The Arkansas Board of Education opted Thursday not to review a Charter Authorizing Panel decision to grant a waiver to Arkansas Connections Academy, an online school based in Bentonville.
The school requested a waiver from teacher licensure requirements, which would "enable us to utilize the licensed staff we have to offer an expanded set of courses for our students," according to a document the school submitted to the Arkansas Department of Education. The Charter Authorizing Panel approved the waiver request by a 7-0 vote Feb. 15.
Arkansas Connections Academy, which opened in August, had 373 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through nine as of January.
The board also approved a recommendation by the Professional Licensure Standards Board to permanently revoke the teaching license of Richard Thomas Riley, a former teacher at Life Way Christian School in Centerton.
Riley, 35, of McGehee pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault and computer child pornography, both Class B felonies, in January. He was accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student and having nude photographs of the girl. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
NW News on 03/10/2017