Public education in Arkansas

K-12 education in Arkansas

Education facts

State superintendent: Jacob Oliva

Number of students: 474,826

Number of teachers: 36,900

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:12.8

Number of school districts: 233

Number of schools: 989

Graduation rate: 84.9%

Per-pupil spending: $10,345

See also

Arkansas Department of Education • List of school districts in Arkansas • Arkansas • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Arkansas Glossary of education terms

Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015.

The Arkansas public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Arkansas had 474,826 students enrolled in a total of 989 schools in 233 school districts. There were 36,900 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 13 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Arkansas spent on average $10,345 per pupil.^[1] The state's graduation rate was 88 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.^[2]

General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Arkansas compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.

Academic performance

The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade students who scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri), students in Arkansas generally scored above those in Louisiana and Mississippi, and below those in Missouri. The state's highest scores were earned by fourth-grade students in math, which tied with Missouri.^[3]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Arkansas and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[3][4][5]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[6]

Arkansas schools reported a graduation rate of 84.9 percent, second highest among its neighboring states.

In Arkansas, more students took the ACT than the SAT, earning an average ACT score of 20.2.

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both SY 2010–11 and SY 2011–12. The event dropout rate for Arkansas was higher than the national average at 3.5 percent in the 2010-2011 school year. The dropout rate was lower than the national average at 3.2 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[7]

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Arkansas

School choice options in Arkansas included charter schools, online learning programs and inter-district and intra-district open enrollment policies as of June 2015. In addition, about 5.41 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-12 academic year, and 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-13.

Developments

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[8]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[9]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Arkansas is not one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: Arkansas state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[10][11]

Arkansas spent approximately 15.6 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. Arkansas received over 75 percent of its public education revenue from state funds. This was a greater percentage than any of its neighbors received from state funding during fiscal year 2013.

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[11]

In Arkansas, the primary source of school system revenue came from state funding, at $3.8 billion. Even though Louisiana reported greater total school system revenue than Arkansas, the latter reported more revenue from state sources during fiscal year 2013.

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[12]

Public education expenditures in Arkansas totaled approximately $5.4 billion in fiscal year 2012. Arkansas reported the second-lowest total expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Arkansas, the average salary increased by 2.2 percent.^[14]

Organizations

State agencies

See also: Arkansas Department of Education

The Arkansas Department of Education is charged with the following responsibilities:^[15]

The mission statement of the Arkansas Department of Education reads as follows:^[17]

The Arkansas Commissioner of Education is the chief executive of the Arkansas Department of Education. The commissioner is appointed by the Arkansas State Board of Education and approved by the governor.^[15]

The state board is composed of nine members appointed by the governor to seven-year terms. Two members come from each of the state's four congressional districts. One member is selected at large.^[17]

Unions

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Arkansas ranked 48th overall for union power and influence, or "weakest," which was in the fifth of five tiers.^[18]

The main union related to the Arkansas school system is the Arkansas Education Association (AEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). For the 2004 tax period, AEA had $3.85 million in total revenue, $4.03 million in total expenses, and $1.07 million in total assets.^[19]

List of local Arkansas school unions:^[20]

• Arkansas Education Association
• Pulaski Association Of Classroom Teachers

Government sector lobbying

See also: Arkansas government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Arkansas School Boards Association.

Studies and reports

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

Quality Counts 2014

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 used six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Arkansas received a score of 71.8, or a C- average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in transitions and alignment at 96.4, or an A average. The lowest score was in K-12 achievement at 66.7, or a D average. Arkansas received relatively high scores for three of the six categories, but received a C- for its chance of success. This may be attributed to the low K-12 achievement score. The chart below displays the scores of Arkansas and its surrounding states.^[21]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

School districts

See also: School board elections portal

District types

Arkansas has only one type of school district. A state act in 1947 reorganized all school districts in the state to have the same structure. Thus, all Arkansas school districts are governed by a board of directors, and each district may levy taxes and issue bonds.^[22]

School board composition

School board members in Arkansas serve terms between three and five years in length. Within a school board, all members have the same term length. The expiration of terms for a specific board must be staggered so that as near as possible to an equal number of members are up for election each election year.^[23] If a school board has a vacancy, it must be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the school board.^[24] School boards have the authority to choose if they would like to be elected at large, by zone or a combination of the two. To change their current structure, they must adopt a majority resolution describing the procedure of the switch for the next four years.^[25] School boards can have five, seven or nine members, depending on the population of the school district.^[26]

Term limits

The state does not impose term limits on school board members.^[27]

Elections

See also: Arkansas school board elections, 2024

The table below contains links to all school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2024 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2024. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

Path to the ballot

To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in Arkansas, an individual must:^[28]

• Be a registered voter and resident in the school district he or she wishes to represent, as well as within the electoral zone in which he or she will be elected, if candidates are elected by zone.
• Be an Arkansas resident and U.S. citizen.
• Not be employed by the school district to be served.
• Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction.
• Never have been convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery or any other related crime.

Candidates must file with and be certified by the county clerk of the county in which the school district resides.^[28]

Campaign finance

School board candidates are required to file the following campaign finance reports with their county elections department:^[29]

• A pre-election report no later than seven days prior to any election in which the candidate's name will appear on the ballot.
• A final report no later than 30 days after any election in which the candidate's name appeared on the ballot.
• Supplemental reports for all contributions received and expenditures made after the final report, within 30 days after the receipt of the contribution or the making of an expenditure.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Arkansas state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Arkansas ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Arkansas Federal Government Not Allowed to Exercise Power Over Public Schools (1956)
2. Arkansas Assignment of Pupils in Public Schools, Initiated Act 2 (1956)
3. Arkansas School Tax Limitation, Proposed Amendment 43 (1956)
4. Arkansas Interposition, Proposed Amendment 47 (1956)
5. Arkansas Act 78, Appointed State Board of Education (1934)
6. Arkansas Equal Educational Opportunity, Initiated Act 1 (1980)
7. Arkansas College Savings Bonds, Proposed Question Act 683 (1990)
8. Arkansas School District Reorganization, Initiated Act 1 (1966)
9. Arkansas Community College and Technical School Districts, Proposed Amendment 57 (1964)
10. Arkansas Free Education for All Children, Proposed Amendment 52 (1960)
11. Arkansas Public Education Age Restriction, Proposed Amendment 53 (1968)
12. Arkansas Free Textbooks, Act 4 (September 1912)
13. Arkansas Ban on Teaching Evolution, Act 1 (1928)
14. Arkansas Appropriation of School Funds, Amendment 2 (1932)
15. Arkansas Establish a State Board of Education, Proposed Amendment 30 (1938)
16. Arkansas Junior College Districts, Proposed Amendment 32 (1942)
17. Arkansas Public School Finance, Proposed Amendment 41 (1950)
18. Arkansas School District Reorganization, Initiated Act No. 1 (1948)
19. Arkansas School District Reorganization, Initiated Act No. 1 (1946)
20. Arkansas State School and School District Taxes Amendment (1906)
21. Arkansas Free Public Education, Proposed Amendment 51 (1962)
22. Arkansas Public School Fund, Initiated Act 1 (1962)
23. Arkansas Uniform Property Tax for Schools, Proposed Amendment 1 (1996)
24. Arkansas School Property Tax Increase, Referred Question 1 (2004)
25. Arkansas Higher Education Bonds, Referred Question 2 (December 2005)
26. Arkansas Higher Education Technology and Facility Bonds, Referred Question 1 (2006)
27. Arkansas State Lottery, Proposed Amendment 3 (2008)
28. Arkansas Lottery Proceed Funding for Vocational-Technical School Scholarships and Grants Amendment (2024)

In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arkansas education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

• Historical public education information in Arkansas
• Arkansas state budget and finances
• Arkansas Department of Education
• List of school districts in Arkansas
• School choice in Arkansas
• Charter schools in Arkansas
• Arkansas
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links

• Arkansas Department of Education
• Arkansas Public Charter Schools
• Arkansas School Accountability
• Arkansas AYP Reports

Footnotes

	v • e State of Arkansas Little Rock (capital)
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