The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has completed the final fiscal year 2021-2022 state aid notice for open-enrollment public charter schools.  This Open-Enrollment Public Charter School State Aid Notice is posted to the ADE website at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/fiscal-and-administrative-services/publication-and-reports/state-aid-notices-for-open-enrollment-public-charter-schools under the heading: State Aid Notices for Open-Enrollment Public Charter Schools, as “Charter State Aid Notice 2021-22 Final”, in a PDF format labeled with the date July 20, 2022.

The notice has a “data” section and a “funding” section.  The “data” section displays much of the information used to calculate funding.  The “funding” section is sub-divided into categories and provides some of the funding criteria used in the category’s calculation, as well as preliminary funding estimates based on available data.  Also listed in this section are revenue and source of fund codes and expenditure restrictions for each category.  Shaded areas denote information not applicable to the specific charter school.

-All data are subject to review. Updates on the final state aid notice include the addition of fiscal year 2021-2022 ADM as shown in cycle 7 for three-quarter and quarters one, two, and three.

-State foundation funding aid is based on fiscal year 2020-2021 three-quarter ADM for charter schools not in the first year of:

• Operation;
• Operating under a new license;
• Adding a new campus; or
• Adding a grade at any campus.

-State foundation funding aid is based on fiscal year 2021-2022 three-quarter ADM for charter schools in the first year of:

• Operation;
• Operating under a new license;
• Adding a new campus; or
• Adding a grade at any campus.

-The final charter facilities funding rate and amounts have been provided.  For more information, see Ark. Code Ann. § 6-23-908 and Commissioner’s Memo FIN-16-020 dated August 30, 2015.

-Final alternative learning environment funding has been provided if applicable.

-English language learners funding is based on students identified in the current year as not proficient in the English language.

-For prior-year funded charter schools participating in enhanced student achievement funding, the enhanced student achievement funding is based on October 1, 2020 certified enrollment data. The effect of enhanced student achievement transition funding is provided, if applicable.  For charter schools that are current-year funded, enhanced student achievement funding is based on October 1, 2021 certified enrollment data.

-Pursuant to state law, a charter school cannot receive both declining enrollment and student growth funding.  A charter that is eligible to receive both declining enrollment and student growth will receive the category that yields the most funding.  The calculated amount of declining enrollment funding is provided if applicable.  Student growth funding has been provided if applicable, and calculated with actual ADM: comparing three-quarter ADM from fiscal year 2019-2020 to quarter four of fiscal year 2020-2021, and comparing three-quarter ADM from fiscal year 2020-2021 to quarters one, two, and three from fiscal year 2021-2022.

-The effect of updated impact aid (miscellaneous funds) on state foundation funding aid has been reflected where applicable.

-Pursuant to Act 680 of 2021, a school district having an average annual teacher salary below the statewide target average annual salary ($51,822 for 2021-22), may be eligible for teacher salary equalization funding equal to $185 per prior or current year average daily membership.  The final amounts for TSEF have been provided.  Refer to Commissioner’s Memos FIN-21-043 and FIN-21-048 (teacher salary equalization funding) for additional information.

For additional information, refer to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-20-2301 et seq., § 6-23-501 et seq., § 6-23-908, and the ADE Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Rules pertaining to student special needs funding, calculation of miscellaneous funds, and charter schools found at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/legal/rules.

Please review the state aid notice carefully. If you have any comments, suggestions for improvement, or questions about the form or the data contained therein, please contact David Allison at david.allison@ade.arkansas.gov or (501) 682-4494.