Charter panel shifts meeting to next week

The Arkansas Charter Authorizing Panel has rescheduled a meeting to decide on a proposal from the LISA Academy charter school system to establish a new school.

The panel was supposed to meet Tuesday, but officials delayed the session by a week because of inclement weather.

The seven-member panel, which is made up of a mix of state employees and interested residents, will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23.

The agenda includes consideration of a proposal by the LISA Academy school system to amend its state-issued charter and establish the LISA Academy Arkansas Hybrid School, to start with kindergarten through ninth grade this coming year and expand to 12th grade as needed.

Students would be provided with laptops and other materials to do their schoolwork at home but would be required to spend a half-day every week or at least every two weeks on a LISA campus or satellite learning center for hands-on projects, tutoring and other activities.

The meeting will be livestreamed for public viewing from the auditorium in the building that houses the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, 4 Capitol Mall in Little Rock.

Individuals critical to the logistical operations of the meeting will be physically present. Everyone else can watch via the livestream at https://bit.ly/39EiaSY.

Written public comments can be submitted via email and postal mail. To ensure that Charter Authorizing Panel members have sufficient time to review the comments, they should be received by 9 a.m. Monday. Comments can be emailed to tracy.webb@arkansas.gov or mailed to the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Charter School Office, 4 Capitol Mall, Slot 21, Little Rock, AR 72201.

The agenda for the meeting is available at https://bit.ly/3oI9bV2.