Senate Education Committee advances adequacy changes, approves several school bills; nurse pay proposal defeated

The Senate Education Committee met to consider a package of House bills affecting K‑12 policy and funding, approving most measures on the agenda while rejecting a separate school nurse pay proposal.

The committee moved to adopt a House version of the adequacy bill that removes a prior earmark for professional learning communities (PLCs) and advanced a companion supplemental that redirects those funds for implementation of the state—s LEARNs initiative. Lawmakers also approved a measure clarifying paid maternity leave for teachers when contract breaks fall inside leave periods, a bill allowing cities to petition the State Board of Education to reopen or host a local public elementary or satellite school under certain consolidation conditions, a recall process for school-board members, and a measure that creates excused absences for children of fallen service members and first responders. A proposal to require the Department of Education to provide an online searchable textbook and library portal received no second and did not move forward. A standalone bill to raise school nurses— pay and direct the agencies to pursue Medicaid billing for nursing services was debated at length but failed to pass.

Why it matters: The session centered on how the Legislature will prioritize professional development funding and the balance between statewide contracts versus district-directed spending. Committee action reshapes where some targeted dollars flow and signals how lawmakers plan to pair LEARNs implementation with district-level discretion. The defeat of the school‑nurse pay bill leaves the question of how to address nurse recruitment and compensation unresolved.

Most significant outcomes

- Adequacy / PLC funding: Representative Keith Roach (State Representative, District 78) described the House bill as matching the Senate version "with the only change... striking that language out" referring to the earmark of $16,500,000 for PLCs. The committee approved the House adequacy bill and later advanced House Bill 1874, a companion supplemental that removes the specific dollar earmark and directs the funds toward implementation of LEARNs and professional development administered to districts. Jacob Levy of the Arkansas Department of Education told the committee the department has been prorating professional learning dollars to…