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| | Board assigns consolidation partners
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 By David Robinson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Lake View, the tiny all-black school district whose lawsuit won a court-ordered Arkansas school funding formula, lost a plea Monday to survive. The 160-student Lake View School District and six other districts were forced Monday by the state Board of Education to merge with districts that didn't want them. In Lake View's case, the board voted for it to join the 75 percent white Barton-Lexa School District, rather than the 92-percent black Helena-West Helena district. The board grappled with geographical, financial and racial issues as it sought consolidation partners for the school districts with fewer than 350 students that were unable to propose their own consolidation plans by an April 1 deadline. In unanimous votes, the board agreed to merge the following districts: -Biggers-Reyno with Corning. -Carthage with Malvern. -Delaplaine with Greene County Tech. -Holly Grove with Clarendon. -Huttig with Strong. -Sparkman with Harmony Grove (near Camden). In most cases, the mergers chosen by the board were preferred by the smaller districts. The Biggers-Reyno-Corning and Huttig-Strong negotiations broke down only because of the smaller districts' wish that their campuses remain. The board had few good options for Carthage, where neighboring districts' campuses are far away. After considering its few options, the board settled on Malvern, which will give students many more educational opportunities but require a bus ride as long as 39 miles for some students. The board had to conditionally approve the Sparkman-Harmony Grove merger until a federal court rules whether it would violate Harmony Grove's desegregation order. Harmony Grove had objected because the consolidation will increase the district's white population and because Sparkman is considered by law to be isolated. Isolated schools can't be closed, even in a consolidation, which is cost prohibitive for other districts forced to merge with them. Board member Luke Gordy of Van Buren said the isolated school protection applies to too many districts and makes it difficult for the tiny schools to find partners. Jimmy Wilson, an attorney for Lake View, argued that the Board of Education has the authority to make Lake View "a model school district" and let it remain as it is. Scott Smith, the state board's attorney, said the state's consolidation law requires Lake View to be consolidated. Leaving the district intact, Lake View officials said, would allow it and its students to benefit from the $400 million in additional state funding, much of it targeted to poor students. Because of consolidation, poor school districts like Lake View will be denied the money it needs to properly educate its children, Lake View's supporters argued. "Barton has a history of racial conflict," Wilson said. "You will destroy Barton and not help Lake View. It is just for Lake View not to be consolidated. We won. We won. How many times do we have to win?" Board member Shelby Hillman of Carlisle noted that Barton-Lexa spends about $2,000 less per student than Lake View even though Barton-Lexa's teachers are paid much more. "So why do we continue to talk about finances?" she asked. "I don't have a clear answer for that," said Clausey Myton, Lake View superintendent. "With 160 students that 'more money' translates into a very small amount of money." Hillman said Myton's answer explains the Legislature's rationale for consolidation, which is to help create districts with enough students to provide the resources necessary. After the board's vote, Brandon Bobo, 15, a ninth grade Lake View student, said he doesn't like the prospect of being bused to Barton-Lexa, 13 miles away. "I wouldn't like it," Bobo said as he stood with about a dozen classmates. "I don't think no one would. We like our school, that's why we came down here." Myton said his board will abide by the state board's decision and have a new, interim board in place by May 31. Barton-Lexa Superintendent Roy Kirkland failed to convince the state board that the nearly all black Helena-West Helena District 23 miles away was a better fit. "I'm disappointed. I thought we made a pretty good case for them to go to Helena. It's a bigger district. It offers greater opportunities. Obviously the race thing scared them off." The Helena-West Helena district is 92 percent black. Kirkland said the partnership with Lake View will devastate his district and that in three years the new district will be in fiscal distress. Next year, Barton-Lexa's average teacher salary is going to be about $39,000, while Lake View's average is $23,000, Kirkland said. "So all 21 of their staff members that are there next year are going to get a $16,000 raise," he said. He said there's no way the combined district can maintain two campuses. "We're a poor district property-wise and we just can't make it." Fifty-seven of Arkansas' 308 districts have fewer than 350 students. Today, the state board will consider five districts whose merger proposals the board rejected in recent hearings. They are Gould, Grady, Crawfordsville, Mount Holly and Union. |
