Hispanic Parents Weigh in on New Rogers High School

The times, they are a-changing. Spanish-speaking parents gathered February 12 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church for a question-and-answer session about a second high school scheduled to open in Rogers in August 2008. The meeting was the fifth held by the Rogers school district to gather input from the community and the first to be delivered entirely in Spanish.

The information meeting was scheduled to present to Hispanic parents the latest developments on facility plans for the new high school. Parents viewed a computer-generated model of what the new school will look like. According to an information sheet distributed at the meeting, the campus will grow from about 190,000 square feet to 325,000 square feet.

Feedback from the parents will be given to committees for consideration. The various committees will then report to the School Board, which will make final decisions about the new school.

To my knowledge, this is the first meeting of this type conducted totally in Spanish, and other school systems and public entities should follow suit. NW Arkansas’ Hispanic community continues to grow larger every day and is becoming an integral part of the fabric of NW Arkansas. The Rogers School system is to be commended for reaching out to the Spanish-speaking parents and listening to their concerns.

Source: Rogers Hometown News, February 15, 2006