An Arkansas House panel is supporting a proposal to grant waivers to some school districts that fall below the state's minimum enrollment, rolling back a key part of reforms enacted in response to a long-running education funding case.
The House Education Committee on Thursday advanced the proposal to allow districts with fewer than the required 350 students to request waivers from the state Board of Education if they're not classified as being in academic, fiscal or facilities distress.
The proposal now heads to the House.
The Arkansas Legislature in 2004 reduced the number of districts in the state by requiring districts with fewer than 350 students to merge. The consolidation law was enacted in response to the Lake View school funding case, which ended in 2007.