I’m advised that El Dorado will hold a big “signing day” Wednesday for the 211 high school seniors heading off to college next year, with tuition (up to the cost of an Arkansas public university) paid by the El Dorado Promise scholarship program. It was established last year with a $50 million gift from Murphy Oil and instantly produced a 23 percent increase in El Dorado’s college-going rate.

Will it revitalize El Dorado? Early to say, but there’s already abundant evidence of people moving to El Dorado to qualify for the program. The tuition support can be taken anywhere in the country. Heckuva deal. Imagine if LR had such a program.

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