(a) It is found and determined by the General Assembly that granting local school districts greater flexibility in scheduling instructional time can reap educational benefits for the students and financial rewards for the school district. It is the intent of this section to authorize local school districts to initiate and maintain public school educational programs on a four-day school-week basis, so long as planned instructional time is in accord with requirements established by the State Board of Education.
(b) As used in this section, “four-day school week” means an educational program in which all students attend school for four (4) days a week but no fewer than the total number of hours required by the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts in a five-day school week.
(c) The board of directors of any school district is authorized to initiate and maintain a four-day school week in any or all of the public schools in the school district.
(d)
(1) The State Board of Education shall establish appropriate standards, guidelines, and rules for the determination of average daily membership of school districts and for the distribution of state aid to each local school district that elects to operate any or all of the public schools of its school district on a four-day school-week basis, to provide the school district with an equitable share of aid funds designated to equate a four-day school-week operation by the school district to the educational opportunities provided by a school district offering a five-day school week.
(2) Provided, however, that a school district shall not receive any more state financial aid for offering a four-day school week of instruction than it would have received for offering a five-day school week of instruction.