State says test scores rose under LEARNZ Act as local residents consider forming new school district

Arkansas government officials told THV 11 that statewide student proficiency rose after a sweeping education reform law passed three years ago.

The broadcast quoted the state education department's figures as saying overall proficiency climbed from 35% in 2024 to 42% in the last school year, with math up nearly 8%, science up nearly 9% and English up about 6%. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders credited the LEARNZ Act and cited increases in starting teacher pay—from $36,000 to $50,000—and a new merit teacher incentive fund. The program also noted critics who say state-funded education accounts have been used for private school or homeschooling expenses.

At the local level, District 71 candidate Cassandra Mays urged residents in the Mommel area to begin a conversation about whether to explore creating a separate school district to increase local control over educational options and tax-dollar use. Mays acknowledged the process would be lengthy and would face state-law constraints; she pointed to Jacksonville North Pulaski's 2016 separation as an example of a community that pursued its own district.

The broadcast said it reached out to Pulaski County Special School District for comment but had not received a response. It also relayed a statement from Jacksonville North Pulaski superintendent Dr. Jeremy Oa, who said building a new school system after separation required years of planning and significant investment.

The segment combined statewide policy claims and a local governance conversation and did not report any vote or formal filing to create a new district.