The Arkansas Charter Authorizing Panel on Tuesday endorsed amendments to the state-issued charters held by four high schools to accommodate school plans for operating digital learning academies in the upcoming 2021-22 school year.
The panel of state employees and other interested citizens voted unanimously in support of the plans that will now go to the state Board of Education in June for final action.
The panel also endorsed and will send to the Education Board a proposal to attach the Pine Bluff and Capital City Lighthouse Academy campuses to the state charter held by the Jacksonville Lighthouse Academy, resulting in a single charter for campuses in three cities.
The four conversion charter high schools that received the preliminary approval for their digital learning academy plans are Siloam Springs High School, Lincoln High School, Harrison High School, and Mountain Home Career Academies.
The schools constitute the initial round of charter schools that are seeking changes to the terms of their charters to allow for digital academies in which students can take some or all of their academic program online from a remote location.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more details.