Eugene is a product of the Little Rock School District (LRSD). He is married to Darcy Krupitsky and they have 3 children who all attend schools in the District. Eugene has lived nearly his entire life in Little Rock, Arkansas. When he was one month old, Eugene’s parents and grandparents fled the former Soviet Union to come to America with the hope of providing him better opportunities than they had living under Communist rule. The family arrived in Little Rock the week before Thanksgiving in 1980 where they were welcomed by the caring community and the Krupitsky family has been grateful to call Little Rock “Home” ever since.
Eugene attended Jefferson Elementary, Carver Elementary, Horace Mann Junior High School and Little Rock Central High. As a senior at Little Rock Central, Eugene was chosen as one of two students to serve on the city-wide commission commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Central High School Integration Crisis. This was a pivotal moment for Eugene in better understanding the impact of the District in battling segregation and providing equal education for all students.
After graduating from Central, Eugene went on to earn his undergraduate degree in Government from Harvard University followed by a JD and MBA in Finance from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After graduation, he returned to Little Rock where he now serves as a financial advisor.
This fall, Eugene and Darcy will have one child at Fulbright Elementary and 2 children at Pinnacle View Middle. Darcy is an active member of the PTA board at Fulbright Elementary, and both Eugene and Darcy enjoy volunteering at their kids’ schools as much as possible.
As a former student in the LRSD, I know the tremendous impact that our schools can have on our students and communities. Within LRSD, I was blessed with caring teachers and administrators that challenged me and helped shape my drive for knowledge. They are a big reason for the educational opportunities I had in college and graduate school. Today, the district I attended finds itself in a different place than when I was a student. With the increase in private and charter schools and the recent passage of the Learns Act, students and parents in Little Rock now have a number of educational choices where they can attend.
Because of this competitive environment, it presents a unique opportunity for the LRSD to examine our strengths and areas for improvement. School board members must work with all parties involved - parents, students, teachers, principals and administrators - to design academic and extracurricular programs to propel our students to higher standards and increased success following graduation.
If elected as a Board Member, I believe there are certain principles that should influence the decisions and votes I would be asked to make:
Does it help ALL students achieve better? I believe we have an equal obligation to students that need extra assistance and to those that are excelling. We must elevate standards to make sure that all students are prepared when they leave high school to succeed in whatever pathways they choose.
Teachers and administrators are the experts in dealing with our children. I believe it would be my job to rely on their expertise, guidance and opinions when making decisions about the District’s policies and programs. However, as a board member, that also means asking tough questions to make sure we are making the best decisions for our students.
I believe it is the role of the board to define the future and vision of the District by identifying our long term goals and objectives that allow us to best benefit students. We need to clearly articulate our identity and what we stand for so that we can better explain to parents and students why their kids SHOULD attend LRSD.
I believe it is important to understand that we are stewards of taxpayers’ dollars, and it is incumbent upon board members to guide the District in a financially responsible manner while determining the best way to spend dollars to help ALL students succeed.
