Special Resource Study of Little Rock Central High School
1998. Special Resource Study of Little Rock Central High School. National Park Service. Little Rock, Arkansas
Pursuant to the enactment of Public Law 105-83 (known as the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998; 111 State. 1543-1627), on November 14, 1997, Senate Report 105-56 directed state: Within the funds provided for general management plans, $150,000 should be provided for a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating Central high School in Little Rock, Arkansas, as a unit of the National Park System due to its importance in interpreting the development of the civil rights movement in the United States. In accordance with this legislative direction, the National Park Service has prepared this special resource study for Little Rock Central High School. The study includes a historical overview that describes and analyzes the historical significance of the school, a suitability and feasibility analysis to determine if the school warrants inclusion in the national park system, and an examination of the possible visitor experience goals and interpretive themes for the site. Three alternatives that explore potential management frameworks that would provide for resource protection and public use of the school are also described and evaluated.