Cabot, Arkansas

Cabot is the largest city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 15,261 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Cabot is located at 34ø58'22?N, 92ø1'20?W (34.972647, -92.022329)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.7 km sq (19.2 mi sq). 49.5 km sq (19.1 mi sq) of it is land and 0.2 km sq (0.1 mi sq) of it (0.47%) is water.

Controversy Over Growth

In 1982, the Little Rock School District, slow to comply to the 1954 US Supreme Court case Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, was forcibly ordered by federal courts to immediately desegregate the school district. This desegregation was ordered to achieve racial balances between white children and non-white children, which resulted in massive busing of students.
The results of the court-ordered busing have been controversial. Critics claim the forced integration has destroyed the School District and any concept of "neighborhood schools": for example, black students from far east Little Rock (predominantly black), were sent to high schools in far west Little Rock (predominantly white). Supporters claim that the forced integration has fostered more diversity and better learning environments. Whatever the result, during the 1980s and 1990s Little Rock teachers repeatedly went on strike, and many residents relocated to the smaller communities around Little Rock, including Cabot, Benton, Bryant, Conway, and Maumelle. With time, new arrivals to the state chose to live in these towns (now veritable suburbs) because, by some educational indicators, their school districts were more successful.

Cabot received many families relocating during this time period. A 'commuter culture' developed as many residents lived in Cabot, sent their children to schools in Cabot, but worked in Little Rock. The Cabot School District steadily developed into one of the richest, most populous and top-performing districts in the state.

Critics of Cabot's growth, such as the Little Rock-based newspaper Arkansas Times, accused these residents of "white flight": simply giving up on an integrated Little Rock school district. While Cabot (and northern Lonoke County as a whole) has historically been predominantly white, nearby towns, such as Austin, Ward, Vilonia, and Searcy, also lack diversity. The resulting "whiteness" of the area (just like the Ozark Plateau or the pre-1990s Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area) seemingly owes itself more to historical migration patterns and historical slave ownership. Currently, the Cabot School District encompasses the north end of Lonoke County. The bulk of the county's population today can be found in approximately the same area, containing the county's most populous and fourth most populous cities - Cabot and Ward, respectively.

Culture

Culture in Cabot has largely taken cues from its growing population and their desire to avoid traveling far into the Little Rock metropolitan area for entertainment. Products of this include a movie theater and larger city library built in the late 1990's, plus a growing number of restaurants, parks, amateur sporting venues and community organizations. A top draw of the city is its golf courses adjoining Greystone Country Club in the city's north end, and near Rolling Hills Country Club in southeast Cabot. Both of the country clubs and the Veterans of Foreign Wars post are exceptions to Cabot's legal status as part of a dry county, which prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages elsewhere in the city. One of the city's biggest events, staged in the downtown area each October, is Cabotfest - a community fair that has grown in popularity as the city's population has swelled over the years since the tornado.

Much of the family-heavy population revolves around the school system, and Friday night high school football games are always a packed, city-wide event. The football team won the AAA state championship in 1983 and the AAAAA state championship in 2000 under head coach Mike Malham. In 2005, a new three story athletic complex was completed which contains an indoor practice field, weight room, and locker room and features a plasma screen for instant replay during football games.

In addition to strong performance in athletics, notable events at the school district's campuses each year include a regional music student competition, a student musical theater production, and a community beauty pageant. The Cabot High School Band is currently directed by Joe Trusty and Mark Tenney and includes over 200 students. They participate in many competitions, including the local Region VII and State competions. They have recently been placed in a three-year rotation to represent the State of Arkansas in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C.

Cabot High School is currently in a remodeling process which will include a large new fine arts center, designed with the input from the directors of the band, drama, and art programs. The construction is scheduled to be finished during the 2006-2007 school year.

Notable Residents

• Kimberly Forsyth, Miss Arkansas USA 2006
• Terri Utley, Miss Arkansas USA 1982
• Paula Jones, accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct

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