Schools seek waivers of state laws, rules

The Arkansas Board of Education will consider at its meeting Friday requests for waivers of some state laws and rules from the Marvell-Elaine School District, the state's first traditional district to be operated by a charter management organization.

The tiny, 222-student Phillips County school district that is under state control and without a locally elected school board is seeking one-year waivers of rules and laws that:

Require state-licensed educators;

Set parameters for teacher planning time in increments of at least 40 minutes;

Mandate a school library;

Require one or more counselors;

Require a gifted and talented education program separate from regular instruction;

Set personnel policies.

The requests for waivers by the state's singular "transformation" district are similar to waiver requests made by open-enrollment public charter schools and by traditional public schools and school districts.

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