Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Superintendents not happy with Huckabee's plan

Superintendents in Nevada County are less than happy with Gov. Mike Huckabee's proposals for education.

The proposals include what would be massive consolidations of districts to meet a mandatory student population of 1,500 students.

Under Huckabee's plan, elementary schools would be left alone, so students in grades K-8 would remain in their home towns.

However, those in grades 9-12 would go to regional or unified school districts. The difference in the two being a unified district would be one that voluntarily merged with another district. Regional districts would be mandated by the state, with the Arkansas Department of Education deciding which students went to what district.

Dr. Gene Ross, Emmet's superintendent, said if this is passed it will destroy education in Arkansas.

He voiced confidence saying the legislature won't pass the plan.

"Huckabee will be the downfall of education in Arkansas," Ross said. "You don't have to eliminate all districts under 1,500 to save money. Consolidation doesn't save money or improve education either.

Hyacinth Deon, Prescott's superintendent, was more moderate in her assessment, and agreed everyone wants to do better for the children of Arkansas.

"We'll have to wait and see how it will be done," she said.

Prescott, she said, would need to have 600 students in high school to meet the 1,500 criteria. But, she added, under Huckabee's plan, all districts would also be required to offer 38 courses the state wants in place.

Deon said she has been talking to neighboring districts about the possibility of becoming a unified district.

Rick McAfee, Nevada superintendent, was trying to "digest" some things Huckabee said in his speech and information in the governor's plan, when questioned.

"The state would have to build 20-25 regional sites, and in some places students would be bused 90 minutes one way to the central school," he said.

"My read is there will be 76 school districts remaining with 1,500 or more students. They have to feel good about where they are."

The plan calls for reducing the number of school districts in the state from 310 to 116.

McAfee said this will mean there will be about 30 regional schools serving a third of the state's students.

Service cooperatives, he said, will double, with the staffs being hired by superintendents. However, at this time there is nowhere to house them, McAfee pointed out. There are currently 15 such educational cooperatives in Arkansas.

"No one knows if the superintendent will also be the cooperative director," he said.

Ross opposes consolidations, saying consolidating has never saved any money.

He also didn't like the idea of there being no local superintendent or school board.

Students from small districts wanting to participate in athletics would be at a disadvantage, Ross said, as they will have to compete with students from larger schools.

"Only the top athletes would be able to participate," Ross said. "A lot of times athletics are all that keep some students in school. I expect there to be a lot of dropouts."

Deon said the only thing anyone knows for sure is schools will need even more money to institute the proposed changes.

"We need to be proactive," she said, "and not wait to be told what to do when we have other opportunities. This is a time of challenge, change and frustration."

A member of the Nevada School Board, Mack Bridges, said there was a dictator in World War II who got control of education first and everything else from there. World War II was fought to get rid of this dictator.

There is a question, McAfee said, about schools already having gone through consolidation having to go through it again.

He said there is a window of opportunity for those districts on the chopping block  unifying with other districts.

"If we choose to partner with other districts," McAfee said, "we could create a district and control the destiny of where our children go. If we don't, the state will decide where they go."

McAfee urged the board members to contact parents and have them get in touch with their state representatives and senator to oppose this measure.

Ross said a lot of schools are being affected by debt service, while Emmet has none. All of the district's 29.7 mills can be used for maintenance and operation.

Huckabee's plan contained nothing about how the debt service would be paid for those districts consolidated into regional or unified schools.

"I know the Arkansas Supreme Court mandated a change, but it can be done differently," Ross said. "They could eliminate special funds and base funding on the Average Daily Attendance."

The state, he said, could save money by having more distance learning programs.

"I don't think it will pass," Ross said. "I've heard some state representatives are against it. The legislature needs to look at something other than this.

"We knew something was coming," Deon said, "with the Blue Ribbon report and the Next Step documents. But I didn't imagine the scope of the consolidation proposed.

"Things won't be like they were. We need to make ourselves available and stand up for what's right for the children and the community. But there will be changes."

McAfee said a lot of classrooms will be standing empty if this plan passes because of consolidations.

Everything, he said, has been discussed except what it will cost.

According to McAfee, desegregation laws will still govern people's freedom of choice in which school their children attend, but otherwise, students will be at the mercy of the state.

"This will affect children's education drastically," he said.