Act 1588

HB2217 is now Act1588. School Boards/Districts are now required to provide notification of school board meetings on their school website.

HB2217 Sent to Governor's Office

HB2217 after being amended was passed by the General Assembly. The House approved with a 79 to 11 vote and the Senate vote was 35 to 0.

Arkansas School Boards Association Opposes HB2217

On their website the ASBA states on their remarks for HB2217 they will Monitor and Oppose this bill. This is hard to understand if they are being honest in their "Beliefs and Resolutions of the Arkansas School Boards Association Approved by the ASBA Delegate AssemblyDecember 7, 2005". It states in 2.12 "Open Board Meetings and Public Information
School boards should conduct school district business in open session, except as otherwise provided by law, and use every possible means to inform the public of matters concerning the schools." Doesn't HB2217 provide another means to inform the public? I think so.

HB2217

HB2217 is a bill sponsored by Representative Pickett. This Act would be as follows: "An Act To Ensure That Notice Is Provided To The Public Of Public School District Boards Of Directors' Meetings; To Require Public School Districts To Publish Meeting Notices On Public School District Websites."
The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the public knows when a regular school board meeting is to be held. Although state law now requires that notice be given to any member of the public who request it, this does not happen. This bill would now provide for notice to be given to the public.

Thank you Representative Pickett.