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Higher education coordinating board approves revised bond project proposals Saturday, Sep 9, 2006 By Betsy Turner Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Friday approved a revised list of capital improvement projects for a $250 million bond proposal on the Nov. 7 general election ballot. The board, in a conference call, unanimously approved changes submitted by 15 colleges and universities as substitutes for projects listed in the higher education bond issue that voters narrowly defeated in a December special election. Supporters attributed the proposal's defeat largely to pairing it with a controversial proposal to re-authorize a $575 million highway bond program. Gov. Mike Huckabee on Aug. 9 called a second special election on the higher education bond package to coincide with the November general election. Under the proposal, each of the state's 10 universities and 22 two-year colleges would have capital projects funded with $150 million of the bond proceeds. The remaining $100 million would pay off existing bonds. Linda Beene, director of the state Department of Higher Education, said Friday that the coordinating board accepted the revised projects because the schools' priorities have changed over the past year. "The main purpose following the governor's decision to reschedule the bond proposals for the November election was to recheck with the campuses about any changes that need to be made in the list of projects," Beene said. She said the funding amounts remained the same for each school even though some projects changed. The bond package would also fund connecting the schools to a high-speed Internet network, called the National LAMBDA rail, for the exchange of research information. Beene said approval of the bond package would not only benefit students but also create jobs for the construction and electronic infrastructure work at the schools. |
