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ArkansasSB6192025 Regular SessionSenate

CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF AN ISOLATED SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Sponsored By: Missy Irvin (Republican), Steven Walker (Republican)

Enacted

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Isolated districts get local elected boards

Each isolated district has a five-member board elected by eligible local voters, and all members must live in the district. Initial members draw lots to spread seats as evenly as possible across election cycles. Seats are filled over no more than two elections for four-year terms or three elections for six-year terms. The district can hire its own director. Arkansas’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education can instead appoint a director overseeing all isolated districts or a director or superintendent for one district.

Isolated schools gain a path to independence

The law lets isolated schools previously annexed or consolidated under Arkansas’s Public Education Reorganization Act seek separate districts. The school must have operated kindergarten through grade 12 within two years before applying; the usual minimum enrollment rule does not apply. A petition to the current district’s board must state the intent to restore the original isolated school. It needs signatures from at least 350 registered voters within the school’s boundaries or at least 51% of those voters. The board must request a signature check within five business days, the county clerk must verify within five days of that request, and local voters decide at the next annual school election.

Funding and tax votes for isolated districts

An election within the isolated district must set its school property-tax rate; the law does not specify a rate. New districts qualify for isolated-school funding, extra funds based on isolated status, and current state funding available to public districts and open-enrollment charter schools. When aid uses prior-year average daily membership, first-year aid uses the school’s average daily membership from the prior year’s first three quarters. If the school stopped operating two years before district formation, the calculation instead uses average daily membership from two years earlier. When operations start at the beginning of the school year after detachment, the isolated school’s prior-year count is subtracted from the former district’s count.

Isolated districts inherit school property and debt

The current district must release the isolated school’s facilities and related debt to the new district. The written release must be signed by the current board president and included in the application. The new district also receives school furnishings, equipment, textbooks, computers, technology, phone and audio-video systems, athletic equipment, and machinery. Buses bought with isolated-school funds during the previous two school years must also transfer. The current district must transfer isolated-school funds it receives within four months after its fiscal year ends on June 30.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Missy Irvin

    Republican • Senate

  • Steven Walker

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 167 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/16/2025

Senate Vote - Wednesday, April 16, 2025 10:38:37 AM

Yes: 35 • No: 0

House vote • 4/15/2025

House Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 4:12:26 PM

Yes: 98 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/8/2025

Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 5:24:32 PM

Yes: 34 • No: 0 • Other: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Notification that SB619 is now Act 919

    4/22/2025Senate

  2. DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.

    4/16/2025Senate

  3. Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.

    4/16/2025Senate

  4. ORDERED ENROLLED

    4/16/2025Senate

  5. Read the third time and passed.

    4/16/2025Senate

  6. Rules suspended.

    4/16/2025Senate

  7. House Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in.

    4/16/2025Senate

  8. Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.

    4/16/2025Senate

  9. Returned from the House as passed as amended # 1 .

    4/15/2025Senate

  10. Returned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1

    4/15/2025House

  11. Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.

    4/15/2025House

  12. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    4/14/2025House

  13. Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.

    4/14/2025House

  14. Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment.

    4/14/2025House

  15. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1

    4/10/2025House

  16. Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE

    4/8/2025House

  17. RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE

    4/8/2025House

  18. Ordered immediately transmitted to the House.

    4/8/2025Senate

  19. Read the third time and passed.

    4/8/2025Senate

  20. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    4/7/2025Senate

  21. Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.

    4/7/2025Senate

  22. Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.

    4/7/2025Senate

  23. Rules suspended.

    4/7/2025Senate

  24. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1

    4/7/2025Senate

  25. Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE

    4/3/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • SB619 - Introduced

    4/3/2025

    PDF

  • Act Version

    PDF

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