List of school districts in Arkansas

This is the list of school districts in Arkansas.

thumb|Arkansas School Districts

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), which was prompted by a 1921 study done by the Arkansas Legislature that criticized conditions at various public schools.

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.

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. 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. However newspapers did not print advertisements supporting the passage of the act nor did they print the opposite. At the time people advocating for or against political causes bought space to print advertisements for them in newspapers. 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". It was favored by Sid McMath, who became the Democratic Party candidate for governor. The two major statewide newspapers also supported this act. Some rural voters were afraid their children would have too long of a commute to school and therefore opposed it. and in 1964 this was down to 412. 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". with there being 311 in 1996, and then, as of 1998, 310.

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.

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

Carroll County

Berryville School District
Eureka Springs School District
Green Forest School District

Marion County

Flippin School District
Yellville–Summit School District

Newton County

Deer/Mount Judea School District
Jasper School District

Searcy County

Ozark Mountain School District
Searcy County School District

Pulaski County Schools

Pulaski County

Jacksonville North Pulaski School District
Little Rock School District
North Little Rock School District
Pulaski County Special School District

South Central Service Co-op

Calhoun County

Hampton School District

Columbia County

Emerson-Taylor-Bradley School District
Magnolia School District

Ouachita County

Bearden School District
Camden Fairview School District
Harmony Grove School District

Union County

El Dorado School District
Junction City School District
Parkers Chapel School District
Smackover School District
Strong–Huttig School District

Southeast Arkansas Educational

Arkansas County

Dewitt School District

Ashley County

Crossett School District
Hamburg School District

Bradley County

Hermitage School District
Warren School District

Chicot County

Dermott School District
Lakeside School District

Cleveland County

Cleveland County School District
Woodlawn School District

Dallas County

Fordyce School District

Desha County

Dumas School District
McGehee School District

Drew County

Drew Central School District
Monticello School District

Lincoln County

Star City School District

Southwest Arkansas Co-op

Hempstead County

Blevins School District
Hope School District
Spring Hill School District

Lafayette County

Lafayette County School District

Miller County

Fouke School District
Genoa Central School District
Texarkana Arkansas Schools

Nevada County

Nevada School District
Prescott School District

Wilbur D. Mills Education Co-op

Lonoke County

Cabot School District
Carlisle School District
England School District
Lonoke School District

Prairie County

Des Arc School District
Hazen School District

White County

Bald Knob School District
Beebe School District
Bradford School District
Pangburn School District
Riverview School District
Rose Bud School District
Searcy School District
White County Central School District

Woodruff County

Augusta School District
McCrory School District