Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 807 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1938 3
4
By: Representative Joey Carr 5
By: Senator J. English 6
7
For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE 9
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANS 10
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY 11
AND SECONDARY EDUCATION; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
13
14
Subtitle 15
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE 16
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF DISTRICT 17
STRATEGIC PLANS AND THE RESPONSIBILITY 18
OF THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND 19
SECONDARY EDUCATION. 20
21
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
23
SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -15-1702(a), concerning the requirement 24
that each public school and public school district establish a parental 25
involvement plan, is amended to read as follows: 26
(a) Each public school district and each public school within its 27
boundaries, in collaboration with parents, shall establish a parental 28
involvement plan within its school-level improvement plan required under § 6 -29
15-2914, including programs and practices that enhance parent and family 30
engagement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families. 31
32
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -15-2904 is amended to read as follows: 33
6-15-2904. Responsibility of Division of Elementary and Secondary 34
Education. 35
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop and 36 HB1938
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implement a comprehensive accountability system for Arkansas public schools 1
and school districts that: 2
(1) Establishes clear academic standards that are periodically 3
reviewed and revised; 4
(2) Maintains a statewide student assessment system that 5
includes a variety of assessment measures; 6
(3) Assesses whether all students have equitable access to 7
excellent educators; 8
(4) Establishes levels of support for public school districts; 9
and 10
(5) Maintains information systems composed of performance 11
indicators that allow the division to identify levels of public school 12
district support and generate reports for the public. 13
14
SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 6 -15-2914 is amended to read as follows: 15
6-15-2914. School-level improvement plans — School district support 16
plans. 17
(a) The General Assembly finds that it is the responsibility of: 18
(1) The state and educational service cooperatives to support 19
its their public school districts; and 20
(2) A public school district to support its schools. 21
(b)(1)(A) Beginning on May 1, 2018, and by By May 1 annually 22
thereafter of each school year, a public school shall submit to its public 23
school district a school -level improvement plan for approval by the public 24
school district and public school district board of directors for 25
implementation in the following school year. 26
(B)(i) A public school district and an open-enrollment 27
public charter school shall include a literacy plan in the annual school -28
level improvement plan required under subdivision (b)(1)(A) of this section. 29
(ii) The literacy plan required under subdivision 30
(b)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall include without limitation a curriculum 31
program and a professional development program that are: 32
(a) Aligned with the literacy needs of the 33
public school district; and 34
(b) Based on the science of reading as defined 35
by § 6-17-429(k)(1) § 6-17-429. 36 HB1938
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(C) A public school and an open -enrollment public charter 1
school shall include a parental involvement plan, as required under § 6 -15-2
1702, in its annual school -level improvement plan required under subdivision 3
(b)(1)(A) of this section. 4
(2) School-level improvement plans shall be posted on the public 5
school district's school's or open-enrollment public charter school's website 6
by August 1 of each year. 7
(c) School-level improvement plans shall be: 8
(1) Monitored by the public school district or open-enrollment 9
public charter school for implementation fidelity and progress throughout the 10
year; and 11
(2) Evaluated annually by the public school district or open-12
enrollment public charter school for goal progress and accomplishment. 13
(d)(1) Annually by September 1, a public school district receiving 14
Level 2 — Collaborative, Level 3 — Coordinated, Level 4 — Directed, or Level 15
5 — Intensive support shall submit to the Division of Elementary and 16
Secondary Education a public school district support plan in accordance with 17
rules of the State Board of Education. 18
(2) A public school district's support plan shall be posted on 19
the public school district's website no later than ten (10) days after 20
submission to the division. 21
(3)(A) A public school district in which forty percent (40%) or 22
more of the public school district's students scored “in need of support” on 23
the state's prior year summative assessment for reading shall develop a 24
literacy plan as part of the public school district support plan required 25
under this section. 26
(B) The public school district literacy plan shall 27
include: 28
(i) Goals for improving reading achievement 29
throughout the public school district; and 30
(ii) Information regarding the prioritization of 31
funding, including without limitation Enhanced Student Achievement Funding 32
received under § 6-20-2305, for strategies to improve reading achievement 33
throughout the public school district. 34
(e) Public school district support plans shall include without 35
limitation the support the public school district will provide to public 36 HB1938
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schools identified as in need of targeted or comprehensive support, or both, 1
pursuant to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Pub. L. No. 2
89-10, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 3
114-95. 4
5
SECTION 4. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 15, Subchapter 29, is 6
amended to add an additional section to read as follows: 7
6-15-2919. District strategic plans — Unified application system. 8
(a) Annually by June 30, each public school district and open -9
enrollment public charter school shall submit a district strategic plan to 10
the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education for review for the 11
upcoming school year. 12
(b) A district strategic plan required by subsection (a) of this 13
section shall include without limitation: 14
(1) A literacy and mathematics plan that addresses student 15
supports and acceleration opportunities based on student data and outcomes; 16
(2) Information regarding the prioritization and intended use of 17
funding, including without limitation Enhanced Student Achievement Funding 18
received under § 6-20-2305; and 19
(3) The support the public school district and open -enrollment 20
public charter school will provide to public schools within the public school 21
district or the open -enrollment public charter school identified as in need 22
of targeted or comprehensive support, or both, pursuant to the Elementary and 23
Secondary Education Act of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89 -10, as reauthorized by the 24
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114 -95, as it existed on 25
January 1, 2025. 26
(c)(1) An educational service cooperative shall annually review and 27
monitor the implementation of a district strategic plan for each public 28
school district and open -enrollment public charter school that is a member of 29
the educational service cooperative. 30
(2) The division shall collaborate with each educational service 31
cooperative to annually review each district strategic plan and approve the 32
proposed use of funding. 33
(d) Each public school district and open -enrollment public charter 34
school shall post its approved district strategic plan on its website by 35
October 1 of each year. 36 HB1938
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(e)(1) To promote efficiency, eliminate duplication, and assist public 1
school districts and open -enrollment public charter schools in implementing 2
district strategic plans, the division shall create a unified application 3
system that includes required state plans and federal funding applications. 4
(2) The unified application system required under subdivision 5
(e)(1) of this section shall include without limitation the following program 6
components and applications: 7
(A) Federal title funds; 8
(B) The parent and family engagement plan required under § 9
6-15-1702; 10
(C) The health and wellness plan required under § 20 -7-11
135; 12
(D) Enhanced Student Achievement Funding requirements 13
under § 6-20-2305; 14
(E) Alternative learning environment funding requirements 15
under § 6-48-102; and 16
(F) Gifted and talented programs under § 6 -42-109. 17
18
SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 6 -20-2305(b)(4)(C) and (D) are amended to 19
read as follows: 20
(C)(i)(a) A school district shall expend funds allocated 21
under this subdivision (b)(4) in accordance with the rules developed by the 22
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide the following 23
supports and resources: 24
(1) If the school district meets the 25
teacher compensation requirements according to the minimum salary schedule 26
under § 6-17-2403 for teachers serving in positions required by the Standards 27
for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts without 28
using funds provided under this subdivision (b)(4): 29
(A) The hiring of additional 30
teachers for core academic subject areas, as identified in the Division of 31
Elementary and Secondary Education Rules Governing the Arkansas Qualified 32
Teacher Requirements, that are not required by the Standards for 33
Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts; 34
(B) The enhancement of teacher 35
salaries for recruitment and retention purposes; 36 HB1938
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(C) Obtaining additional 1
compensation for teachers who assume identified leadership roles; or 2
(D) Additional compensation for 3
teachers who assume additional responsibilities that support student academic 4
achievement; 5
(2) Academic supports and interventions, 6
including without limitation curriculum specialists, facilitators, tutors, 7
dyslexia interventions, and Response to Intervention; 8
(3) Social, emotional, and behavioral 9
supports; 10
(4) Physical and mental health 11
resources, including without limitation personnel; 12
(5) Early intervention resources, 13
including without limitation prekindergarten programs, school tutoring 14
programs that take place before or after school, and early literacy 15
interventions; and 16
(6) Access to postsecondary 17
opportunities, including without limitation access to career coaches, 18
concurrent credit courses, college -entrance support, and career -readiness 19
support. 20
(b)(1) By July 1, 2022, each public school 21
district shall submit a three -year enhanced student achievement plan to the 22
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education describing the school 23
district's intended and implemented strategies to enhance student achievement 24
and how enhanced student achievement funds will be used to support the 25
strategies of the school district as permitted by this subdivision (b)(4) and 26
rules promulgated by the State Board of Education. 27
(2) A school district shall review 28
annually the school district's enhanced student achievement plan and shall 29
review the progress of the school district's enhanced student achievement 30
plan. 31
(3) The enhanced student achievement 32
plan of a school district shall be updated as necessary by the school 33
district, and amendments to the enhanced student achievement plan shall be 34
submitted annually to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education with 35
the annual budget of the school district. 36 HB1938
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(4) The Division of Elementary and 1
Secondary Education shall monitor the implementation and progress of the 2
enhanced student achievement plan of a school district. 3
(5) A school district that does not 4
demonstrate progress toward the goals of the enhanced student achievement 5
plan of the school district for three (3) consecutive years may be subject to 6
one (1) or more of the following: 7
(A) Additional monitoring by the 8
Division of Secondary and Elementary Education; 9
(B) An increased level of support 10
as provided in § 6-15-2913; or 11
(C) A corrective action plan that 12
shall be developed in collaboration with the Division of Elementary and 13
Secondary Education. 14
(c) The list of approved programs established 15
before July 24, 2019, by the State Board of Education under subdivision 16
(b)(4)(C)(i)(a) of this section shall expire on June 30, 2022. 17
(d)(b) The State Board of Education shall 18
promulgate rules for the implementation of this subdivision (b)(4)(C)(i) that 19
shall include without limitation: 20
(1) The process for submitting an 21
enhanced student achievement plan; 22
(2) The process for monitoring the 23
expenditure of funds allocated under this subdivision (b)(4); and 24
(3) The specific requirements, 25
qualifications, and criteria for allowable supports and resources. 26
(ii)(a) A school district shall budget one hundred 27
percent (100%) of funds allocated under this subdivision (b)(4) each year to 28
provide the supports and resources described in subdivision (b)(4)(C)(i)(a) 29
of this section. 30
(b) If a school district intends to transfer 31
funds allocated under this subdivision (b)(4) to other programs, the school 32
district shall provide justification for the transfer of funds to the 33
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. 34
(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if 35
the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education determines that a school 36 HB1938
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district's expenditure of funds allocated under this subdivision (b)(4) would 1
result in the school district's losing funding under any federal law, then 2
the funds allocated to a school district under this subdivision (b)(4) may be 3
expended for other academic programs or salaries. 4
(iv) The Division of Elementary and Secondary 5
Education may direct that a school district expend available funds on 6
specified programs under subdivision (b)(4)(C)(i) of this section. 7
(v) The Division of Elementary and Secondary 8
Education shall develop appropriate forms for use by school districts to 9
comply with this subdivision (b)(4)(C) and the rules of the State Board of 10
Education. 11
(D)(i) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education 12
shall provide a report on the progress of school districts in meeting plan 13
goals to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on 14
Education by October 1 of each odd -numbered year, beginning in 2023. 15
(ii) The report shall include information broken 16
down by category as described in subdivision (b)(4)(A) of this section on: 17
(a) How school districts are spending funds 18
provided under this subdivision (b)(4), including specific programs utilized 19
by school districts; 20
(b) The amount of funds transferred to another 21
categorical fund, including an explanation of why the funds were transferred; 22
and 23
(c) The analysis of student achievement data 24
evaluated in student achievement growth models as described in § 6 -15-2908 25
shall be expanded to include the evaluation of the best estimates of 26
classroom, school, and school district effects on enhancing student 27
achievement, in addition to the examination of student progress based on 28
established value-added longitudinal calculations. 29
(iii) The report shall be included in the General 30
Assembly's biennial adequacy study to evaluate the adequacy of education in 31
the state. 32
33
SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 20 -7-135(e), concerning nutrition and 34
physical activity standards in public schools, is amended to read as follows: 35
(e) Every school district shall : 36 HB1938
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(1) Convene a school nutrition and physical activity advisory 1
committee that shall include members from school district governing boards, 2
school administrators, food service personnel, teacher organizations, 3
parents, students, and professional groups such as nurses and community 4
members to include health and wellness goals as part of the school district's 5
district strategic plan required under § 6 -15-2919, that address: 6
(A)(1) Help raise Raising awareness of the importance of 7
nutrition and physical activity; and 8
(B)(2) Assist Assisting in the development of local policies 9
that address issues and goals, including but not limited to without 10
limitation the following: 11
(i)(A) Assisting with the implementation of nutrition and 12
physical activity standards developed by the school nutrition and physical 13
activity advisory committee with the approval of the division and the State 14
Board of Health; 15
(ii)(B) Integrating nutrition and physical activity into 16
the overall curriculum; 17
(iii)(C) Ensuring that professional development for staff 18
includes nutrition and physical activity issues; 19
(iv)(D) Ensuring that students receive nutrition education 20
and engage in healthful levels of vigorous physical activity; and 21
(v)(E) Improving the quality of physical education 22
curricula and increasing training of physical education teachers ; 23
(vi) Enforcing existing physical education 24
requirements; and 25
(vii) Pursuing contracts that both encourage healthy 26
eating by students and reduce school dependence on profits from the sale of 27
foods of minimal nutritional value; 28
(2) Begin the implementation of standards developed by the Child 29
Health Advisory Committee with the approval of the division and the State 30
Board of Health; and 31
(3) Require that goals and objectives for nutrition and physical 32
activity be incorporated into the annual school planning and reporting 33
process. 34
APPROVED: 4/17/25 35
36