New LR K-8 school named for Dermott educator
More than 200 family, friends, students, educators, administrators, and elected officials were on hand May 4 for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy at Little Rock. The new school is named in honor of the late Lacey, who was born and raised at Dermott and was a Chicot County High School graduate.
Lacey was an educator, principal, and assistant superintendent at the Little Rock School District (LRSD) where she served for more than 30 years before her death in 2017. Among other honors, Lacey was named a Milken educator, and the highest teacher award in the LRSD is named in her honor, according to a news release.
Her career includes service as a teacher at Eudora, Helena, and Clarendon. Her husband, JJ Lacey Jr., originally from Vicksburg, Miss., is also a former educator and administrator in the LRSD and southeast Arkansas.
Marian Lacey’s brother, retired Judge Don Glover of Dermott, commended the recognition.
“The impressive crowd was evident of my sister’s life well-lived,” Glover said. “It was particularly wonderful to have the larger ‘Dermott family’ and so many from southeast Arkansas share firsthand in this momentous, historic occasion, including Rev. Charles Graham, who sang the National Anthem and provided music.”
Glover noted that in addition to the groundbreaking, his sister was also honored by the city of Little Rock.
“The mayor of Little Rock, one of Marian’s former students, proclaimed May 4, 2022, as the Dr. Marian Glover Lacey Day. It was an amazing day,” Glover said.
According to Cromwell Architects Engineers, the $87 million school, now under construction, will be the first school in the LRSD to house a tornado shelter.
Located on a 13-acre site in southwest Little Rock, the school is designed to accommodate 1,400 students and more than 258 teachers. Sixty-four classrooms, project labs, a media center, and other specialized spaces for teaching and learning are design features. The school will accommodate community events as well. Construction is expected to finish in late 2023, according to the release.
The community and students played a role in selecting the name for the new building, according to Darian Smith, director of elementary education at the LRSD. A vast majority of the vote supported naming the new building in honor of Lacey.
Glover said the new school is visionary.
“In my view, this new school anticipates the future. Its cutting-edge design allows for visionary teaching and learning experiences to provide a strong educational foundation and vision for career interests during the formative years,” he said.
Reflecting on his sister’s legacy, Glover expressed a shared family belief.
“It is my hope that everyone who enters this new school — children, teachers, parents and the community at large — will experience the joy of teaching, learning, child development experiences, and other engagements in this building, as our dear sister, Marian, would desire. Her legacy is one of building hope and aspiration in each child,” Glover said.