Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S4/8/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 149
4
5 By: Senator J. English
6
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER
10 THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND FOR OTHER
11 PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS
16 UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF
17 2003.
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
20
21 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent.
22 (a) The General Assembly finds that:
23 (1) It is the duty of the General Assembly to provide a suitable
24 and efficient free public education to the students of Arkansas;
25 (2) Acts 2023, No. 237, the "LEARNS Act", ensured that public
26 school teachers receive a minimum salary of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)
27 and that public school teachers with salaries above fifty thousand dollars
28 ($50,000) receive a raise in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000);
29 (3) The House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
30 Education, meeting jointly, determined through the adequacy review process
31 the foundation funding amounts to meet the obligation of the General Assembly
32 to provide a suitable and efficient free public education to students; and
33 (4) The 2025-2026 school year foundation funding amount
34 recommended and adopted by the General Assembly includes three hundred twenty
35 dollars ($320) to pay the minimum employer contribution for participants in
36 the state-sponsored insurance program that public school districts pay and
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1 that ultimately is paid to the Employee Benefits Division.
2 (b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to:
3 (1) Provide funding to assist public school districts to meet
4 salary requirements enacted by the LEARNS Act;
5 (2) Create a more efficient process of funding;
6 (3) Gradually phase out teacher salary equalization funding to
7 increase the average teacher salary in Arkansas public schools and transfer
8 the funds to be used to assist in meeting the minimum teacher compensation
9 requirements under � 6-17-2403;
10 (4) Deduct the minimum employer contribution for participants in
11 the state-sponsored insurance program from the 2026-2027 foundation funding
12 amount; and
13 (5) Direct the Department of Education to pay the employer
14 contribution rate in the amount of three hundred thirty-three dollars ($333)
15 directly to the Employee Benefits Division on behalf of public school
16 districts.
17
18 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 6-20-2305(a)(2), concerning per-student
19 foundation funding amounts under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is
20 amended to read as follows:
21 (2)(A) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year, the foundation
22 funding amount is equal to seven thousand six hundred eighteen dollars
23 ($7,618) eight thousand one hundred sixty-two dollars ($8,162), which
24 includes three hundred twenty dollars ($320) for the minimum employer
25 contribution for participants in the state-sponsored insurance program,
26 multiplied by the school district's average daily membership for the previous
27 school year.
28 (B) For the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year and each
29 school year thereafter, the foundation funding amount is equal to seven
30 thousand seven hundred seventy-one dollars ($7,771) eight thousand thirty-
31 seven dollars ($8,037), which does not include three hundred thirty-three
32 dollars ($333) for the minimum employer contribution for participants in the
33 state-sponsored insurance program that will be paid directly to the Employee
34 Benefits Division on behalf of public schools, multiplied by the school
35 district's average daily membership for the previous school year.
36
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1 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 6-20-2305(b)(2)(A), concerning alternative
2 learning environment funding under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (A)(i) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year,
5 alternative learning environment funding shall be four thousand nine hundred
6 eighty-seven dollars ($4,987) five thousand two hundred twelve dollars
7 ($5,212) multiplied by the number of identified alternative learning
8 environment students enrolled during the previous school year.
9 (ii) For the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year,
10 alternative learning environment funding shall be five thousand eighty-six
11 dollars ($5,086) five thousand three hundred forty-one dollars ($5,341)
12 multiplied by the number of identified alternative learning environment
13 students enrolled during the previous school year.
14 (iii) Funding for students in alternative learning
15 environments shall be distributed based on rules promulgated by the State
16 Board of Education.
17
18 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 6-20-2305(b)(3), concerning funding for
19 English learners under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is amended to
20 read as follows:
21 (3)(A) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year, funding for
22 students who are identified as English learners shall be three hundred sixty-
23 six dollars ($366) three hundred seventy-five dollars ($375) for each
24 identified English learner.
25 (B) Funding for English learners shall be distributed to
26 public school districts for students who have been identified as not
27 proficient in the English language based upon a state-approved English
28 proficiency assessment instrument.
29 (C) Funds allocated for English learners to public school
30 districts under this subchapter shall be expended only for eligible
31 activities as identified in current rules promulgated by the State Board of
32 Education and are a supplement to funding for national school lunch students
33 provided in subdivision (b)(4) of this section.
34 (D) For the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year and each
35 school year thereafter, funding for students who are identified as English
36 learners shall be three hundred sixty-six dollars ($366) three hundred
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1 eighty-four dollars ($384) for each identified English learner.
2
3 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 6-20-2305(b)(4)(A), concerning Enhanced
4 Student Achievement funding under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is
5 amended to read as follows:
6 (4)(A) Enhanced Student Achievement Funding for each identified
7 national school lunch student shall be as follows:
8 (i) For a public school district in which ninety
9 percent (90%) or more of the previous school year's enrolled students are
10 national school lunch students, the amount of per-student Enhanced Student
11 Achievement Funding for the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year is one thousand
12 six hundred thirteen dollars ($1,613) one thousand six hundred fifty-three
13 dollars ($1,653) and for the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year is one thousand
14 six hundred thirteen dollars ($1,613) one thousand six hundred ninety-four
15 dollars ($1,694);
16 (ii) For a public school district in which at least
17 seventy percent (70%) but less than ninety percent (90%) of the previous
18 school year's enrolled students are national school lunch students, the
19 amount of per-student Enhanced Student Achievement Funding for the 2023-2024
20 2025-2026 school year is one thousand seventy-six dollars ($1,076) one
21 thousand one hundred three dollars ($1,103) and for the 2024-2025 2026-2027
22 school year is one thousand seventy-six dollars ($1,076) one thousand one
23 hundred thirty dollars ($1,130); and
24 (iii) For a public school district in which less
25 than seventy percent (70%) of the previous school year's enrolled students
26 are national school lunch students, the amount of per-student Enhanced
27 Student Achievement Funding for the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year is five
28 hundred thirty-eight dollars ($538) five hundred fifty-one dollars ($551) and
29 for the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year is five hundred thirty-eight dollars
30 ($538) five hundred sixty-five dollars ($565).
31
32 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code � 6-20-2305(b)(5)(C)(i), concerning
33 professional development funding for professional learning communities under
34 the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
35 (C)(i) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year and
36 each school year thereafter, additional funding up to sixteen million five
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1 hundred thousand dollars ($16,500,000) provided for professional development
2 above the amount in subdivision (b)(5)(A) of this section shall be used by
3 the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education for the development and
4 administration of professional learning communities for the benefit of public
5 school districts.
6
7 SECTION 7. Arkansas Code � 6-20-2305(b)(6)(A), concerning the
8 statewide target average annual salary for teachers under the Public School
9 Funding Act of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
10 (6)(A)(i) Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, for school
11 districts identified by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education as
12 having an average annual teacher salary below the statewide target average
13 annual salary, teacher salary equalization funding shall be equal to one
14 hundred eight-five dollars ($185) the amount established in subdivisions
15 (6)(A)(ii)-(iv) of this section multiplied by the average daily membership of
16 the school district for the previous school year.
17 (ii) For the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years
18 2025-2026 school year, the statewide target average annual salary shall be
19 fifty-one thousand eight hundred twenty-two dollars ($51,822) and teacher
20 salary equalization funding shall be one hundred eight-five dollars ($185).
21 (iii) The House Committee on Education and the
22 Senate Committee on Education shall set jointly the statewide target average
23 annual salary for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, and each biennium
24 thereafter, as part of the adequacy review process required under � 10-3-2102
25 For the 2026-2027 school year, the statewide average annual salary shall be
26 fifty-one thousand eight hundred twenty-two dollars ($51,822) and teacher
27 salary equalization funding shall be one hundred dollars ($100).
28 (iv) For the 2027-2028 school year, the statewide
29 average annual salary shall be fifty-one thousand eight hundred twenty-two
30 dollars ($51,822) and teacher salary equalization funding shall be fifty
31 dollars ($50).
32
33 /s/J. English
34
35
36
5 04-08-2025 10:31:14 TNL156Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.