Superintendents are no longer asked to notify the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) each day schools are closed in the local district. To that end, the link for the e-mails has been removed from the ArkansasEd.org Web site.
The purpose of this policy was to allow ADE to be aware of school closures that could mean schools were in need of assistance from ADE. The policy also helped ADE respond to media inquiries from a statewide level.
In an effort to relieve districts from unnecessary reporting, however, please only notifiy ADE in the case of extenuating circumstances such as damage to facilities that will inturrupt classes for an extended period or interrupt state testing schedules. Feel free to request assistance from ADE or from the Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Division (PSAFT) as necessary by e-mailing Dr. Tom Kimbrell at tom.kimbrell@arkansas.gov or Mr. Doug Eaton (PSAFT) at doug.eaton@arkansas.gov.