Transcript Highlights:

• And I also know the Game and Fish do the same thing. They have a foundation, too.
• We're looking at having a March meeting in Lone Oak at the fish hatchery and having a tour of that fish
• I talked to the director of Game and Fish about perhaps doing that next month.
• Hi. oak at the fish hatchery and having a tour of that fish hatchery there.
• I talked to the director of the game and fish about perhaps doing that next month. Okay.

Committee: All ALC-GAME & FISH/STATE POLICE

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police leadership about efforts to reduce vehicle pursuits and fleeing from law enforcement. Members discussed prior legislation that made fleeing a felony and enhanced penalties when suspects exit moving vehicles, and the State Police reported those changes, along with a social media/public service campaign and work with prosecutors, were associated with a 29% decline in pursuits from 2023 to 2025, or 180 fewer pursuits last year than in 2023. Members also asked about a recent mistaken PIT/TVI incident involving the wrong vehicle; the agency said the family was not injured, had requested privacy, and the trooper involved was terminated. The committee also received an overview of the Arkansas State Police Foundation, which funds scholarships, emergency assistance for troopers’ families, and facilities and training support, with no lobbying role reported. The committee then heard from the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training on officer decertification and hiring accountability. Director Chris Chapman explained that every officer separation must be reported, that files are flagged when conduct may warrant decertification even if it does not meet that threshold, and that hiring agencies must be told about prior misconduct before they can add an officer to their roster. He said the commission now receives more decertification requests than before, with requests rising from 158 in the prior three-year period to 256 in the last three years, and that 147 officers were pending hearings, down from a prior backlog that had stretched to about four and a half years. He also said the commission meets every other month for two-day hearings, and that most decertifications involve integrity or honesty issues. Members asked about open investigations, citizen complaints, appeals, and public access to decertification records. Chapman said resignations during internal affairs or criminal investigations are flagged, citizen complaints are usually handled through supervisors, chiefs, sheriffs, or prosecutors and may lead to decertification review if warranted, and decertified officers can appeal to circuit court. He added that decertification records are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and may be used in civil claims. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after discussion of a possible future committee meeting at the fish hatchery in Lonoke.

Transcript Highlights:

• fishing management area.
• </c> manage commercial fishing licenses. manage commercial fishing licenses.
• </c> is for fishing enforcement. is for fishing enforcement.
• , lobster fishing.
• , lobster fishing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have the charter schools, we have the virtual charters, we have homeschools.
• I forgot what it was—the charter piece. Yeah, the charter piece.
• The problem is what charter schools were created to do.
• We have charter schools that are doing STEM.
• And one of them is—and charter schools too.

Bills: HB28 , HB50 , HB196 , HB268 , HB271 , HB285 , HB316 , HB649 , HB807

Committee: House Education

Keywords: teacher certification, certification appeals, BESE, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Certification Appeals Council, educator licensure, teaching license, teacher licensure, appeals process, certification denial, administrative appeal, special meeting, board president, retroactive application, education board, Louisiana teachers, Department of Education, statutory entities, re-creation, termination date

Transcript Highlights:

• schools, bringing us to seven charter schools.
• Excuse me, five charter schools and seven virtual charters. There is an error on that slide.
• We also held our first Oklahoma charter schools conference with about 400 charter school stakeholders
• And we renewed a brick and mortar charter school.
• So, we have five brick and mortar charter schools and seven virtual charter schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• They authorized their own charter school.
• They authorized their own charter school.
• in charter schools in the state.
• So that continues to grow — over 400,000 students at 734 charter schools in the state, public charter
• Miami-Dade College has not authorized charter schools yet, but they have been approved to authorize charter

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee held its first interim meeting, took roll, and established a quorum. Members introduced themselves, many noting backgrounds in education, school boards, local government, or parenting, and Chair Jenna Persons-Mulicka outlined the committee’s goal of building the fiscal year 2025-26 Pre-K-12 budget. She also reviewed the fiscal year 2024-25 education budget, noting that the Pre-K-12 portion totals about $21 billion, with the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) as the largest driver, along with major funding for VPK, school readiness, and school recognition. She explained that federal COVID relief funds have ended and that recent school choice legislation has affected budget structure. Commissioner Manny Diaz and department leaders then gave overviews of their divisions. Diaz highlighted Florida’s education rankings, record graduation rate, progress monitoring, expanded school choice participation, charter school growth, and teacher salary investments, while emphasizing a focus on literacy, math, and early learning. Carrie Miller described the Division of Early Learning’s school readiness and VPK programs, their funding, eligibility, accountability systems, and the importance of kindergarten readiness. Paul Burns outlined the Division of Public Schools’ work on educator quality, literacy, standards, certification, family outreach, federal programs, and school improvement. Suzanne Pridgen reviewed finance and operations functions, including budget management, FEFP calculations, grants, procurement, transportation, and emergency management. Adam Emerson described parental choice programs, including scholarships, charter schools, schools of hope, virtual education, and home education. Darren Norris detailed the Office of Safe Schools’ responsibilities for risk assessments, compliance inspections, threat management, grants, and training created after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy. Members asked questions about several issues, including whether the Safe Schools office recommends changes to the school safety grant distribution formula, whether early learning eligibility should shift from federal poverty level to state median income, how scholarship payments are verified to avoid funding students who return to public school, and whether daily attendance systems could improve funding accuracy. Other questions addressed hurricane-related survey disruptions, VPK provider reimbursement rates and instructional hours, teacher salary increases, school start time costs, and how voucher schools handle IEP accommodations. Department officials generally said some issues remain under review, supported moving school readiness eligibility to SMI, noted that scholarship and enrollment data are cross-checked and adjusted when needed, and said progress monitoring now helps schools support mobile students. On school safety, officials said exemptions are allowed in statute for some items but not for classroom doors, and that district-specific conditions matter. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported beyond receiving presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> set clear expectations for our charter set clear expectations for our charter school school school
• </c> This is already information that charter This is already information that charter schools<00:55:
• </c><00:56:14.720><c> school</c> 26.10, requires the charter school 26.10, requires the charter school
• </c><00:56:18.480><c> school</c> to be published on the charter school to be published on the charter
• </c><00:56:35.680><c> already</c> feedback that charter schools already feedback that charter schools

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we also visited the DNR's Metro Fish Hatchery to see the crucial research and fish management work
• </c><00:03:25.760><c> to</c><00:03:25.920><c> see</c><00:03:26.000><c> the</c> DNR's Metro Fish Hatchery
• to see the DNR's Metro Fish Hatchery to see the crucial<00:03:26.560><c> research</c><00:03:26.959><
• c> and</c><00:03:27.280><c> fish</c><00:03:27.599><c> management</c> crucial research and fish management
• crucial research and fish management work<00:03:28.400><c> being</c><00:03:28.720><c> done</c><00:03

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we don't have any of this information about charter schools.
• Why is it important to your organization about charters and private schools?
• Now, if we want to talk about charter schools, introduce your own bill.
• I didn't see any charter school superintendent transparency bill.
• It may help small charter schools, but certainly not public district schools.

Committees: House Education , House House Education Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• I wrote the state's charter school and open enrollment laws back when I was in the state Senate.
• I wrote the state's charter school and open enrollment laws back when I was in the state Senate.
• And if you have SB 2 or a charter form of government on the official ballot, you need it to be very neutral

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we don't have any of this information about charter schools.
• You cannot find that information about charters.
• Now, if we want to talk about charter schools, introduce your own bill.
• I didn't see any charter school superintendent transparency bill.
• Okay, so first of all, stakeholders, I would say, I know the charter... for me, with our charter school

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2266, which would change school release-time policy for religious instruction from permissive to mandatory for school districts and charter governing bodies. The sponsor and supporters said the bill protects parental choice, religious liberty, and constitutional release-time programs, while opponents argued it would reduce local control, pull students from instructional time, and expose schools to constitutional and social harms. After public testimony and debate over liability, indoctrination, and academic impact, the committee voted 7-5 to give HB 2266 a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 2193, a cleanup measure related to student directory information and parent organizations. The bill would allow parents of enrolled students or representatives of nonprofit organizations supporting a school to receive directory information unless a parent or eligible student opts out. Supporters from PTO/PTA groups said the change is needed so parent organizations can continue communicating with families and building school community, while members raised concerns about whether the language should be narrowed to avoid political or other misuse of student data. The sponsor said he was open to an amendment, and the committee approved HB 2193 on a 10-1 vote, with one member present. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2075, which would require public school districts to submit superintendent and other top administrator contracts or attestations to ADE and create a searchable online database of compensation details, including salary, benefits, and car allowances. The sponsor described it as a transparency measure, and the committee discussed an amendment to add more specific filing deadlines and the online database requirement. Opponents from school administrators and rural districts argued that superintendent salaries are already public, that the bill should also apply to charter and private schools receiving public funds, and that it could add burdens or distort comparisons across different public-sector labor markets. Supporters said the bill would make total compensation easier to access and reduce public records requests. The sponsor closed by saying the bill would centralize compensation information and simplify disclosure for districts.

Transcript Highlights:

• A charter school is governed by whatever governance is decided by the charter that is approved by the
• </c> establishment of a charter? establishment of a charter? &gt;&gt; Uh<01:45:16.880><c> yes.
• is going to the charter school.
• the charter school.
• Into state-approved charters.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• We have two district types, regular districts and charter districts.
• district or charter district.
• We have two district types, regular districts and charter districts.
• district or charter district. between a regular district and a charter district, we will say regular
• district or charter district.

Summary: The joint education committee continued its adequacy study with a detailed Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on resource allocation, covering how Arkansas school districts and charters spend foundation and other funds on matrix and non-matrix items. Staff explained the methodology for mapping expenditures, the district and school categories used in the analysis, and key findings showing that districts spend more per student from all fund sources than the foundation amount alone. The presentation highlighted that classroom teachers account for the largest share of matrix spending, while operations and maintenance, student support staff, nurses, and other lines also drew significant attention. Members asked for additional breakdowns by district type, size, rural/urban status, and trend data, and several questions focused on how waivers affect funding and spending, especially for library media specialists and other positions. The committee then discussed non-matrix spending, including instructional aids, non-technology-related facilities, school safety, mental health services, dyslexia support, food service, gifted and talented, career and technical education, and other items not explicitly defined in the matrix. Staff reported that non-matrix spending exceeded $2 billion in 2025, with most of it coming from other fund sources, and that the top superintendent-identified unmet needs over recent surveys were mental health services, school safety, and dyslexia support. Members raised concerns about dyslexia identification and funding, possible over-identification, and whether some support costs are being coded in ways that obscure the true spending picture. There was also discussion of facilities funding, the building fund, and the Department of Education’s partnership program for school construction and maintenance, with staff agreeing to provide more information and potentially bring department officials back for a future meeting. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly requested more granular data and clarifications, including waiver counts and funding impacts, trend lines for superintendent-reported needs, district-by-district spending spreadsheets, and definitions for certain matrix and accounting terms such as salary enhancement, LEA indebtedness, and other employee health insurance. The chair noted that the committee would continue the adequacy process over the coming months and use the worksheet in the binder to develop recommendations for the next biennium. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting; instead, the committee received the report, asked for follow-up data, and agreed to continue the discussion at future meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• This was just authorization only for the game and fish to approve the use of game and fish funds for
• only for the This was just authorization only for the game<00:04:45.520><c> and</c><00:04:45.640><c> fish
• to approve the use of game game and fish to approve the use of game and<00:04:48.120><c> fish</c><00
• funds for predator management and fish funds for predator management in<00:04:50.200><c> the</c><00:
• side, this provides for the relief of previously appropriated funds of $2.5 million from Game and Fish

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first addressed an unintended consequence in the Joint Conference Committee report involving dual and concurrent enrollment funding. Staff explained that a dollar-for-dollar reduction tied to Senate File 81 would have fully funded public school dual/concurrent enrollment while leaving no funds for non-public school students. Senator Salazar moved to strike that provision, the motion was seconded, and it carried. Budget and Fiscal Administrator Don Richards then walked through the conference committee report and the major adopted amendments. He reviewed Senate and House amendments affecting items such as sign language interpreters, rural veterinary education, predator management authorization, petroglyphs and pictographs, senior services, community college funding, school district entitlement payments, the School Foundation Program reserve transfer, a tourism-related rodeo museum change, archaeological work on human remains, a jet airplane reduction, abortion-related language, livestock ear tags, provider rates for developmental disabilities, student-athlete endorsement restrictions, a forensic audit for the Wyoming Business Council, and the Yellowstone tree inscription. He also described several deleted sections and policy changes, including removal of spending-policy provisions, flex authority language, and other budget sections. Richards further summarized new or revised appropriations and conditions, including funding for local cybersecurity, stormwater fees, the Wyoming Natural Resource Trust Fund, lab services, IT modernization, Wyoming Public Television, matching funds, cloud services, and restored governor FTE requests. He noted a compromise on the outdoor trails matching program, a conditional $10 million University of Wyoming operational review appropriation tied to future cost savings, and a stablecoin appropriation. He also explained that the report retained the base-bill reversion language, discussed the remaining general fund balance and statutory reserve, and said the committee would circulate the amendment and signatures for floor action later that day. The meeting then adjourned without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Resolution 8677, recognizing the commercial and tribal fishing industries and the blessing of
• Whereas the Washington State Commercial Fishing Fleet will set off for the Pacific in May 2026 ...
• The fishing community is one of the most generous ... Senator Schumey. Thank you, Mr. President.
• The fishing community is one of the most generous, most giving communities that you'll find.
• They're a blend of fishing families, and from Ilwaco to Chinook to Long Beach, to all of those that I

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> disabilities in charter schools is 88. disabilities in charter schools is 88.
• Any other questions about charters?<00:27:37.169><c> [snorts]</c> charters? [snorts] charters?
• </c> something that the charter is? something that the charter is?
• on which charter school.
• We look at if they have a charter school student, we'll ask to see a charter school.

Summary: The commission met to continue its study of the cost of special education, with the chair emphasizing that the group needs to narrow its focus over the coming year toward specific cost drivers, including the IEP process, Medicaid, charter schools, and EFAs. Members reviewed a draft first report due November 1 and agreed it would be a brief synopsis of prior meetings, with minutes attached. The September 30, 2025 minutes were amended to correct the number of federally funded department staff from 234 to 23, and to revise language about Senator Sullivan’s comments so they reflected concerns about IEP advocates and fees charged to families rather than support for the concept. The amended minutes were then approved unanimously, with abstentions noted for members who were absent. The main presentation focused on how special education costs are handled for students attending charter schools. The DOE representative said there are 804 students with disabilities in charter schools across 88 of the state’s 176 districts, and that the district of residence remains responsible for all services and costs. She explained that students must meet IDEA criteria through district evaluation and parent consent, and that services are determined through individual IEP meetings rather than by a blanket charter-school decision. Members asked how those costs are tracked, whether any students are merely “monitored,” and whether districts separately identify charter-school special education expenses; the answer was that most districts fold those costs into their overall special education budget, though some may break them out as a line item. The discussion then turned to transportation and mileage costs for staff providing services at charter schools. Testimony indicated that districts may use their own staff, contract staff, or contract with a charter school for certified services, and that travel costs are often either built into contracts or absorbed as part of staff time rather than separately reimbursed. Members questioned whether mileage is reimbursed when staff travel to distant charter schools and whether those costs can be isolated in district budgets; the response was that practices vary by district and are not usually broken out by special education function. Several members argued this makes it difficult to determine the true cost of delivering special education, especially given New Hampshire’s model in which the district of residence pays regardless of where the charter school is located. The chair noted the complexity of the system and compared it to the state’s separate tuition and transportation approach for career and technical education centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the Excel Center Charter High School here in Arkansas.
• Then we'll talk about how these revenues are distributed to the districts and charters in the form of
• So in 2025, $3.7 billion was distributed in foundation funds to districts and charters.
• So it is decreasing statewide, but increasing amongst open-enrollment public charters.
• public charter schools, 48% of those having an ADM below 500 in the '25 school year.

Summary: The House and Senate Education Committee first approved minutes from February 2 and 3, then took up an interim study proposal on adult education and the Excel Center model. Representatives from Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, the Excel Center network, and the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities testified that roughly 300,000 Arkansans over age 19 lack a high school diploma or GED, and argued that the Excel Center provides a supported diploma pathway for adults who struggle with GED testing. Witnesses highlighted wraparound services such as free child care, transportation assistance, tutoring, life coaching, and career services, and cited outcomes including high retention, growing enrollment, and research showing higher employment and earnings and lower criminal justice involvement for graduates. Committee members raised questions about the state’s role, existing adult education programs, and how the study would be structured; the motion to adopt the ISP passed, though there was some procedural disagreement about when questions should have been taken. The committee then heard a detailed adequacy funding overview from BLR staff Katie Walden and Adrian Beck on Arkansas K-12 education finance. They reviewed national funding principles and explained Arkansas’s system, including state and local revenue sources, the Public School Fund, the Educational Excellence Trust Fund, the Educational Adequacy Fund, and the Facilities Partnership Program. Staff said K-12 state and local revenues totaled $6.6 billion in 2025, with foundation funding making up the largest share of district and charter funding, followed by additional, categorical, and supplemental funds. They also explained the matrix-based foundation formula, the role of the uniform rate of tax, and how categorical and supplemental funds support areas such as alternative learning, English learners, special education high-cost cases, teacher salary equalization, declining enrollment, and student growth. Members asked several follow-up questions about how specific funding categories are defined and used, including student support staff, instructional aides, special education high-cost occurrences, ALE funding, teacher salary equalization, and the inclusion of Excel Center amounts in state-local funding totals. Staff said some of those details would be addressed in a later presentation and offered to provide additional records, including district lists and historical information. The meeting ended after the funding overview, with no additional votes or actions beyond the ISP adoption and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the Excel Center Charter High School here in Arkansas.
• Then we'll talk about how these revenues are distributed to the districts and charters in the form of
• So in 2025, $3.7 billion was distributed in foundation funds to districts and charters.
• So it is decreasing statewide, but increasing amongst open enrollment public charters.
• public charter schools, a 48% of those having an ADM below 500 in the 25 school year.

Summary: The House and Senate Education Committee first approved minutes from February 2 and 3, then heard an interim study proposal on Arkansas adult education and the Excel Center model, presented by Goodwill Industries of Arkansas and the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities. Witnesses argued that about 300,000 Arkansas adults lack a high school diploma or GED and described the Excel Center as a diploma-granting public charter option for adults 19 and older, with wraparound supports such as child care, transportation, tutoring, life coaching, and career services. They said the Arkansas campuses are not state-funded, highlighted growth in enrollment and graduation outcomes, and cited research showing improved employment, earnings, and reduced criminal justice involvement for graduates. Committee members discussed the role of Goodwill’s nonprofit mission, the need for multiple adult education pathways, and the relationship between adult education challenges and broader state efforts such as LEARNS and ACCESS. The committee then debated the interim study proposal procedure, including whether questions should have been taken before the vote. The motion to adopt the ISP passed, and members noted that the study would broadly examine adult education, GED testing, high school diplomas, charter schools, in-person adult education, and funding allocation. Several members asked for follow-up information on current adult education funding, the availability of Excel Centers, and the criminal justice study results. After that, staff from the Bureau of Legislative Research gave a detailed adequacy funding overview for Arkansas K-12 education. They reviewed national funding principles and then explained Arkansas’s revenue streams and distribution system, including general revenue, the Educational Excellence Trust Fund, the Educational Adequacy Fund, local property-tax revenues, and facilities partnership funding. They also walked through the state’s foundation formula, categorical aid, supplemental aid, and additional funding, including the per-student matrix amount of $7,771 for 2025 and how funds are allocated to districts and charters. Members asked about student support staff, special education high-cost occurrences, ALE funding, teacher salary equalization, and the Excel Center’s treatment in funding totals; staff said some of those questions would be addressed in a later spending presentation. The meeting ended after the committee was told the department was present mainly to answer questions and no further business remained.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is specifically in reference to charter schools.
• One of the great things about charter schools is that they can be innovative.
• Charter schools have authorizers. Traditional districts don't have authorizers.
• So it's an authorized, I think the longer term is authorized chartering entity.
• Why not learn a little bit from the way this is working with charter schools?

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• If IDLA was a virtual charter school, their budget would more than double.
• If IDLA was a virtual charter school, their budget would more than double.
• If IDLA was a virtual charter school, their budget would more than double.
• Again, we're in charter code.
• “And there are representatives of virtual charters and charter school interests in the audience, which

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• These charter schools? So I can describe the current law process for charter school approval.
• And if a charter entity continues to have one of those, the whole charter entity gets closed.
• Two, we do have charter schools. Of course, you don't have charter schools everywhere.
• So both the traditional ISDs. where students may be leaving to go to a charter and then the charters
• Explosion of charter schools.

Committee: House Appropriations