By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — A $3.4 million federal grant will help the state Department of Education promote public charter schools at a time when some officials of traditional public education are challenging the alternative schools’ encroachment.

The money from the U.S. Department of Education’s public charter schools program is to the used to help start up newly approved charter schools, to help inform other charter and public schools about successful education programs and to support planning efforts for new schools, some members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation said today.

“Our state is pleased to continue providing educational options for students and parents, which are made possible through this grant funding,” said Mary Ann Duncan, public charter schools coordinator for the state Education Department.

Arkansas currently has 17 open-enrollment charter schools that are open to students across school district boundaries and serve 11,000 students. Also, there are 13 district conversion charter schools, which operate within school districts.

The funding announcement comes at a time when the Little Rock School District is challenging the legality of charter schools.

Attorneys for the district recently filed a motion in the ongoing Pulaski County school desegregation lawsuit challenging the state Board of Education’s approval of charter schools in Pulaski County without regard to the effects on federal court-approved desegregation efforts in the Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special school districts.

Chris Heller, attorney for the Little Rock School District, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment this afternoon.

Randy Zook, president and chief executive officer of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas, said he was pleased with the additional funding.

Zook recently sent a letter to state business and community leaders urging them to join the newly created “Speak Up For Schools — Better Schools for a Better Little Rock.” The coalition was created to generate support for charter schools and to opposes the Little Rock School District’s legal challenge.

“The (U.S.) Department of Education and the Obama administration are driving the formation of more charter schools all over the country, aggressively. I think it will be helpful to the (state) Department of Education, which is trying to handle all this stuff,” Zook said. “Obviously you’re not going to have everybody going to charter schools but, yes, any additional money coming into Arkansas to help provide better education to kids is a good thing.”