District and principal stress arts in every school during podcast discussion

On episode 10 of Write On Education, host Dr. Jamal Wright and Principal Nancy Russo emphasized the role of the arts in the Little Rock School District, noting the district offers art, music and physical education in every school and operates at least one performing‑arts magnet.

Asked how important the arts are, the host said he and others view arts like athletics and extracurriculars as central to making school appealing to students: “arts just like athletics ... it's what makes school school,” he said. Russo and the host both praised theater programs at Central and Parkview as particularly strong and described arts offerings as contributing to academic growth and opportunities for students to pursue creative careers.

The program highlighted the district’s commitment to maintaining arts programs “regardless of what financial pressures or challenges we may have,” according to the conversation, and noted that arts programming supports students’ academic and social development.

The segment did not cite specific budget figures or a formal district arts policy on the record; it was a statement of priorities made during the interview rather than a district resolution or board action.