Teachers in the Bentonville School District are some of the best paid educators in Arkansas, but the cost of living in the fast-growing Northwest Arkansas community means many employees can’t afford to live where they work. (Photo by Arshia Khan for Arkansas Advocate)
This story is part of a series about Arkansans who work hard but struggle to survive, people who are part of the asset limited, income constrained and employed (ALICE) population. Today’s story deals with issues of housing affordability.
On Easter Sunday, Elizabeth Buckeye reclined on a blue sectional in her new second-floor apartment just north of Northwest Arkansas National Airport. Amid cardboard boxes and large plastic containers stacked two and three high, the Bentonville school teacher took time out from her second job to talk with a reporter.
Instead of unpacking after her move, Buckeye spent the first several hours of the holiday delivering groceries through Walmart’s Spark app. Shortly after the interview, she left her new apartment to make more deliveries.