(November 2021) More than 20,000 K-12 students participate in the Pulaski County school choice market in the current school year, public records show.
The market includes students enrolled in Pulaski County charter and private schools, along with public schoolstudents eligible for a choice program. Home school students are also part of the market but the state Department of Education (ADE) has not released a count for 2020-21 or the current year.
Market Larger Than Traditional Districts
ADE records show 11,882 students enrolled in Pulaski County charters, and 342 public school students eligible for school choice programs. The Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association reports 8,616 students enrolled in Pulaski County private schools.
Pulaski County School Choice Market 20,840 students Little Rock School District 20,786 students Pulaski County Special School District 11,265students North Little Rock School District ` 7,685 students Jacksonville North Pulaski School District 3,846 students
ADE has not released a current year home school count, though its most recent report (2019-20) listed 2,119 in Pulaski County.
In economic terms, parental demand is the major factor behind expansion of the school choice market. The supply of options should expand to meet this demand.
–Greg Kaza
PULASKI COUNTY SCHOOL CHOICE MARKET ENROLLMENT
Open-Enrollment Charters Academics Plus Maumelle Charter Elementary 829; Maumelle Charter High 641; Scott Charter 215; Arkansas Lighthouse Academies Jacksonville Elementary 343; Jacksonville Flight Line 145; Flight Line High 239; Arkansas Virtual Academy High School 1,444; ESTEM Elementary 944; Junior High 478; High School 496; ESTEM East Village Elementary 800; East Village Junior High 334; Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock 539; Founders Classical Academies of Arkansas West Little Rock Elementary 15; Founders West Little Rock 107; Friendship Aspire Academy of Little Rock Elementary 188; Friendship Middle 79; Graduate Arkansas High 141; LISA Academy Arkansas Hybrid School 115; LISA West Elementary 632; West Middle 544; West High School 451; LISA North Elementary 740; LISA North Middle 358; North High School 282; Premier High School of Little Rock 125; Premier High School of North Little Rock 143; Scholarmade Achievement Place Ivy Hill Academy 186; Scholarmade Nichols International Academy of Leadership 135; Scholarmade Prodigy Preparatory Academy of Service 69; The Excel Center 72; Westwind School for Performing Arts 63.
Source: Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education – Offices – Public School Accountability – Charter Schools (arkansas.gov)
Private Schools Abundant Life Christian Academy 263; The Anthony School 298; The Baptist Preparatory School 465; Catholic High School 708; Central Arkansas Christian 738; Christ Little Rock 121; Christ The King Catholic 585; Episcopal Collegiate 765; Immaculate Conception 312; Immaculate Heart of Mary 109; Little Rock Christian Academy 1,476; Mount St. Mary Academy 448; North Little Rock Catholic Academy 191; Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic 455; Pulaski Academy 1, 263; Southwest ChristianAcademy 194; St. Theresa Catholic 224
Source: Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association ANSAA
