Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families was asked to provide written testimony by the Arkansas House and Senate Education Committees on our recommendations of how to improve the state’s public school funding formula. The legislature is in the middle of their biennial adequacy study process, in which they will recommend an updated public school funding formula for fiscal years 2028-2030. Arkansas Advocates Education and Fiscal Policy Fellow Aaron Conrad made seven specific recommendations that would improve services, educational outcomes, and equity in Arkansas public schools. The executive summary of our testimony is below, and you can read our testimony in its entirety here.

Executive Summary: 2026 Biennial Education Adequacy Study Recommendations

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families recommends the following changes to strengthen Arkansas’s public school funding formula and improve student outcomes:

1. Increase Special Education Funding
   Increase the special education teacher weight from 3.2 to 4.05, which aligns with evidence-based practices, and establish a funding weight and salary increase for paraprofessionals.
2. Fund Dyslexia Screenings and Services
   Add a 2% funding weight to support universal screenings and defray the cost of services, ensuring students receive early intervention and literacy support.
3. Strengthen Enhanced Student Achievement (ESA) Funding
   Upgrade to a linear model that provides a base weight of 10% per student receiving free-or-reduced price lunch (FRL) with additional funding up to 30% of the base depending on a district’s FRL population.
4. Invest in School-Based Mental Health Services
   Add a dedicated funding stream for school social workers with a weight of 1.5 per 500 students in the matrix to ensure substantial access to mental health support.
5. Maintain Current Levels of Professional Development (PD) Funding
   Maintain the PD funding at the current levels so that teachers continue to receive necessary supports.
6. Increase English Language Learner (ELL) Funding
   Increase the ELL weight to 10% to support additional instructional support and resources for ELL students to thrive academically.
7. Incorporate Student Feedback
   Survey high school juniors and seniors to provide valuable insight into how funding impacts learning experiences.

Through these strategic investments that are grounded in evidence-based practices, the legislature will ensure an adequate and equitable public education system in Arkansas.

Read our full testimony here.