2017 Arkansas Code
Title 6 - Education
Subtitle 2 - Elementary and Secondary Education Generally
Chapter 20 - Finances
Subchapter 6 - Local School District Isolated Funding
§ 6-20-601. Qualifications for receiving isolated funding -- Definition

Universal Citation: AR Code § 6-20-601 (2017)
  • (a) As used in this section, "isolated school district" means a school district that meets any four (4) of the following five (5) criteria:
    • (1) There is a distance of twelve (12) miles or more by hard-surfaced highway from the high school of the district to the nearest adjacent high school in an adjoining district;
    • (2) The density ratio of transported students is less than three (3) students per square mile of area;
    • (3) The total area of the district is ninety-five square miles (95 sq. mi.) or greater;
    • (4) Less than fifty percent (50%) of bus route miles is on hard-surfaced roads; and
    • (5) There are geographic barriers such as lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges that would impede travel to schools that otherwise would be appropriate for consolidation, cooperative programs, and shared services.
  • (b) An isolated school district shall be eligible to receive isolated funding under this section if:
    • (1) The school district's budget is prepared by the school district with Department of Education approval;
    • (2) The school district has a prior-year three-quarter average daily membership of fewer than three hundred fifty (350); and
    • (3) The school district and each school within the school district meets the minimum standards for accreditation of public schools prescribed by law and regulation.
  • (c) Any school district designated as an isolated school district for the 1996-1997 fiscal year that used geographic barriers as one (1) of the four (4) criteria necessary to receive isolated funding shall be allowed to continue to use geographic barriers as a criterion for future allocations of isolated funding.
  • (d)
    • (1) State financial aid in the form of isolated funding shall be provided to school districts qualifying under this section.
    • (2) There are two (2) categories of isolated funding:
      • (A) Category I isolated funding shall be provided to all school districts that qualify under this section and shall be calculated as:
        • (i) Three hundred fifty (350) minus the prior-year three-quarter average daily membership; divided by
        • (ii) Eight hundred fifty (850); multiplied by
        • (iii) The prior-year three-quarter average daily membership; and multiplied by
        • (iv) The per-student foundation funding amount under § 6-20-2305(a)(2); and
      • (B) Category II isolated funding shall be additionally provided to those school districts that qualify under this section and have a prior-year three-quarter average daily membership density ratio of less than one and two-tenths (1.2) students per square mile and shall be calculated at fifty percent (50%) of Category I funding.
    • (3) (A) An isolated school district whose per-student revenue exceeds the per-student foundation funding amount shall receive isolated funding calculated as follows:
      • (i) The sum of Category I plus Category II; minus
      • (ii) The per-student foundation funding amount; minus
      • (iii) The school district's per-student revenue; and multiplied by
      • (iv) The prior-year three-quarter average daily membership.
        • (B) As used in this subdivision (d)(3), "revenue" has the same meaning as defined in § 6-20-2303.
  • (e)
    • (1) Except as provided under subdivision (e)(2) of this section, a school district that qualifies under § 6-20-603 to receive additional state aid because its prior-year three-quarter average daily membership is less than three hundred fifty (350) is not eligible to receive funding under this section.
    • (2) A school district may elect to receive funding under this section in lieu of funding under § 6-20-603 if the school district qualifies for funding under § 6-20-603 and for funding under this section.
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