RISON - The Woodlawn School Board approved an Arkansas School Board Association model policy during its regular monthly meeting Monday night that changes how the district will address School Choice Act applications beginning Jan. 1.Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock said that under the new policy school districts must act on School Choice applications within 15 days of receiving them anytime between Jan. 1 and May 1. Once an answer is given, the applicant must respond within 10 school days as to whether they will begin attending school immediately or wait until the next school year. If the applicant does not respond with 10 school days, the application is null and void. Hancock said the resident district cannot deny the transfer under the new policy. The receiving school district must accept the transfer unless, according to Hancock, the district has reached its enrollment capacity, the transfer would require additional staff or the transfer would require additional building space.Under the former policy, School Choice students had from Jan. 1 to May 1 to submit and application, and the school board of the receiving district would act on them during its May meeting.Also during Monday’s meeting, the board approved a substitute hire resolution. Hancock explained that Lyndsey Tooke, wife of Woodlawn School Board member Aaron Tooke, has applied to be a substitute teacher at Woodlawn. Since she is the spouse of a school board member, the board must approve a resolution allowing that to happen.Hancock said substitute hires are not usually addressed by the school board.Also during what was a relatively short meeting, Hancock said the school board approve selling the district’s driver’s education car. He said the money from that sale will be put toward buying a small utility vehicle for the campus.Hancock said the board also approved a board-to-board transfer of a high school student from Star City....
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