Student Well-Being

Financial Dispute

By Vaishali Honawar — May 03, 2005 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

An Arkansas lawmaker says the state will not ask 10 school districts to return the $11 million they were overpaid in state aid in the 2004-05 school year.

But that’s not the story.

Sen. Jim Argue, a Democrat, contends that the districts had used a federal free and reduced-price lunch formula to count all of their students as eligible for state poverty funding, regardless of family income.

The provision allowed the 10 districts to take advantage of a state funding formula passed last year that gave millions of dollars more to districts with large numbers of students in the subsidized-lunch program.

Mr. Argue said that, thanks to the loophole, a district that claimed all its students were participating in the program could get nearly $1,000 more in state aid per child.

He spearheaded budget changes in the 2005 legislative session to reduce state aid for some districts under a new formula and close the loophole.

Arkansas has been grappling with how to meet its education funding needs since the state supreme court ruled in 2002 that its system of financing schools was unconstitutional.

Budget estimates showed that $13 million more than anticipated would have gone to schools in the 10 districts in the 2005-06 school year and $22 million in the following year unless the loophole was closed.

Lee Vent, the superintendent of the 4,000–student Forrest City school district, which expects to receive $2.6 million less next year under the new formula, said he believed the district received the additional funds from the state “in the good spirit of the [supreme court] decision because the 10 original school districts are in higher-poverty areas.”

He said it was unfair that his district, which has a budget of $24 million, and others should suffer as a result of the state’s budget crunch. He said that besides the $2.6 million lost because of the change in the funding formula, the district would lose $2.5 million more as a result of other unfunded mandates in the budget.

“The budget crunch was not caused by us,” he said. “We will welcome additional monies to implement programs, to try to reach an equal playing field.”

As a result of the reduction in state aid, Mr. Vent said, the school district on April 25 joined 45 other low-income districts in petitioning the Arkansas Supreme Court to reopen the Lake View School District v. Huckabee school finance case because, they say, the legislature failed to fund them adequately this year under changes adopted in fiscal 2004.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Improve School Culture and Engage Students: Archery’s Critical Role in Education
Changing lives one arrow at a time. Find out why administrators and principals are raving about archery in their schools.
School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being Boys Want a Strong Relationship With Their Teachers. That Doesn't Always Happen
The key to inspiring boys in the classroom is a strong student-teacher relationship, experts say. Here's how to make it work.
7 min read
Jon Becker, upper school history and English teacher, has 9th grader Demetrios Karavedas stand on a chair and apologize for forgetting his book during their 9th grade English class at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland on Oct. 24, 2024 in Baltimore, Md.
Jon Becker, a history and English teacher at Boys' Latin School of Maryland in Baltimore, has 9th grader Demetrios Karavedas stand on a chair and apologize for forgetting his book on Oct. 24, 2024. Positive relationships with teachers matter for boys' academic motivation and success.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being What 'Boy-Friendly' Changes Look Like at Every Grade Level
An all-boys school gave students more autonomy and time for socializing. The results have been powerful.
9 min read
Students work in groups to build roller coasters during the innovation period at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland on Oct. 24, 2024 in Baltimore, Md.
Middle schoolers work in groups to build roller coasters during an innovation period at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland in Baltimore on Oct. 24, 2024. The private school has reworked its schedule to give students more time for choice and socializing.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being From Our Research Center Why School Isn't Working for Many Boys and What Could Help
Teachers report in a new survey that boys are less focused and engaged than their female counterparts.
8 min read
A kindergartener in a play-based learning class prepares for outdoor forest play time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024.
A kindergartener prepares for outdoor forest play time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Student Well-Being Opinion Trump Is Rolling Back Protections for Transgender Students. What Educators Can Do
Two educators offer ideas and resources for teachers and education leaders so they can support their LGBTQ+ students.
Vanessa Ford & Rebecca Kling
5 min read
A person in the shadows stands at a bright window, a symbol of the search for the meaning of life, hope for the future in difficult times.
iStock/Getty