Elevating the Profession. Rewarding Excellence.

The Arkansas Merit Teacher Incentive Fund, established by the LEARNS Act (Act 237 of 2023), is a state-funded initiative that rewards exceptional Arkansas educators who demonstrate outstanding performance and a strong commitment to student learning. Through this program, eligible teachers can earn up to $10,000 annually.

The Merit Teacher Incentive Fund program aims to:

• Elevate the teaching profession,
• Recognize high-performing educators,
• Reward service in critical shortage areas, and
• Incentivize excellent educators to mentor future teachers.

Merit Pay Distribution Map for the 2024-2025 School Year

For the 2024-2025 school year, more than 4,200 educators are being rewarded for their outstanding performance and their commitment to elevating Arkansas schools. They will each receive up to $10,000 in merit pay through the LEARNS Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program.

Recipients are widely distributed across the state, with high concentrations in critical shortage areas. Use the interactive map below to explore the reward impact in each district.

Merit Pay Eligibility Criteria and Amounts

Criteria and amounts may be adjusted annually. For more information click here.

For more information, please contact: