Bill to ban corporal punishment fails
A bill that would have banned corporal punishment in public schools failed on a voice vote in Senate Education Committee Wednesday.
Amended education savings accounts bill gains support of governor, advances in House committee
A bill that would establish education savings accounts to be used at parents' discretion to fund private school and other education costs passed in a 11-5 vote in the House Education Committee Tuesday. An earlier version of the bill also passed the committee last week, but the bill was amended to decrease its fiscal impact and gain Governor Hutchinson's support.
Bill to expand voucher program clears House
A bill that would expand a special-needs education voucher program to include foster children passed in a 82-3 vote in the House Monday.
Education savings accounts bill advances in House committee
A bill that would establish education savings accounts to be used at parents' discretion to fund private school and other education costs passed in the House Education Committee Thursday.
Bill that would give charter schools rights to public school buildings passes in House after vote to reconsider
A bill that would grant Arkansas charter schools the right to buy or lease unused or underutilized public school buildings passed in the House 53-32 Thursday.
Bill that would give charter schools rights to public school buildings fails in House
A bill that would grant Arkansas charter schools the right to buy or lease unused or underutilized public school buildings failed in the House in a 50-32 vote Wednesday. Had it passed, it would have been sent to Governor Hutchinson to be signed into law.
Legislation to expand voucher program clears panel
A bill that would expand a special-needs education voucher program to include foster children passed on a voice vote with some dissent in the House Education Committee Wednesday.
Bill that would give charter schools rights to public school buildings advances
A bill that would grant Arkansas charter schools the right to use “unused or underutilized” public school buildings advanced out of the House Education Committee late Monday afternoon on a voice vote with some dissent, drawing criticism from some opponents of the bill who cried foul at the unusual timing of the committee's action.
Bill to ease restrictions on voucher program clears the House
A bill that would allow superintendents to waive the requirement that a student attend public school for a year before being eligible to participate in a special-needs education voucher program passed 69-7 in the House Wednesday.
Sanctuary campus bill dies again in committee
For the second time, a bill that would render colleges and universities ineligible for state funding if they "formally enacted or informally adopted" policies that did not comply with federal immigration laws -- so-called "sanctuary policies" for undocumented immigrants -- failed in committee.
Measure that would give charter schools first right to buy public school buildings advances
A bill that would grant charter schools the right to use public school facilities that are unused or underutilized advanced out of the Senate Education committee Wednesday on a voice vote with some dissent.
Bill to require civics test advances
To become an American citizen, immigrants must pass a civics test that asks questions such as, "What is one reason colonists came to America?" and "What does the Constitution do?" A bill that would make the passing of that test a requirement for high school graduation cleared the House Education Committee on a voice vote with some dissent Tuesday.