The Arkansas Board of Education voted 6-0 Thursday afternoon to approve accreditation ratings for the state’s 1,052 schools, including the Arkansas Schools for the Blind and for the Deaf, the more than 250 school districts, and charter systems.
The Watson Chapel High School of the Watson Chapel School District is the only school to have their 2017-18 state accreditation put on probation.
WCSD Superintendent Connie Hathorn said that the accreditation was placed on probation due to the assistant principal having an expired license and an employee of the school’s curriculum department having an improper license.
“I am the superintendent and I will take the blame for the curriculum department employee,” Hathorn said. “I had created a position that the state did not have a code for.”
He said that the issue was brought to his attention in March, at which time he informed his board members.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“By the time we found out, it was too late,” Hathorn said.
He said that the assistant principal was required to take certain exams and other required items to obtain a permanent license, but he was unable to complete the requirements in due time.
Arkansas’ accreditation standards are important to school districts because a school or district’s failure to meet the standards in two consecutive years puts the district or school in jeopardy of a range of sanctions levied by the state Board of Education.
The sanctions include directing a district to replace its curriculum or its leadership. A school or district can be placed under “alternative public governance,” or the school or district can be closed down or annexed to another district.
Hathorn stated that the issue has now been resolved.
“Both employees were informed that they would be removed from those positions,” he said. “They each have teaching licenses, so they were offered teaching positions. Whether they will accept the positions or not, is unknown at this time.”