Strongly opposing a plan by Bentonville School District superintendent Michael Poore to purchase land and build a school in the Pea Ridge School District boundary, Pea Ridge School superintendent Rick Neal presented a memo to Pea Ridge School Board members Monday night.
Neal told board members he had received a letter from Dustin McDaniel, attorney general of the state of Arkansas, including a letter to state Rep. Jim Dotson (R.-Bentonville),and his opinion that "A school district board's ability to purchase property outside the district and to build facilities thereon remains subject to both this discretion, the exercise of of which is monitored by aplicable regulations." He referred to a 2001 opinion and to the Academic Facilities Oversight Committee which is "statutorily mandated to ... provde an equal opportunity for an adequate education for all public school students in Arkansas."
Saying he had spoken to many state officials, Neal said he believes this action is not in the best interest of the Pea Ridge School District.
"In my opinion, crossing district boundary lines will create a statewide cannibalistic behavior of neighboring schools purchasing land and building schools," Neal told the board.
General News on 01/14/2015