Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

12-1-2005

Keywords

Education spending

Series Title

Office for Education Policy

Series Number

Volume 02, Issue 22

Abstract

In another landmark decision regarding school finance in Arkansas, the Arkansas Supreme Court has again declared that the state has retreated from its obligation to adequately fund public education, just as it decided in 2004 (Lake View School Dist. No. 25 v. Huckabee, 355 Ark. 617, 142 S.W.3d 643). Earlier this year, 49 school districts had requested the Court to recall its mandate and reappoint Special Masters to reopen the Lake View case and evaluate the state’s efforts to improve the adequacy of Arkansas’ school finance system (see Policy Brief 17). The court granted this request on June 9, 2005, and the Masters filed their report on October 3, 2005, finding that “the state has not lived up to the promise made by the 84th General Assembly Regular and Extraordinary Sessions of 2003 to make education the state's first priority” (see Policy Brief 18). On October 24, 2005, the plaintiffs filed a motion requesting the Court to adopt the Special Masters’ recommendations, to call upon the Governor to convene a special session of the General Assembly, and to retain jurisdiction of the case to assure compliance.

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