Retiring soon, says eStem CEO

Charter school’s CFO tabbed to serve as interim leader

John Bacon, the longtime chief executive officer of the eStem Public Charter Schools in Little Rock, is retiring from the system at the end of the month.

Bacon, 52, talked about his departure at a meeting Tuesday of the Arkansas Charter Authorizing Panel during which the panel recommended a 10-year renewal of the state-issued charter that enables the five-campus system to operate. The state Board of Education will have the final say on the renewal early next year.

Mark Milhollen, the eStem system’s founding chief financial officer, will serve as the interim superintendent, Bacon said.

EStem serves almost 2,900 students in kindergarten through 12th grades at two campuses in Little Rock’s East Village, two campuses in downtown Little Rock and a high school on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“It just feels like it is time for me to step aside and take a little time to rest and recharge before considering the second act of my career,” Bacon said Tuesday. “It has been the career adventure of a lifetime to be part of the founding leadership team for eStem schools in 2008 and to have seen it through as CEO for the past 13 years.”

Bacon said he began thinking of transitioning away from the system as long ago as 2019 but paused those plans to ensure stability for the system’s teachers and students during the covid-19 pandemic.

“The past few years have been challenging; however, our schools have made great strides toward rebounding to pre-pandemic performance levels,” Bacon wrote in his resignation letter. “At the secondary level, we have already successfully recovered in many grades and subjects to performance levels above pre-pandemic levels.”

He also noted that growth in student achievement is up at all five campuses with the eStem East Village Junior High School making the highest growth of any middle-level school in the state.

Vernard Henley Jr., who serves as eStem School Board president, expressed appreciation for Bacon’s 15 years in the system.

“Having started as our founding executive director in July 2008, Dr. Bacon has been integral to every major decision that has brought our organization to its current status as one of the premier public charter schools in our state and region,” Henley wrote to the system faculty and families.

Henley also said he couldn’t imagine a better interim leader than Milhollen.

“I can’t imagine a better person to lead eStem through this transition period. He knows more about how our organization works than anyone, and I am confident he will be successful as the interim leader. Dr. Bacon has agreed to assist Mr. Milhollen during the transition.”

“Moving forward, the board will immediately begin the process of identifying an experienced leader to guide our organization. We will continue to update staff, students, and parents,” he said.

Both Bacon and Milhollen are former leaders in the Little Rock School District. Bacon was a principal at Dunbar Magnet Middle and Hall High schools. Milhollen was the district’s long-time manager of financial services.