Arkansas’ education cooperatives have stepped up support to districts, Oliva tells lawmakers

August 17, 2026 - 08:08

Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva told lawmakers this week that the state's 15 education service cooperatives have significantly improved their support for local school districts. The update comes more than two years after Oliva first warned cooperative leaders that their funding was under review and that "business as usual" would no longer be tolerated.

That warning came in March 2024, when the state's top education official made clear that the cooperatives needed to justify their existence by providing measurable value to the districts they serve. Since then, the cooperatives have restructured their approach, focusing more on direct services like teacher training, curriculum development, and specialized support for students with disabilities.

Oliva said the shift has produced real results. He pointed to better coordination between cooperatives and districts, more efficient use of state funds, and a clearer focus on student outcomes. The cooperatives have also taken on a larger role in helping districts navigate new state testing requirements and literacy initiatives.

Lawmakers on the education committee appeared receptive to the update, though several asked for more detailed data on how the changes have affected classroom performance. Oliva said his office plans to release a full report in the coming months.

The cooperatives were originally created to pool resources and expertise across small and rural districts that could not afford certain services on their own. The recent overhaul was meant to ensure they were fulfilling that mission rather than duplicating work already done at the state level.