At Thursday’s meeting, the Little Rock school board renewed Superintendent Jermall Wright’s contract, looked into funding a campaign to improve district marketing, and contemplated joining a lawsuit against social media companies.
Wright’s contract was extended to 2028 by the board with an 8-1 vote. The only person who did not vote was director Vicki Hatter, a longstanding critic of Wright.
In order to address steadily dropping enrollment, shrinking revenues, and growing competition from homeschooling, charter schools, and private schools, board members deliberated a proposed marketing campaign and community participation initiative.
The proposal will cost $49,500 for the 2025–2026 school year and will be put to a vote at their meeting on August 28. Solution Seekers, a company started by Kendra Pruitt, the former chief of staff for Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., is the source of the proposal. Earlier this year, Pruitt quit her position with the city.
The suggested work has a wide scope. Reversing enrollment decrease, making the most of underutilized buildings, boosting student achievement despite resource constraints, and luring and keeping talented teachers—especially in schools that most need improvement—are some of the important questions. Other concerns include how to restore public confidence, provide incentives for employees, generate new sources of income, and use funds in a way that maximizes benefits for students.
Board members also considered the benefits and drawbacks of joining a case that claims big social media corporations have fueled a growing teenage mental health problem and adolescent addiction. They talked about the case, but they didn’t decide whether to join or not.
Google, which owns YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, are the defendants in this case.
Attorneys for participating school districts will contend that some aspects are purposefully addictive and that these businesses sell and construct their platforms in ways that are very tempting to children and teenagers, particularly during critical developmental years.
In order to join the lawsuit, LRSD would have to determine the local expenses and effects associated with students’ use of social media. As schools increasingly function as therapeutic settings, they may include the cost of heightened monitoring and the seizure of devices used to access these platforms while in class, as well as the requirement for more school resource officers, psychologists, and counselors.
Joyce Wesley, the board president, wanted to know what the board thought. Director Tony Roses stated that although he has researched the allegations of addiction and is not entirely persuaded, he is aware that social media corporations would use research to support their denial of addiction. He has nothing against joining. Wesley noted that the district would only be in debt if they prevailed because of the way the lawsuit is set up, in which case attorneys would receive a quarter of the settlement.
Director Evelyn Callaways stated that the district has much more pressing concerns to attend to and that she does not see any value in this litigation. Additionally, according to director Anna Strong, there is currently insufficient study to demonstrate that technology is addicted. The way resources were being exploited here worried her.
It’s dragon-slaying time!
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