Exclusive: Pilot in Arkansas will guide rural high schoolers to living wage

A program being piloted in 10 rural Arkansas high schools will help students navigate some of the pitfalls on the road to a living wage.

• Dedicated college and career advisers focused on guiding students through post-graduation options were hired through a public/private partnership to work alongside existing staff.

Why it matters: Guidance counselors, the people outside the home who're most likely to help a student make decisions about their future, are frequently overwhelmed.

• The student-to-counselor ratio in Arkansas was 347 to 1 during the 2022-23 school year. The U.S. recommendation is 285.

State of play: The initiative is spearheaded by Bentonville's Heartland Forward and the rootED Alliance , in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Education.

• Advisers will work with students to define and plan their futures and help them attain a living wage after high school in a path that's right for the individual.
• Options could include a two- or four-year college, trade apprenticeships, vocational training or certifications, or military service.
• Funding for the three-year pilot comes from the state's Department of Education and the Walton family's personal philanthropic group.

Zoom in: Participating schools are in the northwest corner of the state — Charleston, Dover, Green Forest, Jasper, Kingston, Magazine, Mammoth Spring, Marshall, Oark and Ozark Mountain.

• The advisers have direct ties to each community. Some are retired teachers, some worked in school administration, and one is a small-business owner, Angie Cooper, EVP of Heartland Forward, told Axios.

By the numbers: Launched in 2018, the nonprofit rootED Alliance operates similar projects at 189 high schools in Missouri, Texas and Idaho.

• 82% of students involved in rootEd are on track for successful careers, compared with 41% of all rural working 21- to 24-year-olds, Noa Meyer, chair of the organization's board, told Axios.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion increased by 27 percent and college enrollment by 10 percent in participating areas.

The organization is focused on rural schools; about 48% of Arkansas' schools are rural .

Between the lines: Developing the workforce is a priority for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who created a dedicated cabinet focused on the issue a month into her administration.

• A part of her sweeping LEARNS education bill requires school districts to offer at least one career-ready pathway for high schoolers aligned to state and regional workforce demands.

What they're saying: "It really fits nicely with what we're [Heartland Forward] trying to do, and talking about — how do we truly build the talent pipeline? And rootED is going to do just that," Cooper said.

What we're watching: One year of data may not be enough, but over the course of the pilot, we should see whether the program makes changes.

• Cooper is hopeful rootED will eventually be rolled out statewide.