Opinion ID: 1756151
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Unfunded Mandates

Text: School districts faced new expenses due to acts passed during the 2005 session that were not funded, which were described as unfunded mandates. According to James Gilson, Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the Arkansas School Boards Association, increased costs due to these mandates will be $244 per student in the 2005-2006 school year and $215 per student in the 2006-2007 school year. The Masters found that there are increased financial burdens on school districts from some of the mandates, but, if nothing else, as a result of inflation. Fuel costs are going up tremendously and textbook costs have skyrocketed. Again, foundation funding was frozen at $5,400 per student for the 2005-2006 school year; yet the school districts' financial obligations were increased by the General Assembly. Examples of unfunded mandates noted by the Masters are annual step increases in salary schedules for certified employees, costs due to the implementation of annual Academic Improvement Plans, increases in minimum teacher salaries in 2006-2007, and a potential increase in contributions to teacher retirement in 2006-2007. The Masters found that there is a lack of evidence that the legislature made an informed decision as to whether there was adequate money to address these new costs.