Number of Disabled Students at Little Rock Charter Schools
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 
In reading this story about New Orleans Charter Schools avoiding enrollment of disabled students, I started wondering about the percentages in Arkansas charter schools. The average percentage of disabled students in Arkansas is 12.03% in 2008-2009. (I am not looking at preschool students in this total.) I then looked at the ADE report on special education to calculate these percentages.
2008-2009 School Year
Academics Plus,403 students, 0% disabled students
Arkansas Virtual Academy, 501 students, 9% disabled
Covenant Keepers, 121 students, 5% disabled
Dreamland Academy, 325 students, 3% disabled
Estem Schools, 895 students, 2% disabled
Lisa Academy, 433 students, 3% disabled
Lisa Academy North, 294 students, 1% disabled
Little Rock Prepatory School, not yet in operation
Jacksonville Lighthouse, not yet in operation
PCCSD on the other hand has 12% of its student body receiving special education services. Some students with disabilities may not be able to take advantage of accelerating academic programs, but the low numbers of disabled children in charter schools is worrisome.
Charter schools are required by Arkansas law to obey the major federal regulations regarding children with disabilities. Students on both IEPs and 504 plans are to be served by charter schools as stated in Arkansas law:
4.00 Observance of Anti-Discrimination Laws
4.01 All charter schools shall observe and comply with all anti-discrimination law, both federal and state.
4.02 For the purposes of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and these rules and regulations, all charter schools are responsible for ensuring that the requirements of IDEA are met.
4.03 For the purposes of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and these rules and regulations, all charter schools are responsible for ensuring that the requirements of Section 504 are met.
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Reader Comments (2)
Hot Springs spent 12 million dollars constructing a palace, supposedly for ALL 5th and 6th graders in the district which opened Jan 2008. Hot Springs Intermediate School (Pictures can be seen online). Who they put in the building instead was Park IB school (k-5) and 5th and 6th graders from around the district EXCEPT for the children in special ed / self contained. Park IB requires you to be on grade level (advanced program for gifted students) and if you check Children with disabilities in this school, there are none. They also made all the 5th and 6th graders who were in self contained, go to the Middle School with the older kids (7th-8th grade). The IB kids got the best money can buy, smaller class sizes, individual instruction, advanced technology, masters degree teachers, etc.. and the SP/Ed kids who should by grade level be in that beautiful, spacious, brand new building, now go into a school that is in so much trouble with test scores they are under state control. (year 6 school improvement). There is something very unfair, especially with as much as the IB program cost because children who would naturally do well, are given even more while children in self contained with disabilities are put in the old school.
I'm very upset that school choice gives no choice to children with disabilities. The disabled are 12% of the student population!