Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 6 - EDUCATION (§§ 6-1-101 — 6-87-104) › Subtitle 2 - ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GENERALLY (§§ 6-10-101 — 6-28-206) › Chapter 20 - FINANCES (§§ 6-20-101 — 6-20-2704) › Subchapter 6 - LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ISOLATED FUNDING (§§ 6-20-601 — 6-20-606) › Section 6-20-603 - Continued support of isolated school districts

(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:
County
Column A
School District
Column B
Per Student Isolated Funding Amount
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
(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.
(c)
(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)
A school district is entitled to receive the funding under this section for an isolated school area received by the school district in:
(A)
A consolidation under §
6-13-1401
et seq. or the Public Education Reorganization Act, §
6-13-1601
et seq.; or
(B)
An annexation under §
6-13-1401
et seq. or the Public Education Reorganization Act, §
6-13-1601
et seq.
(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.
(e)
(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)
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.
(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.
(g)
The division shall distribute isolated funding under this section in two (2) payments per school year.
(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
.
(i)
(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.
(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.
(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)
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.
(j)
The State Board of Education may promulgate rules as necessary for the proper implementation of this section.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 1612, eff. 7/1/2019.
Acts 2003 (2nd Ex. Sess.), No. 65, § 1; 2007, No. 1573, §§ 29, 30; 2009, No. 811, § 1; 2011, No. 996, § 1; 2011, No. 1131, § 3.