No Cuts Coming to Arkansas Education Budget?
By: Adam Rodriguez, KARK 4 News
Updated: November 29, 2012
Lawmakers agreed on Thursday to fully fund Arkansas' public schools for the coming year.
State Education Commissioner Dr. Tom Kimbrell says Arkansas is one of three states in the nation that isn't cutting education spending this year, but it's not a done deal yet.
Members of the education subcommittee went over the school's budget Thursday morning.
Kimbrell says the schools didn't ask for more money this year, but they will get an additional $60 million thanks to the state's committment to providing a good, fair education for Arkansas students.
But at least one lawmaker says the state's failing in that aspect.
Representative John Walker of Little Rock says it's not fair that some communities, like Maumelle, have new schools, which he compares to the Taj Mahal, while schools in rural areas like Helena-West Helena are falling apart.
"Poor people are going to get the dregs and the schools they have are going to be the dregs unless there a concentrated effort to ensure there's at least one place in Arkansas where equality abounds. It's the public schools," Walker says.
"I think Representative Walker feels we need to address this in combination with the legislature, and I agree with him," says Dr. Kimbrell. "We have to find a solution. It's a huge problem."
So the schools budget has been approved by an education subcommittee, but it still has several steps to go before being passed as part of the general budget by the Arkansas house and senate this upcoming legislative session.
State Education Commissioner Dr. Tom Kimbrell says Arkansas is one of three states in the nation that isn't cutting education spending this year, but it's not a done deal yet.
Members of the education subcommittee went over the school's budget Thursday morning.
Kimbrell says the schools didn't ask for more money this year, but they will get an additional $60 million thanks to the state's committment to providing a good, fair education for Arkansas students.
But at least one lawmaker says the state's failing in that aspect.
Representative John Walker of Little Rock says it's not fair that some communities, like Maumelle, have new schools, which he compares to the Taj Mahal, while schools in rural areas like Helena-West Helena are falling apart.
"Poor people are going to get the dregs and the schools they have are going to be the dregs unless there a concentrated effort to ensure there's at least one place in Arkansas where equality abounds. It's the public schools," Walker says.
"I think Representative Walker feels we need to address this in combination with the legislature, and I agree with him," says Dr. Kimbrell. "We have to find a solution. It's a huge problem."
So the schools budget has been approved by an education subcommittee, but it still has several steps to go before being passed as part of the general budget by the Arkansas house and senate this upcoming legislative session.
