The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has completed the fiscal
year 2022-2023 preliminary state aid notice for open-enrollment public
charter schools. This Open-Enrollment Charter School State Aid Notice
was 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 2022-23 Preliminary”, in a PDF
format labeled with the date August 24, 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 indicates 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.
Changes
to data due to updates or corrections will result in changes to all
associated funding categories. Charters will be notified of changes on
subsequent state aid notices. Changes resulting in lower funding
totals may require repayment of funding overages.
- All data are subject to review.
- State foundation funding aid is based on fiscal year 2021-2022 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 2022-2023
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.
- For
these current-year-funded charter schools, state foundation
funding aid is initially estimated based on July 1, 2022
enrollment. This estimate will be adjusted in December based on
fiscal year 2022-2023 quarter one ADM. A current year funded
charter’s actual state foundation funding aid will be calculated in
May based on fiscal year 2022-2023 three-quarter ADM from cycle 6.
Cycle 7 will be compared to cycle 6 for changes in three-quarter
ADM for fiscal year 2022-2023, and if necessary, state foundation
funding aid will be adjusted and those adjustments reflected on the
final state aid notice.
- Estimated
charter facilities funding will be provided in October, and the
preliminary 2022-2023 open-enrollment public charter school state
aid notice will be updated with funding rates and amounts. For
more information, see AR Code Ann. § 6-23-908 and Commissioner’s Memo
FIN-16-020 dated August 31, 2015.
- Estimated alternative learning environment funding has been provided.
- Data
for the calculation of English language learners funding should be
received by later in the fiscal year and will appear on subsequent
state aid notices.
- For
prior-year funded charter schools participating in enhanced
student achievement funding, the enhanced student achievement
funding is based on October 2021 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
2022 certified enrollment data and will be provided on the
second state aid notice. In accordance with Act 217 of 2022, for 2022-2023 ESA funding, a charter shall not receive less ESA funding than it received in 2021-2022.
- 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 on the first
state aid notice if applicable. Student growth funding will be
calculated with actual ADM data as the year progresses. The first
calculation comparing three-quarter ADM from fiscal year 2020-2021
to quarter four of fiscal year 2021-2022 has been provided.
- The
effect of impact aid (miscellaneous funds) on state foundation
funding aid has been estimated, if applicable. The amount of
calendar year 2022 miscellaneous funds will be available in
February 2023. State foundation funding aid will be adjusted based
on this update and the adjustment will be shown on subsequent
state aid notices.
- 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
2022-23), may be eligible for teacher salary equalization funding equal to $185
per prior year average daily membership. 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 Arkansas Department of 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.