Arkansas News Bureau - Education Board approves renewing virtual school's charter

Arkansas News Bureau
Education Board approves renewing virtual school's charter
By John Lyon

Tuesday, Apr 10, 2007

LITTLE ROCK - Just days after Gov. Mike Beebe signed legislation allowing virtual charter schools to receive state funding, the state Board of Education voted Monday to approve renewing the charter of the Arkansas Virtual Academy in Little Rock for five years.

The board also took action on several other charter schools and removed two school districts from fiscal distress status.

On Thursday Beebe signed into law Senate Bill 262, now Act 1420 of 2007, which includes special language reversing previous legislation that blocked state money from going to virtual charter schools, i.e., charter schools that use Internet or long-distance learning technology in place of a traditional classroom setting.

Act 2131 of 2005 allowed a charter school to receive state funding only if it provided services in a "traditional public school setting." Act 1420 removes that language and directs that per-student state funding for students enrolled in virtual schools go to the virtual schools, not the public school districts in which the students live.

Act 1420 also limits enrollment in virtual charter schools to 500 students.

The board approved a charter for the Arkansas Virtual Academy in October 2003. Even though Act 2131 prohibited the school from receiving state money, the charter remained valid, though it was due to expire in June of this year.

After some discussion Monday, board member Ben Mays moved to approve renewal of the charter for two years instead of five.

Member Randy Lawson said he did not see a rationale for limiting the renewal to two years.

"My rationale is that this is a too-new program and it's obvious a lot of us don't really know how it works," Mays said.

Mays' motion failed on a 3-4 vote. Lawson then moved for a five-year renewal, and that motion passed 6-1.

Under its original charter, the school could accept students in kindergarten through 12th grade. At the school's request, the charter was renewed only for kindergarten through eighth grade.