2020 Arkansas Code
Title 6 - Education
Subtitle 2 - Elementary and Secondary Education Generally
Chapter 20 - Finances
Subchapter 6 - Local School District Isolated Funding
§ 6-20-603. Continued support of isolated school districts

1. (a) Upon the effective date of consolidation, annexation, or reorganization, the following school districts that received isolated funding in the 2003-2004 school year shall become isolated school areas for the sole purpose of receiving isolated funding and shall have a per student isolated funding amount as follows:

2. (b) Each school year, state financial aid in the form of isolated funding shall be provided to school districts containing an isolated school area in an amount equal to the prior-year three-quarter average daily membership of the isolated school area multiplied by the per student isolated funding amount for the isolated school areas as set forth under column “C” of subsection (a) of this section.

3. (c)

   1. (1) Except as provided under subdivision (c)(2) of this section, a school district may not receive isolated funding under this section for an isolated school area if the prior-year three-quarter average daily membership of the isolated school area exceeds three hundred fifty (350).

   2. (2) A school district is entitled to receive the funding under this section for an isolated school area received by the school district in:

      1. (A) A consolidation under § 6-13-1401 et seq. or the Public Education Reorganization Act, § 6-13-1601 et seq.; or

      2. (B) An annexation under § 6-13-1401 et seq. or the Public Education Reorganization Act, § 6-13-1601 et seq.

4. (d) A school district receiving isolated funding for an isolated school area shall expend the funds solely for the operation, maintenance, and support of the isolated school area.

5. (e)

   1. (1) Except as provided under subdivision (e)(2) of this section, a school district that qualifies under § 6-20-601 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. (2) A school district may elect to receive funding under this section in lieu of funding under § 6-20-601 if the school district qualifies for funding under § 6-20-601 and for funding under this section.

6. (f) For the purposes of this section, school districts with isolated school areas shall account for the average daily membership of all schools located in the isolated school areas as required by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and shall submit reports as required by the division.

7. (g) The division shall distribute isolated funding under this section in two (2) payments per school year.

8. (h) This section does not determine a school district's qualification as an isolated school district under § 6-20-601 as required to prohibit the closing of an isolated school in § 6-20-602.

9. (i)

   1. (1)

      1. (A) If all of an isolated school area in a school district is closed, the school district shall receive funding based on the prior-year three-quarter average daily membership of the isolated school area.

      2. (B) If part of an isolated school area in a school district is closed, the school district funding is based on the prior-year three-quarter average daily membership of the part of the isolated school area that remains open.

      3. (C) Funding received by a school district under this subsection is restricted for use at the closed isolated school area or for transporting students of the closed isolated school area to another school in the district.

   2. (2) If a closed isolated school area is subsequently used by the school district for an alternative learning environment program or other regular classroom teaching, the school district using the now closed isolated school area may submit prior-year three-quarter average daily membership to the state to request funding under this section.

10. (j) The State Board of Education may promulgate rules as necessary for the proper implementation of this section.

Per Student Isolated County School District Funding Amount Column A Column B Column C Van Buren Alread 2,219 Desha Arkansas City 2,040 Randolph Biggers-Reyno 763 Miller Bright Star 916 Marion Bruno-Pyatt 329 Dallas Carthage 1,938 Independence Cord-Charlotte 235 Woodruff Cotton Plant 733 Crittenden Crawfordsville 642 Newton Deer 853 Greene Delaplaine 215 Desha Delta Special 952 Nevada Emmet 307 Sharp Evening Shade 115 Ashley Fountain Hill 339 Yell Fourche Valley 1,603 Arkansas Gillett 1,000 Lincoln Gould 765 Lincoln Grady 560 Polk Hatfield 42 Monroe Holly Grove 868 Arkansas Humphrey 328 Union Huttig 668 Cleveland Kingsland 394 Madison Kingston 661 Phillips Lake View 1,054 Searcy Leslie 628 Lawrence Lynn 782 Columbia McNeil 329 Union Mount Holly 898 Newton Mount Judea 622 Izard Mount Pleasant 225 Johnson Oark 1,576 Montgomery Oden 671 Saline Paron 733 Yell Plainview-Rover 297 Franklin Pleasant View 679 Randolph Randolph County 444 Lawrence River Valley 106 Stone Rural Special 788 Searcy Saint Joe 727 Madison Saint Paul 123 Hempstead Saratoga 1,407 Van Buren Scotland 1,841 Dallas Sparkman 487 Ouachita Stephens 1 Stone Stone County 367 Jackson Swifton 458 Columbia Taylor 353 Howard Umpire 2,152 Union Union 45 Columbia Walker 819 Newton Western Grove 375 Cleburne Wilburn 978 Sharp Williford 475 Washington Winslow 494

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