The passage of a new school funding formula by both houses of the Arkansas Legislature is only part of the education reform puzzle that still needs to be addressed.
That was the assessment of state Rep. Danny Ferguson this morning, as lawmakers took a break for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Ferguson, who sits on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, said it was getting close to time for that committee to start hearing proposals.
"The theory has been to not start hearing tax bills until a funding formula passed, and of course, that happened Saturday," Ferguson said. "So we will probably start hearing tax bills this next week. I imagine Revenue and Taxation will meet every day. There are a lot of proposals out there right now."
The funding formula, Senate Bill 42, which still has to return to the Senate for work on some minor amendments before going to the governor, will require an estimated $385 million in new revenue. Ferguson, who voted for the bill in the House, said movement was needed.
"I think time is getting short," he said. "We've been hammering things out. This (SB 42) has been supported by the majority of the superintendents in my district, and I'm just ready to get on with the revenue discussions. That's going to be another battle -- how do you raise almost $400 million?"
The biggest stumbling block to getting legislation passed continues to be the issue of school consolidation.
"Consolidation is still the big hang-up," Ferguson admitted. "A tax increase is a tough issue anyway."
According to Ferguson, some lawmakers are against any consolidation and say they won't vote for any tax package if schools in their district are going to be closed. Others say they won't vote for a tax package unless smaller districts are consolidated.
The House did pass a bill to consolidate districts with fewer than 350 students. However, there is still a bill, by Rep. Calvin Johnson of Pine Bluff, which would consolidate districts with fewer than 500.
"We'll probably vote, maybe tomorrow (Tuesday), on that bill. It was on the calendar to vote on Saturday, but it wasn't brought up for a vote," said Ferguson.
The state's education system has been ruled unconstitutional, and the state was given until Jan. 1 by the state Supreme Court to enact reforms. The Legislature missed that deadline, and the high court will hear oral arguments Thursday on a motion to block funding to most state agencies until lawmakers comply with the order.
Ferguson said he had no prediction on what might happen Thursday. However, he said he hopes the court will decide that the Legislature has tried to deal with the problem in good faith.
"I just don't see any up side to the court stepping in and saying they're going to take over the schools," he said. "I don't think it would be good for the people. I don't think it's good for economic development. I don't think it's good for business."
According to figures published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Sunday, the new formula, if it is funded, would bring state money for the Forrest City School District, which stood at $20,535,909 for this school year, to $28,155,180 for the 2004-05 school year. That would be an increase of per-student funding of from $5,085 to $6,972.
In the Hughes School District, the increase would be from $3,909,481 to $4,795,077, a per-student increase from $5,065 to $6,213.
The increase to the Palestine-Wheatley School District would be from $3,525,927 to $4,062,204. The per-student increase would be from $5,052 to $5,820.
The funding formula passed the House 78-14.
Rep. Barbara King, D-Helena, who carried the Senate funding formula bill in the House, said the bill's House passage would clear the way for debate on a tax plan to raise the additional revenue needed.
''That is the next battle. We have people split in all directions over how we fund this,'' she said.
The House voted to hold the bill in the chamber for three working days before sending to the Senate for concurrence in minor amendments, a strategy that would allow the House to maintain control over the funding bill.
Cleveland said a House plan, HB1049, could be a fallback if legislators cannot agree on taxes. That plan phases in education improvements over several years and would require less new money up front.
''I don't think there is any assurance at this point that there enough votes out there to pass a revenue plan,'' Cleveland said. ''There are those who will not vote for new taxes if their schools are closed and those who won't vote for new taxes if there isn't restructuring.''
Huckabee has threatened to take his plan for school consolidation to Arkansas voters through an initiated act if legislators do not approve his consolidation plan.
The governor argues that consolidation is the only way to ensure students in the state's smallest schools have access to rich high school curriculum and that small schools can pay their teachers adequately.
In its November 2002 ruling, the high court upheld two lower
court rulings in favor of Lake View School District. The tiny
Arkansas Delta school district claimed its students did not receive
enough state resources for an adequate education while schools
in wealthier parts of the state benefited from stronger economies.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A Marion man was treated and released at a local hospital after being shot twice in the head Saturday afternoon outside a residence in a public housing area.
Dedrick Crawford, 26, of Marion, drove himself to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City after the shooting, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. outside an apartment at 805 Mann Street.
According to a report on file at the Forrest City Police Department, Crawford told police he was sitting inside his vehicle talking with a male subject just behind the Forrest City Housing Authority's main office when the subject invited him into his home.
Crawford said as he and the man were walking to the apartment, the suspect said, "get him," at which time, Crawford said a second male subject, this one wearing a face mask, walked out from behind the apartment building and the two suspects robbed Crawford of about $2,000. Crawford told police he had just been paid for a job.
Crawford told police he heard several shots before realizing
he had been shot, and then reportedly drove himself to the emergency
room where doctors found two gunshot wounds to the back left area
of his head.
Some people are asking for increased patrols after Saturday incidents in which several mailboxes were damaged, possibly by being struck with baseball bats.
At 12:14 p.m. Sylvia Cleaver of 303 Lombardy reported that her mailbox had been knocked off its pole.
At 8 p.m. Earl Alford of 304 Lombardy Lane complained that someone had knocked over his mailbox.
Also, at 10:40 p.m., there was a complaint from Charles D. Rodgers of 231 Old Madison Road. Rodgers said he has had to put up two new boxes. He also stated that everyone's mailbox on Old Madison has been struck with a bat or similar object, and it has been going on for some time.
According to the reports, there are some witnesses who may
be able to identify who has been causing the damage.
The Forrest City City Council will meet Tuesday at city hall.
Councilmen will convene at 5:30 p.m., prior to the regular 7 p.m. council meeting, in an attempt to iron out remaining details of the 2004 budget. The budget will be presented for approval during the regular council meeting.
Also under unfinished business, the council will consider hiring an architect for the construction of the city's new multi-purpose center.
The council is also scheduled to open bids for the removal of condemned structures. In addition, councilmen will consider allowing the city to advertise for bids for gear and bunk beds for the fire department.
Also on Tuesday, the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m., at the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, and the St. Francis County Museum Board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at the museum. The Forrest City Water Commission is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. at the water department.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at the courthouse, and the Palestine City Council will meet at 7 p.m. at city hall.
All meetings are open to the public.