Education
Proposed law to hold libraries accountable for ‘obscene’ material passes Arkansas committee
This story was updated at 7:29 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2023. An Arkansas Senate committee approved a bill Monday that would open the door to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content by libraries. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to pass the bill after hearing testimony from only 16 of the […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Tough love at the Arkansas Capitol as bills stall, fail in Week 6
We start our recap of the sixth week of the 2023 Arkansas legislative session wishing you a happy #arlegvalentines. As for the news, there was a lot of it, but fewer major announcements, hearings and debates than in recent weeks. Here are some highlights from Week 6: Lawmakers filed a host of election legislation on […]
Arkansas school bathroom use bill will be amended, sent back to committee
The bill that would restrict bathroom use in Arkansas public schools based on students’ gender assigned at birth will be amended and returned to the Senate Education Committee, Senate sponsor Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro) said Thursday. House Bill 1156 was expected to receive a vote from the full Senate a day after passing the Senate […]
Bill restricting school bathroom use heads to Arkansas Senate floor
A proposed law to restrict bathroom use in public schools based on students’ sex assigned at birth passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday and will head to the Senate, the only remaining hurdle before going to the governor’s desk. House Bill 1156 applies to multiple-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms, as well as rooms for […]
Crowd rallies outside Capitol in support of public education
As the mother of a mostly non-verbal, autistic four-year-old, Special Sanders said she wants to be her son’s advocate. He begins kindergarten in the fall, so she’s paid close attention to the governor’s proposed education plan, Arkansas LEARNS. “Much has been said about the so-called parent empowerment that Arkansas LEARNS offers, but I’ve never seen […]
Committee tables legislation to increase funding for classified employee pay
The Senate Education Committee tabled a bill Wednesday that would increase per-student foundation funding in order to support a raise for public school districts’ classified employees. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 149, which would increase per-student foundation funding amounts from $7,349 to $8,195 for the 2023-2024 […]
Panel dismisses testing requirement for private schools receiving public funds
The House Education Committee rejected a bill on Tuesday that would have required private schools receiving state funds to administer an annual statewide assessment test. A standardized exam mandate would allow parents to compare “apples to apples” when considering their child’s academic progress in public schools versus private, House Bill 1204 sponsor Jim Wooten (R-Beebe) […]
Rural districts concerned about voucher program accountability, school closures
Bryan Pruitt knows well how being in the right school can spark a love of learning. Nothing generated his interest as a middle school student in Ozark, so he transferred to nearby County Line High School where an agriculture program changed his life. “When I was at County Line, I could not get enough of […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Legislation marches on and a sneak peak at the governor’s education package
The fifth week of the 2023 legislative session finally brought us Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education plan — sort of. The bill hasn’t been filed (more on that later), but she outlined some of the key components of a sweeping piece of legislation that would bring drastic changes to K-12 education in Arkansas. Vouchers, a […]
Arkansas governor creates group focused on workforce development
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders established the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet and the Chief Workforce Officer through executive order Thursday. Mike Rogers, senior director of Maintenance and Refrigeration for Tyson Foods, will serve as CWO. Rogers has taught agriculture and industrial maintenance at Siloam Springs High School for 20 years and was the Energy Manager for the […]
Governor shares details of education overhaul proposal
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday unveiled some details of her long-awaited education overhaul plan, which includes raising the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 and rolling out a new school voucher program that will eventually be available to all Arkansans. During a press conference inside the Capitol, Sanders said providing every child with access to […]
U.S. House GOP preps for debates on ‘parents rights,’ school vouchers and transgender athletes
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans laid the groundwork for some top legislative priorities during a Wednesday hearing that examined public funding for charter schools and voucher programs, as well as increasing parents’ oversight of school curriculum. The Republican chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee, North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, provided a forum for […]