Cabot

[tim2462]

You are incorrect. Conway has always had a similar-sized black population, there are areas of town that were largely black back in the 1960s. When I went to college in Conway from 1993 to 1997 the town had a sizable black population. Nearby towns like Menifee and Plumerville are largely black as well.

Conway's black population has grown significantly in the last 15 years. It's up to 12%. Anway, you ignored my post and I refuse to argue about this all again. You obviously have views different than the rest of us on here from LR, that's your perogative.

[CentralArkansas]

I don't know but if you compare test scores for white students across the state the LR district is among the top. This is after a large number of upperclass white students have left for private schools. On the three end of course test(year 2005) black students average 22% Proficient and Above and white students average 72% Proficient and Above.

If you believe that's because whites somehow receive better instruction than blacks, then you are naive. There are many sociological factors that come into this discussion.

[skirby]

Conway's black population has grown significantly in the last 15 years. It's up to 12%. Anway, you ignored my post and I refuse to argue about this all again. You obviously have views different than the rest of us on here from LR, that's your perogative.

tim2462 a 2% gain in 10 years is no big deal. I think it is better you talk for yourself and do not include others.

[vbfl85]

Conway's black population has grown significantly in the last 15 years. It's up to 12%. Anway, you ignored my post and I refuse to argue about this all again. You obviously have views different than the rest of us on here from LR, that's your perogative.

There were only 7,500 blacks in all of Faulkner County in 2000, thats out of 86,000 people, making 8.5% of the population. Back in 1990 there were 4,700 blacks in 60,000 people, thats 7.8% of the population.

So the black population has increased, but their overall percentage hasnt increased very much. Therefore the black presence in the area should not be much greater than in was in 1990.

[skirby]

If you believe that's because whites somehow receive better instruction than blacks, then you are naive. There are many sociological factors that come into this discussion.

I never did say that any one group receives better instruction than another. I said white students in the LR district can get a very good education compared to the rest of the state. Further more I did not give a reason for low scores amoung black students. There are alot of reasons given for these scores but the shame of it is they are so low.

[CentralArkansas]

I never did say that any one group receives better instruction than another. I said white students in the LR district can get a very good education compared to the rest of the state. Further more I did not give a reason for low scores amoung black students. There are alot of reasons given for these scores but the shame of it is they are so low.

You said something along the lines of "if you are white you will receive a good education in the LR school district," which implies that the level of instruction in the schools is dependent upon one's skin color.

[skirby]

You said something along the lines of "if you are white you will receive a good education in the LR school district," which implies that the level of instruction in the schools is dependent upon one's skin color.

Not the level of instruction but the results. The results speak for themselves when one group scores 50% higher than another. If you look at the scores for white students in LR and the areas around it you get the following: LR 72%, Conway 70%, Bryant 69%, Benton 61% and Cabot 55%. So if you are parents with white students the LRSD is ahead of those districts mentioned above. I think it strange that the Cabot district has one of the highest paid Superintendents in the state(in the top five) but over half, 57%, of the students tested in Grade 11 Literacy cannot do work equal to their grade level. In Cabot I guess you don't get what you pay for.

[Aporkalypse]

There were only 7,500 blacks in all of Faulkner County in 2000, thats out of 86,000 people, making 8.5% of the population. Back in 1990 there were 4,700 blacks in 60,000 people, thats 7.8% of the population.

So the black population has increased, but their overall percentage hasnt increased very much. Therefore the black presence in the area should not be much greater than in was in 1990.

Thanks for doing my legwork for me. Those numbers certainly sound about right. Add in that most of those blacks are concentrated in a couple of areas, particularly in a couple of older neighborhoods in Conway. I obviously can't come up with the data to show this but I lived there and know it to be true. I have a lot of family in Conway and love the town, BTW.

[Aporkalypse]

Conway's black population has grown significantly in the last 15 years. It's up to 12%. Anway, you ignored my post and I refuse to argue about this all again. You obviously have views different than the rest of us on here from LR, that's your perogative.

How are my views different? I just presented you with the TRUTH, as Vbfl illustrated with hard data.

I agree with Skirby on LR schools, Central in particular.

Another little known fact:

Blacks at LRSD high schools are more likely to graduate from college and have higher ACT scores than the average white student in Arkansas high schools, though their numbers are not as good as white kids in the LRSD. That was a number used to push for LRSD desegregation and I read it in the official report.

[vbfl85]

Heres a map of the black population percentages in different parts of Faulkner County.

Census 2000

[DickSonstreetDFW]

My data shows this: (sorry for any repeats, the numbers compel me)

Conway

2000:

Population 43,166

2005 Estimates (based on trend analysis and housing data)

12.97% Black

82.37 % White

2.87% Hispanic (ethnicity)

Faulkner Co

2005 Population (Est) 96,723

8.83% Black

87.35% White

2.25% Hispanic (ethnicity)

Relevance to a thread about Cabot: 0%

[tim2462]

My data shows this: (sorry for any repeats, the numbers compel me)

Conway

2000:

Population 43,166

2005 Estimates (based on trend analysis and housing data)

12.97% Black

82.37 % White

2.87% Hispanic (ethnicity)

Faulkner Co

2005 Population (Est) 96,723

8.83% Black

87.35% White

2.25% Hispanic (ethnicity)

Relevance to a thread about Cabot: 0%

Exactly.

Race, Little Rock schools, or most of anything else discussed in this thread is not relevant to Cabot. This is why I left the thread to die long ago. Somebody decided to cast his opinion that the reason Cabot is growing is white flight. While, I don't believe that is the case, I am willing to admit SOME people move there for that reason, but you can't say a city growing that fast is all because of race. That's just rediculous. Using that logic, one could say that the only reason NWA is growing is because white people are flocking there from bigger cities with more black population. This is just rediculous logic.

[skirby]

Exactly.

Race, Little Rock schools, or most of anything else discussed in this thread is not relevant to Cabot. This is why I left the thread to die long ago. Somebody decided to cast his opinion that the reason Cabot is growing is white flight. While, I don't believe that is the case, I am willing to admit SOME people move there for that reason, but you can't say a city growing that fast is all because of race. That's just rediculous. Using that logic, one could say that the only reason NWA is growing is because white people are flocking there from bigger cities with more black population. This is just rediculous logic.

tim2462 you talk about logic but where is the logic comparing the growth of NWA and Cabot. People who live in NWA are not living there and working in a bigger city from where they moved from. Cabot on the other hand is full of people who moved there from LR/NLR. The same can be said for Sherwood, Benton, Bryant and so on.

[Aporkalypse]

Exactly.

Race, Little Rock schools, or most of anything else discussed in this thread is not relevant to Cabot. This is why I left the thread to die long ago. Somebody decided to cast his opinion that the reason Cabot is growing is white flight. While, I don't believe that is the case, I am willing to admit SOME people move there for that reason, but you can't say a city growing that fast is all because of race. That's just rediculous. Using that logic, one could say that the only reason NWA is growing is because white people are flocking there from bigger cities with more black population. This is just rediculous logic.

Interesting.

That's not WHY Northwest Arkansas is growing but I've heard many people say it's part of NWA's allure. Few people are so overtly racist as to be some blunt but they usually say it's less "ghetto" or something similar.

Anyway, white flight is real and happens in nearly every large or mid-sized metro. Even in Jefferson Co you have had a gradual exodus from Pine Bluff to White Hall and other communities.

[mcheiss]

Has anyone heard of the rumor about Cabot getting a Target?

Arkansas Business reported that they had heard rumors of a Target possibly being built near Highway's 5 and 89.

[skirby]

Has anyone heard of the rumor about Cabot getting a Target?

Arkansas Business reported that they had heard rumors of a Target possibly being built near Highway's 5 and 89.

This will put it across the street from a trailer park.

[mcheiss]

This will put it across the street from a trailer park.

I guess that's not the best site then.

Is there any room along 167 for it then?

[Aporkalypse]

I guess that's not the best site then.

Is there any room along 167 for it then?

It seems like there are plenty place there that they could put it but they might be in NE Cabot. I would think they would want a site near 67/167 in SW Cabot so that it was close to Jacksonville.

[mcheiss]

Quick Question, which way does Cabot seem to be growing? To the South, North, East?

[Architect]

Has anyone heard of the rumor about Cabot getting a Target?

Arkansas Business reported that they had heard rumors of a Target possibly being built near Highway's 5 and 89.

There is absolutly no way they would locate in Cabot. First of all, Target is more selective and deliberate about locating population centers and mature areas of cities, and not as much to the suburban areas. Cabot is on the extreme edge, is not very large, and doesn't even begin to have the demographic of the typical Target shopper. Furthermore, I know Todd Hart that was quoted in the article, and if he says he has never heard that rumor, then its unlikely that its true.

[skirby]

Quick Question, which way does Cabot seem to be growing? To the South, North, East?

About the only way Cabot can grow is to the North. Austin is to the East. Jacksonville to the West. Alot of the area is low except to the North.

[Aporkalypse]

There is absolutly no way they would locate in Cabot. First of all, Target is more selective and deliberate about locating population centers and mature areas of cities, and not as much to the suburban areas. Cabot is on the extreme edge, is not very large, and doesn't even begin to have the demographic of the typical Target shopper. Furthermore, I know Todd Hart that was quoted in the article, and if he says he has never heard that rumor, then its unlikely that its true.

That was my first thought as well. The only reason I can think of that they would locate there is because of the growth rate out there, I think the city has gone from about 15k to 21k in the last 5 years. Still, I would think Maumelle would get one before Cabot would, or certainly Pine Bluff or Hot Springs would.

Maybe by building near Jacksonville you could argue it would be closer for the 30k people there to go to Cabot store than the NLR store (Sherwood's definitely closer to NLR). Still, I don't know.

Quick Question, which way does Cabot seem to be growing? To the South, North, East?

Jacksonville borders Cabot to the Southwest and boxes it in. As skirby said, Ward and Austin are to the NE and are rapidly growing exurbs on the 67/167 corridor but Cabot can't annex them. There is a lot of room to grow to the Northwest towards Vilonia. There's a development out there called Greystone Country Club that has a nice golf course and high-end houses, generally over $500k and going up to multimillion dollar houses. I have family that lives out there - it's weird. Miles from grocery stores or any kind of restaurant and surrounded by trailer houses, etc in a very rural area. Pretty country out there, though.

The area between Vilonia and Cabot will be heavily developed, Vilonia has grown really dramatically. In a lot of ways that town reminds of Siloam Springs, except without the ultraconservative college.

[Aporkalypse]

The students that were attending Cabot North Jr High, which burned last week, will have classes in already cramped Cabot High School this year.

I was out around Greystone last weekend and addition to the extensive residential development out there they are building a large commercial/retail center, or at least it is large by area standards.