North Little Rock School District Ed-Flex Waiver Application
North Little Rock School District intends to apply to the Arkansas Department of Education for one or more waivers of federal requirements under the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 (20 U.S.C. § 5891b). Ed-Flex allows the Department to waive certain federal requirements for individual districts and schools, enabling them to better meet local needs while remaining accountable for student performance.
The district is requesting the following waiver[s]:
Time-and-Effort Certification Forms Federal requirement waived: 2 C.F.R. § 200.430(g) The district is asking that this requirement be waived because employees paid entirely by a single federal program must currently sign paperwork twice a year confirming how they spent their time. This flexibility removes the certification requirement for those employees.
Expected benefit for students: The district expects this waiver to enable staff and administrators to spend less time on federal paperwork and more time supporting students and classrooms.
Title I, Part A — 15% Carryover Limitation Federal requirement waived: ESEA § 1127(a) The district is requesting a waiver of the Title I, Part A carryover limitation. Under this requirement, districts may carry forward no more than 15% of their Title I, Part A allocation – funds designated to support schools with high concentrations of low-income students – into the following school year. Approval of this waiver will eliminate the 15% restriction, allowing the district to carry over its full remaining balance to meet ongoing student needs.
Expected benefit for students: The district expects this waiver to enable it to combine funds across years for larger, sustained investments, such as a multi-year tutoring or literacy program, rather than rushing to spend by a deadline.
Title IV, Part A — Required Spending Categories Federal requirement waived: ESEA § 4106(e) The district is requesting a waiver for the Title IV-A expenditure requirements. Under standard guidelines, districts receiving $30,000 or more in Title IV-A funds must allocate at least 20% toward well-rounded educational opportunities, at least 20% toward safe and healthy students, and a portion toward the effective use of technology. Granting this waiver removes these statutory spending minimums, providing the district with the flexibility to allocate funds based on its specific needs.
Expected benefit for students: The district anticipates that this waiver will allow it to direct Title IV-A funds toward its highest priority student needs rather than adhering to fixed allocation percentages.
Opportunity to provide comments:
Parents, educators, school administrators, and other interested community members are invited to comment on this proposed waiver request.
Comments can be made by using this link. Comments will be accepted from September 18, 2026, to September 28, 2026.
All comments received will be submitted to the Arkansas Department of Education with the district’s application.