Arkansas Board of Education offers local control of LRSD with exceptions

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Little Rock schools are moving closer towards local control, but the State voted Thursday to keep a grip on the district.

At the end of a meeting Thursday, the State Board of Education passed three motions that caused outrage and protests from people in the audience.

Teachers at Hall High School may be out of a job after the board voted to reorganize staff at the school. That means all staff members at Hall will have to reapply for their jobs.

The board voted to give the power to the locally elected school board next year with three exceptions. The board can't fire the superintendent, can't sue the state, and can’t recognize a union without the state’s permission.

Parents stood up to them—frustrated--saying they’re done being micromanaged.

"You need to take your thumb off of Little Rock and let elected, representative democracy work for the people of Little Rock like it works across the state,” Ali Noland said to the board.

Their last decision of the night was to rename Pinnacle View to the Little Rock West School of Innovation.

The LREA released the following statement on Friday: