By George Jared

WILLIFORD — Attempts by parents in the Twin Rivers SCHOOL District to change their children’s ethnic designations won’t stop the state from dissolving the district at the end of the SCHOOL year.

At least 30 parents have made such requests since the state voted last month to shut the rural SCHOOL district down.

“It won’t do anything to alter the course of action,” Arkansas Department of Education spokeswoman Julie Thompson said.

Twin Rivers interim Superintendent Tommy Arant said previously the ethnicity change requests have not been processed but will be if the state officials want them to be. Students may have to wait until they get to their new SCHOOLs before changes are made, he said.

Parents have been asking to have “Native American” added to their children’s ethnic designations. Janice Maxwell, president of an organization, Ozarks Band of Cherokees Inc., said grants and other funding for improved academic programs might be available if there are enough American Indian students at the SCHOOL.

The Twin Rivers SCHOOL District was dissolved by the state in February after an investigation revealed chronic accreditation problems. That was coupled with the district’s low student roster, which is hovering near the state mandated 350-student minimum.

Twin Rivers was formed in 2003 when the Randolph County and Williford SCHOOL districts consolidated to meet state enrollment requirements. Two K-12 campuses, one in Williford and other in Ravenden Springs, operated.

Days before the state voted to dissolve the district, Superintendent David Gilliland resigned, and Arant was appointed by the state as interim replacement.

Concerned parents are preparing an appeal of the decision to the state Education Board. If that effort fails, some parents, including Tony Lowe, whose daughter Heather is set to graduate from Williford next year, are prepared to take the fight to court.

Lowe said he’s contacted an attorney in Little Rock, and money is being raised to pay for possible legal fees if the appeal is denied. “Splitting our children up and sending them to six different districts is irresponsible,” Lowe said.

A meeting for concerned citizens is scheduled at the Old Hardy Gym on Monday.

Faculty, parents and SCHOOL board members are still seething about Gilliland, who they say never relayed the state Board of Education’s concerns to them over the last three years.

“We’re getting punished for a man who wasn’t doing his job,” Lowe said.

gjared@jonesborosun.com