At the February Regular Board Meeting, the North Little Rock Board of Education approved the appointment of Mrs. Larissa Harrison to serve as the Principal of Seventh Street Elementary School, effective today. Mrs. Harrison most recently served as Assistant Principal at the school.
Mrs. Harrison is a veteran educator in the North Little Rock School District. Before becoming Assistant Principal, Mrs. Harrison was a Multi-Classroom Leader at the school. In this role, she was involved in curriculum implementation and instructional coaching support for teachers on the campus. Also in this role, she analyzed student data on standardized tests to determine the needs of the students.
“I am excited about this opportunity to lead Seventh Street Elementary School. I am committed to the students, the staff, and this community, and will continue to give my all to ensure its success,” Mrs. Harrison said.
Throughout her professional career – all of which has been spent in the North Little Rock School District – Mrs. Harrison has taught third and fourth grades at Seventh Street Elementary School, Meadow Park Elementary School, and the former Pike View Elementary School. Mrs. Harrison also taught art while at Meadow Park Elementary School.
Mrs. Harrison earned a Master of Education Degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree from Henderson State University.
“Mrs. Harrison is dedicated to Seventh Street Elementary School, its students, families, and the community, which has been demonstrated from her commitment during a series of changes at the school over the past several years. Her steadfast leadership, qualities, attributes, and keen focus on teaching and learning make for a great fit for this campus,” said Dr. Gregory J. Pilewski, Superintendent of the North Little Rock School District.
Theme Selected
The Community Advisory Board (CAB), made up of industry partners, parents, school staff, and community leaders, fully supports the announcement to implement a Veterinary & Agricultural Science-themed school. This theme comes as a transformational approach to better engage students in the teaching and learning process through real-world applications. Selecting the Veterinary & Agricultural Science theme will expose students to project-based learning and problem-solving strategies in all subject areas. This innovative approach, which encompasses the new vision of the North Little Rock School District, known as “E4,” can be read at this link.
“A veterinary and agricultural-themed elementary school is a great idea to add real-world relevance to learning any subject matter. I am excited to learn more about this new, innovative learning opportunity for the students at Seventh Street Elementary and how we can partner with them,” said Dr. Laura Rothfeldt, State Public Health Veterinarian at the Arkansas Department of Health.
This is a first-of-its-kind school in the North Little Rock School District. The North Little Rock Board of Education approved this transformation model in March 2023. The school, which currently houses Pre-K through fifth grade students, will be reconfigured into a Pre-K through eighth grade campus. The addition of sixth grade has been delayed for the 2024-2025 school year, and plans are underway to add it in the 2025-2026 school year. Seventh grade and eighth grade will be added in the following years, one year after the other.
School Name Change
The next step in this transformation and reconfiguration plan is to rename the school to honor the “North Little Rock Six,” the six black teenagers who tried to integrate North Little Rock High School in the fall of 1957. Prior survey results show overwhelming community support for such a name change. The NLRSD and the CAB will be working together to bring a recommendation to the Board of Education on the official new name change.
The story of the North Little Rock Six is largely unheard of as it sits in the shadow of the highly-publicized Little Rock Nine, who famously entered Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. But just across the Arkansas River, in the same year, Mr. Eugene Hall, Mr. Frank Henderson, Mr. William Henderson, Mr. Richard Lindsey, Mr. Gerald Person, and Mr. Harold Smith tried to enter North Little Rock High School. They, too, were met with resistance and barred from entering the school.