Joint Adequacy Evaluation Oversight Subcommittee
Posted on October 28th, 2009
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Location: Room 171, State Capitol
Committee Information: Members on Committee
Agenda: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/Lists/Meetings/Attachments/12275/I7850.pdf
Attachments: none
1:37 pm – Rep. Bill Abernathy called the meeting to order and provided opening remarks. He has asked Mr. Richard Wilson, Assistant Director of Research Services for the Bureau of Legislative Research to review the components of the “Funding Matrix.”
1:47 pm – Here (Adobe Acrobat File) is very brief introduction to the resource utilization report we were provided last biennium. Also attached is the current foundation funding matrix (Excel File) that reflects funding both before and after the recalibration (affecting years after FY07).
1:50 pm – I blogged about this coming review of the funding matrix a couple of months ago here.
1:52 pm – Rep. Blount asked why the “School-Level Resources Per Student” dropped from $742 in FY07 to $535.10 ini FY10. Mr Wilson said that evidence based research demonstrated that we were overfunding this in the matrix and those funds were moved to another part of the matrix.
1:54 pm – Sen. Jimmy Jeffress is making the point that the amounts of funds put in the funding matrix is not a mandate for spending but is a model for adequacy. Individual school districts may spend more or less in a particular category based upon their local needs and requirements.
1:58 pm – Senator Bryles asked what constitutes the “carry forward” items. This category was not broken down in 2007. Now it encompasses “Operation & Maintenance”, “Central Office”, and “Transportation.” This is where we enhanced the funding for transportation when fuel prices went very high in 2008.
2:02 pm – Rep. Saunders is asking for an explanation for how these initial values were created. These numbers come from the research that we contracted the consultants Odden & Picus to accomplish. They were specifically calibrated by the Bureau of Legislative Research to match Arkansas. After all the values were created, they were compared to other SREB schools. We were ranked second, and after cost-of-living indices were included Arkansas was first.
2:07 pm – The maxtrix category for “School Level Salaries Per Student” made a massive jump from $3669.00 in FY07 to $3937.40 in FY08. It is currently $4094.20
2:09 pm – Rep. Abernathy is arguing that there should be enhanced transportation fund for some school districts that have a disproportionately high transportation expense.
2:11 pm – Rep Hutchinson asked about the limitations on matrix funding, for example athletic expenses. Apparently there are no limitations, but the staff attorney asked to research this further. The revenues that come from independent sources, such as boosters, is not regulated. However foundational funding should be used for adequacy.
2:16 pm – Sen. Elliot is asking how we know where schools are shifting money within matrix categories. Apparently we really don’t have that information.
2:21 pm – Rep. Summers is asking if a study has been done on the costs associated with replacing books with technology.
2:27 pm – I was asking if ABSCAN (a computer program that gives the state information about individual school district spending) could give us an average comparision of actual spending to the funding. Apparently the BLR is already working on this.
2:34 pm – Meeting Adjourned.
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