Evening Capitol Report: September 1, 2022
Category:
Legislature
The Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) – PEER Subcommittee approved the following Department of Education Requests for American Rescue Plan Appropriation for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund Grants during its meeting this afternoon:
- Magnolia – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Mt. Vernon-Enola – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Mulberry/Pleasant View – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Marion – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Bald Knob – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Scholarmade Achievement Place of Arkansas – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- Searcy – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Arkansas School for the Blind Searcy – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Lonoke – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Shirley – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Kirby – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Osceola – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Hampton – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Greenbrier – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Glen Rose – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Harrisburg – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- Pocahontas – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Norfork – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- Nevada – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Lake Hamilton – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Ozark – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Yellville-Summit – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- LISA Academy – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Marmaduke – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Alpena – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Springdale – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Bay – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Brinkley – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Waldron – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Hazen – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Cutter Morning Star – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Spring Hill – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Gurdon – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Gentry – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- eStem Public Charter School – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Lafayette County – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Highland – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Mena – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- Quitman – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Monticello – modified plan to meet the recommendations of the ALC
- Caddo Hills – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- Fort Smith – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- North Little Rock – plan meets recommendations of ALC
- Parkers Chapel – plan does not meet the recommendations of the ALC and they provided justification
- Rector was also included in the batch but a link to their plan and citation of whether or not they can meet the ALC recommendation was not included.
In July the ALC voted to expunge the vote by which they approved $500 million spending authority for the Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education undre ARP ESSER, and recommended:
- That the school districts utilize available ESSER funds to provide retention and recruitment bonuses to teachers in the amount of $5,000 each, full-time classified school district staff in the amount of $2,500 each, and part-time classified staff in amounts that are half of those awarded to their full-time counterparts.
- The Arkansas Department of Education will bring to the ALC-PEER Subcommittee specific plans for each school district’s use of the funds as recommended by ALC, and if the school district is unable or unwilling to meet those recommendations, a comprehensive statement as to why the school district is unable or unwilling to utilize the ESSER funds in this manner.
Each school had to answer the following questions:
- Does the district’s current ARP ESSER Use of Funds plan meet the recommendations of ALC?
- If not, has the district revised the ARP ESSER Use of Funds plan to meet the recommendations of ALC?
- If the plan does not meet the recommendations and has not been revised to meet the recommendations, districts must submit a justification as well as a link to their current ARP ESSER Use of Funds Plan.
A spreadsheet of the responses from the schools listed above can be found online at https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Calendars/Attachment?committee=020&agenda=25075&file=B_ARP+Appro+Request+3b.pdf.