LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced on Friday that he has approved For AR Kids' proposed constitutional amendment, after initially rejecting it multiple times prior.
Griffin wrote in a letter addressed to For AR Kids on Friday that his decision to certify the ballot titles comes after the group made necessary revisions before the latest submission.
The ballot, titled Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024, aims to amend article 14 of the Arkansas Constitution of 1874. Article 14 in the constitution covers education in the state of Arkansas.
As part of the amendment, For AR Kids is hoping to "require identical academic standards and identical standards for accreditation" for any school in Arkansas that receives state or local funds. The amendment outlines that this accreditation includes "assessments of students and schools based on such standards."
The education ballot initiative was first introduced in December of 2023, aiming to amend Article 14 of the Arkansas Constitution.
Griffin said that he rejected the initial proposal due to it having an unconstitutional provision, lacking clarity on key terms, and having typographical issues, including missing words and misnumbered sections.
That same initial proposal included a requirement that any school that is receiving public funds to follow the same standards as traditional public schools, establishing minimum quality standards, guaranteeing universal access to Pre-K for three and four-year-olds, and addressing special education.
The proposal was revised, but was ultimately rejected for a second time on Feb. 8 due to the group's usage of "provision" and "tax benefits" in its text, which AG Griffin believed could make the proposal "ambiguous" and "misleading."
The group later resubmitted the proposal on Feb. 15, the most recent submission, before getting it approved by Griffin on Friday, March 1.