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Administrators' chief expects quick action on school finance Thursday, Feb 16, 2006 By Aaron Sadler Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The head of the state school superintendents' association said Wednesday he expects the Legislature to act by this summer to answer a court mandate to improve school funding. Tom Kimbrell, director of the Arkansas Educational Administrators Association, said a series of legislative hearings now under way would result in a decision to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to the current $5,400 per-student amount of minimum state aid to school districts. The state Supreme Court in a Dec. 15 ruling ordered the General Assembly to correct an unconstitutional funding system by Dec. 1. But the opinion emphasized that the Legislature address deficiencies from this fiscal year, when school districts received no increase in per-student aid compared to the 2004-05 school year. "There's a growing number of legislators who think they need to address the need of a COLA prior to the end of the year," Kimbrell said. "There's an urgency to go to the governor with a (legislative) package there's some consensus on, so they can get money in the hands of schools by the end of the school year." Senate Education Committee Chairman Jim Argue, D-Little Rock, said he is unsure about the timing of a cost-of-living increase. "I think there is a push to do the special session as soon as we can, and I think there's recognition that we need to inflation-adjust the current year," he said, adding that lawmakers have yet to determine whether to make a special adjustment to this year's funding or add money for 2006-07. The House and Senate education committees met Wednesday for the second of three hearings this month to discuss education issues in response to the high court's decision. The committees have yet to discuss the cost-of-living adjustment issue, which was the crux of a lawsuit filed last spring by the Rogers School District. Forty-eight other districts joined Rogers' petition to the court to reopen the school funding case that justices closed in 2004. The committees are scheduled to discuss per-student aid next week. Of the hearings to date, Kimbrell said, "Sometimes it seems like everything keeps going in circles. But that's part of the process, I guess." Argue said he's pleased with the progress of the hearings. "I think our staff has done a marvelous job of collecting information for us," Argue said. "I think the committee's done a good job of discussing the issues." Only Gov. Mike Huckabee has authority to call a special legislative session, and he has said he would do so only if the Legislature comes to a consensus and effectively defines educational adequacy. Consensus building is a challenge, Argue said. "We haven't passed the major test at this point, and that's whether there's a consensus," he said. The committees will meet again March 7 to consider possible special-session legislation on school finance and facilities improvements. The Supreme Court said school building construction and repair needs were "grossly underfunded" in the 2005 regular legislative session. Wednesday's daylong session centered on special state categorical programs implemented as part of a sweeping reform plan two years ago. School districts with high percentages of students in poverty receive additional assistance, as do those with alternative learning programs. Other assistance is given for schools with non-native English speakers and for faculty professional development programs. Kimbrell said the committees' decision to take written testimony from administrators and others regarding educational adequacy shows that legislators are open to addressing issues raised by the Supreme Court. The court's special fact-finding masters criticized the Legislature for not asking school superintendents for input before the 2005 regular session. "I haven't seen any attempt to keep anybody from saying anything they'd like to," Kimbrell said Wednesday. "I feel like we've had an opportunity to say what we feel like we need to say in writing. I think we're appreciative of the openness." He suspects school officials have not been called upon to speak because lawmakers are hurrying to complete their hearings before election season begins. The candidate filing period begins March 21. Party primaries are May 23. "There are so many factors involved when you've got primary elections coming up," Kimbrell said. "I still believe in trying to streamline the process ... or we'd be here a month of Sundays because we'd have lots of people that would want to testify." |
