This bill amends existing laws regarding the permissible uses of real estate donated by public school districts in Arkansas. It allows school districts to donate real property to open-enrollment public charter schools, publicly supported institutions of higher education, technical institutes, community colleges, and various local government entities for specific educational purposes. The bill stipulates that donated properties must be used exclusively for community programs, educational services, social enrichment programs, or after-school programs, explicitly excluding housing or similar benefits. Additionally, it requires that if real property is not utilized by a consolidated school district within two years, it must be made available for donation or low-cost lease to the aforementioned entities.

The bill also updates definitions and reporting requirements under the Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities Program Act. It clarifies the definitions of "public school facility" and "unused or underutilized public school facility," and modifies the reporting timeline for school districts to identify such facilities. Furthermore, it establishes a right of first refusal for open-enrollment public charter schools to purchase or lease unused or underutilized properties and mandates that school districts must list properties as unused or underutilized immediately upon determining they are no longer necessary for school purposes. The bill includes provisions for compliance and potential sanctions for school district superintendents who fail to adhere to these requirements.

Statutes affected:
SB 215: 6-21-108(b), 6-21-803(13), 6-21-803(17), 6-21-806(a), 6-21-815(c), 6-21-816(a), 6-21-816(b), 6-21-816(h)