Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 909 of the Regular Session
*TNL139* 04-09-2025 10:49:50 TNL139
State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/7/25 H4/9/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1312 3
4
By: Representatives Brooks, Evans, B. McKenzie, Cozart 5
6
7
For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER 9
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND FOR OTHER 10
PURPOSES. 11
12
13
Subtitle 14
TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS 15
UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 16
2003. 17
18
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
20
SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent. 21
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 22
(1) It is the duty of the General Assembly to provide a suitable 23
and efficient free public education to the students of Arkansas; 24
(2) Acts 2023, No. 237, the "LEARNS Act", ensured that public 25
school teachers receive a minimum salary of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) 26
and that public school teachers with salaries above fifty thousand dollars 27
($50,000) receive a raise in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000); 28
(3) The House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on 29
Education, meeting jointly, determined through the adequacy review process 30
the foundation funding amounts to meet the obligation of the General Assembly 31
to provide a suitable and efficient free public education to students; and 32
(4) The 2025-2026 school year foundation funding amount 33
recommended and adopted by the General Assembly includes three hundred twenty 34
dollars ($320) to pay the minimum employer contribution for participants in 35
the state-sponsored insurance program that public school districts pay and 36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 H4/9/25 HB1312
2 04-09-2025 10:49:50 TNL139
that ultimately is paid to the Employee Benefits Division. 1
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to: 2
(1) Provide funding to assist public school districts to meet 3
salary requirements enacted by the LEARNS Act; 4
(2) Create a more efficient process of funding; 5
(3) Gradually phase out teacher salary equalization funding to 6
increase the average teacher salary in Arkansas public schools and transfer 7
the funds to be used to assist in meeting the minimum teacher compensation 8
requirements under § 6 -17-2403; 9
(4) Deduct the minimum employer contribution for participants in 10
the state-sponsored insurance program from the 2026 -2027 foundation funding 11
amount; and 12
(5) Direct the Department of Education to pay the employer 13
contribution rate in the amount of three hundred thirty -three dollars ($333) 14
directly to the Employee Benefits Division on behalf of public school 15
districts. 16
17
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -20-2305(a)(2), concerning per -student 18
foundation funding amounts under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is 19
amended to read as follows: 20
(2)(A) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year, the foundation 21
funding amount is equal to seven thousand six hundred eighteen dollars 22
($7,618) eight thousand one hundred sixty -two dollars ($8,162), which 23
includes three hundred twenty dollars ($320) for the minimum employer 24
contribution for participants in the state -sponsored insurance program, 25
multiplied by the school district's average daily membership for the previous 26
school year. 27
(B) For the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year and each 28
school year thereafter, the foundation funding amount is equal to seven 29
thousand seven hundred seventy-one dollars ($7,771) eight thousand thirty -30
seven dollars ($8,037), which does not include three hundred thirty -three 31
dollars ($333) for the minimum employer contribution for participants in the 32
state-sponsored insurance program that will be paid directly to the Employee 33
Benefits Division on behalf of public schools, multiplied by the school 34
district's average daily membership for the previous school year. 35
36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 H4/9/25 HB1312
3 04-09-2025 10:49:50 TNL139
SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 6-20-2305(b)(2)(A), concerning alternative 1
learning environment funding under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is 2
amended to read as follows: 3
(A)(i) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year, 4
alternative learning environment funding shall be four thousand nine hundred 5
eighty-seven dollars ($4,987) five thousand two hundred twelve dollars 6
($5,212) multiplied by the number of identified alternative learning 7
environment students enrolled during the previous school year. 8
(ii) For the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year, 9
alternative learning environment funding shall be five thousand eighty -six 10
dollars ($5,086) five thousand three hundred forty -one dollars ($5,341) 11
multiplied by the number of identified alternative learning environment 12
students enrolled during the previous school year. 13
(iii) Funding for students in alternative learning 14
environments shall be distributed based on rules promulgated by the State 15
Board of Education. 16
17
SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 6 -20-2305(b)(3), concerning funding for 18
English learners under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is amended to 19
read as follows: 20
(3)(A) For the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year, funding for 21
students who are identified as English learners shall be three hundred sixty-22
six dollars ($366) three hundred seventy -five dollars ($375) for each 23
identified English learner. 24
(B) Funding for English learners shall be distributed to 25
public school districts for students who have been identified as not 26
proficient in the English language based upon a state -approved English 27
proficiency assessment instrument. 28
(C) Funds allocated for English learners to public school 29
districts under this subchapter shall be expended only for eligible 30
activities as identified in current rules promulgated by the State Board of 31
Education and are a supplement to funding for national school lunch students 32
provided in subdivision (b)(4) of this section. 33
(D) For the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year and each 34
school year thereafter, funding for students who are identified as English 35
learners shall be three hundred sixty-six dollars ($366) three hundred 36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 H4/9/25 HB1312
4 04-09-2025 10:49:50 TNL139
eighty-four dollars ($384) for each identified English learner. 1
2
SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 6 -20-2305(b)(4)(A), concerning Enhanced 3
Student Achievement funding under the Public School Funding Act of 2003, is 4
amended to read as follows: 5
(4)(A) Enhanced Student Achievement Funding for each identified 6
national school lunch student shall be as follows: 7
(i) For a public school district in which ninety 8
percent (90%) or more of the previous school year's enrolled students are 9
national school lunch students, the amount of per -student Enhanced Student 10
Achievement Funding for the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year is one thousand 11
six hundred thirteen dollars ($1,613) one thousand six hundred fifty -three 12
dollars ($1,653) and for the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year is one thousand 13
six hundred thirteen dollars ($1,613) one thousand six hundred ninety -four 14
dollars ($1,694); 15
(ii) For a public school district in which at least 16
seventy percent (70%) but less than ninety percent (90%) of the previous 17
school year's enrolled students are national school lunch students, the 18
amount of per-student Enhanced Student Achievement Funding for the 2023-2024 19
2025-2026 school year is one thousand seventy -six dollars ($1,076) one 20
thousand one hundred three dollars ($1,103) and for the 2024-2025 2026-2027 21
school year is one thousand seventy -six dollars ($1,076) one thousand one 22
hundred thirty dollars ($1,130) ; and 23
(iii) For a public school district in which less 24
than seventy percent (70%) of the previous school year's enrolled students 25
are national school lunch students, the amount of per -student Enhanced 26
Student Achievement Funding for the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year is five 27
hundred thirty-eight dollars ($538) five hundred fifty-one dollars ($551) and 28
for the 2024-2025 2026-2027 school year is five hundred thirty-eight dollars 29
($538) five hundred sixty-five dollars ($565). 30
31
SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 6 -20-2305(b)(6)(A), concerning the 32
statewide target average annual salary for teachers under the Public School 33
Funding Act of 2003, is amended to read as follows: 34
(6)(A)(i) Beginning with the 2021 -2022 school year, for school 35
districts identified by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education as 36 As Engrossed: H4/7/25 H4/9/25 HB1312
5 04-09-2025 10:49:50 TNL139
having an average annual teacher salary below the statewide target average 1
annual salary, teacher salary equalization funding shall be equal to one 2
hundred eight-five dollars ($185) the amount established in subdivisions 3
(6)(A)(ii)-(iv) of this section multiplied by the average daily membership of 4
the school district for the previous school year. 5
(ii) For the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years 2025-2026 school year, the 6
statewide target average annual salary shall be fifty -one thousand eight 7
hundred twenty-two dollars ($51,822) and teacher salary equalization funding 8
shall be one hundred eight -five dollars ($185). 9
(iii) The House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee 10
on Education shall set jointly the statewide target average annual salary for 11
the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, and each biennium thereafter, as 12
part of the adequacy review process required under § 10 -3-2102 For the 2026-13
2027 school year, the statewide average annual salary shall be fifty -one 14
thousand eight hundred twenty -two dollars ($51,822) and teacher salary 15
equalization funding shall be one hundred dollars ($100). 16
(iv) For the 2027-2028 school year, the statewide average annual 17
salary shall be fifty -one thousand eight hundred twenty -two dollars ($51,822) 18
and teacher salary equalization funding shall be fifty dollars ($50) . 19
20
/s/Brooks 21
22
23
APPROVED: 4/21/25 24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36