Scroggin discusses school funding bills

VILONIA - State Rep. Preston Scroggin (D-Vilonia) discussed at the Vilonia School Board meeting Monday night the myriad of school facility funding bills and other education-related issues that are at various phases in the 85th General Assembly.

Scroggin said legislators have yet to see any budget or any school facilities funding bills, even though the Legislature is scheduled to wrap up Friday, April 15. He added that keeping up with the breadth of the more than 3,300 bills before the Legislature has been the hardest part, especially with education being so important to him this session.

"It is the most complicated issue I have ever tried to get a handle on," he said.

One of his main concerns, Scroggin said, was that many school-funding bills are eroding local control and shifting decision making on facilities to Little Rock.

"If I had to put a percent I'd say 20 to 30 percent (of local control is being eroded)," he said. "I see that being a cascading effect in the next two or three sessions, especially with facilities funding."

Superintendent Frank Mitchell said school district facility funding is of utmost importance to the board, and of particular concern was the possibility of losing the ACT 69 supplemental millage incentive, also known as power equalization.

Under Act 69 the state raises the average millage per student in poorer districts to the state average. Vilonia's average mills per student is $29 and the supplemental millage incentive raises it to the state average of $59. Mitchell said losing this could cost the district $400,000 a year.

Mitchell said at this point he is unsure of how he would advise local legislators to vote on different facility-funding bills because it's not clear how each would effect the district.

He said he supports Scroggin getting behind a bill that has been filed which would reinstate the supplemental millage incentive if it is done away with in a facility-funding bill.

"If they're looking to take it out with school facility funding, (this bill) is a way to get that back," he said.

In other business, the board:

Rehired all of the teachers, librarians, counselors and other faculty for the 2005-06 school year.

Accepted the resignation of Sue Farris, primary school principal; Shanda Sutton, daycare worker; David Yarbrough, assistant band director; and Crystal Finch, night custodian.

Approved the purchase of three 77-passenger buses at a cost of $60,870 each from Ward Transportation Services Inc.

Granted a request by the Ministerial Alliance to have baccalaureate and senior breakfast.

Approved its annual fish fry for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at the primary school.

(Staff Writer Jeremy Glover can be reached by e-mail at jeremy.glover@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1253.)