LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Late on Monday afternoon, an updated framework for the future of education in Arkansas was officially announced.
Senate Bill 294, sponsored by 25 State Senators and 55 State Representatives, would introduce sweeping changes if approved.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders introduced her plan to push for this legislation earlier this month. Though there are 144 pages of legislation, some aspects are ones we knew were coming.
Staff pay— especially for teachers— was something heavily discussed and earmarked for this session. SB294 would raise starting teacher salaries to $50,000.
School choice has been high on the Governor's priority list recently, and there have been multiple press conferences held about the subject. The bill would require the state board to not establish a maximum number of transfers in or out of a school district.
School safety has also been a massive topic for years, and this bill has multiple sections to address that as well. School resource officer training, as well as training for educators to recognize changes in behavior, are just some of what was mentioned.
Indoctrination, which is something the Governor has been openly against, has a section as well— one line includes language that would ban a public school employee or student from being required to attend anything that concerns Critical Race Theory.
As for what's next for this bill, Sponsoring Senator Breanne Davis explained that it'll be in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
She also explained that they've even changed rooms in anticipation of larger than usual attendees.