BUILDING A BETTER FUTUREBUILDING A BETTER FUTURE

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY 4141STST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

CLAIBORNE DEMINGCLAIBORNE DEMINGJULY 29, 2009JULY 29, 2009

El Dorado Has A Legacy of Private Support El Dorado Has A Legacy of Private Support for Public Educationfor Public Education

El Dorado Education Foundation Founded in 1996, invested over $1.7 million to date

Endowed Chair Program• Established El Dorado Public School Chairs in math, science, foreign language and literacy to oversee all aspects of each discipline K-12 (1st in the US to do so)

Provide Teacher Classroom Grants and Teacher Excellence Awards

Academic Signing Day – annual event to honor academic scholarships for EHS seniors

Results are apparent – • test scores have improved• enrollment of 5th-12th graders in foreign language courses has increased by 150% in the last 5 years• number of AP courses offered is unparalleled in South Arkansas

Murphy Education ProgramMurphy Education Program Murphy Education Program

Created in 1997; provides financial incentives for standardized test excellence

During the first year, $9,000 was awarded Since inception, over $1 million has been awarded

Increase in Test Scores ApparentIncrease in Test Scores Apparent

Advanced Placement Grades Increasing Advanced Placement Grades Increasing

El Dorado Today…El Dorado Today…

Union County has a very high Per Capita Personal Income (#2 out of 75 Arkansas counties)

Strong industrial base with skilled workforce (40% in industrial occupations compared to 28% statewide)

Commitment by citizens to establish a strong and viable community

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.gov), U.S. Census Bureau

However El Dorado is Vulnerable…However El Dorado is Vulnerable…

Continued closings of industrial businesses (i.e., Prescolite, Georgia Pacific, Cooper Tire, Pilgrims)

Union County’s population 5.2% between2000 and 2008 (AR pop. 6.6% during same time)

The unemployment rate has outpaced the state and nation since 2002

Union Cty.

AR

US

AR Union Cty.

Likewise, Our Schools Have Been ImpactedLikewise, Our Schools Have Been Impacted

El Dorado Public School enrollment 4.6% between 2000 and 2007

How Education Makes A DifferenceHow Education Makes A DifferenceEducation versus GDP/Capita by State

GDP/Capita

Adu

lt P

opul

atio

n w

ith a

Bac

helo

r’s D

egre

e or

Hig

her

Source: BEA, HigheredInfo.org

How Education Makes a DifferenceHow Education Makes a Difference2007 Median Salary by Educational Attainment

Source: US Census (www.census.gov), 25 yrs. or older, year-round, full-time workers

What Makes The El Dorado Promise What Makes The El Dorado Promise Possible?Possible?

Presence of Murphy Oil, a Fortune 500 company, in El Dorado is unique and highly beneficial

Only 11 Fortune 500 companies located in rural setting

Demonstrates the advantage of having a widespread, diversified economic base throughout the US

Murphy has the financial means to make a quick and immediate difference

Murphy has doubled in size over the last five years

Production is set to grow dramatically

Why Now?Why Now?

Excellent schools are critical to area’s ability to attract and retain top talent

A strong school system and promise of higher education will enhance El Dorado’s ability to attract new businesses

And…

The presence of a Flagship city in South Arkansas will be beneficial to our community and region

The El Dorado PromiseThe El Dorado Promise

Announced January 22, 2007, Murphy Oil funds program with $50 million pledge over 10 years

Offers each El Dorado Public School graduate living in the district an opportunity to attend college with up to a 100% tuition scholarship

Eligibility percentage is based upon length of El Dorado Public School attendance

Amount payable is up to the highest tuition charged by an Arkansas public university, however amount is transportable to any institution in or out of state, public or private

El Dorado School District EnrollmentEl Dorado School District Enrollment

October 1 year over year data

Tot

al S

choo

l Enr

ollm

ent

Tot

al S

choo

l Enr

ollm

ent

Union District Consolidation

Largest increase was in kindergarten classes both years since Promise in place

<10% E10

10-50% E101- 3 students5-10 studentsgreater than 20459 students

Locations from which new students have moved to enroll in the El Dorado School District since the Promise

was created in January 2007.

33

33

3

2 2

2

22

21

1

1

1

10

10

9

8

7

6

6

5

5

5

7558

21

17 new students havealso come from

10 foreign countries

459

*733 total new students as of October 2008. The net increase is 196.

El DoradoEl DoradoPromisePromise

El Dorado Schools See GrowthEl Dorado Schools See Growth

College Enrollment IncreaseCollege Enrollment Increase

Percentage of Promise-eligible Graduates Enrolling in College After High School

Colleges Attended By 2008 El Dorado GradsColleges Attended By 2008 El Dorado GradsBefore the Promise was in place, an average of 60% of El Dorado graduates went on to college. After the Promise was announced, 76% of the 2007 graduating class went to college (67% of this group returned for their sophomore yr.). 82% of the 2nd Promise Class (2008 graduates) went to college. 95% of the Class of 2009 have accepted the Promise scholarship.

El Dorado Community Stepping El Dorado Community Stepping Up To The ChallengeUp To The Challenge

April 2007 – El Dorado citizens passed a 1-cent sales tax $32 MM over 8 years New conference center

September 2007 – Voters approved a school millage increase Construction of a new $42 million high school to be completed

Fall 2011

BUILDING A BETTER FUTUREBUILDING A BETTER FUTURE

WWW.WWW.ELDORADOPROMISEELDORADOPROMISE.COM.COM