Little Rock Central High School to be Renamed to Sam Walton High

LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Incoming Little Rock School District (LRSD) Superintendent Michael Poore announced today that his first major change to the district will be to rename Little Rock Central High school in honor of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

The name change to Sam Walton High School is expected to be in place for the 2017-2018 school season according to LRSD. Poore does not take over as superintendent until July, but says he felt the need to go ahead and process the necessary paperwork for the change.

“I really wanted to make this change out of the gate, I feel like it is important for people to understand the direction of my administration,” Poore says. “Little Rock schools need to be known around the country as the home of the Always Low Price Education™, and what better way to start the program than with the flagship school. Plus I sort of made some promises to snag this $225,000 job that I need to fulfill.”

Poore was announced this week as the LRSD superintendent after serving as superintendent for five years in the Bentonville school district. His appointment to LRSD was met with overwhelming support (from the Bentonville District) and has successfully lowered test scores throughout his administration in the district.

In addition to the name change, Central High School will feature the first Walmart on Campus location in a high school. Previously the on-campus stores were only in select universities, Sam Walton High will use the store as a pilot program to eventually roll out district wide the following year.

“We think this will be a great opportunity to allow kids to purchase school supplies, personal hygiene products, clothing, and a wide variety of Sam’s Choice Colas,” Poore says. “We believe in the model so much that we are requiring all school supplies at Sam Walton High next year be purchased through either Walmart On Campus, or one of your many friendly central Arkansas Walmart locations.”

Poore says that he hopes to increase the district’s budget and cover the $75,000 increase in superintendent salary by placing detention and suspended children in volunteer roles at the campus Walmart, and turning a portion of the profits back into the LRSD’s operational fund.