Dollarway School District Information for Stakeholders

The Dollarway School District (DSD) was placed under the direction of the Commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education on December 10, 2015, due to Academic Distress. Shortly after, the district was classified as in Fiscal Distress. Under State Authority, the local school board was dissolved and the commissioner appointed Barbara Warren as superintendent. The Arkansas State Board of Education (SBE) is required by statue to annex, consolidate, or reconstitute if the district has not returned to local control by December 10, 2020. 

In the coming weeks, the SBE will decide on one of four options for the future of the Dollarway School District. The Arkansas Department of Education has partnered with WestEd and the Regional Comprehensive Center funded by the U.S. Department of Education to collect and analyze community input to inform the decision.

The following short video and slides have been provided to assist stakeholders in providing feedback. While the video contains scenarios under annex, consolidation, and reconstitution the SBE is not limited to these scenarios alone and may consider other options or suggestions.

Please watch the Dollarway Stakeholder Engagement Video - Phase 2.

To help make the best decision for Dollarway students, families, and community members, we invite you to share your opinions in one of three ways:

1. Community Feedback Forums  

These five virtual conversations will include a short presentation of the current options for next steps and ask each participant to discuss their perspective on each option. Each will last one hour and they will take place:
  •  Friday, November 20 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m. CT
  •  Monday, November 23 at 6 p.m. CT
  •  Tuesday, November 24 at 12 p.m. CT
Registration for these forums is recommended and can be done at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DollarwayFeedbackForumRegistration
 
At the time of the forum, you will be able to join the Zoom meeting at https://wested.zoom.us/j/96835284752 
or at this phone number: 1-312-626-6799  ID: 96835284752# 

2. Community Feedback Survey

Your feedback is valuable and we encourage you to watch the 8-minute video regarding possible scenario options and respond to the survey. While the video contains scenarios under annex, consolidation, and reconstitution, the SBE is not limited to these scenarios alone and may consider other options or suggestions. 

If you prefer to participate in written form, we also invite you to share your opinion via a 10-12-minute anonymous survey found at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DollarwayFeedback2020. 
 
The survey will be open through November 29, 2020. 

Please watch the Dollarway Stakeholder Engagement Video - Phase 2.

3. Open Public Comment

Your feedback is valuable and we encourage you to watch the 8-minute video above regarding possible scenario options and respond to the survey. While the video contains scenarios under annex, consolidation, and reconstitution the SBE is not limited to these scenarios alone and may consider other options or suggestions.

Please email or mail your response to the addresses below and include your or your organization’s name and contact information. No unsigned comments will be considered in this option. Comment will be accepted through December 8, 2020.

Email to: DollarwayCommunityInput@wested.org

OR

Mail to: Arkansas Department of Education
ATTN: Stacy Smith
Four Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201