Declining enrollment in the Little Rock School District means less money coming in from the state. On Thursday, the school board approved plans to trim $15 million from the 2026 budget.

Superintendent Jermall Wright and his team emphasized that the cuts are designed to protect core academic supports, especially for the most vulnerable students. The administration has identified $13.92 million in savings so far, including staff reductions based on enrollment trends and course needs.

Nearly $1.8 million of that will come from staffing cuts at the district’s central office. Another $1,555,089 comes from cutting adult education, classes at the juvenile detention center and other non-traditional programs.

Cutting City Year, Tendaji and UA-PTC career coaches from the district budget saves $606,667. There had been some discussion about cutting one staff member from the two-person Volunteers in Public Schools program, but that idea was pulled after citizens showed up last week to speak in favor of saving the program.

On the campus level, some schools won’t see budget changes, while others face significant cuts.

For example, Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School’s budget for 2025-26 remains the same at $8,505,500, while LR Southwest High School will see a reduction of $190,500. Central High School’s budget was cut by $549,000, while Hall-West School of Innovation will see a $918,000 reduction.

As for middle schools, Pulaski Heights Middle, Pinnacle View Middle and Mann Middle School budget cuts range from $565,500 to $731,500. Mabelvale Middle faces a $828,000 cut. Dunbar Middle School had a reduction of only $50,000.

At the elementary school level, Mabelvale Elementary saw a reduction of $111,000, while Forest Park Elementary received an increase of $58,000. The budget for Carver-Washington Elementary, which combines two schools, was reduced by $1.7 million, whereas Jefferson and Fulbright saw reductions of $297,000 and $123,000, respectively.

To address the $1,076,955 in cuts still needed to reach the $15 million mark, the district will target reductions in special education 1:1 paraprofessionals, extra-duty pay for field trips and department operating budgets.

The district plans to maintain stipends for athletic coaches and review compensation for safety and security staff.

The plan for cuts passed in a 6-3 vote, with board members Tony Rose, Vicki Hatter and Osyrus Bolly voting “no.”

This week’s meeting was a continuation of last week’s, when lengthy discussions about the proposed staff cut to the Volunteers in Public Schools office and reports from the personnel policy committee, plus a decision to adjourn at 10 p.m., prevented them from addressing everything on the April 24 agenda .

This week the board got to a report from LRSD Chief Financial Officer Kelsey Bailey regarding the district’s finances beyond the $15 million cuts. Overall, the financial health of the Little Rock School District remains good, he said. Property taxes — the largest source of revenue for the district — remained steady, while revenue from investments rose by nearly $400,000, from $3.5 million in February to nearly $3.9 million in March.

On the expenditure side of the ledger, classified overtime expenses saw an increase of approximately $90,000, from $458,000 in February to $548,000 in March.

Bailey said the district saw declines in several key funds. The operating fund balance fell from $39.47 million in February to $26.72 million in March. The capital improvements fund followed a similar pattern, dropping from $48.38 million to $41.66 million. This decline is the result of construction projects on new schools and improvements to other facilities.

One area of concern was the federal fund balance, which moved from a positive balance of $98,702 in February to a negative balance of -$1.66 million in March. This deficit is not surprising — districts must first spend money, then get reimbursed by the federal government, rather than getting the money up front — but the Trump administration’s cutting of funds and hostility to public education makes this worth keeping an eye on.

Below are the specific reductions (or, in some instances, increases) to personnel budgets at each of the district’s campuses.

High schools
Central: -$549,000.00
Hall-West School of Innovation: -$918,000.00
Southwest: -$190,500.00
Parkview: $0.00

Middle schools
Dunbar: -$50,000.00
Mabelvale: -$828,000.00

Mann: -$731,500.00
Pinnacle View: -$669,000.00
Pulaski Heights: -$565,500.00


K-8 schools
Forest Heights: -$82,000.00
J.A. Fair: +$93,000.00
Marion G. Lacey: -$163,000.0


Elementary schools
Bale: -$36,000.00
Carver-Washington (Carver & Washington combined): -$1,702,800.00
Chicot: $0.00
Forest Park: +$58,000.00
Fulbright: -$123,000.00
Gibbs: -$36,000.00
Jefferson: -$297,000.00
M.L. King: +$12,000.00
Mabelvale: -$111,000.00
McDermott (including Brady): -$1,758,000.00
Otter Creek: -$162,000.00
Pulaski Heights: $0.00
Roberts: -$424,000.00
Stephens: +$180,000.00
Terry: -$36,000.00
Wakefield: -$210,000.00
Watson: -$3,000.00
Western Hills: -$36,000.00
Williams Magnet: -$162,000.00