The state Board of Education voted Monday to place the Marvell-Elaine School District in Level 5/Intensive Support under the Arkansas Educational Support and Accountability Act.
The Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education recommended the move to Level 5 support, citing poor test scores, the need for "human capital analysis," and more. The division has voiced concerns regarding the number of certified teachers the district has.
The move means, among other things, that the school district must submit its "district support plan" to the state board for approval.
It doesn’t mean that the state plans to take over the district or remove the superintendent or school board. But the move to Level 5 opens the door to those possibilities in the future, said Johnny Key, secretary of the Department of Education.
The Marvell-Elaine School District, located in Phillips County, was already in Level 4/Directed Support, and Superintendent Katina Ray asked the board to allow the district to remain in that category.
Level 5 involves more face-to-face interaction with the state Department of Education, as opposed to Level 4, which relies more on teleconference and telephone support.
Some board members expressed concern because a Nov. 21 snapshot of the school's 2023 budget showed a loss of $907,363 for the school year. Ray told the state board that some federal transfers of money had yet to be recorded in the budget, and it will look considerably different afterwards.
She also said the previous Marvell-Elaine superintendent, Henry Anderson, died 11 months ago after a prolonged illness. Ray said she's only been superintendent for five months. And she asked the state board to give her more time to make a difference in the school district.