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Arkansas Legislative Council Peer Subcommittee
September 1, 2022
Gray If I could, get you all to your seats, please. We’ll go ahead and call this meeting to order. All right. If you’re ready, we’ll start on item B.
ALC Staff Thank you, Madam Chair. Item B. These are the Department of Education requests for ARP appropriation for elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund grants. And on today’s agenda is the department’s third round of requests. This request is for $188 million to make grants to 44 school districts. The second handout you have is a schedule that’s provided by the department that shows the breakout of districts responses on whether their use of fund plans follow an ALC recommendation to use ARP funds for teacher retention strategies. Of those 44 school districts, 10 districts have plans that met the ALC recommendation, 14 districts revised their plans to meet the ALC recommendation, and 20 districts did not revise their plans. And justification is provided in the last column.
Gray All right. Thank you. Are there any questions for any of these school districts on Item B from anyone? All right. Chair number 61.
Love Thank you, Madam Chair. I don’t have questions for the districts. I just have questions for the staff. So far how many, how many school districts have applied for the funding total?
ALC Staff Today’s the third round request. And we’ve received 119 requests– or I’m sorry. 119 school districts have responded to the Department of Education out of 260. So after today goes through it will be about 46% complete.
Love Okay. And then how much have we spent thus far?
ALC Staff I don’t have that number readily available, but I can find that for you.
Love Okay. All right. Thank you.
ALC Staff It’s far less– it’s, it’s, it’s less than the $500 million that’s been recouped to resubmit for requests.
Love Okay. But the $500 million is supposed to be able to serve all the school districts, is that not correct?
ALC Staff Correct.
Love Okay. All right. Thank you.
Gray All right. Thank you. Are there any other questions? This is a small agenda, the only item on the agenda. All right. Seeing no other questions, I need a motion to approve. And I got a second. All in favor, aye. Opposed, nay. Motion carries. Is there any other business? Seeing no other business, we will adjourn this meeting.