Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Nevada Board To Wait On State

Back pay and a lawsuit.

These two items kept the Nevada School Board busy Thursday, Dec. 16, at its regular meeting.

Normally, the December meeting is little more than a formality to approve financial matters and get approval for paying bills.

However, Nevada Superintendent Rick McAffee told the panel of a meeting he had with the Arkansas Department of Education Tuesday, Dec. 14, concerning a lawsuit filed by the Junction City School District for the year 1990-91.

Apparently teachers wound up being underpaid then, with an audit at the time being approved.

McAffee said under the former funding formula, the old 56 percent rule, Nevada was also out of compliance, but paid the teachers in its district back two years later, once the error was discovered.

However, earlier this year, a judge ruled this payment wasn't adequate because it used the former 56 percent rule instead of the current formula to pay teachers.

McAffee said there were 34 teachers in the Nevada district owed money under the suit. But, 17 are no longer with Nevada and one has since died.

Still, he said, it is the district's obligation to find those still living and pay them the money they're owed. In all, Nevada owes $12,146.19, with the largest single amount owed being a little more than $400.

Now, McAffee said, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is considering convening a special session of the Arkansas Legislature in the spring. This issue could be addressed then.

Because of the possibility of a special session, McAffee and the board decided to wait on paying the teachers the back pay and see what the general assembly does on the matter.

He said if the district paid up before the session there is no possibility it would be reimbursed. But, by waiting, the state may help out with these payments.

In all, McAffee told the board, 126 school districts are involved in the issue.

Board member Don Callicott said the teachers don't need to get the idea the district is trying to get out of paying them off by waiting for the session.

In the best of times, McAffee said, the school funding formula is difficult.

At the time this happened, he continued, the state's auditors approved the audit saying everything had been paid.

But, judges have since ruled differently saying the current laws weren't followed.

In 1990-91, districts were funded by the state at about $1,700 per student, with this figure now around $4,400 per child enrolled. This increase, McAffee said, is because more emphasis is being placed on early education programs such as Smart Start.

"I think the teachers would understand if we get the money from the state it is better than taking it from local revenues," he said.

"We want the teachers to have what is due them."

The Nevada District has already put the new salary schedule in place for paying its instructors. This was done ahead of schedule.

He said Huckabee is planning to address teacher's pay in the next regular session of the Legislature, with there being a chance the base pay could be raised by $4,000. "If the state funds this it will be all right, but if it's passed down to the districts it will be a problem.

So, the Nevada district will wait until the governor's office either calls a special session or not before giving those teachers owed their back pay.

The next meeting of the board will be Jan. 20, 2000, when the superintendent's contract will be brought before the panel.