STICKER SHOCK

Arkansans are already empyting their pockets to help pay for public school curriculum changes as part of compliance with the Lakeview school equity verdict. Now lawmakers are dealing with a new sticker shock - this time for school facilities. The Lakeview decision calls for every public school child to be able to learn in a substantially equal environment. Today a task force researching the issue for the state, announced that to fund repairs of problems found during summer assessments would cost Arkansas about $2.3 billion dollars. Fixes to the dire safety and health issues alone would take 86 million out of state coffers. Estimates for a comprehensive response to the facilities mandate are set at $4.5 billion. That would address all current problems, raise room standards to provide for 143 square feet per student, allow for growth and project out for new problems for 5 years. The report results lawmakers now have to find a way to pay for is available on-line at www.arkansasfacilities.com. Starting Friday windows on that site will open, allowing visitors to check out the physical assessments of their districts and even individual campuses. A committe working with the facilities task force will present a report on strategies to pay for the building upgrades in about two weeks. Most lawmakers feel the states taxed out, so the challenge to find alternate revenue streams in the next session will be great.