The Mineral Springs School District has appealed to Circuit Court the state Board of Education’s finding that the district high school is in academic distress, based on test scores.

The district argued that it was unfair to issue a finding that could lead to state takeover based on averaging test scores over three  years when three different assessment tests have been used by the state in the last three years. The district already has a federal lawsuit pending in federal court that raises — in addition to questions about the state Education Department’s failure to follow the letter of the law on academic distress — some long-standing practices by the state that unfairly deprived the district of tax revenue it was due. That money (along with white students thanks to a variety of state actions) went to other districts.

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The district’s letter says in part, in protesting the potential loss of democratic control of the district by the state’s action:

Pulaski Circuit Judge Mary McGowan was assigned the case, the district said.

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