AR HB1485

State Board of Education shall establish a list of approved programs and purposes for which school districts may expend funds allocated under Arkansas Code § 6-20-2305(b)(4), including classroom teachers, academic programs, tutoring, nutrition programs, and professional development.

School districts may use excess national school lunch categorical funds to supplement classroom teacher salaries only after meeting student needs, with Commissioner of Education approval for up to two years, and only as nonrecurring bonuses.

Adds dyslexia programs and interventions, and recruiting and retaining effective teachers through equity-focused approaches (reassignment strategies, differentiated pay, recruitment/retention models, cultural responsiveness training, and equity audits) as approved uses of funds.

School districts using national school lunch funds for teacher salaries during 2006-2007 must either immediately cease this practice or gradually reduce by 20% annually until reaching maximum 20% of categorical funds applied to salaries.

School districts must submit annual reports to Department of Education by September 15 detailing all programs funded, amounts expended, and other information required by the Department.