Holman School

History of Holman School

The Holman School was created by a need for Black children to get some type of education. It was then known as Northside School. The first location was a frame building on North Porter Street with Professors Lucas (the male teachers were then called professors) and Hughes. These two taught all the grades.

As the black community increased in population, there was a need for additional room. A building was rented from Joe Bush ( one of the first Black citizens to come to Stuttgart). His daughter, Dora Bush taught the first and second grades.

The town grew, more children were in school, and more space was needed. The school building on Porter Street was moved to Buerkle Street with Professor Holman as a teacher. The name Northside was changed to Stuttgart Elementary.

In 1929-30 the teachers included the well-known Miss Edith Carlisle and Miss Ida Mae Wofford. Stuttgart’s new school was made possible by contributions from Julius Rosenwald Foundation.

 

Julius Rosenwald was born August 12, 1862, in Springfield, Illinois, the son of a German-Jewish immigrant who had risen from peddler to partner in a clothing concern. In 1909 Julius Rosenwald became president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, a firm that he joined in 1897. With the personal fortune that he amassed, he also became known as one of America’s leading philanthropists.

While Rosenwald supported a wide range of causes, his chief concern became Negro education in the South. . . . Reading a number of books, especially Booker T. Washington’s Up from Slavery, had also sparked big interest in charitable works for blacks. After providing matching grants for a handful of black YMCAs, Rosenwald met Washington in 1911 and soon became a trustee of Tuskegee Institute.

The Stuttgart School cost $4,119.00 to build the following information outlines the contributions:

• Blacks $1,000.00
• Public $2,019.00
• Whites $ 200.00
• Rosenwald $ 900.00

 

In 1932 , a group of citizens met with the school board and asked that the school be named “Holman” after Professor L.D. Holman who had dedicated himself to the school and the community. The board granted the request.

Professor L.D. Holman began teaching in the Stuttgart System in 1907 at Odd fellows Halls. He always taught first grade and believed in the basics, reading, writing and arithmetic. In 1942, Holman first class followed its closure in 1970 a total of 29 graduating classes (690 graduates) during its history.

Holman Community Development Corporation (Holman C.D.C.) is a nonprofit organization located in Stuttgart Arkansas that was founded in 1981 and incorporated as a 501 c 3 nonprofit in 1996.

The Mission of the Holman Community Development Corporation shall be exclusively for charitable, civic, educational, recreation, business development and community oriented improvements. The organization functions as a major entity to upgrade and strengthen the community.

HOLMAN’s VISION

Holman Community Development Corporation, Inc. is a collaborative organization housed in the Historic Holman School. The programs provide a foundation for citizens in Stuttgart to have a center that promotes the wellbeing of the family. The services we provide are targeted primarily to enhance the lives of Low to Moderate income families. Our intent is to increase their access to local, regional and statewide services.

Holman would like to provide continuous internet access after-hours for families to access the web to facilitate the family’s ability to increase their children academic accomplishment in school. The parents will have access to on-line portal to check on their child’s grades.

Holman will continue to provide services in the center for fitness and wellness for members of the community for health hearty lives. We need to up-grade our existing male and female fitness centers to address the needs of younger participants.

Holman has goals to expand their service to meet the need of the greater community by developing the following initiatives to serve the citizens of Stuttgart:

I. Holman to House North-end Police “Sub Station”-Neighborhood “Alert Center:

(A-1) Code enforcement services for assistance to improve the housing provision for senior and citizen that receive rental assistance.

(A-2) Neighborhood Resource Center to house resources within Arkansas county to enhance the likelihood of the citizens gaining knowledge about services for home improvements, weatherization, green recycling, and other betterments for the neighborhood.

II. Collaborative Partnership with Stuttgart Public School District

Supplemental Education Center

(A-1) Day classes for continued student education as well as parental development for positive involvement. Holman would like to up-grade the facility to house alternative learning environments for students that need assistance when suspended or in out of school time.

(A-2) Evening Classes for continued student education as well as parental development for positive involvement for parents to increase the ability to help their children with schoolwork.

III. Community Development Center

(A) Recreational activities for all ages to create a better healthy family that will increase the employability of the future workers.

(B) Vocational Skill Development- online course options that do not duplicate offerings at Phillips Community College.

(C) Community Economic Enrichment – Speakers, workshops for all ages that develop hobbies and leisure time activities.

 

Holman Heritage Community Center Summary of Strategic Process

Holman through its Board of Directors and partnerships between community based organizations, churches, schools and business will begin the implementation of its action plan strategies that involve the community in realizing the broad goals and objectives focused on education, youth development, safety, health services, economic development, and an overall sense of community.

Holman will seek to develop collaborative partnerships to address interrelated needs in a coordinated, cohesive, and collaborative manner. Central to the partnership is the belief that creating locally designed and controlled systems of services and programs will achieve improvements in Stuttgart most effectively. “ A shared vision is a force in people’s hearts, a force of impressive power”.

A strategic goal of Holman is to provide long-term benefits through education and economic development that promote healthy children and families by facilitating a more efficient system of service delivery for low and moderate-income families. Holman’s goal/strategic development of linkages between entities such as businesses organizations, and schools will ensure lasting benefits for the community. More succinctly, Holman strives for an improved quality of life for all the citizens of Stuttgart.

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