§ 6-23-501 - Funding for open-enrollment public charter schools. - Arkansas Statutes

6-23-501. Funding for open-enrollment public charter schools.

(a) (1) An open-enrollment public charter school shall receive funds equal to the amount that a public school would receive under 6-20-2305(a) and (b) as well as any other funding that a public charter school is entitled to receive under law or under rules promulgated by the State Board of Education.

(2) (A) For the first year of operation and for the first year the open-enrollment public charter school adds a new grade, the foundation funding and enhanced educational funding for an open-enrollment public charter school is determined as follows:

(i) The initial funding estimate shall be based on enrollment as of July 30 preceding the school year in which the students are to attend classes;

(ii) In December, funding will be adjusted based upon the first quarter average daily membership; and

(iii) A final adjustment will be made after the current three-quarter average daily membership is established.

(B) For the second year and each school year thereafter, the previous year's average daily membership will be used to calculate foundation funding and any enhanced educational funding amounts.

(3) National school lunch state categorical funding under 6-20-2305(b)(4) shall be provided to an open-enrollment public charter school as follows:

(A) For the first year of operation, free or reduced-price meal eligibility data as reported by October 1 of the current school year will be used to calculate the national school lunch state categorical funding under the state board rules governing special needs funding; and

(B) For the second year and each school year of operation thereafter, the previous year's October 1 national school lunch student count as specified in state board rules governing special needs funding will be used to calculate national school lunch state categorical funding for the open-enrollment public charter school.

(4) Professional development funding under 6-20-2305(b)(5) shall be provided to an open-enrollment public charter school for the first year of operation as follows:

(A) (i) In the first year of operation the open-enrollment public charter school shall receive professional development funding based upon the initial projected enrollment student count as of July 30 preceding the school year in which the students are to attend, multiplied by the per-student professional development funding amount under 6-20-2305(b)(5) for that school year.

(ii) For the second year and each school year thereafter, professional development funding will be based upon the previous year's average daily membership multiplied by the per-student professional development funding amount for that school year.

(5) The Department of Education shall distribute other categorical funding under 6-20-2305(a) and (b) for which an open-enrollment public charter school is eligible as provided by state law and rules promulgated by the state board.

(6) An open-enrollment public charter school shall not be denied foundation funding, enhanced educational funding, or categorical funding in the first year or any year of operation provided that the open-enrollment public charter school submits to the department the number of students eligible for funding as specified in applicable rules.

(7) Funding for an open-enrollment public charter school shall be paid in twelve (12) equal installments each fiscal year.

(b) An open-enrollment public charter school may receive any state and federal aids, grants, and revenue as may be provided by law.

(c) Open-enrollment public charter schools may receive gifts and grants from private sources in whatever manner is available to public school districts.

(d) (1) An open-enrollment public charter school shall have a right of first refusal to purchase or lease for fair market value a closed public school facility or unused portions of a public school facility located in a public school district from which it draws its students if the public school district decides to sell or lease the public school facility.

(2) The public school district may not require lease payments that exceed the fair market value of the property.

(3) The application of this subsection (d) is subject to the rights of a repurchaser under 6-13-103 regarding property taken by eminent domain.

(4) A public school district is exempt from the provisions of this subsection (d) if the public school district, through an open bid process, receives and accepts an offer to lease or purchase the property from a purchaser other than the open-enrollment public charter school for an amount that exceeds the fair market value.

(5) The purposes of this subsection (d) are to:

(A) Acknowledge that taxpayers intended a public school facility to be used as a public school; and

(B) Preserve the option to continue that use.

(6) Nothing in this subsection (d) is intended to diminish the opportunity for an Arkansas Better Chance program to bid on the purchase or lease of the public school facility on an equal basis as the open-enrollment public charter school.