The Arkansas State Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday, May 29, to classify the Blytheville School District (BSD) as Level 5-Intensive Support and remove the Blytheville School Board's authority.
Education Secretary Jacob Oliva is to assume the authority of the local board. Oliva is authorized to appoint a superintendent and possibly pursue a transformation contract.
Oliva sent a letter on May 14 as a hearing notice expressing his intent to recommend the state's highest support classification. In the letter, he noted the absence of coherent leadership, inconsistent governance structure, and chronic student underachievement.
BSD responded in a letter on May 21 to appeal the recommendation. They listed reasons for the appeal, including full compliance with Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) recommendations, academic improvement, leadership efforts, and district performance and outlook mischaracterization.
At the Intensive Support Hearing in the Blytheville Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Deputy Commissioner Stacy Smith presented reasons the ADE recommended the State Board of Education rank BSD at Level 5-Intensive Support and dissolve local authority.
Smith presented concerns, including declining student enrollment, low student achievement, and below-state average graduation rates.
“Blytheville is a great place to be; it has a bright future ahead, but at this time, there are several things we have concerns about. We feel like they need support,” Smith said during the presentation.
The 2024 Arkansas Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System (ATLAS) results showed that Blytheville Elementary School (3rd-5th grade) scored in less than the 1st percentile in Math, while Science and English Language Arts scored in the 1st percentile.
On the scale, the 1st percentile is the lowest ranking, with the 100th percentile being the best.
“Of all the districts in the state they are in the lowest achievement level you can be in,” Smith said.
Blytheville Middle School’s (7th-8th grade) 2024 ATLAS scores placed the school in the 3rd percentile in English Language Arts, the 5th percentile in Math, and the 8th percentile in Science.
Blytheville High School’s (9th-12th grade) 2024 ATLAS results placed the school in the 5th percentile in English Language Arts, the 5th Percentile in Algebra I and Geometry, and the 18th percentile in Biology.
In a meeting, Oliva alerted BSD of his concerns with the district last July.
“When we were before this community a year ago we made a commitment as an agency. Enough's enough. We can't leave these children in limbo,” Oliva said.
Smith also expressed concerns with the leadership of the BSD's School Board. Oliva said getting them to act forced the state to pull them along.
“What you're going to hear more about is some of the frustration of how much we have to babysit the people that are elected to govern the district,” Oliva said.
Smith highlighted that BSD has had 6 superintendents in 8 years and expressed concerns about fiscal oversight and inefficiency.
The previous superintendent, Dr. Veronica Perkins, was terminated in August 2024 after investigating 21 separate incidents during the 2023-24 school year, most of which alleged misusing funds.
A consulting firm to conduct a superintendent search was not hired until February 27, 2025.
“In governance one of their jobs is to hire a superintendent which we’ve been asking them to do for a year and they still haven't done it,” Oliva said. “It wasn't until last month they said they'll start interviewing folks. Where is the urgency?”
BSD did not meet statutory deadlines to turn in this year's budget. However, the ADE highlighted that the district spends more than the statewide average per pupil.
Oliva said that BDE has received more support than almost any district in the state without ever being declared a Level 5-Intensive Support.
Blytheville School District’s response
The district was given 20 minutes to respond to the state’s concerns. Interim Superintendent Jenifer Blankenship and President of the School Board Desmond Hammett presented the response.
“My commitment is the urgency of improving student outcomes. Providing an equitable, high-quality education for all students and accountability through collaboration and partnership,” Blankenship said in her opening.
She noted that building principals have been hired school-wide, and more teachers are getting their qualifications and licenses in the District. She also added that the District is looking into offering virtual AP classes next year.
“We have historical challenges, and we acknowledge those; we know progress is on the way,” Blankenship said. “Benchmark assessments are indicating early signs of growth, especially in K-3 Literacy.”
Blankenship also addressed enrollment decline, saying they have lost students, but it's not due to dissatisfaction but to rural flight and economic shifts in the area.
Hammon addressed some of the concerns regarding the school board. He said BSD has been complying with the ADE's recommendations and has "worked tirelessly" to do so.
Regarding leadership, Hammon said some were interested in the interim superintendent position but then declined after the applicants were asked to contact Associate Deputy Commissioner Sheila Whitlow.
“I’m not saying there's any red flag there but we’ve tried to get qualified leaders for interim while looking for a full time candidate,” Hammon said. “We’ve done the work.”
Hammet also said that BSD has shown academic progress and "consistent good faith efforts to comply with all directives."
Smith addressed the comments about contacting Whitlow, possibly deterring interim candidates.
“The fact that they talk about Sheila Whitlow discouraging people multiple times in their rebuttal, that right there just shows why this board needs to be dissolved,” Smith said. “We have spent thousands of dollars and invested thousands of ADE’s time driving the Blytheville, spending hours here.”
Whitlow said the ADE has spoken to potential teachers about working for the Blytheville School District.
“What this board fails to realize is when we are talking to these folks they don't want to come here because of this board,” Smith said.
During public comments, a majority voiced their concerns with the district as a whole. Blytheville native Bradley Ballard expressed his desire to dissolve the local board.
"The leadership here or lack thereof has created a toxic environment," Ballard said. "This results from a board that is too prideful to leave and too fractured to function."
After comments, the Arkansas Department of Education board voted by roll call to classify the school as Level-5 intensive support, remove the author of the local board grant, Oliva, the ability to appoint a superintendent, and consider a transformation contract.
A transformation contract is a component of the LEARNS Act that allows a charter school management company to operate a public school district that is threatened with closure. Marvell-Elaine District in May 2023 was the first transformation contract in the state.
Some audience members applauded after the Arkansas Department of Education passed the unanimous vote. The whole meeting can be viewed on the Arkansas PBS YouTube Channel.
