The Pocahontas School District intends to submit an Education Flexibility Partnership Act (Ed-Flex) waiver application to the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Ed-Flex provides school districts an opportunity to request flexibility from certain federal requirements when that flexibility can support local efforts to improve student performance.
As part of the application process, Pocahontas School District is providing public notice of the specific waivers being requested and an opportunity for parents, educators, staff, and community members to provide comments regarding the proposed application.
District Student Performance Goals
The district's requests for flexibility are intended to support a larger strategy for improving student learning. Pocahontas School District has established measurable goals for increasing the percentage of students performing at grade level in both literacy and mathematics during the 2026–2027 school year.
The district's goals are to:
Literacy: Increase the percentage of students performing at grade level from a 2024–2025 baseline of 25% to 32% by the end of the 2026–2027 school year.
Mathematics: Increase the percentage of students performing at grade level from a 2024–2025 baseline of 22% to 30% by the end of the 2026–2027 school year.
The district believes the requested Ed-Flex waivers will provide greater flexibility to align staff time, federal resources, and instructional investments with the strategies being implemented to achieve these goals.
Proposed Waivers
1. Time-and-Effort Certification — 2 C.F.R. § 200.430(g)
The district is requesting flexibility from certain time-and-effort documentation requirements for employees working on a single cost objective.
Currently, applicable employees must periodically complete documentation certifying how their time was spent. The requested flexibility would reduce this administrative requirement and allow affected employees to devote additional time to supporting students and carrying out their primary responsibilities.
Expected Student Impact: Reducing unnecessary administrative paperwork will allow affected staff to devote additional time to supporting students and implementing the instructional strategies identified through the district's improvement process. This increased capacity will support the district's broader efforts to improve student achievement, including its 2026–2027 literacy and mathematics goals.
2. Title I, Part A Carryover Limitation — ESEA § 1127
Federal requirements generally limit the amount of Title I, Part A funding a district may carry forward from one fiscal period to the next to 15% of its allocation. The district is requesting flexibility from this limitation.
The requested flexibility would allow Pocahontas School District to better align Title I resources with a longer-term instructional improvement strategy rather than allowing an annual expenditure timeline to drive decisions about the use of available resources. This would provide greater flexibility to strategically invest Title I funds in areas such as professional learning, instructional resources, and other supports intended to strengthen Tier 1 instruction.
Expected Student Impact: The district intends to use this flexibility to more strategically align Title I resources with identified student needs and longer-term instructional improvement efforts. These investments will support the district's goal of increasing the percentage of students performing at grade level in literacy from 25% to 32% and in mathematics from 22% to 30% by the end of the 2026–2027 school year.
3. Title IV, Part A Content-Area Spending Requirements
The district is requesting flexibility from requirements that direct how portions of Title IV, Part A funding must be distributed among specific content areas.
The requested flexibility would allow the district to direct available Title IV resources toward locally identified priorities and student needs. This includes providing the district greater flexibility to address school-safety needs and requirements associated with Eli's Law.
Expected Student Impact: The district expects this flexibility to allow federal resources to be more closely aligned with locally identified student needs. By directing resources toward priority areas, including maintaining safe and effective learning environments, the district expects this flexibility to support the conditions necessary for increased student engagement, attendance, and academic achievement.
Opportunity for Public Comment
Pocahontas School District invites parents, educators, staff, and community members to review and comment on the proposed Ed-Flex waiver requests.
The public-comment period will begin August 31, 2026, and remain open for 10 consecutive calendar days, closing at 3:30 p.m. on September 9, 2026.
Comments may be submitted in either of the following ways:
1.) In Person: Superintendent's Office, Pocahontas School District, 2300 N. Park Street, Pocahontas, Arkansas
2.) Online: Submit an Ed-Flex Public Comment
All comments received during the public-comment period will be submitted with the district's Ed-Flex application as received. Comments will not be summarized, edited, or otherwise generalized by the district prior to submission.
Pocahontas School District appreciates the participation of parents, educators, staff, and community members as we consider opportunities to provide greater flexibility in the use of federal resources while maintaining clear accountability for improving outcomes for students.