Board approves cooperative MOUs for early childhood, HIPPY and alternative academies; district to adjust purchased slots

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — The Pine Bluff School District approved agreements with the Arkansas River Education Cooperative that cover early childhood special services, HIPPY family-intervention slots and placements in alternative-learning academies.

Superintendent Barbee described the early childhood special services arrangement as a passthrough: the district will receive state funds and forward them to the cooperative, which provides the actual early childhood services. The board authorized the passthrough arrangement.

On the HIPPY program — a home-based parent-involvement model — the superintendent said the district funds allotted slots and pays the cooperative to hire staff to run the program. District staff reported that in prior years they used different restricted funds; this year they plan to budget Title I funds to cover the cost because the program is parent-engagement focused.

The board also approved participation in the cooperative’s alternative learning consortium (Focus, Flex and Explore academies). District staff proposed increasing fifth-through-eighth-grade slots from 25 to 30 while reducing high-school slots from 40 to 30 and Flex Academy slots from 30 to 20. Staff noted that unused purchased slots can be sold to partner districts and that the district sold 11 slots during the last school year, offsetting costs.

Why it matters: The cooperative agreements enable the district to provide specialized early childhood services, family-engagement supports and alternative placements without hiring all service staff directly. Changes in purchased slots reflect the district’s current needs at middle and high school levels and affect students who would be placed in alternative settings.

The board voted to approve the three MOUs during the meeting’s consent/new-business portion (see Votes at a glance).