Education notebook

State now contains 236 school districts

Arkansas is now home to 236 school districts, effective this past July 1.

That's two fewer than in the past school year.

In April, the state Board of Education approved the involuntary breakup of the Stephens School District among the Nevada, Camden-Fairview and Magnolia school districts. That was the result of Stephens' enrollment falling below the 350-student minimum required by the state for maintaining a school district.

The Norphlet School District voluntarily merged with the Smackover school system to form the Smackover-Norphlet School District in Union County. That merger was approved by the state Board of Education in May.

Distressed-schools transfer date nears

Wednesday is the deadline for parents of children assigned to any of the 26 state-labeled academically distressed schools to request transfers for their children to higher-performing traditional or charter schools for the 2014-15 school year.

The requested schools must accept the transfer requests unless they do not have space for the students, according to Arkansas Board of Education rules for academic distress.

The schools received the label because more than half of their students, over a three-year period, scored below proficient rates on state exams in math and literacy. Schools were required to notify the parents of the designation and the transfer option.

The labeled schools include six in Little Rock, three in Pulaski County Special School District, three in Pine Bluff and three in Forrest City. There are also academically distressed schools in Augusta, Blytheville, Dollarway, Fordyce, Helena-West Helena, Marvell-Elaine, Osceola, Strong-Huttig and Watson Chapel districts. Covenant Keepers Charter School in Little Rock is also labeled.

The high school in Stephens also was identified, but that school and district have been closed.

Conversion-charter notices sent by six

Leaders in six Arkansas school districts have sent notices to the state Department of Education that they intend to apply for conversion charters for one or more of their schools by a Sept. 9 deadline.

The districts are Farmington, Fountain Lake, Hughes, Siloam Springs, Southside in Independence County and Warren.

The districts are proposing changes to their high schools or, in some cases, their junior high and high schools starting with the 2015-16 school year. If the districts follow through with applications, the state's Charter Authorizing Panel and the state Board of Education will act on the proposals later this year.

Conversion charter schools are operated by traditional school systems that seek waivers of some state rules and laws that typically apply to a school's operation.

3 LR administrators lose their positions

The Little Rock School Board voted 4-0 late Thursday to uphold the recommendation of Superintendent Dexter Suggs to eliminate three administrative positions, leaving the job holders to consider other positions in the district.

The affected positions are the grant project director for music, which was held by Irma Routen; director/facilitator of physical education and health, held by Marion Woods; and senior director of curriculum/social studies, held by Wanda Huddle. Their annual salaries ranged from $81,146 to $121,476.

In January, Suggs notified the three by letters that their positions would be eliminated for the 2014-15 school year because of budget cuts and staff realignments.

The superintendent later rescinded those letters and sent another set of letters dated April 24, telling the three again of the plans to eliminate their jobs but adding that each would be assigned to teaching jobs in the areas in which they are licensed by the state.

Both sets of letters stated that the employees had the right to appeal the elimination of their positions to the School Board. After receiving each letter, the employees requested a hearing before the board.

An initial June 24 hearing on the jobs ended in a 3-3 tie vote by the board and no clear resolution about the fate of the positions. At Thursday's meeting, board members Greg Adams, Jody Carreiro, Leslie Fisken and Norma Johnson voted to eliminate the jobs.

Metro on 07/27/2014

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