Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Districts Should Get More Funding

There may be some good news for area school districts.

According to information from the governor's office, 86 percent of the state's public schools will benefit with more money from the new funding formula.

This includes all schools in Clark County.

The figures show 267 of the 311 districts in Arkansas will receive more money. Of these, 215 will see funding rise to $3,903 per student. In the other 52 districts, funding will increase to $5,007 per child.

"When the funding formula was challenged in 1992," Gov. Jim Guy Tucker said, "some districts were receiving as little as $1,890 per child. Under this new formula, we have raised the minimum to $3,903, an increase of more than 100 percent. This represents real progress toward ensuring all our children have access to an adequate education."

In addition, this new formula, according to Gene Wilhoit, director of the Arkansas Department of Education, meets the equity test established by the court.

According to the figures, Gurdon's School District funding will increase from $3,631.81 to $3,903.87 per student. This is an increase of $272.06 per child.

The Arkadelphia School District is expected to rise to $4,117.85 as well, for an increase of $202.05 per student as Nevada's former funding was $3,915.79.

These totals include state and local funds, but do not include restricted federal funds or funds distributed through the court ordered desegregation requirements.

The comparison uses total funding per Average Daily Membership (ADM) as the primary point of reference. This means school funding is based on the average number of students attending daily.

These figures, however, include state equalization funding, additional base funding, debt service funding supplement, general facilities funding and locally generated revenues based on total available maintenance and operating mills and 75 percent of miscellaneous funds.

They do not include student growth and growth facilities funding which will be determined after the first quarter student count of the 1996-97 academic year.

According to State Representative Percy Malone, whose district includes part of Nevada County, as well as Clark County, the new formula should prove effective in reducing the disparity in financial support for students in the wealthiest and poorest districts in the state.

For a variety of reasons, Malone said, not all school districts will receive funding increases under the new formula. Factors leading to the reduced funding for some districts include changes to the way transportation funding is calculated, the way teacher retirement and health insurance programs are funded, and the way such programs as special education and vocational education are supported.

However, there are only 44 districts in the state which will see reduced funding.