This is the list of school districts in Arkansas.
All of Arkansas's school districts are of one type, and Arkansas has no dependent school systems (that is, school systems dependent on a city or county government). All Arkansas school districts are independent governments.
Background A proposed school consolidation came as a result of education reform measures spearheaded by the Arkansas Education Association (AEA),Ledbetter, p. 47. which was prompted by a 1921 study done by the Arkansas Legislature that criticized conditions at various public schools.Ledbetter, p. 46-47.
In the 1926–1927 school year, Arkansas had 4,711 school districts, with 3,106 of them each operating a school for white students that only employed a single teacher. Various laws affecting taxation and state and county governance reduced the number of school districts, including a 1927 law that allowed counties, upon voter approval, to modify boundaries of existing school districts or to create new school districts, Act 156, and a 1929 law that allowed voters in a county to vote in favor of consolidating multiple school districts into one, Act 149. However, in 1931 a law was passed stating that in order for a school district to consolidate, the voters in each district must approve.Ledbetter, p. 48.
In the 1932–1933 school year, Arkansas had 3,086 school districts, with 1,990 of them each operating a school for white students that only employed a single teacher. Calvin R. Ledbetter Jr. of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock stated that the Great Depression caused a drop in government revenues and frustrated school consolidation.
In 1946 there were 1,900 school districts educating 406,199 students, with a typical county having an average of 25 school districts. That year 76,000 students lived in a district which had a high school that had not been accredited since there were insufficient students, and about 100,000 students lived in districts that did not operate high schools. Ledbetter stated that about 40% of the K-12 students in Arkansas were realistically not able to go beyond junior high school.Ledbetter, p. 49. That year there was a petition for an Act 1 which would have forced school districts with under 350 students to form "county rural school districts", created as a result of a lack of teachers due to several being drafted into the military, moving out of state, or moving on to defense jobs during World War II. This proposal would mean Arkansas would have about 400 school districts. The two newspapers distributed throughout the entire state of Arkansas supported this.Ledbetter, p. 51. However newspapers did not print advertisements supporting the passage of the act nor did they print the opposite.Ledbetter, p. 54. At the time people advocating for or against political causes bought space to print advertisements for them in newspapers.Ledbetter, p. 46. Voters rejected this with 68,510 opposing (50.47%), with the Arkansas Democrat stating that they were heavily in smaller counties and especially in the state's north, and with 67,209 (49.52%) supporting, credited by the Democrat as being heavily in larger counties. Ledbetter characterized the voting margin as "a fraction".
In 1948 over 60% of Arkansas voters passed Act 1, which was to force any school district with under 300 students to consolidate. No lawsuits resulted from the passage. There were no advertisements supporting the referendum in newspapers, nor any against. Governor of Arkansas Benjamin Travis Laney stated opposition without stating his reasoning.Ledbetter, p. 54. It was favored by Sid McMath, who became the Democratic Party candidate for governor. The two major statewide newspapers also supported this act.Ledbetter, p. 53. Some rural voters were afraid their children would have too long of a commute to school and therefore opposed it.
From 1948 to 1949, the number of school districts fell from 1,600 to 423,Ledbetter, p. 56. and in 1964 this was down to 412.Goatcher, p. 5 (PDF p. 8/27). In 1966 there was a referendum to require school districts with under 400 students to consolidate. The Arkansas Gazette supported the measure but Governor of Arkansas Orval Faubus stated opposition to it. Additionally Winthrop Rockefeller and Jim Johnson, two candidates for the 1966 election of the governor of Arkansas, also stated opposition. 321,733 people voted against it, making up 73.59%. 115,452 people voted for it, making up 26.41%. Ledbetter characterized the result as "a landslide".
There were 370 school districts in 1983. After the Arkansas State Board of Education created rules for the minimum level of standards a school district must provide in its educational program that year, the number of school districts declined further,Goatcher, p. 1/27 (ERIC summary). with there being 311 in 1996, and then, as of 1998, 310.Goatcher, p. 2 (PDF p. 5/27)
Since 2003, two major components in Arkansas public school districts must exist: Each school district must have a high school, and Each school district must have at least 350 students.
The current consolidation policy that mandates operational changes for all districts with fewer than 350 students is the Public Education Reorganization Act—Act 60 of the Second Extraordinary Session of 2003.
Geographical school districts in Arkansas are generally independent from city or county jurisdiction.
Arkansas school district boundaries are not always aligned with county or city boundaries; a district can occupy several counties and cities, while a single city (especially larger ones such as Little Rock, Fort Smith, or Jonesboro) may be split between several districts. Almost all Arkansas school districts use the title "School District", or "Public Schools."
All districts come under the jurisdiction of the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).
In 1996 the average Arkansas school district had 1,468 students.
Alphabetical Listing by Co-op and County Arch Ford Educational Service Cleburne County
Heber Springs School District Quitman School District West Side School District
Conway County
Nemo Vista School District South Conway County School District Wonderview School District
Faulkner County
Conway School District Greenbrier School District Guy–Perkins School District Mayflower School District Mount Vernon–Enola School District Vilonia School District
Perry County
East End School District Perryville School District
Pope County
Atkins School District Dover School District Hector School District Pottsville School District Russellville School District
Van Buren County
Clinton School District Shirley School District South Side School District
Yell County
Danville School District Dardanelle Public Schools Two Rivers School District Western Yell County School District
Arkansas River Educational Service Center Arkansas County Stuttgart Public Schools
Grant County Sheridan School District
Jefferson County
Pine Bluff School District Watson Chapel School District White Hall School District
Crowley's Ridge Education Co-op Craighead County
Bay School District Brookland School District Buffalo Island Central School District Jonesboro School District Nettleton School District Riverside School District Valley View School District
Crittenden County
Earle School District Marion School District
Cross County
Cross County School District Wynne School District
Jackson County Newport School District
Mississippi County
Armorel School District Blytheville School District Gosnell School District Manila School District Osceola School District Rivercrest School District
Poinsett County
East Poinsett County School District Harrisburg School District Marked Tree School District Trumann Public Schools
Dawson Education Service Co-op Clark County
Arkadelphia School District Gurdon School District
Garland County
Cutter–Morning Star School District Fountain Lake School District Hot Springs School District Jessieville School District Lake Hamilton School District Lakeside School District Mountain Pine School District
Grant County Poyen School District
Hot Spring County
Bismarck School District Glen Rose School District Magnet Cove School District Malvern School District Ouachita School District
Pike County
Centerpoint School District Kirby School District South Pike County School District
Saline County
Bauxite School District Benton School District Bryant School District Harmony Grove School District
DeQueen/Mena Education Co-op Howard County
Dierks School District Mineral Springs Saratoga School District Nashville School District
Little River County
Ashdown School District Foreman School District
Montgomery County
Caddo Hills School District Mount Ida School District
Polk County
Cossatot River School District Mena School District Ouachita River School District
Sevier County
DeQueen School District Horatio School District
Great Rivers Education Service Co-op Crittenden County West Memphis School District
Lee County Lee County School District
Monroe County
Brinkley School District Clarendon School District
Phillips County
Barton–Lexa School District Helena-West Helena School District KIPP: Delta Public Schools Marvell–Elaine School District
St. Francis County
Forrest City School District Palestine–Wheatley School District
Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative Crawford County
Alma School District Cedarville School District Mountainburg School District Mulberry–Pleasant View Bi-County School District Van Buren School District
Franklin County
Charleston School District County Line School District Ozark School District
Johnson County
Clarksville School District Lamar School District Westside School District
Logan County
Booneville School District Magazine School District Paris School District Scranton School District
Scott County Waldron School District
Sebastian County
Fort Smith School District Greenwood School District Hackett School District Lavaca School District Mansfield School District
North Central Arkansas Education Co-op Baxter County
Mountain Home School District Norfork School District
Cleburne County Concord School District
Fulton County
Mammoth Spring School District Salem School District Viola School District
Independence County
Batesville School District Cedar Ridge School District Midland School District Southside School District
Izard County
Calico Rock School District Izard County Consolidated School District Melbourne School District
Sharp County
Cave City School District Highland School District
Stone County Mountain View School District
Northeast Arkansas Education Co-op Clay County
Corning School District Piggott School District Rector School District
Craighead County Westside Consolidated School District
Greene County
Greene County Tech School District Marmaduke School District Paragould School District
Jackson County Jackson County School District
Lawrence County
Hillcrest School District Hoxie School District Imboden Charter School District Lawrence County School District Sloan–Hendrix School District
Randolph County
Maynard School District Pocahontas School District
Northwest Arkansas Education Co-op Benton County
Bentonville School District Decatur Public Schools Gentry School District Gravette School District Pea Ridge School District Rogers School District Siloam Springs School District
Madison County Huntsville School District
Washington County
Elkins School District Farmington School District Fayetteville School District Greenland School District Lincoln School District Prairie Grove School District Springdale School District West Fork School District
Ozark Unlimited Resource Co-op Baxter County Cotter School District
Boone County
Alpena School District Bergman School District Harrison School District Lead Hill School District Omaha School District Valley Springs School District