On May 1, the Mountain Home School Public School District received a letter from David Ethredge, the Prosecuting Attorney for the 14th Judicial District, regarding an investigation conducted over the actions of former District Superintendent Jake Long and potential violations of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Upon completion of the investigation, Ethredge states, “it is clear that Superintendent Jake Long engaged in a course of conduct that was designed to circumvent and frustrate the explicit intent of the ARFOIA.”
According to the letter, the present law does not allow for prosecution of Long’s actions, as criminal provisions of the ARFOIA only apply to elected officials.
Mountain Home Superintendent Allyson Dewey spoke with KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot News about the letter and how the district will move forward.
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Dewey states the Board of Education has taken several steps to ensure they are more transparent with the community.
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In a written statement, Dewey states:
“In education, we encourage our students to learn, grow and do their best to rectify mistakes when they’re made. This is also the case when it comes to our school board and the way it conducts business. Shortly after the news articles about potential FOIA violations came out, our Board attended a FOIA law training session to provide additional clarity. We’ve also begun livestreaming our meetings, have incorporated a public board discussion section into each regular meeting agenda, and we send a comprehensive, easy-to-read Board report to the media after each regular meeting.
I want to assure our community that each member of our school board has a heart for kids and high character. If mistakes are made in our lives, the way we respond to them, learn from them, and strive to do better is the most important thing.”
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