Millage

16A SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2000 Arkansas Democrat '^azcttc Advertisement A performance analysis of THE LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT: Ten years of rising revenues and declining student achievement Summary J^ince the Implementation of Little Rocks 1990 desegregation plan and its various revisions over the last decade, almost ten years of rising education revenues have failed to reverse the Little Rock School Districts (LRSD) declining academic performance. In fact, scores in core academics have continued falling each year of the plan in the wake of annually increasing budgets and spending. And the gap between black/white student performance has not closed as promised at the beginning of the plan 10 years ago. With the vote on Little Rocks latest school tax increase just around the comer, the issue of an ever-widening spending versus student performance gap is bound to raise questions among local voters. LRSD STH GRADE ...should the community ante up a new round of tax dollars? Or is it possible more money is not the answer, but that it is simply time for wholesale changes in everything from school leadership, governance, teaching methods, and curriculum to management, fiscal practices, and accountability programs? Many local citizens think so- -and the facts are with them. For example, will LRSD ever be capable of orchestrating a longsought academic turnaround given the legal burdens and other contentious issues it must constantly deal with now? And, should the community ante up a new round of tax dollars? Or is it possible more money is not the answer, but that is simply time for wholesale changes in everything from school leadership, governance, teaching methods, and curriculum to management, fiscal practices, and accountabiltity programs? Many local citizens think soand the facts are with them. For some voters the concern is more visceral. Call it litigation burnout tied to endless desegregation actions and rulings. They simply believe that as long as lawyers and courts drive the process of education reform, basedas it ismore on resolution of race issues than on solving the overriding problem of academic quality for all students, black amd white, LRSD schools will remain educationally substandard. Scores will not get better, more legal haggling will be inevitable, divisiveness will endure, and Little Rock and its schools will remain hostage to those who would prosper from more than 40 years of complex legal history. Some even say the city just seems destined to remain in a lingering perception of racism so far removed, in reality, from the terrible prejudices and discrimination of 1957 as to be sadly laughable. Knowing the enduring stigma of racism unfairly shapes the citys image around the world angers many taxpayers. They feel it is time to move on. To be sure, the ongoing community effort to change racial attitudes in Little Rock has been extraordinary for many years now. Little Rock is no longer a community marked by an ingrained cultural tolerance of racial discrimmination. It has worked hard and grown in character to become a modern, foward-looking city committed to freedom and equal opportunity for every citizen. Most of the citys citizens know that the Little Rock of 2000 is a far cry from the Little Rock of 1957. Anyone who would suggest otherwise is either blind or disingenuous-or both. Still, growing unrest among taxpayers over these things will lead many of them to withhold what they believe to be a futile infusion of tax dollars. They view LRSD as a troubled school district mired in unending legal bickering and tom by fractional agendas. They see it as lacking leadership and the internal capablity to apply resources wisely. They see no collective will among school leaders to abandon failed practices and try new ones. And until new leadership with new insights, new ideas, and the courage to challenge the education status quo in Little Rock emerges, they will save their money. A copy of the full report can be obtained by contacting the Arkansas Policy Foundation, 111 Center St., Little Rock, AR 72201 (501)375-6703 LU ex O LU Q ex O LU < LU ex o Z o z LU o (X LU 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 26% 20% 15% 10% 0% -6% -10% -15% -20% -25% -30% -35% -40% -45% -50% 50% LU 48% 40% 35% O 30% - Q 25% tX 20% O 15% V5 10% 0% O -5^ Z -10% LU -15% -20% g -25% g -30%- Q. -40% -46% -60% LU CO < LU ex o LU Q ex o I g: O Z s z LU o ex LU PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO INCOME
1991-99 Rise 38.6% FALL 19.7% (scores based on SAT basic battery which measures core course results) 1991-1999 LRSD 7TH GRADE PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO INCOME:1991-99 Ris 38.6% SCORES O.d/e (scores based on SAT basic battery which measures core course results) 1991-1999 50% 46% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 0% -5% -10% 15% -20% -25% -30% -35% 4CJ% 46% -60%. LRSD 10TH GRADE PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO INCOME: 1991-99 Paid advertisement paid for by the Arkansas Policy Foundation, 111 Center Street. Little Rock. AR 72201 Rises 36.8% FALL 18.3% (scores based on SAI basic battery which measures core course results) 1991-1999I aINSIDE Wounds from World War II still unhealed. 20A News/Part 2 Arkansas Democrat ^(gazette SUNDAY, MAY 7,2000 1SA Texas bends rules for church groups Critics worry Bush win would bring lax laws for faith-based social services BY HANNA ROSIN THE WASHINCtON POST CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Over the door of one church-based drx^ treatment center in Houston, a sign printed in foot-high letters aimounces
Drug Addiction Is NOT a Disease. Its a Sin. At another, clients pa^ by a po^r of an addict in a hospital bed, ripping IV tubes out of his arms and throwing his pills in the garbage. An angel hovers nearby, offering her protection from this plague of prescriptions. And at a Christian young adult home in Corpus Christi, police recently took the unusual step of arresting a supervisor after teenagers complained that they were beaten and roped to a bed, all in rule book as thick as a Russian the name of Christian discipline. novel that covers every detail from More arrests are anticipated, au- fire detectors to fr^ed carpets. thorities say. Counselors in religious treatment These are some of the results programs now may skip the crimi-expected and unexpected of nal bac^round chec^ and tiun- Gov. George W. Bushs bold new dredsofhoursoftrainingrequired experiment in welfare reform." With his conviction that religious of their state-licensed peers. Faith-based groups that provide groups can transform lives in ways child care or operate homes for government cant, Bush sponsored troubled youths can opt out of state laws in 1997 that allow churches to inspections and choose to be regu-provide social services their own lat^ by a Christian child care way, outside the intrusive glare of agency approved by the state. the state. Since their inception, the new The new laws exempted faith- rules have been criticized by tradi-based drug treatment pro^'ams tional caretakers, who worry that from all state health and safety reg- Bush has placed too little empha-ulations followed by their secular sis on holding religious groups ac-counterparts, a list contained in a countable, and too much on the no-tion that faith alone can heal addiction and delinquencydespite decades of research to the contrary. Weve worked so long and hard to combat the stigma that substance abuse and delinquency and mental health are a symptom of a breakdown of morality, and to convince people they are an Illness, said Bill McColl, spokesman for the National Association of Drug and Alcohol Counselors, This would roll us back 60 years, right back to when people thought you were an alcoholic merely because you didnt accept Jesus as your personal savior, See LAWS, Page 17A AssocMIsd Frets Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush talks with reporters and his campaign staff Friday during a flight from San Diego to Austin, Texas, aboard his campaign plane. AesodsMd Press Democratic prvMetiBal candidate Vice President Gore shows reporters in Chicago on Thursday what he said was Republican Gov. George W. Bush's 1995 Texas budget 2'
pages folded in fours. The presidential campaign is turning into Stats Ware. Bush, Gore battle with hazy numbers to raise credibility BY CALVIN WOODWARD TNEASSOCIATID PRESS WASHINGTON The presidential campaign is turning into Stats Wars as Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush reach for the statistics that will let the political force be with them. The numbers are coming fast and furious: Almost half of Texas prisoners go back behind bars in three years, Gore claimed in a slam on Bushs revolving door justice system. Drug use by teen-agers has almost doubled in the Clin-ton- Gore administration, Bush shot bacL Test scores show Texas students are lagging, ------------- dark sky of confusion, bringing a bright flash of clarity to everything. Its stolen lightning." Passed on by the priests in white coats," as he put it, statistics are grasped by politicians seeking advantage, government offrcials wanting fatter budgets, advocates wanting this and that, and then are hurled at a debate with all the certitude of Zeus. The voice of power and authority is with me," Murray intoned. If you argue with me youre actually arguing against things as they are." Unchecked in the absence of debates since the end of the primaries, Gore has been firing away with tax, environmental and Gore It almost does not Charges federal prisons Seem to matter, have cut drug- . treatment beds by ODSCrveS DaVia one-third. Some figures Murray, an that underpin the anthlODOlogist who accusatuions are , outdated or un- StUoicS the USC and supported, such as Gores claim of misuse of numbers. crime numbers to show his opponent would chew up the Social Security surplus and has made a mess of Texas. Bush has dueled with opponents throughout the primaries and now with Gore on Statistics are a way to cidivism under j. whether numbers Texas show ciuiviain uuuer ,, , , . Bush. Others, like conuemn and indict Bushs about teen-age drug use. hSS in a hurry, he said. are essential^ correct but fall short of telling the whole story. It almost does not seem to matter, observes David Murray, an anthropologist who studies the use and misuse of numbers. Statistics are a way to condemn and indict in a huny, he said. Best of all for a candidate, be said, in quoting them you both get authoritativeness and no accountability. Murray is research director for the Statistical Assessment Service, a think tank that works for better understanding of scientific and social research and debunks spurious statistical claims. Lately, the service has taken issue with assertions that the declining infant mortality rate has something to do with dye closing of nuclear power plants. It has faulted for improbable precision a federal study that said a 20-cent increase for a six-pack of beer could reduce gonorrhea by 9 percent And it has dissected and disputed claims that the number of missing or abducted children runs into the tens of thousands a year. Statistics are powerful, Murray said. They come ilown from a higher achievement in schools and lower taxes for citizens and whether he has had anything to do with it Charges are made and denied, and campaigns release their supporting evidence, which is sometimes thin and occasionally wrong. But by then, the candidates have moved on to another statistical frontier, leaving behind an aura of science from their number-dropping. Recidivism in 'Texas prisons is not up under Bush, as far as anyone knows. Because of the long lag time in analyzing how many convicts go back after three years the standard measure no such figures have been released yet on inmates let out since Bush became governor in 1995. But Gore, blaming Bush for a revolving door prison system in a major crime speech last week, claimed rates under Bush have gone up almost to 50 percent a figure actually operative when Democrat Ano Richards was governor. The Gore campaign got the figure from newspaper and magazine stories that published it without attributionto any source or t See STATISTICS, Page 17A P^irdiosG UI will Items otVerySpedol Prices Swivel Rocker/Recliner 298 Compare flP499 Famous ,1 Compere 01799 ^493 swivel rocker recliner Oversized Casual Plaid Sofa Oversized casual sola features 10" plush cushioning and a long wearing ptaid cover in earth tones. COflPWATION 6 Months Sam As Cosh J Cottage Retreat Bedroom Suite M98 Compere iit%99 Three piece cottage style bedroom snlte ' ~ f includes beadboard, door dresser and mirror. 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IIUI WBTMAfIKHAM. 9^-7130 CMWAY.BO SEARCY, 401 PWERlUFf, XJHtowmRil, 329-701) I Pftoldf 7684606 .3M)' Morkel, 535-9566 ' SrailtK. 1903 Albert 'pfke, i24-74I2 hanksfurniture.com MorUeTopI ttwfy geauiat mvtile JOHEStORO. 1B08 mgMorxl, 931-0324 RIKSEUVILIE. 2606 E Moin, 9M-5871 HARRISON, 121) Hwy 62-65 N, 741-2009 FORT SMITH. 59)2 S 36l1i SI, 646-6631 SFRIHCOAIE, Hwy 7)B, 751-4921 BEXT0KV1UE. US 7) ot Hwy 102,271-2320 FAYETTEVIILE, YWioBton of Hwy 7), 442-2666 I h* k HiW toW bMtew 4 b mad l b lite ( b $01. 9(Hn-6|>ffl * Sun, ipm-bpm ISA SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2000 Arkansas Democrat ^azcttc Millage Continued from Page 1A neighborhood associations known for their carefijl monitoring of local government. There was no organized opposition to the proposed increase until Thursday, when the Arkansas Policy Foundation placed a fUll-ps^e advertisement in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette criticizing the district for failing to raise standardized test scores and challenging the need for the tax increase. By Friday. Superintendent Les Carnine. his staff and School Board members had dissected virtually eveiy line of the foundations advertisement and accompanying 15-page report, pointing out in an ll-page document of their own all the errors and outdated information they found in thd study. The ad ran again Sunday. If the proposed tax increase is adopted, more than $115 million in repairs and technology expansions is planned for the schools. School Board members in March approved a list of specific projects that would be undertaken at each school. The improvements, to be made over the next five years, would include a new elementaiy school in the western section of the district, 113 new classrooms 83 of which would replace portable buildings, five expanded cafeterias, three new or expanded libraries, one new gymnasium and 20 roofing projects. Other improvements would include modernizing bathrooms, improving heating and air conditioning systems, making buildings more accessible to handicapped people, and providing the necessary electrical wiring and equipment to support at least one computer for every five students. The 5-mill increase would generate about $9.5 million a year, based on current prope^ assessments. Three of the 5 mills would be debt-service mills. They would be used to finance a 33-year debt on a series of bond issues that would make up the $115 million for the school repairs, renovations and technolc^. The remaining 2 mills of the 5 would be designated as dedicated maintenance and operation mills. The $3.8 million generated annually fiom the 2 mills would be used for the oi^oing upkeep of buildings and computers. Included in the ballot request to raise the districts tax rate fiom 41.4 to 46.4 mills is notice of a total district debt of up to $190 million and the extension of 9.4 debtservice mills that are supporting the districts current debt. When LRSD standardized test scores: 1991-1999 charter schools and private school ent peers. The students progress at vouchers, as well as reports on a rate comparable to national av-that is paid, money fiom the 9.4 mills would be applied to the new debt. If the proposed increase passes, the overall mill rate for a Little Rock district properly owner would go fixim 63.9 mills to 6B.9 mills, which includes taxes for school, city, county and Arkansas Childrens Hospital. TSe.'lrfaiwtts Micy Foundation last ^eek criticized the bale Rock School Distrtci for a history of declining scores m tests that compare bale Rod jljik-. seventh-and lOih-graders lo national samples cf students vtho look the same tests. Thefoundation used "normal curve equmileni" scores, a slaiisiical measure most c^en used fy researchers because it can be used in computations. Normal ame equivalent scoring allons one test to be compared to another even if one version is more difficult than another. College entrance exam scores are normal airve equnaleni scores. Standardized test scores are more often reported to the public in "national percentile ranldngs." which indicalea student's relative standing in comparison to other students who look the same test. A student al the 75lh percentile,forexample. scored as well or better than 75 percent tffithe students in the national sample. Both npes of scores are skm-n in this chart. Both show that the average basic battery scores - combining math, reading and language arts scores - are generally belon' the 5^h percentile trhich is considered the national average Lillie Rod district leaders objected to the policy foundation comparing scores earned b\ siudeni.s in 199! on the Metropolitan.ichievemeni Test, sixth edition, to scores earned on the Slanford.ichievement Test, the eighth or ninth editions. Each of the three tests is diffiereni and each isbasedon adiffireni national sample of students. --------- 1991 MATS IMMHO.HpCiMMVHI ACCftMnwil 1992-1995 SATS Sanbra KcftMiwil T(L Hittitan 1996-1999 SATS SufCoia AdKMfliani TcdMicdMi NORMAL CURVE EQUIVALENT SCORES 516 30 0. SOJ 54.4 nn-0 46.0 r-iW5 91 92 '93 94 '95 as '96 W '96 '99 '91 '92 '93 '94 '96 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '95 '96 97 '98 '99 NATIONAL PERCENTILE RANKINGS 57 40- 20- 0- 91 '92 93 '94 95 '95 96 9 7 98 99 58 50 42 i-i40 91 92 '93 '94 '95 95 96 '97 96 99 91 92 S3 94 '95 95 '96 97 '98 '99 NOTE:TslswrdRWMe(lntiinulnl995.inffie<(m>gan(lial. SOURCE. UlM Rock SeftM Oisinct Arkansas Oamocral-Gazaiu pensions, welfare reform and leg- erages for student growth, i-s--l-a--t-iv--e-- -e--t-h--ic--s-.- -T--h--e-- -M---u- r-p---l-^-- -C--o-m-- - "But, the challenge that all m- mission, a foundation initiative, ban districts have is to learn how has conducted studies and written to accelerate in eveiy way possible reports on ways to streamline gov- our students' learning so that at ernment. some point they 'catch up,' " dis- Jackson T. Stephens Jr., chair- trict leaders said. man and acting president of the foundation, said the report was They also cited statistics showing that when test results are bro-written by foundation members ken down by race. Little Rock ftom data acquired from the white students perform as well or school district, a 1999 independent better than their white peers management study and reports around the state and Little Rock from the federal Office ofDesegre- black students hold their own in gation Monitoring comparisons with black students The foundation report de- from other districts, doii^ better scribed the Little Rock district as than some and not as well as oth-a fhilure'' and "one of America's consistently troubled districts. It ers. District leaders also noted that said the district, the largest in the in three schools Dodd, Gibbs stete, is caught up in political fac- and Jefferson elementaries, where tionalism, lo^-standing desegre- curriculum changes in literacy gation litigation, economic stress and math instruction were piloted and public unrest. Authors of the fifth-grade test scores improved report said the district failed to by 13 or more points, -a-b--a--n--d-o--n-- --u--n-s--u--c-c--e--s-s--f-u-l pro-g rams. A*ccording to th'e district re- They suggested that wholesale sponse, foundation authors changes are needed in district demonstrated a lack of test under-foundation leadership, curriculum and fiscal standing when they said the -Stan. management. ford Achievement Test includes 'The advertisement featured components that are nonacademic, graphs showing that, while the dis- The educators also pointed out tricts revenues steeply increased that foundation authors said they since 1991, basic battery scores on used scale scores ft^m the dif-standardized tests in grades five, ferent tests when they actually seven and 10 dropped by as much used normal curve equivalent" as 19.7 percent in the same period and were below the 50th per-scores. ------- . Each nationally standardized centile, which is considered the test including the Stanford national average. Achievement Test is scored and Basic battery scores are a com- reported in a variety of ways, bination of reading, language arts S"c..o..r.e..s.. . l Yom t he Sta nford test and mathematics scores. are generally reported to parents The foundations report includ- and the public in terms of pared scores from three nationally centile rankings, which describe s--t-a--n--d-a--r-d--i-z--e-d-,, state----m--a--n-jd-a.te-dj ihow local students c..o..m...p..a..r.e. t.o. a tests: the Metropolitan Achieve- national sample of students who ment Test, sixth edition, last ad- took the same test. ministered in the 1990-1991 school Normal curve equivalent year, and the Stanford Achieve- scores, on the other hand, are ment Test both ei^th and ninth equal-interval normalized stan-editions. dard scores, which make compari- One of the purposes of the stan- son possible. An NCE score of 43.5 dardized tests is to compare the on a math test is comparable to a achievement levels of Little Rock 43.5 score on a science test. The or Arkansas students to a national scores can be added, subtract^. sample of students who took the divided or averaged, making the same test. Little Rock district officials ob- searchers. jected to the foundations comparisons across three tests. The scores usehil to educators and re- Regardless of the type of scoring used, the district s-.ores were scores earned by students who generally below the SOth pertook the Stanford Achievement centile, which is considered the Test, ninth edition, last September national average. we..r..e.. ...c..o.rm--p--a-r-e d- to th e- --s--c--o-r-e s School district officials jabbed earned by different students who at the foundation for saying that took the Metropolitan Achieve- the districts student perfor-ment Test.............................................mance data are not generally re- "You are comparing our kids to- ported or made easily accessible day to what was going on in 1990 to the public. Again, not true! A mill is one-tenth of a cent When used as a property tax rate, each mill produces $1 of tax for each $1,000 of assessed valuation. Property in Arkansas is assessed at 20 percent of its actual value. A $50,000 home, for example, has an assessed value of $10,000. A 1-mill tax on that property would be $10, a 5-milI tax would be $50. On a the documents were inaccurate, 5100,000 house, a 5-mill tax would misleading, outdated or incom-and 91, said Kathy Lease, who the district responded, pointing oversees the districts testing pro- out that the scores are reported gram. Its a different world. 'Aiey in the Democrat-Gazette, dis-are different tests that ask differ- cussed at televised board meet-ent questions. Every five years [the ings and displayed on a Departpublishers] re-do the test. One of ment of Education World Wide the things they do is make the test Web page. more difficult. We respond to ali requests for ------------ ------------------ --- --------- In their spirited response to the information, the response contin- P'^--------------------------------------------- foundations ad, district officials ued. "APF accuses us of putting a The Arkansas Policy Founds- acknowledged the below-average positive spin' on our reports. So tion. a nonprofit organization test scores. But they also said the its a positive spin when we show founded in 1995, has about 200 district has hi^ percentages of improvement? , . ---------- -------- members across the state and in economically disadvantaged stu- ---------------.. stunned and outr^ed district Texas. The foundation has in the dents who come to school with be $100 a year. the Arkansas Policy Foundation advertisement in Thursdays newspaper and the 15-page report on which the ad was based In response to other matters in Raw numbers distort message State funding changes, inflation affect LR School Districts budget and campaign officials, who said past published reports advocating fewer skills than their more afilu- See ELECTION, Page 19A BY ANDREW A. GREEN ARKANSAS DEMOf RAMAZEnt good indication ofwhat the ^ical in desegregation-related legal fees classroom teacher made in the between the 1997-98 and 1998-99 Little Rock School District expenditures Selected expenditures, 1991-1999 In raw numbers the little Rock ^. But the expense category school years. In 1998, the district School Districts budgethas increased "Certified Salaries gives a good negotiated a new plan that will 1^ more dian a third since 1991. indication of the overall changes in eventuallyendthefederalgovern- But that figure doesn't take into what the district pays its educators. -........ ................................. account inflation, and it doesnt ......... ments supervision of the district's ---------- ------------ -------------- -------- That category refers to pay for desegregation efforts, take into account a major change in anyemployeewithateachingcer-the way the state finances teachers tificate. That includes classroom BUSING .r.e..t.i.r..e..m...e..n..t. and -h--e-a--l-t-h- be-n--e-f-i-t-s-,- ----t-e--a-c--h--e--r-s-, librarians, principals In the 1995-96 school year, the When those two factors are added and the superintendent. Dividing district began contracting with in, the change is much smaller, ris- the total salary by the number of Laidlaw, a private busing compa-ing about 3 percent instead of 36 certified employees doesnt mean ny, to transport most of its stu-percent between 1991 and 1^. much because the categopf in- dents. The district continued to Revenues for the district are eludes a wide range of salaries, typically slightly higher than ex- B.u.t. w.h.en. .ta.ke.n. a.s a w.h o,le, cer-penses. and boUi have increased tified salaries increased by about by about the same yearly rate in 23 percent between 1991 and 1999. operate buses for special education students. The largest annual increase in costs came in the year Laidlaw the 90s. In 1991, both were a little Discounting inflation, the total in- took over. Total busing costs in-over$ 130million,andinl999,they crease for those nine years is creased 44 percent that year, but were about $180 million. about 2 percent. since then, costs have remained But -b-e--t-w--e--e--n the .1.9..9.5..-.9..6. ..a.nd The biggest change from one fairly stable. 199697 school years, the "Equaliza- year to the next comes in the 1998- When adjusted for inflation, tion Funding line item under the 99 school year, when the total for overall busing costs increased by state revenues section of the bud- salaries increased by about $8 mil- about 16 percent between 1991 get, which had been stable for sev- lion, which is 14 percent and 1999. eral years, suddenly increased $16 atijcd cvpcuece million. On the expenses side, ben- change in state funding for teacher other EXPENSES That, too, has to do with the efits and other operating expenses retirement and health insurance. The districts expenses for facil-increased nearly ^e same amount The three school districts in Pulas- ity services, which include custodi-retirement Much of the difference results ki County successftilly sued the al salaries and other expenses for from a change in how the state state after the chan^, saying it upkeep, increased by about 17 perpays for teacher retirement contri- didn't give them enou^ money to cent over the last nine years. Ad-butions and health insurance pre- make the necessary payments, justing for inflation, those mainte-miums. Previously, the state had Salaries and benefits for that year nance expenditures have actually paid directly into the retirement show large increases as a result of declined slightly. system and to the insurance the settlement in the case. providers. But then state started sending the money to school districts, which make the contributions and payments. LEGAL FEES Spending for safely and security nearly doubled between 1991 and 1999. Yearly changes show little The amount the district paid in pattern, but die most significant legal fees varied si^ficantly fixim change came in the 1994-95 school Inflation also accounts for a year to year, sometimes increasing year when the district started con-large part of the budget increase. dramatically, sometimes staying tributingtothesalariesofpoliceof- The $130 million budget in 1991 is roughly the same, sometimes de- ficers stationed on school grounds. worth about $160 million in 1999 dining. dollars. When a^ustments for "The cost of utilities has deThere is no apparent pattern to dined sli^tly over those nine those factors are counted, the dis- fees resulting fVom ongoing litiga- years. Capital outlays, which in-triCt's budget increased by about 3 tion over the districts desegrega- dude classroom equipment, have lion efforts, nor do the other legal varied f^m year to year. In 199&- /it millions of dollars In ihoiisands of dollars eo $5S,l $674 AO 91-92 CirttM levies' NeicerliM (gvNi' SibiliWes TerUSALAHES Fria(tb6b TRMSPORTtHON USD lain TOTUrUNSPORTtTKM lEOlFEES Rttsiv OtMfrifitiH muSAlfBS" SifrirtiMarib UtSMTM Office! Prams TOTM Utttics OriEwl iii lumt uPMb CitiUcsIlir FTtCirtifiW" mUcKHtifM TBIU percent between 1991 and 1^. ....................... ......... .............._______________,____ ,____ _ mMKBCMHMK expcnscs 8 clcar 99, those expenses had dropped by iM,,nuo MLAKita There is also 8 mitigatl^factor more than $1 million fi-om the be- Distric^ budgets dont give a for the roughly 50 percent increase ginning of the decade. expenses show a dear trend. S9.5 9B-'99 In millions of dollars 1.000 - 500 98-99 1991-92 55.IX316X I62X,1XX 1.766.1X.X 7ai9l211.X 1X2-93 53231.621.41 16305897.40 1.774,609.10 71312,127.91 199384 X,171,W.43 172X91920 1.606.9X37 75.079.64700 8.992.742.29 9908.175.12 990591305 6.768.00882 6.551.836.63 6,156095.02 6.768.00882 6.551.838.63 6.156.095.02 $1,OU $114 0 H 81-'92 199t-X 55.125X1.04 17.425225.72 1,77758953 74,328.7X29 1995-X 56509.31569 1522020420 15033XX 7323284867 10,127,41263 9620,738.18 6062.049.81 6062.049.81 2539.9KJ12 6595334X 9.18529902 110.12522 19933825 310.063.47 370306.02 97,092.70 467396.72 235397.14 2S3.9S184 48934896 18586208 129,17486 315836.14 30374516 312.003.06 615.74824 760.378.15 760.378.15 9,66257371 3388.09707 13387341.M 5.627544.92 3359.731.x 1.727.x 124250 296950 68177304 68177304 8618729.68 2662567.71 13548.434X 6.718665.18 2354.X4.10 1.70608 1.32720 3.03528 * IndicOH mroecDv* taltiy soRwiwnt for 1997.99 " Privaia cernpmy fa! prondn trmtporltiXin mmch SOURCE LIM Rock SchMOcMct 779584.72 77908472 729.78925 19121539 921.004.64 88997935 276.181.39 1.166.160.74 98-'99 In millions of dollars 98-'99 1996-97 58.179,08215 158X8X52 2052.046X H.I]S2.ieJ23 l9SMt 5989310511 16808,72233 2563.4S1.X 7868527684 199639 67.7743XM 19202328.62 1594292.48 83571811.x 21027.425.01 20.365.129.48 22122046 48 2.002.48692 7213.99580 9216.48182 138092221 7.720.55951 9.601.081.72 1.868.10030 7,622,72079 9,490.821 09 200.076.73 479.737,72 137.18730 43120345 566390.^ 321899.72 690.40264 1.01230236 1.071,44027 222726X 1294.16659 1,121.01215 227.71883 1.348.730 98 1.41520557 29528699 1.71049256 9.44783806 363715495 13.650.174 00 7352.587.65 1.704.608.05 1,755.70 1^.44 3039.14 9367332.11 3155,92790 14278.0X00 7243370.95 1334.49351 1.635.94 1279.43 291537 9525842.x 3572631.63 14.75230607 8204.34021 307050787 1.665.15 1,017X 288229 10238.411,62 3385.1X52 17210.1M.71 9.181.42370 2346.55781 1.62679 1.021.03 264782 11.081.87146 3341.92570 18.159.394.77 93X2C8W 21866819 1587.34 1.054.77 274211 11284847.73 3.689.005.11 19.783.124.10 1153235368 2741.1X27 1,738.49 loeox 2818.79 ' inckKMs rwQDUM seOemenl viWi th) Jothu* nHn)on (or muDloIg ysvs ' Pul-In* aouiviloni omciayMs who hoU slats leaching cehilicalas AfkatDn<ooit-GuKKIRk MOI4TC0MERY . Arkansas Democrat ^(Gazelie -I SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2000 17A How Arkansas congressmen voted Here is how AiKansas' U.S. Senators and U.S. Repiesentatrves voted on major roll call votes during the week that ended Friday. KEY: 0 FOR HAGAINST NOT VOTING PASSED DEFEATED HOUSE 0Tini Hulchinson (R) O Trade with Africa. Approved EBIarwhe Lirwoln (D) 309-110, the conference report on a bill (HR 434) providing increased access to U.S. markets to apparel and Ownocratic plan. Failed 54-45, a Democratic plan for renewing the other goods manufactured in sub-Sa- Elementary and Secondary Eduction haran Africa, the Car^jbean Basin Acl (ESEA), which is the main statute and Central America. The bill waives for federal funding of education (or or lowers U.S. duties and quotas kindergarlen throu^ 12th grade. The products from more than 70 court- underling GOP bill (S 2). which re- tries, with its greyest benefits going to manufacturers who use U.S. raw mained in debate, would convert most categorical grants into block materials to make their clothing. By grants that states could spend with 2006. African apparel exports to Oie minimal supervision if they meet .United Stales are projected to in- broad objectives. crease 17-fokJ under the free-trade measure, to $4.2 billion annually. In part. Democrats sought to kill a -------------------------------------GOP school voucher proposal. Also. Albert Wtynn, O-Md., said: This is they sought to preserve the existing an opportunity for us to chart a transi- categorical grant structure for cSstrib- tkxi path from providing economic as- uting approximately $14 billion annu- sistance to provkting trade assistance afiythrou^tiieESEA.about^billion to Africa, to help Africa move from -...........'---------* economic dependence to economic seif-reliance.' of which goes Io the nation's poorest districts- - ------ Patty Murray, O-Wash,, said the Joe Moakley, 0-htess., said the bfil GOP block grant 'does not go to the will neithsr help African workers nor American workers. It will allow the transfer of goods from China through Africa, goods that are made in unsafe classroom. It goes to stale legislatures and adds a new layer of bureaucracy between the education dollar and the students who are so Im- conditions by workers who are drastt- portanl, ... Today, education dollars cally underp^. are targeted at the federal level to A yes vote was to approve the *'-------- - trade bill. I Marion Berry (D) Jay Dickey (R) Asa Hutchinson (R) Vic Snyder (D) Charter schools. Passed 397- America's most vulnerable students.... Under block grants, there would be no assurance" of that. Bin Frist, R-Tenn., called the Democratic approach 'simply mors of the same." He said GOP block grants are needed because There has been no streamlining, no coordination [of] all 20. a nwibinding measure (H Con these programs, which have been lay- Res 310) to declare a National Char- ered one on lop of the other over the ter Schools Week. Charier schools last 30 years. ... Some people say are federally funded institutions for there are 280 programs, some say kindergarten through 12th grade that there are 750 programs." operate with a large degree of auton- a yes vote backed the Democratic omy within public systems. They use alternative. nontradifionaf approaches, including Hutchinson (R) innovative curricula, in pursuit of aca- ...........- demlc results. Critics charge that they lack fiscal and academic accountability and undermine the traditional public school system. Thirty-five stales, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have received more than $350 million In federal grants over the past several years for charter schools. This year, more than 350,000 students are enrolled in 1,700 charter schools. Tim Roemer, D-lnd., said charier schools "serve significant numbers of students with lower incomes ... students with disabilities. They are not schools that attempt to ... pick the best students. They are public schools that attempt to educate in innovative new ways." No member spoke aganst the measure. Ayes vote was to bolster the charter school movement. 0Lincoln (D) Be t I 5 iBerry (0) Dickey (R) Hutchinson (R) Snyder(D) SENATE O' Nuclear waste veto. Failed $4- 35. a bill to override President Clin- -O- Merit pay. Passed 54-42, an amendment to S 2 (above) enabling states and localities to use federal education grants to implement teacher testing, merit pay and tenure reform programs. Over injections from Democrats and the National Education Associalion, the GOP amendment authorizes these initiatives along with other "teacher empowermenf programs at a cost of billion annually. Spencer Abraham, R-Midi., said: "In the business world, employees who go the extra mile and exceed expectations are financially rewarded.... Are teachers, tasked with educating and shaping our children's lives and future, any less deserving of merit- based pay rewards?" Edvrard Kennedy, D-Mass said Democrats favor "whole school reform" rather than "rifle shots" like merit pay that would overlook teachers who are teaching in some of the roughest sr^toofs." He added it is belter To provide incentives to encourage professkxial development and mote advanced degrees." A yes vote backed the teacher ...-----....... --------.... ..... testing and merit pay initiative, ton's veto of a Ml (S1287) to perma- gHutchinson (R) nently store the nations nuclear mlinr-nin ini waste near Yucca Mountain, Nev,, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Supporters needed 67 votes to defeat the veto and pass the bill. Under the bill, more than 4250 metric tons of spent fuel, now in surface storage at power plants and defense facilities, would be transported by rail and Iraki to the Nevada site for lemporaiy storage above ground and permanent burial by 2007. Rod Grams, R-Minn., said: There is simply no scientific nor technological reason why we cannot move waste from ctvitian reactors Io a central repository.... There is overwhelming proof that we can transport nuclear waste on ships, roads and rail without a threat to either the environment or human beings." Harty Reid, D-Nev., called transportation "replete with danger* because Terrorist threats are significant. We know that no matter how hard you try, you cannot keep the trainloads or the truckloads of nuclear waste secret. ... All along the routes where 5Oplus millton people are within a slingshol of these trains and highways, they are atl going to be exposed." A yes vote was to enact the bill. "O'Teacher hiring. Failed 53-44. a bid by Democrats to fund the third year of President Clintons class-size reduction program, which is helping local districts hire 100,000 elementary school teachers over six years. About 29,000 have been hired to date. The underlying GOP-drafted bill (S 2) shifts targeted funding of $1.7 billion from the hiring program to a block grant that could fund programs such as merit pay, tenure reform and teacher testing. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said
Un- fortunately, this Republican bill abandons our commitment to helping students team in less crowded classrooms." Kay Hutchison, R-Texas, called GOP block grants lor teactner programs superior to the Democrats' 'one-size-fits-air approach, especially for schoi^s withoul crowding problems. A yes vote was to continue the Democrats class-size reduction categorical grant. 91 Hulchinson (R) ^Lincoln (D) RolCalRapon Syndicate Urgent news for adults with heartburn and infants with colic who took Propulsid Many heartburn sufferers and infants with colic who took the drug Propulsid have e.xperienced serious heartbeat rhythm problems (arrnythmias). Symptoms may include heart palpitations (fluttering palpit____ ________ t), rapid heartbeat, chest pain, shortness or thumping in the chest), of breath, fatigue, dizziness or hunting. An clcctrocanlio^am (EKG) is used to diagnose this problem. Over 100 deaths linked to Propulsid have been reported to die FDA if you or a family member used Propulsid, and have had any of these problems, call us immediately, so we can evaluate vour potential claim against (he drug manufacturer. Your legal rights have tune dradlines, so call today (open 7days/wcek) toll free from anywhere in the U.S. at 1-800-THE-EAGLE for a free consultation. We practice law only in Arizona, bur associate with lawyers throughout the U.S. to help injured people across the country. GOLDBERG & OSBORNE The Injury Lauryers, 1-800-THE-EAGLE. {1-800-843-3245) Oflk Laws Texas officials say theyre Continued from Page 15A OTiIy Correcting ycaTS of Traditional social service orga- narmw-mind^new The nizations say allowing faith-based UlUKieuness. 1 ne programs to regulate themselves SCCllIar. pOSt-NcW Deal creates a mutually affirming at- ,, . mosphere, where groups of a simi- WOnQ haS SnUt Certain lar mind-set could be reluctant to churches out of providing find or report abuse. The Christian agency that oversees the youth social SCrviCCS, despite homes invites the superintendents of those homes onto its board, and tneiT OuVlOUS SUCCCSSCS, of Christ in Corpus Christi, still insists on working only with counselors who have met the states credential requirements. The first page of his client handbook says in bold letters
"Chemical dependency is a disease.... It is NOT a moral weakness." Initially its a choice, and were responsible for our choices, but saying 'Please help me' and 'Please stop hitting me.' 1 couldnt see them, but I always heard them, They never saw the cows, or the field, but spent most of their days cleaning the kitchen. Lord, I am going crazy." he wrote one night in his Bible. Please help me. After almost a month. Simons and some people are biologically or Aron Cavellin. 11, dided to run facility supervisors insp^t one another's homes a conflict of interest. tho' say. Perhaps more important, the Church-State Cooperation. but it critics wony that these are precise- limited contact between church- chemically disposed. said Griffiths. We have to be realists. Sometimes people just need medical detox." LOOKING FOR PROOF Social scientists say faith-based away, right after laps, but both were cau^L At about 6 p.m.. Alan Lee Smith, a supervisor at Roloff Homes, drove them into the woods and tied their wrists, then roped them to each other. He took them to a IS-foot-deep sewage pit and ordered them to dig, groups make exaggerate claims of the boys toid police. or----------------------------------- success, long before there are any as was safely possible. studies to back them up. Teen .. ... ....... . ... ...... ------ -------------O-
............rWherever we can. we must ex- Challenge, for example, claims a 90 have to jump over the pit He tried, promise to establish an Office of pand their role and reach, without percent cure rate for drug addic- ** Faith-Based Action to seed the changing them or corrupting them, * Texas experiment nationwide. Bush said about church-run proTexas officials say they're only grams in July, when he announced correctingyearsofnarrow-rainded- -----------.............................. ly the types of problems that would run groups and the state as much crop up in every state under a Bush ------------ administration, given his campaign ness. The secular, post-New Deal world has shut certain churches out of providing social services, de- a campaign initiative modeled on the Texas experiment This is the next bold step in welfare reform. Even before the new laws were spite their obvious successes, they approved. Texas had no shortage of tion. At about 2 a.m., Simons was told if he needed a break he would but was tired and fell short. He wound up in the hospital with But no evidence supports that, three toes broken, his ankles said John Diulio, who fevers the sprained and his feet swollen into approach but is skeptical of some useless clumps. of the claims of success. A study by Police found enough evidence one Christian researcher consid- to arrest Smith, 42, and charge him ered favorable to Teen Challenge with unlawfrl restraint, a thi^-de- showed a success rate equal to the gree felony. About one-third of the church-based service medical model 13 percent 30 young men and boys living there --------------------------- M,x
il Ccr- Teresa Calalay knew nothing of at the time have since filed com- reflected a one-size-fits-all mental- vices to many Baptist and the statistics when she first thought plaintSiandthesherifTsofficeex- ity. But we have to respect the dif- Methodist homes around the state, of sending her son. Justin Simons, pects more arrests. ferent methods," said Don Willett, But most of those traditional chari- to Roloff Homes, a group of five David Gibbs, an attorney with a policy adviser to Bush. In their ties opposed the changes, and af- youth and young-adult facilities In the Christian Law Association, view, addiction is indicative of sin- terward chose to stay under state Corpus Christi. speaking for Roloff Homes, pointful behavior
its at root a moral regulation. She did not know that months ed out that the program is for older problem that requires a moral so- The churches that took advan- earlier, the mother of a teen-age teen-agers, and voluntary. He de- lution. as opposed to the therapeu- tage of the new laws were mainly girl living at one of the groups scribed it as military style, but tic notion that its a disease. from the more evangelical, inde- youth homes, shut down by regula- said any punishment was "an in- They also ai^e that the system pendent strains of Christianity, tors several years earlier but new- centive to encourage competitive includes sufficient checks and bal- part of the long Protestant tradi- ly reopened by Bushs laws, com- behavior. say. social So far. government rules have groups, from Lutheran Social Ser- ly reopened by Bushs laws, com- behavior, -------- -------------------------------- tion that believes the church is plained to state officials that her As I look at the situatio.., I monitoring group has set up its solely accountable to Jesus Christ daughter had been bound with would hope law enforcement gets own stringent criteria, and when and government monitoring rope and duct tape, an account an understanding of the program, abuse is reported the state is em- fringes on Gods authority. confirmed by the state. All she and the tough discipline involved, powered to step in. As a practical matter, monitor- knew was that her son would be and sees if there are any criminal mas nPEiMMEMT fellow Christians instead of away from home for the first time elements, Gibbs said. "And they government came as a great relief in his life. have to look at the veracity of who The Texas experiment began in to the homes. Previously, theyd Reluctant as she and her hus- is giving statements. Some of it is a spirit of defiance. In 1995, the been subject to the whims of state band were, they knew they had to terrifically elaborate," Texas Commission on Alcohol and investigators. In its two decades of do something with their son. When Texas law allows caretakers to Drug Abuse threatened to shut existence. Victory Children's Home he was a young boy, doctors diag- use reasonable force to impose dis- down Teen Challenge, a popular in Alice, an hour west of Corpus nosed a genetic disorder that ulti- cipline and keep order, said Grant faith-based drag rehab program, Christi, has dealt with one investi- mately made him jumpy and ag- Jones, Smith's attorney. In any forviolating a variety of state regu- gator who called the home a gressive. Nine times he was hired ease, homes designed for young lations, including hiring unli- Weird cult" another who opposed at fest-food restaurants, and nine men over 18 have never been regu- censed counselors. any form of corporal punishment times he was fired because he lated by any agency. The Light- Bush sided with Teen Chai- and a third who pulled 11 girls couldnt concentrate. TTien came house, where Simons was staying, lenge. He convened a task force from the home when he decided tlie speeding tickets and a fight shares property and supervisors and called faith-based providers to they were too isolated. with a friend that police had to with Roloffs new children^ home, testify how theyd turned around Wed tell a person from the breakup. and at least three of the teen-agers troubled lives. His staff then wrote state the Lord really changed this _ _ staying there were under 18, but it and promoted legislation similar to girl and theyd say
OK, uh, next. M'LlTMtY STTLt jj supervised by the new Chris- ances. So far, the one Christian As I look at the situation, I in- Reluctant as she and her bus- gressive. Nine times he was hired laws in Florida. And whos the Lord said Nancy Calalay heard of Roloff Homes tian child-care agency. The Texas changes took effect Ruth Gill, the home administrator, through her pastor in Georgia, who The boys stories were not wellin September 1997, mainly target- "Now the people who oversee us told her they had a good record received in the church community ing child care and drug treatment speak the same language. Its not with wayward teens. on March that supports Roloff, where they Under the new rules, churches that that were tryir^ to get away with 10, the whole family flew to Corpus are assumed to be the tall teles of once merely gave advice or pas- anything. But they understand us. Christi to take her son to one of the undisciplined, unsaved boys. After tora! care can now advertise them- Still, traditional social services homes for young adults. the arrests, David Blaser, who runs ----------------------------------------------- fbr adults, selves as drug treatment programs, providers have their doubts. I con- ' simply by signing up with the state. So far. 38 churches have re^stered. And next year, the state will con- I thought he would find him- thenewTexasAssociationofChris- tinue to be nervous about whether self puttingoutsweet feed and salt tian Child Care Agencies, sent two folks who constantly work tt^ether lick, she said. And that he would of his inspectors to Roloff to deter- -------------,................................ will be strong in their detennination find God out there in a field with a mine ifthe younger boys and girls Sider funding the faith-based to assure protection for children, bunch of cows. She and her hus- his agency oversees were affected, groups. said Phil Strickland, who runs the band asked about the discipline These hoys have s Under the child-care changes, social service arm of the Baptist policy and were told that if the nation, I guess, said Blaser. My the state has so far approved one Convention and chose to leave his boys misbehaved, they would be men were down there and found Christian monitoring agency, the homes regulated by the state. forced to run a few laps, Army out what the situation was. The boy 'Texas Association of Christian To these more traditional style. claimed he was pushed and shoved ------- ---------------------- ------ To these more traditional style. Child Care Agencies, which over- groups, the redemption-only cure boys a great im<^- ---------r-------------- What Simons, 18, says he found and made to jump the piL But he ignores reality. The Rev, Buck Grif- was something quite different did it himself He wanted to jump ----- ------------ .. ,-------- fiths, who runs (Christians Against Every night I always heard some- the pit just like any boy always do- Faith in Action: A New Vision for Substance Abuse out of a Church one getting beat and screaming, ing the wrong thing. sees seven Christian youth homes. Bushs initiative was called Statistics Continued from Page 15A without saying when the finding of nearly 50 percent was made. According to the latest figures from Texas, three-year recidivism dropped to 40.8 percent for prisoners released tn 1094, Richards last year in office. The Bush campaign, denying charges that drug-treatment programs have been reduced for prisoners in Texas, accused the a bum number is even more like- Clinton-Gore administration of ly to live on than before. Once cutting drug-treatment beds for something gets passed into the federal prisoners. media bloodstream, its almost Justice Department figures impossible to get it out again, he backed up Bushs claims. While said. the percentage of prisoners in mainline drug treatment dropped by about a third, however, the percentage in alternate forms of drug counseling doubled from 1991 to 1997. With instant information now so widely accessible, Murray says He was intrigued by the theory that statistics have special power in campaigns because they lend credibility to an enterprise that so many people dont trust. But hes not sure about that He doesnt have the numbers to back it up. A mothers love DESERVES EXTRAORDINARY QUALITY. Rockin' Vac Introducing the new S-lb. Oreck XL a with an FM radio in the handle. r To make vacuumit^ as close to fun as it can get, we've added a state-of-the-art radio in the handle. Now you can listen to your favorite A* l
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BeatustUfiSTooSbortForOnllmayJtwtbj 23l9CamdnKi PIntBbiff.AK 71(03 pi (870) 879-3040 fa (870) 879-1809 Hoan: lO-iSO JAritansas Democrat Wazcttc SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2000 19A School tax election The following is the text voters will see on the ballot for the Little Rock School District tax election The total rate proposed above includes the uniform rate of 25.0 mills (the Statewide Uniform Rate") to be collected on all taxable property in the State and remitted to the State Treasurer pursuant to Amendment No. 74 to the Arkansas Constitution to be used solely for maintenance and operation of schools in the State. As provided in Amendment No. 74, the Statewide Uniform Rate replaces a portion of the existing rate of tax levied by this School District and available for maintenance and operation of schools in this District. The total proposed school tax levy of 46.4 mills includes 32.0 mills specifically voted for general maintenance and operation, 2.0 new mills for current expenditures/dedicated maintenance and operation expenditures dedicated specifically for the puiposes of purchasing school buses, purchasing furniture and equipment to support instructional programs, purchasing computer software and renovating and repairing existing facilities, 9.4 mills voted for debt service previously voted as a continuing levy pledged for the retirement of existing indebtedness, and 3.0 new debt sen/ice mills. The 3.0 new debt service mills plus the 9.4 existing debt service mills now pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness, which debt service mills will continue after the retirement of the bonds to which now pledged, will be a continuing In debt service tax until the retirement of proposed bonds to be issued in the principal amount of $190,000,000 and which will mature over a period of 33 years and will be issued for the purpose of refunding outstanding bonded indebtedness and for erecting and equipping new school facilities and making additions and improvements to existing facilities. The surplus revenues produced each year by debt service millage may be used by the District for other school purposes. The total proposed school tax levy of 46.4 mills is an increase of 5.0 mills (2.0 for current expenditures/dedicated maintenance and operation expenditures and 3.0 mills for debt service) over the rate presently being levied. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Tax calculations If your real and personal property is valued at... $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 You should be assessed at... $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 Your school tax bill at 41.4 mills is... $267 SiiT $621 $828 $1,035 Your total tax bill at 63.9 millsis... $319^56" $639.00 $958.50 $1,278.00 $1,597.50 $1,917.00 Five new school tax mills will cost you this amount per year... $50 $75 $100 $125 $150 Your total tax blit at a proposed 68.9 mills is... $344.50 $689.00 ____________$1,033.50 $1,378.00 $1,722.50 $2,067.00 Amount of city, county and school taxes based on different property values and how a proposed 5-mitl increase in school taxes would affect tax bills. Property tax is calculated by multiplying the property assessment by the tax rate, which is expressed in mills. One mill is equ^ to one-tenth of a cent, which produces $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. To calculate the cost of a 5-mill increase on a $75,000 house, multiply the assessed value of the house, $15,000, by the tax rate of 5 mills, or .005, to get $75. ' Rates include taxes for the Little Rock School District, the city of Little Rock, Pulaski County general fund. Pulaski County road maintenance and Arkansas Children's Hospital maintenance funds. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Election Continued from Page 18A the foundations report, school district officials questioned why the foundation failed to acknowledge the districts 24-page Revised Desegregation and Education Plan. The new desegregation plan was approved by a federal judge in April 1998 and has resulted in far less litigation. And district leaders criticized the foundation for saying that school revenues grew by nearly 40 percent since 1990-91 without explaining state funding changes. Those changes resulted in larger payments to districts, but the districts had to pay their own teacher retirement and health insurance benefits. In defending the district against the foundation report, Gamine and his staff cited stability in district leadership
stronger curricula in core subjects at all levels
multimillion-dollar grants for science, after-school programs and safety
more stringent graduation requirements
and greater emphasis on advanced placement and technology courses schools. in high Carnine, who has been superintendent for nearly three years, also pointed to the districts ^owing eennrroollllmmeenntt,, declining dropout numbers, greater student attendance rates, new alternative education programs, campus leadership teams and a new accountability system in which schools will be held responsible for improving student achievement. APF charges that we do not teach phonics, rote and memorization, and of all things getting the answer right in math, the response said. Nonsense. Again, they never examined our curriculum. Stephens, chairman and president of ExOxEmis which is a biotechnology firm, said Friday that he was disappointed in the districts critical response to the foundations report, particularly on the test score issue. He said he intended to vote against the tax proposal. As a nonprofit group, the foundation is restricted on political campaigning. Voter education activities, such as debates or forums, are not prohibited by Internal Revenue Service guideArkansas Democrat-Gazette/STATON BREIDENTHAL Vernon Smith, principal at Hall High School, climbs the steps to a classroom in one of five portable buildings parked behind the school. Money from a proposed tax increase would be used to build at least 12 permanent classrooms at Hall. Districtwide. 113 classrooms would be built
83 would replace portable buildings. lines for tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, according to Internal Revenue Service Publication 557. But, an Internal Revenue Service press release dated April 24,1996, said that if the forum shows a preference for or against a certain [candidate], it becomes a prohibited activity. While Stephens said he would vote against the tax, J. French Hill, treasurer of ttie policy foundation, issued a statement late Friday saying that he did not participate in the preparation of the advertisement or the report and that he intended to support the tax increase. And, the investment company operated by Stephens brother, Warren Stephens, is one of the biggest single contributors to the Yes for Kids! campaign committee. The Stephens Group Inc., which is the district's financial adviser, has donated at least $3,000 to the cam-paipi. As of Tuesday the campai^ committee had received $41,593 in contributions, according to Arkansas Ethics Commission records. Gamine said Friday that while it was disappointing that the districts tax proposal has some opposition, in a lot of respects this may have energized people. Riggs said campaign supporters will increase efforts to encourage voters to go to the polls. Its no coincidence that this came out when it did, but it doesnt change what were trying to do, Riggs said. Gamine said slacking on education spending in the district now could cause economic hardships in Little Rock in the future. For the health of this area, people really ought to understand that we have the vast majority of the workforce for the 21st century in our classrooms, Gamine said. To not educate them appropriately so they can fill the desks and work spots in this commtmity is not thinking. The School Board last month approved on first reading a policy that would determine how spending of the money raised by a tax increase would be tracked and reported to auditors, the School Board and the public. In the policy. Gamine recommends that the district hire an architect or construction manager to oversee completion of projects and an accountant to track funds raised by the bond issues. The employees would prepare progress reports by school and by project and would include estimated completion dates. The board is expected to give final approval to the accountability plan this month. Note: A list of proposed capital projects and proposed maintenance and operation projects and polling places is posted on Ute Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Web site: htip:ZAww4m)efflgaX)m 1 20A SUNDAY. MAY 7, 2000 Arkansas Democrat ^(Bazettc WEATHER Todays temperatures Weather trends Little Rock area c&nate data Todays national forecast Today's Arkansas forecast I------* An increased risk of scattered thundershowers this afternoon. Highs will be in the 80s. Partly cloudy skies tonight with isolated showers possible. Lows will be in the 60s. rwMMD* 653 O tUrrinn 82*4 83/M Extended forecast TUESDAY - Partly cloudy. Highs, upper 80s, Lows. mid-60s. WEDNESDAY- Scattered thundershowers. Highs, low 80s. Lows, mid-608. MONDAY- Partly cloudy. Isolated thunderstorms. Highs, mid-80s. Lows, mid-60s. Pollution and UV index The pollution information is rtot available on weekends or holidays. Ultra Violet Index: 6 Arkansas rivers and lakes UV Level: High SoiMh 87/85 Arkansas Hst Sprint* 877 .Tcorken I 84/88 9 UtttaRDck ta/w 9 PlntBMf S&<S7 Dorado 9 8G/67 Yesterdays temperatures El Dorado Fayetteville Fon Smith Harrison Hol Springs Jonesboro Little Rock North Little Rock Pine Bluff Texarkana Moon phases Through 7 p.m. HI I 84 I 71 ! 76 I 72 I 82 I 78 I 61 I 81 I 81 I 84_______ I O FIratcpr, May 10 Full Mey 16 TEMPERATUF E(9* T 1089 I 2000 MJJASONOJFMA Arkansee and' Van Buren Ozark L&D Dardanelle Morrilton Toad Suck Llttfe Rock Pine Blufl Flood ataga tributarias 22 1 Ht. ft 19.9 357 343.2 32 30 9.4 12.9 275 257.1 23 42 Pendleton Bridge 31 7.5 31.9 27.5 White River and tributaries Calico Rock Batesville L&D Coming Pocahontas Bieck Rock Imboden Newport Augusta 19 23 15 17 14 18 26 26 2.2 5.8 2.2 1.8 2.3 3.7 1.7 13.7 24-hr Pra-chg. +0.5 +0.5 -ts -0.6 -05 0 +05 0.3 0 0 0 +05 +0.4 +0.1 +0.3 eip. 0.71 0.22 M 0.06 0.30 0.21 2.70 M 0 0.20 0.07 0.20 0 0.90 0.35 0.03 Judsonia Georgetown Des Arc De \reil3 Bluff Clarendon St. Charles Butfsio St. Joe 30 21 24 24 26 25 27 Lo 66 59 63 60 63 64 64 64 63 64 Praolp 0.02 158 0.99 0.30 0.06 0.02 1.41 0.38 2.15 0.05 PRECIPITATION 3Lastqtr. May 26 New June 2 7.3 2.8 6.1 5.4 125 10.1 +0.3 +1.2 +1.2 +0.9 0.19 059 0.56 M 2.00 M Ouadtha and tributaries Aihadeldiia Benton (Saline) Boughton Camden Moro Bay Felsenthal Cache River Patterson SI. Francis St. Francis 17 16 20 26 63 70 6 18 5.3 5.7 5.3 7.8 9.6 69.1 65.3 7.5 0 +0.4 +1.3 -0.8 +3.4 +2.9 +3.1 0 0.3 ST 0.05 2.05 0.52 M 0 1.98 0.47 0.23 0.01 HIgMow Saturday: 81/64 HIgIVIow a year ago today: 79/52 Normal high/low today: 78/57 Record high: 93 (1952) Record low: 43 (1917) 24-hr. precipitatim lo midnighi Friday: 0.09 In. Total thia month through Friday: 1.67 In. Total thie year through Friday: 13.06 in. Departure from normal: -4.61 Sunrise today: 6:13 a.m. Sunset today: 7:56 p.m. (Data from North Utils Rock Airport) LR hourly temperature report . ------- J 609 80s I Praridri iinlxili'ilyfciftbi tMMdamramrft*o o fUnrirrW Ciiittr to THE WEATHER CHANNEL CMnpAtdto WetotMT Cntmt, 8" Normal 1999 I 2000 MJJASONDJFMA Madison Mississippi- Cairo Memphis Helena Arkansas City Greenville 32 40 34 44 37 48 Beaver (Norm: 1120) Table Rock (Norm: 915) Bull Shoals (Nom: 654) Norfork (Norm: 652) M M M 7 p.m... 8 p.m... 9 p.m... 10 p.m. 11 p.m. Adams Field (7 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday) ^Oa ..71 .70 ..66 .66 ..68 Midnight ....86 1 a.m. 2 a.m. .64 ..64 3 a.m... 4 a.m... 5 a.m... 6 a.m... 7 a.m... 6 a.m... 9 a.m... 10a.m. .64 .64 .64 .64 .64 .66 .66 .70 11 a.m. Noon .. 1 p.m... 2 p.m... 3 p.m... 4 p.m... 5 p.m... 6 p.m... .73 .75 .75 .75 .81 .81 .81 11009 Around the world Hi LoWthr Amstrdam 70 62 po Jotxini Athens 75 55 pc AucWand 64 47 ah B'Aires 64 52 dr Bangicok 96 74 la Barbados 67 74 pc BarealonB 72 66 ah Belting Bakri 70 53 pc 74 86 ih Kiev Uma Lisbon London Madrid Manito KI LoWthr 83 48 pc 72 47 8h 71 68 po 71 53 Sh 87 60 po 69 48 sh 92 78 la Belgrade 74 60 ah Montreal 78 59 sh Moscow 69 42 eh o oLCM 1^ rsromts HAIN ice e PTCiMm CLOum Around the nation Saturday M M M 15.1 26.5 7 a.m. M M M -0.2 05 t 0 t 0.09 f 0 2 0 2 0 24-hour Bwtti 76 62 dr Nairobi 65 58 ts Saturday Change Bermuda 72 62 pc Breaaato 73 56 pc Budapest 72 52 pc Calgafy n S4 ah Copnhegn 64 52 pc Oltohren 106 77 dr Nassau 84 89 la NewDelhnoi 79 ts MbuquarquB Arwhorage Ariwvtoa Atlanta BMtoga Bismarck Boslon Biownovlto Buffalo HI 87 57 82 84 83 70 89 59 90 72 atariMtoaSC 84 Charleston. WV 86 1114.3 905.6 644.1 546.6 GreersFeny(Nonn:461) 461.6 Blue h4tn. (Norm: 387) Nimrod (Noon: 345) Ouachita (Norm: 575) 366.2 342.8 577.5 0 0 0 0 +0.1 +0.1 +0.3 0 Dublin 63 47 pc Niootoa Oslo Faria Rio Rome 81 69 ah 65 41 pc 74 54 #h 88 72 ts 86 Chfcago Cincinnati Ctovetend 86 84 84 Oallas-Ft Worth 86 Ffankfut 78 56 po Geneva Harare Havana 73 50 8h TO 69 to 87 65 sh Sanjuan 65 75 pc Singapore 90 77 M Stockholm 63 41 pc HeltInM 62 43 pc HongKong&4 72 pc Manbul .67 40 po Jerusalem 77 58 dr Sliney Taipei TWAvIv Tokyo ihmnto 89 $9 pc 83 67 pc 86 58 dr 69 55 Sh TO 60 di Vancouver 58 38 pc Oanvar Dea Mc^nes Oatfrit Duluth ElPaao Fairbanks Honolulu ' Houston Jedtsonville KarwaCIty Las Vegas LMAjqatoa 80 79 88 82 96 58 85 85 66 81 76 90 72 Lo 57 34 62 61 42 49 46 57 TO 57 66 57 82 57 83 70 46 59 81 51 72 27 74 72 88 57 80 73 60 Fcaat^'^* etoer 88 fair 56 PtOUy 83 ptcldy 86 ahH S9 tstrm 67 tosm 84 ptcldy 82 FK* 90 tstrm 79 aar 86 ptcldy 69 wnn TO tstrm 62 wnn 80 ptcldy 88 81 tstrm 80 wnn 79 tslrm 75 otoar 96 ptcldy 59 ptcldy 68 pwey 88 dear 84 86 90 pWdy 69 Lo 34 86 63 41 44 44 61 72 61 83 62 63 62 60 66 48 56 80 49 66 33 70 70 66 62 63 65 69 LoutovBto Memphis MtomlBsBon Mpls-St Paul Natontito New Orleans NowYMk Oklahoma City Ofnaiia Philadelphia Phoantt Pittsburgh Porttend,Ore. Raleigh BtotlaKeCtty San Antonio BanOtoge San Francisco Seama Shreveport SIOUX ftoM Si. Louis Tulsa Wsshingion 86 80 83 87 84 86 88 82 83 87 99 85 87 70 90 87 59 69 87 81 76 TO 86 63 65 73 64 80 70 82 65 60 61 73 60 39 55 46 71 82 51 40 67 89 65 86 65 tainn 63 63 ptcldy 84 67 pKWy 84 73 isirm 77 55 fttkfy 65 . 84 ptcldy 87 70 plddy 88 87 ptddy 87 63 tsinn 84.69 clew M Otow 98 plddy 83 eidy 84 dear 90 Wnn 84 ptcldy 93 ptoMy 71 shwrs 64 pwc^ 81 plddy 87 latmi 72 tstrm 62 67 71 60 48 83 43 71 81 51 42 68 66 63 ptdV 86
66 fair 92 62 Warmaat In contiguous U.S. 106 at Abilene. Texas, on SalurCay Coldest In eontiguoua U.S. 20 at Sunriver. Ore., on Saturday Dead Marines seen as symbols of unhealed WWn wounds BY ERIC TALMAEKJE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NAGO, Japan In the chaos that followed the ferocious Battle of Okinawa, amid scores of thousands dead and widespread lawlessness across the island, the disappearance of three young U.S. Marines caused scarcely a stir. It was July 1945, a month before atomic bombs would fall on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and end the war. The men were listed first as deserters, then as missing in action. More than five decades later, the discovery of the bones in-side a cave up a steep jungle slope guide who often takes hikers to old war sites, found Kurombo Gama in February 1998, the Americans bones were visible. We could see the joints intact, she said. She bad heard the village stories about a cave and sought help from a man who grew up in Katsuyama. The U.S. military identified the remains as those of Pfc. James D. Robinson of Savannah, Ga.
Pfc. John M. Smith of Cincinnati
and Pvt. Isaac Stokes. The bodies of Robinson and Smith were returned to their fami- Ues^toWhomet^^ papers two months ago authorizing the Marines to investigate Smith's death. He was buried with full military honors in a Cincinnati suburb March 25. Last month, she heard the story circulating in Japan about the cave, about the alleged rapes. Are they saying my husband raped somebody, or was it that they decided to make a scapegoat of him? Headen said. I just dont believe this. Headen, now 72, married Smith about six months before he went to war. She remarried in 19^, after he didnt come home. BUSINESS Issue Number 2 Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce April 1990 Vofe'fe For Kids In this Special Edition Issue: Chairman's Report. Feature Story 2 Committee Announced Millage Tax Chart Q&A by Dr. Steele Milt Honea, Economic Development Photographs of School Conditions Steve Pinter, LR Board of Realtors Rev. Hezekiah Stewart Statement Monthly Expenses at the School District Chamber News 10 Committee Members 12 for /7e // Business, Religious, Education and Civil Leaders Join Parents to Support School Millage. (Story page 2) A 2 2 3 5 6 8 9 9 k I F ! i Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Report by Russ McDonough Chairman of the Board Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce Vofe%sf6r Kids This issue of "Business" should dispel any doubt as to how important your Chamber feels the upcoming April 19th Little Rock School District millage is. As you will note, this entire issue is devoted to the School System and the millage election. I believe this is probably the most important election that has been held in Little Rock in the twenty years that I have lived here. Passage of the millage will allow implemention of the school plan that was worked out by Gene Reville and the community, and accepted by Judge Woods' Court. All indications are that the student assignment portion of that plan is being receiv^ very well by school patrons. That, plus the magnet and incentive schools and the other elements of the plan, gives Little Rock the opportunity to have a school system that not only is well accepted, but is better than those in surrounding states. That would be great for our young people, great for us as employers, and overall very helpful to our local economy. The Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce has been making a successful campaign for the passage of that millage its top priority. Fifty for the Future has helped to fund the campaign and we, of course, have been working closely with members of the school board and administration, the PTA and other segments of the community. A multitude of groups and organizations have announced their support of the millage. I urge you to support this millage election in every way that you can and, in particular, to be certain to vote for the millage on Thursday, April 19th. Please ask your families, friends and employees to do the same. We can and will win this election with your help. Vote Yes For Kids Committee Kicks Off Little Rock School Millage Campaign A group of business, religious, education and civic leaders have joined parents in forming a committee to work for passage of the Little Rock School millage on April 19th. The Vote Yes For Kids Committee will be cochaired by Little Rock Mayor Buddy Villines and Reverend Hezekiah Stewart, director of the Watershed Project in College Station. The committee kicked off the campaign Thursday, April 5, with a news conference at Rightsell Elementary. Villines and Stewart BUSINESS is published monthly for SI per year for members and S225 for non-members, by the Communications Division of the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, One Spring Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. Second Class postage is pending at Little Rock, AR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BUSINESS, One Spring Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. addressed the crowd of over 50 supporters and announced the other members of the campaign committee. "It is time for the white and black communities to come together and declare war on ignorance, drug abuse, child abuse and all the social maladies caused by a lack of education, " declared Stewart. "It is time to secure a future for our young people. If there were ever an opportunity for us to show our children how much we love them and care about their future, this is it." Stewart pointed out that many organizations were represented on the campaign committee. "All segments of the community must work together to pass the millage. It's the right thing to do and the right time to do it." Villines stated, "For the past several years we have been a community in turmoil. The (Continued on page 5) What Does This Mean To You? The proposed 8 mills will increase taxes on a home valued according to following chart: Property Value Per Year Tax Increase $30,000 $35,000 $40,000 $45,000 $50,000 $55,000 $60,000 $65,000 $70,000 $75,000 $80,000 $85,000 $90,000 $95,000 $100,000 $48 $56 $64 $72 $80 $88 $96 $104 $112 $120 $128 $136 $144 $152 $160 2 April 1990 Q.?A Questions Answered by Dr. Ruth Steele Why do we need an 8-mill tax increase? 9:20 in the morning and not arrive home before 5:00 in the afternoon. pay your taxes in October. This means we must borrow money from banks at a high interest rate until we receive the money necessary to address the cash flow problem. It's also good to point out that our books are open, and we have been audited every year. Audit reports are available to the public. What caused the deficit? During the last 10 years the District's revenue has not kept pace with steadily increasing costs of operating the schools. Only once since 1979 has the District received a millage increase, and that was for 2.5 mills. Standards for education have also been raised. These have given us programs like the Gifted and Talented, smaller classrooms and counseling for elementtuy students, but they have also caused more expense. We also have the additional cost of desegregating our schools. Where will the money go? First, 2.5 of the 8 mill increase will be used to fund a comprehensive capital improvement project which will benefit 35 of our 50 schools. With this money, we will be able to replace portable classrooms with permanent ones, remodel, expand and re-roof some school buildings, install heating, plumbing and air-conditioning systems in others, improve playgrounds and parking lots where needed and in some cases build new fences and install new intercom systems. These improvements have been needed for several years, but the District has been unable to afford them. Also, a percentage of the millage money will be allocated for salaries for our employees. This will not go toward top administrators since these salaries have been frozen for next year. Some of the money will be spent on a security program that will help keep our children safe in our schools and at bus stops. Finally, much of the money will be spent to fund a mostly voluntary student assignment plan developed by the District staff in conjunction with Gene Reville, endorsed by parents and approved by the courts. Isn't the LRSD in financial trouble because of mismanagement? From past media coverage, it is easy to get the impression that the District is in financial difficulty because of mismanagment. The fact is the District has never ended a school year in a deficit in its operating budget. However, the court does allow us to operate in a deficit in our desegregation budget. With a successful millage election we will no longer operate in a deficit, beginning as early as 1991. Increased educational costs in the last ten years have strained our budget. Failure to pass millages has also been a major factor. We have upgraded our facilities and built new schools. New programs to enhance our schools have also been costly. Prices for purchasing goods and services have increased, and our utility bills have gone up, just as everyone elses have. All of these factors play a significant role in our inability to meet our bills. Will 8-mills be enough? Yes. The proposed increase will give us enough revenue to balance our budget and implement the new student assignment plan. With this increase, we do not anticipate the need for another increase in the next four years. What will we lose if the millage doesn't pass? First, it will be necessary to cut an additional two million dollars from our operating budget in 1990-91. This means significant cuts in school nurses, athletic and music programs, assistant principals, physical education aides and other needed programs. Other money from the millage increase will be spent to end the 3rd run bus system which has made it necessary for junior high students to start schools as late as Also, 70% of our budget is used for salaries, leaving 30% to pay for supplies, improvements, programs, debt service/loans and insurance. We receive the majority of our revenue after you What will we get if the millage passes? We will be able to upgrade (Continued on page 4) April 1990 3Q.?A. Questions Answered (Continued from page 3) existing facilities and build new schools to replace outdated existing facilities. Playground improvements, new carpeting, re- roofing and parking re-surfacing will keep our children safe and comfortable. A complete list for every school is available in the District offices and at your local school. We will also be able to implement the new student assignment plan. Now parents will know for the first time in years which school their children will attend. We will be able to afford teacher raises. Safety and security measures will be enhanced. Equally important, no more major cuts will be made in the school's budget. Also, junior high students wil be able to start school earlier and end their day before 4:30 in the afternoon. What percentage of the millage increase will go to salaries? Presently, 72% of the District's budget is spent on salaries and fringe benefits. State law ensures that the current level of support for employee salaries will be maintained. We will accomplish this by allocating at least 56% of the net increase in revenues resulting from the mills dedicated to additional maintenance and operational costs. Of the 8 mills proposed, 5.5 mills will be used for the new student assignment plan, safety and security, salaries and educational programs. If the millage is passed, will non-certified employees benefit from the increase? Yes. Pay increases comparable to those for certified employees have been included in our budget projections for future years. Also, we did not eliminate any of the non-certified employees. Working conditions for many non-certified, as well as certified, employees will also improve since additional revenues will permit us to renovate and improve many of our buildings and replace needed equipment. How will the millage help children who have problems in school or who may be in danger of dropping out of school? Some of the funds will be used for guidance and counseling services and more alternative schools. We will also expand our early childhood programs to give children a better chance for a good start in school. We will provide more training to teachers and administrators to help them maintain well-disciplined schools and classrooms and create a supportive, nurturing school environment for our children. Other funds will be used to increase student participation in school activities as recommended by the parents who served on Mr. Reville's Extracurricular Activities Committee. Why is it important to eliminate the late bus run for junior high students? The third bus run causes junior high students to have to begin their school day at 9:40 and end it at 4:20. This means a lot of unsupervised time for our children (most parents say too much unsupervised time) and makes them easy prey for outsiders and others who wish to do them harm. Teachers and administrators tell us that many youngsters are worn out before the day is over. Also, the late school closing time prevents participation for some children in many activities after school. School-sponsored events such as ballgames must begin late, thus causing the day to be even longer. All these reasons are why we want to eliminate the late bus run and have only two opening times for our schools. I don't have any children in Why public schools. should I have to pay more taxes? Weak schools contribute to a deteriorating economic base, and no community can afford that. Public schools have a direct impact on the City's business stability and growth. Property values are also directly connected to the quality of our public schools. It's a proven fact that it is cheaper to educate rather than to rehabilitate youngsters. Quality schools can only benefit all of our citizens. Isn't this a case of the LRSD crying wolf again? No. We cannot stress strongly enough the need for a millage increase. In addition to all of the reasons listed above, we are under court order to desegregate. This means if the millage is unsuccessful, we will be back in court trying to seek relief. In the end, the school district as we know it wil not continue to exist. We must get this millage for the survival of the schools. Without a millage increase we will fall farther and farther behind in our ability to provide the quality education that the students of this City need and deserve. 4 April 1990 nMilt Honea Vice President Economic Development Quality of Schools Is Important to Economic Growth On Thursday, April 19, we have an opportunity to mold the future of our community for years to come. All we have to do is agree to invest 8 mills in the Little Rock school system ($80 a year on a $50,000 house). Thats not much to dedicate to the future of our childrens education and the prosperity of our community. For much of the 1980s, Pulaski Countys economic growth as measured by job creation and personal income has been subpar when compared to national figures and to figures for metropolitan areas of similar size in the southeast and south central United States. Several studies have indicated that one of the major factors in this subpar growth has been the real and perceived problems of our public school system. These problems include the lack of stability, constant court battles, and the continuously changing student school assignments. In regard to new businesses which are competitively searching for a new location, the quality of schools is important to them for three reasons
First, businesses want superior schools for the employees they will relocate to the new community. Second, they view quality of schools as a major indicator of the quality of the employees they will hire in the new location. Third, they want to ensure a good quality of life for all their employees long-term, once they are in the new location. When it comes to the final decision, most site locators have at least a dozen good alternative communities before them. These dozen locations usually are essentially equal in terms of all quantifiable economic measures. It is at this point that subjective factors such as quality of education become the swing factors determining the outcome. Often, the site locators have to look for small weaknesses in an area which can become knock-out factors, which give them a rationale for ex /\rx^ V^QcW Vilecm'' (xa'.xJ eliminating a community from further consideration. While superior schools may cause a favorable decision, it is almost certain that poor school will cause a knock-out factor. As a person who has worked both sides of the processas a site selector for a large industry, and as a community citizen trying to woo new industry, I can assure you that quality of education is one of the most important selection criteria effecting our ability to attract new and expanded business. By voting for the 8 mills, we can implement a plan that will guarantee continuity and stability in student school assignments, make needed capital improvements, raise teacher salaries, and provide the quality of education to our children that will bring a more prosperous economy to Little Rock. Milt Honea, Vice President Economic Development o y, Via. n^- ^oi^Si April 1990 5 I J 6 April 1990 Open ceiling reveals insulation in elementary classroom. 1 J I- Photo processing courtesy of Wesley Hitt Photography. '1 Is Little Rock Going Forward, or Are You Going Back? Asks the Washington Post A typical week at the Little Rock School District Communications Department includes numerous conversations with media from around the world. The topics range from school security, the budget and desegregation. "The question the media wants answered the most, "is Little Rock going forward, or are [we] going back?'" stated Skye Winslow, Assistant Director of Communications for the Little Rock School District. 'The inquiries usually lead back to the crisis at Central High in 1957. Everybody knows our history. It ' ' ' \ A A Soil erosion surrounding basketball court at elementary school playground. Calls within the last six weeks have been received from: USA Today 60 Minutes NBC Sunrise Washington Post British Broadcasting Corp. Education, USA 1J Photo processing courtesy of Wesley Hitt Photography. The schools have received visitors from South Africa Russia Japan Hungary Greece Italy France and Germany within the last two weeks alone. The international interest in Little Rock's school system, as well as the local interest, is a high priority with the Communications Department. April 1990 7 Little Rock Schools vs. Real Estate The impact of schools in our area has adversely affected property values more than any other single item I have seen. Several examples or situations that relate to this are the following: In 1987 and 1988, the total number of properties sold in the greater Little Rock area was down 22% compared to 1986. Meanwhile, the surrounding outlying cities and towns like Conway, Benton, Cabot, etc. were down only 2% for the same time period. Thus a 20% difference in areas. All the areas had the same interest rates, tax laws, etc., but the Little Rock area was way down. Also, Little Rock normally is a stronger and healthier market because of industry, convenience and because many people in the smaller towns work here. Thus the only explanation has to be the schools. We have seen numerous people put their homes up for sale for the sole purpose of getting out of this school district. This has caused many more sellers than buyers. In any market or with any product, its a simple case of supply and demand. Not only did we have an over-abundance of properties for sale, we had a lot fewer buyers, especially those considering moving here from other areas and statesprimarily because they did not know which school their children would attend. As a result of more sellers and fewer buyers, we have experienced a term not known to most of us called Deflation. Yes, property values, in most areas in Little Rock in the last few years have dropped anywhere from 5% to 15%. We have seen numerous times when the seller had to write a check in order to sell his property! This was after owning the home for several or more years, putting money down on it, making improvements and paying mortgage paymentsand then paying to sell! Appraisals are lower than what people paid for their homes several years ago. Deflation has hurt many homeowners and will continue to do so until we can get some appreciation going up instead of down. To most people, their house is their most valuable material possession, and in many cases this is their only savings or nest eggthe equity in their home. With deflation as we have recently and are currently experiencing, this will affect many more in the future. Lets take a minute and look at pure simple logic, or as I call it, common sense. 1. The medium home price in Little Rock is around $64,000
the passage of the proposed 8 mills tax would increase property taxes approximately $100 to the homeowner. The cost of putting one child through a private school for one year is approximately $2,000. If the proposed tax does not pass and the approved plan cannot be implemented and our schools continue to deteriorate, many more people will put their Steve Pinter, President Little Rock Board of Realtors children in private schools. 2. At 2% deflation per year as weve experienced in recent years (some areas more, some less), on a $64,000 house, thats $1,280 loss per year! However, at a 2% appreciation per year, if we can turn the schools around and reverse the supp-ly/ demand situation earlier mentioned, thats a $1,280 per year gain! Or, in other words, a $2,560 spread! Now, I ask you, is a $100 investment per year worth thousands of dollars per year in extra equity and/or in savings from private school expense? If you think it makes good sense, then youll vote for the 8 mills tax on April 19. If you disagree, well, thats also your choice. One other itemwhen property values decrease and when people have to spend extra money on private schools, there is much less money spent in the local economy everything from pizza twice a week to a new car to new clothes. It affects each and every one of usno matter what we do for a living! Please, think about it! By Steve Pinter President, LR Board of Realtors 8 April 1990 Examples of Current Year's Average Monthly Expenses Running 50 schools is no simple operation. For the past school year, the Little Rock School District reported a few average monthly expenses to give an idea of the dollars it takes to keep the doors open. These dollars are funneled back into the Little Rock economy, as goods and services are purchased from local companies. These figures are a partial listing of average month expenses for the current school year. H It is the right thing to do and the right time to do it. by Reverend Hezekiah Stewart, Co-Chairman, Vote Yes For Kids Committee It is time that the white and black communities come together and declare war on ignorance, child abuse, drug abuse and all the social maladies caused by a lack of education and secure a future for our young people. It is time for us to take our rightful place in America as a city engaged in the betterment of the quality of life for all people. If there were ever an opportunity to show our children we love them, this is it. It is time to act in a responsible fashion, carrying out our duty as parents and adults to make life better for the next generation. It is time to eliminate the pains of ignorance so costly to our state. We have a choice- we can either pass the millage or we can increase taxes to build more prisons. I despair of seeing so many young people in jail who have been short-changed by our schools and society. We all pay a huge price for that loss of human resources. We are calling on the religious community, business community, professionals, nonprofessionals and everyone who desires to vote for the millage on April 19. It is right under God, our Constitution, state and city laws. It is the right thing to do and the right time to do it. Utilities for an Average Month............... Milk for an Average Month................... Produce for an Average Month............... Bread for an Average Month.................. Cleaning Liquids for an Average Month.... Disposable Paper* for an Average Month... Typing Paper for an Average Month. Fuel for an Average Month Salaries for an Average Month........ *Paper towels, etc.................................' **A semi-truckload of cut paper In the current school year, the quantity of food for the average month is reported as follows
Hamburgers Served for an Average Month Pieces of Chicken per Average Month Pizza Slices Served for an Average Month Lunches Served for an Average Month Breakfasts Served for an Average Month A'la Carte Items per Average Month Hours to Prepare per Average Month Millage Campaign (Continued from page 21 turmoil surrounding our school district has hurt us economically in our ability to attract new business and industry. It has hurt our neighborhoods because of the inability to project stability in attendance patterns for children in our schools. It has hurt our ability to attract and retain good teachers." "Most of all," Villines continued, "we have been unable to assure all of our children continued quality education to prepare them for the future. Some people will say that we don't have a choice. The truth is we have a very clear choice. We can, by passing this millage commit to ourselves and our children that we will have an education program that is moving forward. If it fails, we are telling ourselves and our children that we $206,725 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ ** 54,418 28,732 8,357 4,000 6,000 25,000 85,000 ...... $5,840,000 ($292,000 / day) 35,850 53,640 24,336 303,554 67,015 37,271 24,480 are not willing to commit to their and our future." Little Rock voters will be asked to approve an 8 mill increase in property taxes at a special election on April 19. On a $50,000 home the tax amounts to $80 per year. Reverend Stewart pointed out that the increase of $80 would amount to an average of 22 cents per day. "That's less than the cost of a cup of coffee or soft drink. Surely we are willing to pay the equivalent of the cost of a cup of coffee to insure the future for our children." Of the 8 mills, 2.5 mills will be dedicated to vital capital improvements. By law, 56% of the net increase resulting from the mills will be used for certified personnel. Non-certified personnel will receive a comparable salary increase. April 1990 9Established Industry Appreciation Fish Fry The Established Industry Committee will host an Industrial Appreciation Fish Fry, 5:00 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at Arkla Gas, 400 East Capitol Avenue. Special guests include Jack Growe, Head Coach Arkansas Razorbacks
Harold Horton, Recruiting Coordinator
and Bill Gray, Assistant Athletic Director. This is an informal event where manufacturers and distributors in the Greater Little Rock area are invited to mix and mingle with other area industrialists and businessmen. Take Advantage of on-the-job training. 10 The Executive Decision. Executives throughout Little Rock are making a first class decision. They're making First Property their choice for short and long term housing needs. First Property Management. The last word in worry-free housing. We can include: Furniture Bed and Bath Linens Kitchen Cookware, Dinnerware, Maid Service & Much More Call our Cciporate Services Director SO 1-227-7538 Fox Run* Greenwood Forest WiUiamslJurg Walnut Ridge Because yot^refirst wilh us! r? VIf'AST propertv The Little Rock Private Industry Council on-the-job training program will furnish you qualified applicants and pay 50% of their salary during training. The Private Industry Council (PIC) on-the-job training program is a federally-funded job training program to prepare individuals for their entry into the labor force. Through PICs on-the-job training program you are able to: Select qualified applicants. Train them according to your companys needs. Receive up to 50% reimbursement of the employee's wages during the training period. Qualify for tax credits. Other services provided by PICs on-the-job training program include labor market information, employment counseling, applicant assessment and testing, job search assistance and more. PIC also accepts referrals from businesses for people eligible for the program. To find out more about on-the-job training and how it can start working to benefit your company, call Private Sector Coordinator Judious Lewis at 371-4488 or write him at: Little Rock Job Training, 500 West Markham, 220 West Wing, Little Rock, AR 72201. April 1990BUSINESS Date: Thursday, April 26 Time: 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Place: Howard Johnson 1-30 at 9th Street JORTON BrOtIiERS Printinq Co. For all your Printing needs. 702 W. 4Tli STBiu NoRTh LiTilt Rock, ArUansas J75 7227 TypoqRAphy Tickets for Business After Hours are $5.00 in advance and are available at the Chamber, from any Ambassador or by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope with your check to: Business After Hours c/o Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce One Spring Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Tickets are $7.00 at the door and are limited to Chamber members and first time guests. When you save time, you save money. APS offers four ways to save both. 1. Ad Placement Service 2. APS Clipping Service 3. APS Mailing Service 4. Statewide Classified Ads ARKANSAS PRESS SERVICES Representing the Newspapers of Arkansas Call us at 374-1500 IO! Broadway. L R. 72206 April 1990 Novell NelWare High-Performance Connectivity^oducts NetWare, the industry standard local area network operating system for the PC, PS/2 and Macintosh. Full line of software and systems technology for interconnecting computing resources. Professional consulting, training and service. Trained Novell installers. Authorized Novell Reseller. B N O V E L L N O V E I I X a\ '^goldVb NOVE BESEi T WORD DATA, INC. 917 WEST MARKHAM LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201 1501) 372-2355 BESELLBS VfEiSca Welding <S Industrial Products & Gases 800 East Roosevelt Road Little Rock, Arkansas 72206 501-372-2252 II 1990 Chamber Board of Directors and Executive Committee Chairman of the Board... .Russ McDonough Chairman-Elect.................... Past Chairman...................... First Vice Chairman.......... Second Vice Chairman .... President .............................. VP/Economic Development .. Barnett Grace . .Sherman Tate .Curt Bradbury Herschel Friday ... .Paul Harvel ... .Milt Honea VP/Community Development .. .Bill Cravens Mayor Buddy Villines Co-Chairman Vote Yes For Kids Committee Eton Evans Witsell, Evans & Rasco Hugh Moore Central Arkansas Labor Council VP/Communications............ VP/Governmental Affairs ... VP/Membership/ Member Services ................ Treasurer.................................. President, Fifty for the Future ...................... Chairman, Doubleday Fund . Directors . .Bill Malone Doug Buford ... Drake Keith Mahlon Martin Walter Smiley . .Sam Sowell Reverend Hezekiah Stewart Co-Chairman Annie Abrams Little Rock School District Fred Allen Senator David Pryor's Office Alice Glover Retired Schoolteacher Dr. Gerald R. Mullikin Pulaski Heights Methodist Church Ted Grace Metropolitan Junior Chamber Steve Pinter Little Rock Board of Realtors Reverend Wendell L. Griffin Emmanual Baptist Church Mrs. Johnnie Pugh ACORN Dr. Ted Bailey John Bowman Taylor Brown Lewis C. Cole Bob Connor Margaret Davenport Gene Fortson Mac Geschwind Hon. Rita Gruber Jerry Gusewelle Col. Albert R. Hart Hon. Patrick Hays Walter Hussman, Jr. Sheila Jones Ernest Joshua Ed Ligon, Jr. Steve Patterson George Pitts Jack Reynolds James Rodgers Hon. Judith Rogers Bob Shell Ed Smith James Smith Dr. Ruth Steele Hon. Buddy Villines Gus Vratsinas Woodson Walker Larry Wallace Bill Waters Reverend Jerry Black Dick Herget Greater Paradise Baptist Church Marsh & McLennan Bill Bowen First Commerical Bank Doug Buford Wright, Lindsey & Jennings Wanda Bynum Arkansas Gazette Rick Campbell Mitchell Law Firm Staff Dale Charles President, NAACP Deborah Heritage Southwestern Bell Linda Russenberger Second Vice President, PTA Council Milt Honea Arkla Gas John Signaigo Magic 105 Keith Jackson Metropolitan Junior Chamber Frank & Katie Lambright Marsh & McLennan Grainger Ledbetter Walter Smiley Smiley Investment Corp. G. Richard Smith, M. D. Courtney Swindler General Mechanical Contractors Paul H. Harvel ... 0 Nolan Fleming. Pal Jones................ Judy Russell......... Kim Pruitt ........... C.R. Sawrie......... Carol Cobb........... Sharon Priesi .... Angela Patton ... Joyce Raynor .... Karen Aufdenberg .............................................President ................Economic Development .......................Community Affairs ..........................................Leadership ...............................................Research ..........................................Agriculture ........................................Membership ........................................Membership ........................................Information Econ. Dev./Community Affairs ..............................Communications BUSINESS A Publication of the Bill Cravens Consultant Dwight Linkous Linkous Company Sherman Tate Arkla Gas Betty Ruth Davis President-ElecL VIPS Russ McDonough Winrock Enterprises Willie Thompson Retired School Administrator Delores Edgeston President, PTA Council Jesse W. Mason, Sr. Leadership Roundtable Larry Wallace Wallace & Clayton complete list at lime of publication GREATER LITTLE ROCK CHAMBER COMMERCE ONE SPRING BUILDING* LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201-2486 (501) 374-4871 SERVING LITTLE ROCK, NORTH LITTLE ROCK AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS 12 April 1990HERSCHEL H. FRIDAY (1 922-1994) WILLIAM H. SUTTON. P.A. BYRON M. EISEMAN. JR., P.A. JOE 0. BELL. P.A. JAMES A. BUTTRY. P.A. FREDERICK S. URSERY, P.A. OSCAR E. DAVIS, JR., P.A. JAMES C. CLARK, JR.. P.A. THOMAS P. LEGGETT. P.A. JOHN DEWEY WATSON. P.A. PAUL B. BENHAM HI. P.A. LARRY W. BURKS. P.A. A. WYCKLIFF NISBET. JR,, P.A. JAMES EDWARD HARRIS. P.A. J. PHILLIP MALCOM. P.A. JAMES M. SIMPSON. P.A. JAMES M. SAXTON. P.A. J. SHEPHERD RUSSELL III. P.A. DONALD H. BACON. P.A. WILLIAM THOMAS BAXTER. P.A. BARRY E. COPLIN. P.A. RICHARD D. TAYLOR. P.A. JOSEPH B. HURST. JR.. P.A. ELIZABETH ROBBEN MURRAY. P.A. CHRISTOPHER HELLER. P.A, LAURA HENSLEY SMITH. P.A. ROBERT S. SHAFER. P.A. WILLIAM M. GRIFFIN III, P.A. MICHAEL S. MOORE, P.A. DIANE S. MACKEY. P.A. WALTER M. EBEL III, P.A. KEVIN A. CRASS, P.A. WILLIAM A. WADDELL. JR., P.A. SCOTT J. LANCASTER. P.A. M GAYLE CORLEY. P.A. ROBERT B. BEACH. JR.. P.A. J. LEE BROWN. P.A. JAMES C. BAKER, JR.. P.A. HARRY A. LIGHT. P.A. FRIDAY, ELDREDGE & CLARK A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP ATTORNEYS AT LAW 2000 REGIONS CENTER 400 WEST CAPITOL LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201-3493 TELEPHONE 501-376-201 1 FAX NO. 501-376-2147 February 29, 2000 RECEIVED HAS 1 ZUUU OFFICE OF DESEGREGATION MONITORING SCOTT H. TUCKER. P.A. GUY ALTON WADE. P.A. PRICE C. GARDNER. P.A. TONIA P. JONES. P.A. DAVID D. WILSON. P.A. JEFFREY H. MOORE. P.A. DAVID M. GRAF. P.A. CARLA GUNNELS SPAINHOUR. P.A. JOHN C. FENDLEY, JR.. P.A. JONANN CONIGLIO FLEISCHAUER, P.A. R. CHRISTOPHER LAWSON. P.A. GREGORY D. TAYLOR. P.A. TONY L. WILCOX. P.A. FRAN C. HICKMAN. P.A. BETTY J. DEMORY, P.A. LYNDA M. JOHNSON. P.A. JAMES W. SMITH CLIFFORD W. PLUNKETT DANIEL L. HERRINGTON K. COLEMAN WESTBROOK. JR. ALLISON J. CORNWELL ELLEN M. OWENS HELENE N. RAYDER JASON 8. HENDREN BRUCE B. TIDWELL CHRIS A. AVERITT KELLY MURPHY MCQUEEN JOSEPH P. MCKAY ALEXANDRA A. IFRAH MARTIN A. KASTEN ROBERT T. SMITH OP COUNSEL WILLIAM J. SMITH B.S. CLARK WILLIAM L. TERRY WILLIAM L. PATTON, JR. H.T. LARZELERE. P.A. JOHN C. ECHOLS. P.A. WRITERS DIRECT NO. (50 1 > 370-1 506 Mr. James W. McCormack District Court Clerk 600 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 402 Little Rock, AR 72201-3325 Re: Little Rock School District v. Pulaski County Special School District USDC No. LR-C-82-866 Dear Mr. McCormack: Enclosed please find the original and three copies of Motion for Authorization to Hold Millage Election to be filed in the above-captioned case. Please return a copy of same to me bearing your file mark in the enclosed, self-addressed stamped envelope. By copy of this letter I am forwarding a copy of same to the attorneys of record. Thank you for your assistance. Yours truly, CJH/bk Enclosures cc w/enc.: Mr. Mr. John W. Richard Walker Roachell Mr. Ms. Mr. Mr. Samuel Jones Ann Brown (hand delivered) Timothy Gauger Steve Jones RECE'=^ MAR 1 iuuu IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS WESTERN DIVISION OFFICEQF DESEGREGATION MONITORING LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAINTIFF VS. LR-C-82-866 PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT DEFENDANTS MOTION FOR AUTHORIZATION TO HOLD MILLAGE ELECTION For its Motion, the Little Rock School District ("LRSD") states: 1. The Little Rock School District IS faced with the pressing need for additional funds which can be committed primarily to construction, renovation and maintenance of its school facilities and to provide technology in its classrooms. The LRSD Board of Directors voted on February 24, 2000 to seek a millage increase to address these needs at a special election to be held on Tuesday, May 9, 2000. 2 . LRSD will seek to increase its current millage rate by 5 mills. 3 for debt seirvice and 2 for dedicated maintenance and operation purposes. Each mill will generate approximately $1,900,000.00 annually. The debt service mills will be used primarily for construction and renovation of school facilities and to provide new technology for LRSD students. The dedicated maintenance and operation mills will be used initially for maintenance, including necessary work that has been too long deferred. In the future, the dedicated maintenance and operation mills will also be used to replace technology as it becomesoutdated. 3 . The LRSD Revised Desegregation and Education Plan requires school construction and renovation, an effective and equitable maintenance program for school facilities and an equitable allocation of technology. See generally sections 2.9, 2.10, 3.6 and 5.5. The funding sought by LRSD at the May 9, 2000 election would greatly increase LRSD's ability to meet those Desegregation and Education Plan obligations. 4 . This Court has emphasized the importance of proper budget planning in order for the parties to properly meet their desegregation commitments. In order to properly plan for the 2000- 2001 school year, it is important for LRSD to know in May whether or not additional funds will be available to improve school facilities and to expand student access to technology. It is therefore necessary for LRSD to seek the Court's approval to hold an election on May 9, 2000 rather than at the regular time for annual school elections on the third Tuesday in September. 5. The Knight intervenors. the Arkansas Department of Education and the North Little Rock School District have been advised of this Motion and they have no objection to authorizing the requested millage election. an Order 6. This Court has previously authorized the Little Rock School District and the Pulaski County Special School District to hold millage elections at times other than the normal time for annual school elections. Order, March 19, 1990, Docket 1331
Order, February 21, 1992, Docket 1559. 2WHEREFORE, for the reasons set forth above, the Little Rock School District prays for an Order authorizing a millage election in the Little Rock School District on May 9, 2000 and directing that the election will have the same force and effect under Arkansas law as if it were a regular annual school election. Respectfully submitted, LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT Christopher Heller John C. Pendley FRIDAY, ELDREDGE & CLARK 2000 Regions Center 400 West Capitol Little Rock, Arkansas (501) ------------ 72201-349 By: tristopner stopher Hell. 3CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that a copy of the foregoing has been served on the following on this 2 9'^* day of February, 2000 : Mr. John W. Walker JOHN WALKER, P.A. 1723 Broadway Little Rock, AR 72206 Mr. Richard Roachell Roachell Law Firm 401 West Capitol, Suite 504 Little Rock, AR 72201 Ms. Ann Brown VIA HAND DELIVERY Desegregation Monitor Heritage West Bldg., Suite 510 201 East Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72201 M. Samuel Jones WRIGHT, LINDSEY & JENNINGS 200 NationsBank 200 West Capitol Avenue Little Rock, AR 72201 Mr. Timothy G. Gauger Office of the Attorney General 323 Center Street 200 Tower Building Little Rock, AR 72201 Steve Jones JACK, LYON & JONES 3400 TCBY Tower 425 Capitol Avenue Little Rock, AR 72201 .ristopher Hell 4 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS WESTERN DIVISION JAME
MARO? 2000 LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT, Plaintiff vs. PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. l,etal.. Defendants, MRS. LORENE JOSHUA, et al.. Intervenors, KATHERINE KNIGHT, et al.. Intervenors. * * * * * * * * * * * * * No. LR-C-82-866 RECEIVED MAR 8 2000 CfceRK ORDER The Little Rock School District moves the Court for an Order authorizing a special millage election to be held May 9, 2000 [docket no. 3339]. The District states it has a pressing need for additional funds to meet desegregation commitments associated with the construction. renovation, and maintenance of its school facilities. Additionally, the District explains it must plan for the needed expenditures by May 2000 and cannot wait for the annual school election (scheduled for September 2000) to place the proposal before the electorate. After careful consideration, the Court finds that the proposed special election should be authorized. See Liddell v. Missouri, 731 F.2d 1294, 1321 (8'* Cir. 1984). THEREFORE, the Court hereby authorizes a special millage election to be held in the Little Rock School District on May 9,2000 for the purpose of placing before the electorate a proposal to increase the millage rate in the Little Rock School District by 5 mills. FURTHER, the millage election authorized by this Order shall have the same force and effect under Arkansas law as if it were a regular school election. IT IS SO ORDERED THIS 7^ DAY OF MARCH, 2000 ClffiF JUDGE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT fHIS DOCUMENT ENTERED ON DOCKET SHEET MS CC'MPUANC ON :^yiT^RULE58ANI fl 79(a) FRCP BY I 2r August 17, 2000 Memo To: Ann Brown From: Skip Marshall-Volunteer Subject: Highlights of LRSD financial dilemma Earlier this year, the voters within the LRSD school district approved an increase in their property tax mileage. The increased mileage was a total of 5 mills of which 3 mills dedicated to capitol improvements and 2 mills was for technology and operational expenses. was LRSD has developed a list of building improvements needed and has arranged those needs in priority. Many of these priorities have been needed for some time, but were not started due to the lack of money. Many of the needs are urgently needed and, of course, are at the top of the priority list. Since the creation of the needs list and the estimates used to determine approximate costs at that time, the local (regional) construction economy has dramatically grown. This boom seems to have been started about the time of the building of the new arena and the expansion of the statehouse convention center was started. Over the past decade, prior to the building boom, the training of apprentices to the building trades (sheetmetal, electricians, welders, carpenters, and plumbers) had been reduced due the lack a need for those skills in this area. This is not unique to this area, as witnessed by the importing of union skills from the Los Angeles area where construction was slow to the boom of building in Las Vegas in the late 198Os and early 199Os. Consequentially, this boom in the construction economy for both residential and commercial buildings has created a major dilemma for LRSD. This dilemma is caused by two factors: first, the lack of skilled workers and second, the increased demand for both workers and materials has impacted the cost of construction. holier' What LRSD faces today is that the cost estimates used are now much-MBlEr than originally forecast and the schedule of work must be pushed out further. Some projects that were scheduled for completion in 18 to 24 months may not even start for 24 months. The LRSD administration, I believe, has made a wise decision. They will not proceed with any construction project without contracts with reliable contractors. They decided to delay any construction project, even though it may cause some hard feelings with some of the public, if it meant that the delay was wiser than using a less reliable contractor and having shoddy work. Although this means that some pet projects may not be started as quickly as the public might desire, it does, I think, indicate that LRSD is being financially responsible to its tax paying and school patron constituents.However, a result of the decision to delay issuing requests for bids and issuing contracts is that the district doesnt need the money to pay for these projects as quickly as originally planned. 144 LRSD has issued $45,000,000 new bonds. Within the next several months, they will ------ restructure $43,000,00fyof old debt and will reissue new bonds for this amount over a /-----------------longer period of time, thus reducing the debt service requirements of the district. This iXMXz.- restructuring will reduce the debt service payment from approximately $6,000,000 per year to approximately $3,000,000 per year. Although, based on the current rate of interest, LRSD is able to issue as new debt somewhere between $70,000,000 and $80,000,000, there is no need at the present time for that added money nor would it be in the best interest of the district to increase the amount of debt when the monies would not be needed for 36 to 60 months from now. It appears on the surface that the easy solution would be to sell the bonds, then invest the money and collect the interest. Unfortunately, the IRS has a different idea. Some time ago, regulations were established that precludes organizations from selling tax-exempt bonds and then investing the money and using the profits for other than the purposes stated to the taxpayer. The regulation dictates that any money raised through the sale of tax-exempt bonds must be spent over a specific period of time or any interest earned over the cost of the issue would be taxed and taken by the federal government.. There are guidelines within the IRS codes that specify that a certain percentage of the monies must be spent within the first six months, a greater percentage within the first 12 month, then yet greater percentage within the first 18 months, and 95% or greater spent within the first two years after the issue date or any interest earned over the amount being paid would all be payable to the IRS. This is called the arbitrage rule. a This ruling precludes LRSD from selling the remaining amount of $70 to $80 million in bonds at the current tax-exempt interest rate and then investing that money in a higher rated return until the money was needed 3 to 5 years from now. The interest earned over and above the interest cost would be taken by the IRS. The opposite side of that coin would be if the interest earned was less than the interest cost, there are no benefits to the district. So the decision to not sell all of the bonds would appear to be a good financial management decision on the part of LRSD. There is another aspect which now raises its head. The State of Arkansas is required to fund all school districtfto at least 80% of the wealth level of the LRSD. If LRSD doesnt issue all of the available bonds, the amount of the non-issued bonds is included when determining the wealth level of LRSD. (Actually, it is not the face value amount of the non-issue as it is the amount of money that would be needed to provide the debt service amount when determining the wealth of a district). It has been estimated by ADE and others in the know that in order to satisfy the increased wealth level of LRSD and provide funding to the poorer districts to meet the mandatory levels could cost the state approximately $150,000,000 more per year in additional funding.There has been pressure placed on LRSD to issue all of the bonds so that the state administration would be able recommend to Legislature to fund the added amount necessary to pay all teachers either the $1,500 for the coming school year (2001-2002) a total of $3,000 to be paid out over the biennium (2001-2003). If the state were to be forced to increase the funding levels due to the increased wealth of LRSD, then the chances of the Legislature passing a teachers increase would be in jeopardy. or This whole situation is very political as can be imagined. It is my understanding that most of the district superintendents in the state are very aware of this situation and of " course would prefer that LRSD not issue the added bonds. Each district will receive the same amount of money as prescribed in the funding formula as an equalization rate. The districts that are below the federal range (less than 80% of the LRSD wealth level) receive the amount to bring them up to the 80% level in addition to the amount prescribed by the equalization formula. 3^ >A. I ' l''''^^ ^'2' ^Q kvi^lCci' ^Cc- .Board of Directors Dr. Katherine Mitchell, Zone 1 Little Rock School District 810 W. Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1367 Little Rock, AR Mike Daugherty, Zone 2 Judy Magness, Zone 3 Baker Kurrus, Zone 4 received Larry Berkley, Zone 5 MAV] 2001 Tony Rose, Zone 6 Sue Strickland, Zone 7 afiKATlOlfOirofi|gG March 2001 FROM: RE: Leslie V. Carnine, Superintendent of Schools Status of Capital Improvements Last year the voters of Little Rock agreed to fund major repairs and renovations needed in our school buildings and to upgrade technology throughout the school district. The Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District and I recognize that you should know how your dollars are being invested in our schools. The Board approved an accountability policy so that community residents will receive regular updates on the status of these projects. On the reverse side of this sheet you will find a brief summary of the status of the phase one projects. You will note that a large number of projects are currently in the design phase. The architects are working with the Campus Leadership Team of each school to develop the scope of work for major repairs and renovations. We want to ensure that the work that is being done will provide the greatest benefit for the individual schools. Its important for you to remember that you are a big part of our success through the tax dollars you pay to support our teachers and students. We are always mindful of our responsibility to continue to provide quality education to the children of our community and to meet our commitments to you, our patrons. Thank you for your continuing support. 'Leslie^ Superint .a: le indent of SchoolsLittle Rock School District: Status of Building Renovations/Repairs In May 2000 voters in Little Rock approved a millage increase to pay for major repairs and renovations to our schools and to upgrade technology in all buildings. We promised that we would provide regular reports to the community on the status of these projects, and this list provides that information. Additionally, a Technology Plan has been approved and is being implemented. Additional information will be provided as we move forward in that effort. Americans with Disabilities Act projects: Architect has been selected
contract in negotiation. Asbestos removal: Contract between LRSD and Architect executed. Complete Badgett Cafeteria Southwest Scope of Work/In Design Brady Elem. Mabelvale Elem. Summer 2(X)1 Badgett - remainder of bldg. Dodd Elemenatry Meadowcliff Elem. Fair Park Hall High School Henderson Middle - partial Watson Elem. Building Additions/Renovations: For the following projects, either the Campus Leadership Teams currently are assisting architects in developing the scope of work, or the projects are in the design phase: Badgett Addition Badgett HVAC Renovation Badgett Fire Alarm Bale Addition/Renovation Booker fire alarm system Brady Addition Bldg. Energy Mgmt. Systems Carver Drainage Correction Carver Parking Addition Central High Major Addition Central Front Landing Repair Central Fire Alarm System (Summer 2(X)1) Quigley Stadium Structural Repair Cloverdale Middle Repairs Dodd HVAC Dunbar Middle J.A. Fair Addition/Roof Repairs Fair Park HVAC Forest Park HVAC/Parking Franklin Renovation Fulbright HVAC/Parking Hall High Major Addition Jefferson Renovation Transportation Resurface Lot Mabelvale Elem. HVAC Oakhurst HVAC Otter Creek Addition/Parking Parkview High Renovation/Roof Parkview HVAC Parkview Parking Lot Rockefeller HVAC/Parking Lot Romine Renovations Southwest Drainage Corrections Terry Renovations/Parking/Driveway Mabelvale Middle Addition/Renovation Wakefield HVAC/Fire Alarm Mann Major Addition McClellan Major Addition McClellan Stadium Repair McDermott HVAC Meadowcliff Fire Alarm Metropolitan Shop Vent System Watson Renovations Williams Parki
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