 7th & 8th Grade Campus
NLRMS 6th Grade Campus
Pike View Early Childhood Center
Mary Claire Welch
Ryan Stracener
Faith White
Elizabeth Jackson
Randi Shipman
Melanie Griffey
Gerald Baker
Ashley Ward
Jerry Joyner
Jonathan Calvin
Julia Markham
Stanley Whisnant
Akeyla Barksdale
Valerie Tatum
Christon McClure
Lacy Sullivan
Ridge Road Elementary Germoni Box
Seventh Street Elementary
Andrea Cochran
2023-2024 Classified Employees of the Year
Child Nutirition
Maintenance, Operations & Facilities
Office & Technical
Paraprofessional
Safety & Security
Support Services
Transportation
Edith Nicholas
Jay Ward
Amber Jackson
Jarolyn Niblet
Sharon Williams
LeAnne Rhodes
Roslyn Stewart
Amboy Elementary School
101 Auburn Drive (501) 771-8185
Glenview Elementary School
901 E. 19th Street (501) 955-3630
Meadow Park Elementary School
801 E. Bethany Road (501) 955-3620
North Little Rock High School
201 W. 22nd Street (501) 771-8100
Pike View Early Childhood Center
441 McCain Boulevard (501) 771-8170
School Site Directory
Boone Park Elementary School 1401 Crutcher Street (501) 340-5160
Indian Hills Elementary School
6800 Indian Hills Drive (501) 835-5622
North Little Rock Academy
5500 Lynch Drive (501) 955-3600
North Little Rock Middle School Seventh & Eighth Grade Campus
2400 Lakeview Road (501) 771-8200
Ridge Road Elementary School 4601 Ridge Road (501) 771-8155
