[NFB-Arkansas] ASD and ASBVI

[Melanie Thornton]

Good evening, all.

We discussed this issue in the At-Large Chapter meeting and I agreed to share any updates I received. The following was shared by the Arkansas Association of the Deaf Board:

If you do not agree with the ADE change from 2 superintendents to 1 for both ASD and ASBVI, please use this letter to send to the legislators and members of the school board to protest this change.  Please send this letter to each and every member of the educational committee in the Legislature <https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Committees/Detail?code=810&ddBienniumSession=2023/2023R> as well as the members of the school board <https://asd.ade.arkansas.gov/About/board-of-trustees>.

Sample letter begins below:
 
Date: [fill in]
 
Dear [blank],
 
I am contacting you in hopes that you will obtain a legal opinion in the matter of authority of the Arkansas Department of Education to combine the position of Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Deaf (ASD) and the position of Superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASBVI) into a single Superintendent position with oversight over both schools.
 
Please reference Arkansas Code A.C.A. § 6-43-103 <https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadvance.lexis.com%2Fapi%2Fdocument%2Fcollection%2Fstatutes-legislation%2Fid%2F4WVD-91M0-R03K-W092-00008-00%3Fcite%3DA.C.A.%2520%25C2%25A7%25206-43-103%26context%3D1000516&data=05%7C02%7Cmthornt%40uark.edu%7Ca880305086a844fb9bd008dc4f3b3a47%7C79c742c4e61c4fa5be89a3cb566a80d1%7C0%7C0%7C638472362999560825%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1YUVmUbFpby3mtY2xMGpnRdMh6nTJf%2FHjjh2HihqTQs%3D&reserved=0>:
 
6-43-103. Superintendents.
(a) The immediate conduct and management of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf shall be entrusted to superintendents.
(b) The Board of Trustees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Education, shall select the superintendents of the institutions committed to its care.
(c)
(1) Each of the superintendents shall be required to give bond in a sum fixed by the board, payable to the State of Arkansas, for the faithful discharge of his or her duties and the proper accounting for all moneys and property coming into his or her possession as such officer.
(2) The bonds shall be made by any surety company authorized to do business in Arkansas, approved by the Governor, filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and paid for by the state out of current expenses appropriated by the respective institutions.
(d) The superintendents of the schools shall be required to give their entire time to the management and operation of their respective institutions and shall be selected because of their previous training and fitness to care for the schools entrusted to their care.
 
It has been announced that there is an intention to hire ONE person to act as Superintendent. The Board of Trustees communicated to the attendees at a previous public meeting that two Superintendents would be hired - but that has since been rescinded and the announcement that only one was being hired during this month’s Board Meeting was a shock and disappointment.
 
Since questions to the Board, to the Arkansas Department of Education and the Governor’s Office are not being answered, I am coming to you and requesting that you obtain a definite answer for me and all involved. This is my question: What is the law concerning combining the two Superintendent positions for these schools? I am requesting that you obtain an incontrovertible opinion from the Attorney General’s Office as soon as possible as interviews are underway.
 
Thank you for your help,
Name
Address
Email
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