Education

House Bill 1539 proposes to amend the Public School Funding Act of 2003 in Arkansas. The bill aims to increase per-student foundation funding for public schools, as well as specific funding for alternative learning environment students and English learners for the 2025-2027 school years. A key provision is the creation of a new, dedicated categorical funding stream for special education, ensuring these funds are specifically allocated and spent on special education services. This change intends to address the underfunding of special education by allocating funds based on the number of students with special needs.

House Bill 1490 proposes to eliminate a current requirement for public school students transitioning to home school. Specifically, it repeals the rule that mandates students return or pay for temporarily issued items, resources, materials, or property belonging to the public school before they are eligible to enroll in a home school. This change would allow students to enroll in home school without first fulfilling these specific conditions regarding school property.

Senate Bill 451 requires the Department of Human Services and the Department of Education to establish regional behavioral health programs by January 1, 2026. These programs aim to provide necessary behavioral health treatment for students in public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools. The departments will collaborate to identify and repurpose alternative learning environments or find new locations for these programs. Additionally, the bill mandates the development of funding sources for students unable to pay for care within these programs.

House Bill 1144 aimed to require schools participating in the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program to comply with specific reporting standards. It mandated that these participating schools would be subject to the same statutory and Department of Education reporting requirements that public schools in Arkansas must follow. This bill sought to standardize the reporting obligations across both types of schools.

HB 1025, titled "The Teacher Fair Dismissal Act of 2025," proposes new rules for school districts when dismissing teachers. It would require districts to follow specific due process steps before terminating a teacher, including written notice, a hearing, and documented reasons for dismissal. The bill directly affects public school teachers and school districts in the state. However, the bill died in committee on May 5, 2025, and did not become law.