PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KTHV) - A meeting of the minds was held Thursday, June 7, to discuss the possibility of consolidating the Pine Bluff, Dollarway and Watson Chapel Schools.
“If I was the governor of this great state of Arkansas I would declare a state of emergency for our schools. Our kids deserve better,” Ivan Whitfield, president of the NAACP Pine Bluff branch.
Whitfield and the NAACP called this public forum to begin the conversation about consolidation.
All three superintendents spoke during the meeting and agreed that this conversation is necessary.
“Everybody there said let's put our children first, so if consolidation is the best thing and I do believe that's what it is then I believe we're going to do what's right for our children,” he said.
The crowd of dozens included community leaders and local citizens.
Eric Walden is Asst. Chief of Staff for the Juvenile Court and a board member for Go Forward Pine Bluff.
“I deal with a lot of kids who get in trouble at school or act out at school in literacy," Assistant Chief of Staff for the Pine Bluff Juvenile Court Eric Walden said. "They're acting out because they don't understand the work and things of that nature so coming out to give input and hear the suggestions of what we can all do to make this better.”
Walden is also a board member of Go Forward Pine Bluff.
While he hasn't formed an opinion on the answer for better schools, he says White Hall should be considered in any consolidation plans.
“If it's going to be done it should be done countywide we have four school districts here. I don't think anyone should be left out it should be all-inclusive,” he said.
No decisions were made at Thursday night’s meeting, but a partnership is in the works with Go Forward Pine Bluff and UAPB for further research.
The superintendents have been invited to next week's NAACP meeting to continue the conversation.