House Panel Gives School Districts Extra Time
By: David Goins
Updated: March 12, 2013
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A House panel advanced legislation Tuesday to give school districts an
additional three years to get off the fiscal, academic or facilities
distress list.
HB 1770 allows districts to remain under state supervision for up to five years before the Arkansas Department of Education could take action.
Right now, ADE has the option to annex or dissolve a school district if it does not get off the distressed list.
Bill sponsor representative Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) says the legislation is designed to help out large districts like Helena / West Helena and PCSSD.
"Those districts are making progress and they need more time," Perry said Tuesday.
The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration on Thursday.
HB 1770 allows districts to remain under state supervision for up to five years before the Arkansas Department of Education could take action.
Right now, ADE has the option to annex or dissolve a school district if it does not get off the distressed list.
Bill sponsor representative Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) says the legislation is designed to help out large districts like Helena / West Helena and PCSSD.
"Those districts are making progress and they need more time," Perry said Tuesday.
The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration on Thursday.
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ccdeal c.
March 13, 2013 at 9:54 pm
Please read this bill. Districts with a school in academic distress could also be taken over. This bill will affect more districts than people believe. As a teacher, parent and taxpayer of PCSSD, I want control of my school district bad. Decisions are being made that are not the best for all students.
Maria G.
March 13, 2013 at 5:13 pm
People need to read this entire bill and find out all the changes this bill proposes to the current law that neither the Department of Education nor the sponsors of the bill are giving us any details about. In NO way is this bill to "give districts additional time" to get out of distress - it is to give the Arkansas Department of Education and the Commissioner of Education total control over a district for an additional three years. Not only does it extend the time for control, but it also gives the Commissioner, an appointed official, the sole authority to appoint a school board for the school district for the remainder of the state takeover.
In order for PCSSD to be released from fiscal distress, which according to the Department of Education's own balance sheet indicates a very healthy $26 million projected on June 30, 2013, either the superintendent who has a $260,000 per year financial package and was appointed by the Commissioner of Education (appointed by the Governor) or the Commissioner himself must request the State Board of Education to release the district from distress. During the takeover, the appointed superintendent has hired numerous people from his former district, Camden-Fairview, to PCSSD including the new attorney and a security consulting firm. Hmmmmm!!! Sounds just like the group that got PCSSD to have a declining fund balance in the first place.
Cheryl C.
March 13, 2013 at 4:20 pm
This bill was written ONLY to allow Jacksonville to have it's own school district. Kimbrelll is telling people it's they only way PCSSD will get out of deseg. This is NOT true. This a HOUSE BILL, but is selfishly being used for just the PCSSD and those invested in dissolving the district. PCSSD was not and is not now in fiscal distress. Would someone please do an FOI and expose the fact that we had $14.2 million dollars when they declared that and are projected to have $26 million at the end of this school year? This is a farce. The truth needs to be exposed. The budget that was looked at 2 years ago, contained 1 time expenses by the group then that was trying to do harm to the district.
Judy S.
March 13, 2013 at 5:42 am
