LITTLE ROCK — Public education issues are expected to be at the top of the agenda for Arkansas lawmakers during next year’s legislative session.
Recent court rulings on student transfers and school funding join the desires of charter school and school voucher advocates.
The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last month that the state can’t take excess property tax revenue from wealthy school districts and redistribute the money to poorer districts. And a state law regarding the transfer of students between districts was struck down in June.
At the same time supporters of charter schools want reforms that could include replacing the state Board of Education as the entity that approves the schools. Another plan calls for private school scholarships that opponents say would take money away from public schools.