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Committee approves bill allowing isolated rural districts to receive both declining‑enrollment and isolated funding
Summary
Senators passed a bill permitting eligible small, geographically isolated districts to receive both declining‑enrollment funding and special needs isolated funding; the Department of Education estimated an annual cost of about $2 million and witnesses described substantial operational impacts for affected districts.
The Senate Education Committee voted to pass legislation allowing certain small, geographically isolated school districts to receive both declining‑enrollment funding and special‑needs isolated funding.
Senator Missy Irvin said the bill responds to requests from districts that lost average daily membership during the pandemic and urged support for rural schools. Johnny Key of the Department of Education told the committee the change would cost roughly $2,000,000 annually based on previous years’ distributions and said about 28 districts currently qualify for isolated funding.
Dale Querrey of the Arkansas Rural Education Association and Alan Yarbrough, superintendent of the Searcy County School District, testified in support. Querrey said the change would help the smallest and most financially fragile districts avoid painful cuts when they lose students. Yarbrough described running 14 bus routes across a 550‑square‑mile district and said his district lost about 60 students since last year, largely to homeschooling, costing the district significant funding.
After public testimony and committee questions about eligibility and budget impact, the committee moved to pass the bill and approved it by voice vote.
