§ 6-15-429 - Academic distress -- Required action. - Arkansas Statutes

6-15-429. Academic distress -- Required action.

(a) A public school district identified as in "academic distress" shall have no more than two (2) consecutive school years from the date of receipt of notice of identification from the Department of Education to be removed from academic distress status.

(b) The State Board of Education may at any time take enforcement action on any school district in academic distress status, including, but not limited to, annexation, consolidation, or reconstitution of a school district pursuant to 6-13-1401 et seq. and the authority of this subchapter, except no public school district shall be allowed to remain in academic distress status for a time period greater than two (2) consecutive school years from the date of receipt of notice of identification of academic distress from the department.

(c) If a public school district fails to be removed from academic distress status within the allowed two-year time period, the state board shall annex, consolidate, or reconstitute the academic distress school district prior to July 1 of the next school year unless the state board, at its discretion, issues a written finding supported by a majority of the state board explaining in detail that the school district could not remove itself from academic distress during the relevant time period due to impossibility caused by external forces beyond the school district's control.