The Arkansas State Board of Education removed two school districts from its list of fiscally distressed schools while adding three to the list today.
The Earle and the Forrest City school districts have met the requirements laid out by the board to be removed from the list, and three school districts— Hartford, Western Yell and Brinkley — were added to the list, bringing the number on the list to 11 districts.
"We are elated," Ricky Nicks, superintendent of the Earle City school district, said. "We are pleased, and we are proud to petition the board to be removed from the list."
Earle was placed on the fiscal distress list in May of 2011, and the Forrest City school district was classified as being in fiscal distress the 2010 to 2011 school year. The board voted unanimously to remove both districts from the list.
Earle reorganized itself and closed a middle school to reduce spending, it said. Forrest City did not fill vacant positions, among other things, it said.
"There is a stop sign and a detour sign," Dr. Jerry Woods, superintendent of the Forrest City school district, said. "The detour sign says, 'You can get there. It'll take a little time, and you can take alternate routes, but you can get there.'"