PARON, Ark. (KTHV) - The Paron community is one step closer to getting a charter school.
They’re pushing the state for a charter, after the elementary school there was shut down over a year ago because of funding.
The safety of their kids is the main reason parents in Paron are fighting for a charter school.
They want their kids closer to home and the kids want the same.
"I just want my school back”, says Michael Barnett , a fourth grader at Perryville Elementary School. Last school year, he says, he had to ride the bus about an hour twice a day just to get to and from school.
"Usually at Perryville, I have to wake up at 5 or 6. At Peron, I could wake up at 7”, the boy explains.
Back in April of 2015, Bryant Public Schools decided to close Paron Elementary School, after they say, two millage rate increase votes failed, leaving them with no way to fund the school.
Parents of the 70 odd kids at Peron Elementary School had a choice; Bryant or Perryville Elementary schools.
The bus ride from Peron to Bryant Elementary is about 42 minutes.
The bus ride from Peron to Perryville is about 20 minutes.
But that doesn't include the stops along the way.
We rode the bus route from Bryant to Peron, it was curvy, bumpy, and people were driving very fast.
"Every time I went to Perryville I'd be tired, every time I left Perryville I'd be tired. It's the stress”, Barnett tells us.
The solution, according to Jamie Mullins, with Paron Community Trust, is a charter school.
If approved, grades K through 5 would fill the elementary school they once called home.
"Each additional year, we would add a grade, so any child that started; even if they started in the fifth grade, they would be able to finish school here because we would add a grade each year”, Mullins explains.
Her biggest concern, they may not have enough students. She says, parents that didn't want their kids to ride that route left the area.
"There are a number of parents that shopped for a school. They found Paron and they moved to Paron for the wonderful school that was here”, she adds, saying as they approach the final stretch, she's cautiously optimistic.
"But at the same time, realize that, if the answer is yes, if it is approved, there's a lot of work to be done. And a little bit of shaking in the boots about getting it in place.”
The Paron Community Trust is scheduled to present their plan before the Arkansas Education Department August 18th for final approval.