Arkansas SB 149: TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003.

Bill Text

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ARKANSAS SENATE
95th General Assembly - Regular Session, 2025
Amendment Form

______________________________________________________________________
Subtitle of Senate Bill 149
TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL
FUNDING ACT OF 2003.
______________________________________________________________________

Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 149

Amend Senate Bill 149 as originally introduced:

Page 1, delete line 21, and substitute the following:
"SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent.
(a) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) It is the duty of the General Assembly to provide a suitable
and efficient free public education to the students of Arkansas;
(2) Acts 2023, No. 237, the "LEARNS Act", ensured that public
school teachers receive a minimum salary of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)
and that public school teachers with salaries above fifty thousand dollars
($50,000) receive a raise in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000);
(3) The House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
Education, meeting jointly, determined through the adequacy review process
the foundation funding amounts to meet the obligation of the General Assembly
to provide a suitable and efficient free public education to students; and
(4) The 2025-2026 school year foundation funding amount
recommended and adopted by the General Assembly includes three hundred twenty
dollars ($320) to pay the minimum employer contribution for participants in
the state-sponsored insurance program that public school districts pay and
that ultimately is paid to the Employee Benefits Division.
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to:
(1) Provide funding to assist public school districts to meet
salary requirements enacted by the LEARNS Act;
(2) Create a more efficient process of funding;

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(3) Gradually phase out teacher salary equalization funding to
increase the average teacher salary in Arkansas public schools and transfer
the funds to be used to assist in meeting the minimum teacher compensation
requirements under § 6-17-2403;
(4) Deduct the minimum employer contribution for participants in
the state-sponsored insurance program from the 2026-2027 foundation funding
amount; and
(5) Direct the Department of Education to pay the employer
contribution rate in the amount of three hundred thirty-three dollars ($333)
directly to the Employee Benefits Division on behalf of public school
districts.

SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6-20-2305(a)(2), concerning per-student"

AND

Page 1, line 26, delete "($8,162)" and substitute "($8,162), which includes
three hundred twenty dollars ($320) for the minimum employer contribution for
participants in the state-sponsored insurance program,"

AND

Page 1, delete lines 30 and 31, and substitute the following:
"thousand seven hundred seventy-one dollars ($7,771) eight thousand thirty-
seven dollars ($8,037), which does not include three hundred thirty-three
dollars ($333) for the minimum employer contribution for participants in the
state-sponsored insurance program that will be paid directly to the Employee
Benefits Division on behalf of public schools, multiplied by the school
district's"

AND

Page 1, line 34, delete "SECTION 2" and substitute "SECTION 3"

AND

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Page 2, line 15, delete "SECTION 3" and substitute "SECTION 4"

AND

Page 2, line 36, delete "SECTION 4" and substitute "SECTION 5"

AND

Page 3, line 29, delete "SECTION 5" and substitute "SECTION 6"

AND

Page 4, line 4, delete "SECTION 6" and substitute "SECTION 7"

AND

Page 4, line 10, delete "to one" and substitute "to one"

AND

Page 4, delete line 11, and substitute the following:
"hundred eight-five dollars ($185) the amount established in subdivisions
(6)(A)(ii)-(iv) of this section multiplied by the average daily membership"

AND

Page 4, delete lines 13 through 20, and substitute the following:
"(ii) For the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years
2025-2026 school year, the statewide target average annual salary shall be
fifty-one thousand eight hundred twenty-two dollars ($51,822) and teacher
salary equalization funding shall be one hundred eight-five dollars ($185).
(iii) The House Committee on Education and the
Senate Committee on Education shall set jointly the statewide target average
annual salary for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, and each biennium
thereafter, as part of the adequacy review process required under § 10-3-2102
For the 2026-2027 school year, the statewide average annual salary shall be

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fifty-one thousand eight hundred twenty-two dollars ($51,822) and teacher
salary equalization funding shall be one hundred dollars ($100).
(iv) For the 2027-2028 school year, the statewide
average annual sal