Boards Approve School Choice Policies

RISON - Both the Cleveland County and Woodlawn School Boards approved Arkansas School Board Association (ASBA) model policies Monday night that will change how school districts accept student transfer applications under the state’s School Choice Act. The new policy goes into effect Jan. 1.In the past, students wishing to transfer to a non-resident school district had to turn in an application from Jan. 1 to May 1 to the receiving school district in order to be eligible to make the transfer the next school year. The receiving school district’s school board would then act on those applications during its May meeting.With this new policy, School Choice applications can be filed anytime between Jan. 1 and May 1, and the school district’s must now act on those applications within 15 days of receiving them. Once the applicant has been notified of the approval, the applicant must respond within 10 school days as to whether they wish to start attending school in the new district immediately or wait until the start of the next school year.Woodlawn Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock noted that if an applicant does not respond within 10 school days, the transfer application becomes null and void.Hancock and Cleveland County Superintendent Davy King both said the new policy essentially eliminates the need for “board-to-board” school transfers. Under a board-to-board transfer, the school boards for the resident district and receiving district must approve a transfer request that is made outside the School Choice application period.Hancock also pointed out that the resident district cannot deny the transfer, and the receiving district can only deny the transfer if it puts the district beyond student capacity, requires the district to hire new staff, or would require additional classroom space.King pointed out during the Cleveland County School Board meeting Monday night that some districts are approving resolutions that give th...