§ 6-11-105 - Powers and duties. - Arkansas Statutes

6-11-105. Powers and duties.

(a) The State Board of Education shall:

(1) Have general supervision of the public schools of the state;

(2) Recommend courses of study for the public schools and teacher training institutions;

(3) Prescribe rules for the examination of pupils to detect contagious and infectious diseases and physical defects;

(4) Issue certificates based upon credentials presented by applicants for certificates to teach in the public schools of the state;

(5) Qualify and standardize public schools and prescribe requirements for accrediting and grading public schools;

(6) Supervise the operation of school district budgets;

(7) Supervise the purchase and distribution of textbooks;

(8) Take such other action as it may deem necessary to promote:

(A) The physical welfare of school children;

(B) The organization and efficiency of the public schools of the state; and

(C) Public education and awareness about racial profiling;

(9) (A) Perform all other functions that may now or hereafter be delegated to the state board by law.

(B) However, nothing in this act shall prohibit the state board and the Department of Education from issuing teachers' certificates upon the results of teachers' examinations as now provided by law;

(10) Eliminate unnecessary reports and paperwork by yearly identifying and compiling a list of all reports that are required from local school districts by the department or the state board for the school year; and

(11) Adopt policies to ensure, except as allowed under subsection (b) of this section, that local school districts are not required by the state board or the department to:

(A) Provide information that is already available on a department student information management system or housed within the department;

(B) Provide the same written information more than one (1) time during a school year unless the information has changed during the school year; or

(C) Complete forms for children with disabilities that are not necessary to ensure compliance with federal statutes and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, state mandates, and corresponding appropriations governing the provision of special education services to students with disabilities.

(b) The state board may require information available on a department student information management system or require the same information twice if the state board can demonstrate a compelling need and can demonstrate there is not a more expeditious manner of getting the information.

(c) The state board may organize and, from time to time, change and alter the department into branches or sections as may be found necessary and desirable by the Commissioner of Education to perform all proper functions and to render maximum service relating to the operation and improvement of the general education programs of the state.

(d) The state board shall adopt rules and regulations for its meetings and proceedings as it deems advisable.