The Arkansas Education Board has agreed to take over the Lee County School District, which has been cited for having academic and financial problems.
The board voted on Thursday to remove the district's school board after a report by a three-person committee that studied academic performance issues at the district.
Lee County school officials have come under criticism for low student achievement levels, failure to dismiss underperforming faculty and class scheduling management that jeopardizes student graduation.
The district has also lost state aid due to dropping student enrollment levels, and officials say teacher training programs have been misdirected.
The committee is composed of members of the Education Board and is focused on addressing problems at chronically underperforming school districts.
