Budget Boon or Bust?
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
With a projected 118.5 million dollar surplus, Arkansas` budget outlook is the rosiest in years. But since the budget proposal the Governor`s offered to lawmakers this week doesn`t include specific funding to rehab public school facilities, some say the plan is "half-baked." Dramatic improvements to the state`s school buildings are now required by law as part of the state`s compliance with the Lakeview school equity verdict. Some have estimated that project alone could cost Arkansas three billion dollars. Though the Governor was able to present legislators with a balanced budget proposal, he did it by slicing 130 million dollars worth of the requests originally made by state agencies. If Arkansas` funding outlook changes those agencies may be forced to do more with even less. As part of its pledge to reform public education, Arkansas now will proportionately take dollars from every other state agency to adequately fund schools.
