School leaders respond after students protest in Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff, Arkansas — Pine Bluff High school students, walked out of class, to protest concerns.

The Superintendent of the Pine Bluff School District shares the concerns stemmed from a recent student death.

“Students are very concerned about specifically a recent loss that we had and other deaths in the community that tied to just the high school,” said Barbara Warren, Superintendent Pine Bluff School District.

Other student concerns centered around potential moves to a new high school. “Work has been done in the past for the partnership application to be approved, and now we know that funding has also been approved. So they know we are on the path to a new high school. What I think is the major challenge for them is, we just left Jack Robey. We were Junior High students at Jack Robey, and now one, we are looking forward to going to the high school, which is this site, or we feel like we are going back to the Junior High we just came from,” said Warren.

According to Warren, the conversation is not over.

In order to make sure students and administration are on the same page, next Monday, Warren plans to meet with each high school grade level.