Education Committee- House

Explain your motion. The amendment is floating out there and we need to get rid of it that's a good enough okay I have a motion by representative Barker to expunge the vote by which The Amendment on house bill eleven ninety two was adopted any discussion on the motion none all those in favor say aye opposed nay. Thank you. You're welcome the voters passed the member has been expunged. Of. Members we've got a lot of bills try to get through this afternoon again without objection we're going to operate off of a flexible agenda we got people in multiple committees are gonna be coming and going and we're gonna try to accommodate everyone as best as possible. We'll start with house bill sixteen seventy nine representative hawk. Your identify yourself you may present your bill. Thank you Mr RJ hawk state representative for district eighty one. Collins I bring you house bill sixteen seventy nine today in all I'm doing is asking for the committee's approval on a I S. P. to for the creation of the Arkansas is legislative study for the high school student athlete publicity rights most commonly known as an ideal for high school for those that have hurt there's twenty eight states right now in the country that have adopted laws in place for paying high school athletics whenever I got with the the triple a with our our colleges in Arkansas the NC double a we we said you know what let's figure out what's gonna be best for Arkansas and so we want to do that during the interim to be able to get everybody's input and find out the the best method of what's going to work in our state so with that. Any questions for representive fox. Seeing none I don't believe there's anyone signed up to speak for or against. C. nine representative hawk. Red clothes for your bill I'm closed. Representative bought you're recognized motion to pass by representative Vaught house bill sixteen seventy nine a discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye opposed nay. The eyes have it president hockey pastor bill thank you Committee. Go next representive Eubanks. I believe you have house bill eleven ninety two. Yes Sir thank you Mr Mr chairman I know nobody thought I was coming back with this but I'm here I am I told you I would listen to people and talk to them and I have and I've tried to figure out a way I could do what I wanted to do and it was just going to be so convoluted and complex I just dropped that went with all the other suggestions that I got some of them from directors of co opt some from the chair of the committee and the one from the department so I it's it's shortened it up quite a bit and so Does allow the school boards to appoint a member of the the superintendent of the school board or employee of the school or a member of the community to that position it doesn't require them to appoint anybody up. It doesn't preclude them from appointing the superintendent or anybody but so it's going to be entirely up to them By resolution they make that that vote that decision the one of the other changes as the other meetings are going to be public in the minutes public of the co op board and there is an account billete portion at the very end I've talked to some directors of the co ops that I met with that the several weeks ago I believe they said that. They're in agreement with this with that I will try to answer any questions. Represent Cozart you're recognized for a question. Russia Eubanks would you agree you know a whole lot more about co ops now than you did before. Yes Sir. Needed to quest representative Dick you're recognized thank you Mr chair. My personal appreciate you visiting with us and talk about it can you refresh my memory because it's been a while on what problem we're trying to fix with these changes. The the issue that I had as I thought there ought to be a little more diverse backgrounds opinions on the board and at the when it first started it was going to I mean if it had appointments by the Speaker the governor et cetera and then I get that guy change to we're going to allow the boards to appoint their representative to the co op board but it couldn't be the superintendent that became problematic and I've changed it to the for now the the board just has the freedom to appoint anyone that's within that the boundaries of that could of their school district to that board but it doesn't preclude them from appointing or. Yes appointing the superintendent it could be a school classroom teacher which I like the idea of personally or administered by the other administrator or somebody out in the community but that's up to the school board itself. You're recognized thank you and as far as the public it be in public portion what brought that part about having meetings because I guess it wasn't before that was my understanding actually that recommendation came from the chair this committee. Representative painter you're recognized motion at the proper time. Representative Hodges you're recognized. Thank you Mr Speaker chair. Long day. Representative Eubanks. Of those stricken language on page two. On line twenty seven it says it educational cooperative will be governed by a board of directors consisting of one representative appointed by the board of directors of each cooperating school district so the current law says. The school board appoints a representative to the cooperative right. Is I think existing law. I don't know. Right I don't know I don't know what I I think it's just assume that the superintendent is that representative I don't. What I guess all I know is I'm changing it. I guess I'm trying to figure out what what your bill does if the existing law says. On because now it stipulates that they cannot they can appoint someone other than the superintendent. But but I'm not seeing any existing law that's been stricken that has to be the superintendent can somebody. Answer the. Can the school board currently appoint anyone they want including Superman or not the superintendent let me call let me code red horn to the table. So what's the deal. You identify yourself record and I think you can help ensure this yes Sir Brad one director Wilbur D. Mills education service cooperative from my understanding that's that's correct that the the individual school boards can select an individual from their district it's it's kind of understood it's the superintendent just always been when I became superintendent Again it was just understood that I was going to go the coop of for board meetings and vote on different items. I spent ten years on the school board nobody asked us to vote on any. And we had multiple superintendents hired during that time and there was never a vote as to who the representative from the school district was on the on the board it. Just seems like it was understood that it was the superintendent so I'm basically just a few Leding now that they can. Who they can Appoint okay sounds like. It was more just People were unaware that they have the authority to appoint. Somebody under the existing law so hopefully if we pass this law they will become aware that they have other options like they did a for. Did you quite. Hey this is this is simply in my opinion if that's okay and and for and also want to add a priest if we are amiss Eubanks for sitting down visiting with us I think you had a meeting just before and I think you had one you have to get to that he spent a couple hours with the so we're appreciative of that so yes I I think that they do understand that they could appoint someone but and again this is my opinion the superintendent makes us financial decisions or provides a recommendation to the board so they're aware of what's being spent and what that's what the co ops doing and I'm I would also added this is not against Mister you banks I'm sure you it's not but I was able to sit in my teacher center committee meeting yesterday okay so if the reason for the board of reason for the amendment or the bill is about governance and decisions that are made at the co op insist that TCC meeting which is composed by rule of a member district one person from every member district and multiple levels from superintendent down the I think we might have a classified staff moment group they went through the entire summer PT calendar and those individuals provided input and one comment I'll give an example was that we were thin on behavior and mental health so as a result of that my TCC has started scheduling more behavior and mental health professional development that's one example and we also have a federal coordinator I personally do a bookkeeper business office PLC Java like group where I and we don't in the meeting without saying give us input about what to do and how to make this better for you and professional development that you need so so we are happy that I missed Eubanks included superintendents on that because they do make those decisions and recommendations the board but I want I want to Mister Cozart made a comment about Being more educated about co ops I have not done a good job of of telling our story what we do we do include a lot of folks in our decisions every decision we make is made by many groups not just the superintendents I'm sorry one a little bit above everything. Thank you yes a representative because the. Thank you Mr so let me begin by saying aye I like the intent of the bill I appreciate what representive Eubanks what you said earlier about wanting more diversity on school co op boards I believe this accomplishes that I do want to I do have a question as to the like the hierarchical government governing of co op so to your point and to to Mr Horne's point about it's just been kind of the facto superintendents rolled school boards don't even know it's either an option or a part of their black pro forma governance who monitors and observes the fact that school boards need to now have these at publicly held meetings so it's in your now that they have to be bet legally held at at a public meetings that have followed disclosures the meeting itself and then the minutes of the meeting is that the schools that that the state school board R. eighty E. that's going to be kind of checking in on co ops. We are again this is an education about co ops kind of thing all right we've done a poor job done for job of that our our minutes just like a school district are required to be posted to our co op website our our our meetings are public we we have schedules of those meetings just like a district test report information we don't typically have media I'll admit is never shown up at my meetings but it is posted to the website and our minutes are posted to the website follow up just one more recognized to just a layer underneath that who's gonna I mean again we've had a lot of anecdotes the pass this committee about well some score just don't even know even if we do this and we you know eighty will send out that information who's going to be the the stopgap is gonna be the one that's checking in on school on the school board level not the coop board level to say make sure you're having these appointment elections or whatever you want to call them with that be eighty year that the state school board. What if you're asking about if the individual school boards are putting a representative in place invite Board action by the I believe by the amendment they have to report that to the caught director by June thirtieth that it's going to be in in minutes or letter or resolution. Representative makes. Thank you Mr chairman my question I think amendment this might help out representative Hodges on on his question so right now the the language says that. The. Board of directors of any school district will appoint a Director right now it's generally just been assumed it to superintendent but. They're radically underneath the current law. Mmhm my Greenbrier school board for example could appoint representative Hodges to be the representative even though he doesn't live in the district or anywhere near it and what your language does that tightens it up and make sure that that person is actually from that district to represent that district yes I don't foresee a school district doing that will be picking someone halfway across the state with their radically they could do that what you're trying to do is to clarify that. Any additional questions from committee. Seeing none don't believe we have anyone signed up to speak for against Pulaski anyone like to speak for against the bill. Seeing none representive Eubanks ready clothes for your bill I'm close appreciate a good vote will committee representative makes motion do pass a discussion on the motion. The none all those in favor say aye opposed nay. Is have it bills passed so I represent payment. Representative payee. I think you've got one seventeen forty three good luck run that real quick. You identify yourself for the record. See you have someone there with you to assist you'll have them identify himself you may present your bill yes Mister chair Stetson painter District three Baxter County Fulton County. Shame Broadway based president of university relations issue system. Recognized thank you Mr chair if if it's okay I'm going to let the expert here discuss HB seventeen forty three what it does I'll try to do that quickly Mister chairman I'm definitely no expert as you know There is the state of Arkansas has never had a fund for a higher education institutions to help with new construction or maintenance issues. As you know we do have a school facilities program allows a co author of back in two thousand five for K. twelve districts but there's never been a dedicated source of revenue or funding for institutions of higher education football or goes out to our goals out there conditioner H. back never been anything. There used to be general improvement funds back when general improvement funds were allowable back in the day that would be given from time to time to all is to tuition is to help the deferred maintenance but since that is going away there's not been any fund all this does is establish a pond does not provide the funding that would be a separate budget bill through RSA or any other allocations the Joint Budget need Mr assembly would make all this does is set up the point ADD ADHD they would adopt rules that would go through the Legislative Council process set up by a revolving loan fund so for instance the issue of a border goes out and we don't have the resources set aside and and reserves we can apply to the fund for revolving loan and receive the funds to prepare a bowl or chiller that went out and we would pay that back over a set amount of years or time as it would be allowed and so that's basically what this does is sets up the pond it does not fund it that would be a separate. He's so representative urged representative used to be but yeah I. We already six years of my life but you're right Broadway if I'm so if I'm understanding this. Don't tell Senate there is a vehicle what this is a vehicle to create a fund exactly that is unfunded exactly and should future legislation create funding for that then what this would do with that would be a vehicle to expedite some type of repair facilities issue that higher it may have rather than the thirty sixty ninety hundred twenty day process but sometimes it takes to get an appropriate get an increase in appropriation and get it funded during the interim consent to better myself Mr. We could have but not good at legislating today that's right representative makes I believe you have a question yes Sir thank Mr. So I I'm not against the idea of my my my my concern here is. Is there going to be any funding because my what I don't want to do is set up a fund that's going to set out there in perpetuity because and you know these things happen before somebody set up the phone with great intentions and it never got funded and now we've got a longer books cluttering up stuff that's going nowhere so is there actually discussions. That is requested been request but there has not been any actual funding right to that part of the session yet so it we won't know until the RSA comes out if there would actually be funding but the request has been made and then there's also the opportunity to receive request are providing that potentially could go into this fund so there have been made there have been a request made for funding if the funding is not there then obviously we could repeal it in the future. Okay But I agree with you that there have been funds that have been established in the but after twenty years never been fun had died has the ministration been receptive to the idea of funding this fund that might put me a little bit greater ease about doing this I said I'm I'm I'm OK with the intent has been receptive to the discussion yes okay representative McKenzie thank Mr so just wanna make sure I'm asking the right questions in terms of the preconditions of the loan are stated in the legislation later it says that eighty or whatever governing AG ADHD can promulgate rules for the loan itself in here we have Sir to help to import elements cannot exceed over a hundred thousand dollars the repayment must take place to not exceed ten years is there anything in terms of an interest rate for few letters law the Board revolving loan fund we did have was some federal money back during the oh eight oh nine recession and there was not it was it was of no interest loans no interest on that so ME bed but you could establish. Something by rule where there is interest and follow up Mr you're recognized Anything again I I've I've read it I'm trying to make sure I understand what this promulgated what's it's clearly read in the bill anything in terms of a I don't see because fraction that's a that's a serious word and I just listened but in the event of a failure of repayment or that they'll be promulgated something you could promulgate by rule okay thank you that you could you could do it to where the the the funds that they receive from the state could be recouped to pay back the loan if they don't meet the terms of the loan. Representative Hodges it's a good question thank you Mr. A couple quick ones if I can just kind of rattle them off rather first I think representative can see may have said Less than a thousand just wanna make sure it's easier for laws to be over a hundred thousand right. Citizen at least a hundred thousand it's set. Says an amount that exceeds one hundred thousand. There's certain criteria there's one that yeah if there's one in exceeds one hundred thousand okay. So. Am I correct in that. Colleges have. Usually like a bonding limit there anybody you can only borrow certain amount religious count against your bond cap no it would not count you to bond cap because it is is not a bond unlike me into issuing by thirty year bond note so this would be just a loan like a bank loan to a college could be taking on more debt more debt yeah it currently I would probably the you know the right now would you do anything loan or bond you have to do a feasibility through eighty AG presently all institutions do so it would go through that process I don't know that anybody it's been a while since anybody's come close to reaching not feasible for that but I think it's still even this would still go through the bond feasibility process so there would be a check and balance to make sure they're not exceeding what they're what they have the ability to pay yes okay and then lastly I think you might have been the one to tell me this but is there a law or rule or anything eighty ADHD AT from the Purcell years about a requirement that the colleges do have a deferred maintenance that is on new construction yes you are correct your memory is very good yes there for any new construction this would not involve new construction this is only on deferred maintenance for the past a tuition those building new facility that there is a requirement to set aside I believe it's nine percent for deferred maintenance so that's only been policy for. Who is the director twenty ten so two thousand eight so that there are plans for the buildings that were in so if you could by rule say this doesn't apply to anything you know built since then I would say the majority of the buildings were talking about here built way before two thousand eight or hopefully doing better now than we yes yeah we should be that should be. Good good point. What. No other questions anyone like to speak for against the bill. Seeing none represent painter you read closed your bill I'll close with Mister chair and make a motion to pass a motion to pass by representative painter house bill seventeen forty three discussion on the motion. None all those in favor the motion say aye. Pose may Is have it bills passed. The representative wouldn't you've got to on here you ready knock those out. Which one would you like to start with Sir. Twelve oh four members house bill twelve oh four. Thank you. You're identify yourself the record you present your bill. Joe Morton representative fifty nine district fifty nine. You're tired I'm tired my constituents or real tired but anyway this bill has been before you and your vote is it the L. and so I'll listen and we have to amendments have been made to want what it may the first time was concerned about mentally a challenge people that they had exempted them from being tested they have to be tested according to federal law so that's one amendment that was made to the bill the second amendment we made had to do with a capacity of we we we and the bill is that acts as the of private schools had to accept all who come they come up scoring. And the they have to accept all who come and it's my observation from other. Actions in route to our ports the I don't know that we can send a state tax money under the current civil rights legislation the current tax money to private schools and they'd be able to return them so that they can accept but the impact of build for now the last time the Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled similar of kelp freedom okay else is unconstitutional but this state of Kentucky that some of Arkansas but there is constitutional ruling out there but the but the other amendment than the one that that makes it Senate simply states that is but each year by may flirt first the private schools who accept of any tax money will have to report to the department of education their capacity what is the capacity the capacity is based on pupil teacher ratio in other words if they say they can accept the same twenty four twenty five additional of third graders then when they reach that level this they will not bill you under this rule the rule will not be there so fundamentally and then and then the other big part of it and I realize it's a big part but I want you to come I will choose the focus on for just a moment on the fact that with that we don't know what we don't know how many private schools going take advantage of this under the current learns bill they they will test however there tested however their assessment whatever it is. Then that'll be it. But they do not the end then but but it's the entity will have to have twenty nine plans ten plans fifteen I mean testing my bill simply says that they will comply with the state testing that all public school employees or of school students R. partis or tested under they will they will have to be tested Zama state what does that do that does two things one it make sure from a constitutionality standpoint that they're achieving the level that's expected under our constitution. And the second thing it does it will provide the parents with the with the with the comfort with the feeling of knowing exactly how much better all day all or if they are in a private school versus a a perhaps a state school or who just tell them that Hey my student is performing at the level he or she needs to be performing at but the question against the greatest concern I have with the community with the with the ball as presently written is the fact that there you're going to have all times to this at all times Review all types of the sensible of servicemen to help their and and and none of will will be were you can compare apples to apples it'll be oranges to apples oranges to pine that. So. Fundamentally three points. Capacity has been addressed the developmental challenged students have been and then the fact that they cannot turn down anyone who comes up into a capacity levels meant once this meant they will have to comply Mister chairman I'll be happy to answer any questions of over over there. The bill thank representative with any questions on house bill twelve oh four. Representative McKenzie thank you Mr thank you representative wouldn't so the initial issue I raised with this bill the first time it was brought to the committee was and again it was a part of your presentation here and wanting in the pursuit of apples to apples comparison of students in private school first public school your bill answers to the assessment portion of it has anything been amended or changed relevant to the curriculum that that private schools would be required to teach to their students nose okay follow up you're recognized would you agree that again an apples to apples comparison in if this were to become law would also need to require. The administration of a state curriculum for apples to apples to truly take place I thank to ask you a question that would be a possibility but also the state testing is in general it covers several areas of corrosion several layers of activity the main the main purpose here is to be able to of those private schools have the same the other correctional may differ a little bit in the content or in the the way it's presented but it should be the sign. Any other questions from committee. Seeing none I don't believe we have anyone signed up to speak for or against. The representative will be ready close for your bill yes just a minute let me let me make this sorry for quick point two again this is this establishes a minimal intrusive level of fiscal responsibility and accountability to the state of Arkansas and to the taxpayers of this state. About the other think that's very important it provides under Senate bill Kellett bills to measures which is simply the testing and it gives parents a degree of confidence that their children or obtaining a constitutionally mandated grade level standards in the Committee curriculum and there's the there's the ward the key curriculum that should be taught in all institutions whether it's a math English social studies or whatever it should have a standard to it somewhere so Mister chairman of I certainly appreciate the opportunity and I appreciate the opportunity for use or for your for burns of calling back this afternoon and having to listen to me again thank you thank you thank you representative will. President will disclose for house bill twelve oh four what is will committee. I have a motion do pass by representative Vaught any discussion on the motion. Hearing none all those in representative. Well here I am again with the same dilemma at you know happens or the school board you as much shall know you have to have those motions to how we have a discussion I think discussions kind of important. I'm in a quandary I understand your points I think learns is going to address some of those I'm not sure how that's going to do it morals but like I said before I think people deserve a motion have an opportunity to have a vote on it and most the time. Any other discussion from members. None. Motion by representative bought all those in favor say aye. Opposed nay. Nays have it. Representative wouldn't you want to run the house bill fifteen eighty seven if I missed you very well may serve thank you very much at fifteen eighty seven is that concerning the home schools to require the home schools that receive any form of public funds to minister of the annual student assessment and for other purposes this is simply of intent as an accountability measure and again to be sure that they are being assessed and evaluated upon what they are learning now let me assure you from accountability standpoint and this is this is but delicate issue and and and my comments are not meant to demand anyone. But let me share with you my love for your as it relates to this there are two concerns the first one I received a letter from the council one of my schools and of the B. B. school district. And she explained to me that for two weeks. They had salt search for look for the youngsters in the fourth grade they could not find her for over two weeks they couldn't finder. The family locator is your grandmother's home. The next day the mother came in and checked the trial out keep in mind they couldn't funding for two weeks the mother comes and checks for a. Says I will home school and that's all she had to do. My question to you Committee is how much of an education issues like that child got now let me go one step further and like I said. I'm not trying to belittle anybody or criticize or but but I'm just telling you what you were nature is and what those state to present. A single parent. Whether woman or man. As for children. They're making thirty thousand dollars a year. We're gonna give him almost seven thousand dollars a year for children they're gonna make twenty eight thousand we've doubled their income. We have doubled their income but keep in mind they can quit their job because they're in the same situation that they're in. Right now. You you have to remove the. How many how many what type of education do you feel like that those for young people who are deserving of the best they can get. Receive a poet educational standpoint how much what what quality of education do you think they're going to receive the. I can tell you. Schoolmates zero. And your crime rate your teen pregnancy rate. Is gonna floor. Particularly you crime right. Because these kids are going Bill mystery not only at home. Now that's a rare exception I will make it very clear that is not intended to be critical or nasty or mean or hard toward homeschoolers that's the parental controls it's always been for the past many twenty of lord twenty five or thirty years of go the passage of the. But for you all to receive they receive this and yes our copy of it you may have already receive this by email but this is one of the coalition for responsible home education home schoolers. Representative Williams bill or prevent bad faith actors from exploiting Arkansas's home school statute. Under current law parents only have to file notice of their intent to home school of to home school. There are no bookkeeping no requirements no no Sir qualifications no interviews of home schooling. Is a is a failing child no no academic milestone milestone to me. Well that is learned to act is been passed what is to stop someone from withdrawing their trial from school in order to claim a sixty six hundred dollars a payment from the state. Then but more importantly is standing up for the roll out of home schoolers home schooled children to receive an education every child deserves education no matter the choices or backgrounds of their family but in Arkansas as far too easy for armed school or home school children to experience educational neglect. Among no bore you with the rest of the letter but up what I found particularly interesting here is that this lady whose works for this organization gave a personal testimony down into the end and she said my parents submitted all the necessary paperwork to claim they were home schooling the from the time I was in seventh of from the time I was seven in two hours sixteen. I'm so that way because functionality my education stopped at the ninth grade. My parents weren't being malicious they were not adequately prepared to educate a high school student to themselves in the end result is that a good bill still I couldn't go she couldn't enter college to make a long story short she couldn't attend college she couldn't be accepted to college because not of a malicious thing or current part they just reach a level where they could manage good. We will but hello so well bill calls for the students to be able to have the money but the the receiver then the arrears receive it after the student has passed an assessment to. And that's all this bill as for ready for questions represent wooden. We'll start with representive fight you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair my question is it says that received any form of public funds that's pretty broad with this be someone who is on disability or receiving any kind of government funds if the if they receive state tax money. It doesn't say that it well but. And. That's the intent of the legislation. Well no it's not the intent is not intent per federal money or this doesn't cover that this is simply well. I understand intent but I also understand what it says it has any form of public funds which to me could be federal or state if we if we need to make that clear we can make that owns and thank you representative to represent Cozart. Richard Wilson do you realize that they will not be handed money directly they will have they will be basically reimbursed for what the cost is and the cost would have to be provided there will be bookkeeping with that So they can't just get a big chunk of money and use it for anything we want to not use it at all I mean they still have to do something so there is bookkeeping. And there is just they have to prove that they spend it for home school there is not a government program that someone had to figure out how to get around at eight. I'm sorry this is this is for all with fraud built in to there's no doubt representatives to to up to nine on the money. The distance of trial and if they achieved a good level. The parent needs to know what. The school the state news north and the taxpayers who need to know. Representative makes. Thank you Westerman so I definitely appreciate your your passion your representative would and I've got bills I've got them you know them passion for an. so I I share the same concern that representative fight has because it says public funds itself I'm a home school father and I suddenly become unemployed and I'm unemployed unemployed for three weeks I'm getting public funds so now because I've gotten public funds at some point during the year does that mean no my child is going to. No that's the the the the unemployment funding the money has nothing to do with this is tax money is given to a parent for the use of the the home school program right does not address that okay so I if if by some chance this gets through that would have to be amended because as a size right now it sits as public. And I appreciate you making making that is available so my my next question is what if the home schooled child fails the assessment. What happens then they will then they will receive the money. Okay. then one more if you'll allow me with this will be pretty quick where would home school orders get the assessment materials they will then be coordinated by the department of its K. so the department of education we have to set up this whole program in that and and I'm kind of extend my question here. I would have to you know go online and print out this task has to be paid they could the department of education would could be able to where they would be able to charge for the test right to roll and the and the and the time that it takes to be sure this is prohibited I guess my my concern here is all on the assessment. Where is the child going to be taking the assessment as well so I mean if that child is sitting at my dining room table taking that assessment would be a really easy for mom and dad Big Brother or whoever to come in there and help them fill out so you really you really wouldn't know if it was truly just the child that was taking that assessment unless it was that some you know designated location Kalach ACT kind of situation where you actually have to go to the school to take the assessment I don't know if you've thought through those details well that that those thanks to. Thank you very promulgated rulemaking but you're correct right. Represent long. Thank you Mr chairman the representative voting of school if you were aware of that back years ago when of home school students for taking the assessments I believe is that the twenty year that they routinely scored on average higher than the public school students. A representative long I'm a good I'm aware of that and that's exactly the reason that they're not tested today. But the point being they were taking state money we weren't sending money from the public. Coffers of from the taxpayers of this state to into this into a home. Recognized for follow up that. Understanding from learns Act if they take money there's going to be an assessment under the learns acticin are correct then assessment based on whatever assessment they will you weren't gonna be up against same thing that we've got in the a private private schools you're gonna have a of or until there's a budget cuts and other materials that are out there they can give assessments and to assess printer provide assessment we need to we need to be sure that what they're being assess known tested known as a commonality to water the constitutional requirement that we have to be sure that young people of this state or are and receive the quality education. Representative Brooks you're recognized thank you Mr Mr chairman Mr represent would as always thank you for your passion when you greeted and learns it does specify that to take educational freedom account funds from the state and that a home schooled student does have to take a state board approved assessment yes thank you. Representative fight you're recognized in. Thank you Mr chair representative wouldn't with this preclude a child with a disability from the parents receiving money to buy materials or whatever because that child is not going to do well on an issue would be but the the reason other than put them in there is because there's so many federal rules and regulations that apply to state funding and study this and school boards or the stories we have to take exempted them from the assessments and this that part thank you okay thank you representative that. Thank you Mr president I mean. If I'm understanding and could you correct me if I'm not you're saying that okay we'll give the assessment and then here's your seventy seven hundred dollars R. seventy two hundred dollars Kind of the round numbers that they're talking about their so if they had spent a thousand dollars they would you would be bonus did they get senator sixty two hundred dollars for a As opposed to. The the the program already so says you're not gonna get any money from this program you can give us you can we can pay someone to provide you with the materials to educate your child you can pay for that information that that that stuff and then we'll pay you reimburse you back with approve an invoice but the the problem and. Don't you think that doing things your way would actually take a child it's families maybe doesn't have a lot of extra money laying around the house that they would have to go out and buy all that stuff on their owning an educator child four year before they could ever help you get reimbursement so to a certain degree wouldn't you agree that you would be kind of saying okay if you're rich enough you can do this but if you're not. Yes public school and I agree and that's about to pull it. But I think more of a ball Love Bill down more to the point of. It's important that we drug do all we can to protect the child to be sure that child's education. And human nature being what it is I believe that people know that they're going to have they can't just take the twenty eight thousand four four children. And they can take that money I mean they with the way it's set up right now Leding blowing things Bennett for however they want to. But there's no accountability in the to Senate but students it is not getting an education then they they've they've all of Skylanders with twenty eight thousand dollars of this hard work citizens of those states taxpayer money. So what you have to weigh the balance here is is how many will we keep. In the in. From. Run in the streets. Being a crime problem being delinquent. Or how many you know you have to have a you have to try to achieve representative Wooten if we could just stick to answer the question rather than debate okay I thank I'm done I think I see some of the people and ask questions represented Duke. I have a motion the property representative McKenzie. I have a motion depending on her motion property. Seeing a representative makes I'm sorry thank you Mr chairman so based upon the the you know representative Brooks reminder that the learns act already requires home school parents that take the savings account to be tested doesn't that kind of make this superfluous what's that mean that that the house is different. The school year. Your. So so so this is going to fundamentally change the learns Act where they the student has to perform well on a test before the moneys given where's the learns Act provides the the money for at the beginning of the year is. You know the. Spread out. It's also right so you're you're gonna be changing how the for the the large act was laid out okay so that that's the difference so there's so the committee's clear. Your your testing requirements already taken care of what you're going to actually be changing with this is how the money is distributed okay. No other questions represented Duke you're recognized for your motion money to a motion to pass a motion do pass by representative Dick any discussion on the motion. Representative makes I just think based upon that discussion that it's too early to be changing the the learns Act I mean the learns acticin we has not even out of the gate and the representatives already trying to change it the other concern that I that I have on this is that he'd make sure I understand your concern for the kids but. The M. it almost makes a sound like the responsibility for the students is becoming the state's responsibility and ultimately it should be the parent's responsibility I get there's a few bad actors there's always gonna be a few by a few bad actors but I can tell you as a home school parent myself that the majority of home school families are doing a wonderful job by their kids and most of them are very opposed to stuff like this so. No discussion on the motion. C. nine oh sorry representative Brooks just up appointed clarification relative to the learned tact that the money does not go directly to the family it goes to a service provider so the opportunity for a family to take in twenty thousand dollars is not bear with the current law. No other discussion I have a motion by representative Duke on house bill fifteen eighty seven. All those in favor say aye. Opposed nay. Nays have it. Thank you Mr wooden. Representative Brooks when it passed share over you got a couple of bills that we need to try to hear. Okay. It's. Something. President eleven if you would introduce yourself for the record and you're recognized to present your represented Brian Evans House District sixty eight. Share with your permission I would like to call Dr Robbie Pfeffer to the table. Please and. And I believe that there is an amendment that is coming around we're honored to House Bill starting on nine sixteen oh nine his favorite you would please introduce yourself for the record. I have a favor with the department of education. And there's a member coming around to wait just a moment and representatives will be recognized to present your member. Members the amendment that that that's being passed around once we had the bill drafted bill filed we felt like we had everything completely ready to go and then at the last minute actually just in the last couple days you realize that in three different places where the intent was to be sixty days it was listed as thirty days and so The Amendment on page two line thirty four page six line fifteen Page six line eighteen delete so thirty that the reference to a thirty day period and substitute that for a sixty day period and I'll be happy to try to answer any questions on him and. Probing questions on the amendment. The person paying you're recognized what what's the change I mean what what go for thirty days sixty days. What's the difference. Thank you. And so in the bill currently and after thirty days that's the long as you can go without having a licensed teacher in the classroom for two for substitute yes instead of the sixty matches learns. Any other questions. See no questions. I represent eleven are you close for you ma'am I'll close for the amendment make a motion to pass as a motion to pass on the amendments all in favor say aye opposed. Represent eleven year Memon has been adopted you're recognized now the president how you secure thank you committee members present you house bill sixteen oh nine talking about pathways for teacher licensure. We've all heard the growing issue especially if you set three months of adequacy the current issue that we have in our state of teacher shortages one factor among many that we believe are the licensure exams that are significant barrier for first time license seekers why is that. pass rates are relatively low across most content areas of the test. On the for court T. core subject content exams the Department examined and inspiring teachers pass rate only exceeded fifty percent on five of those fourteen exams. Licensure exam pass rates are lower for aspiring black and Hispanic teachers and we know that we currently have a need for both of those and at the delta south Arkansas and Southwest Arkansas. Many aspiring teachers must take the exam all times to achieve a passing score in this brings a financial hardship to not only the aspiring teacher who is just coming out of college and very likely has a lot of college debt to begin with but also to their families the testing is expensive to take off work to go taste it to come take it not tasted take it. and also the amount of funds that the state pours into the preparation for the practice test. Through services that are offered in our co ops many states are grappling with the same teacher pipeline challenges that Arkansas faces as a result several states are exploring changes to licensure requirements that could help increase the supply teachers without negatively impacting classroom effectiveness. Arkansas excuse me Arkansas is ready and primed to take the lead on this. This bill allows the department to develop licensure pathways that allow teacher candidates to demonstrate their content knowledge and or their pedagogical skills through performance based measures in lieu of a data point of an exam. This can include portfolios course work in student academic growth data. The members I was really looking forward to having a particular witness be here today to speak and share her story skews me. Her name is Brooklyn bridges. She is a former student in my district. Using something on my throat. I and. She was diagnosed at an early age with dyslexia. Because she had a very strong supporting family. And a very strong supporting cast of teachers in our district they were able to help her through those years in Brooklyn graduated from our district as an honor student. However because of the challenges that came along with her dyslexia. Brooklyn really struggled to pass the ACT test to have an attainable score to receive thank you represented by just to attain college scholarships and meet the threshold for college acceptance and so with a lot of work with a lot of people. Arkansas state made the decision to provide a waiver and give Brooklyn an opportunity. to go to college. Not only did she graduate from Arkansas state university but she attained her dream of coming out of college and having a pathway to being an elementary school teacher. she was hired by district to come in and teach elementary education I believe she's a second grade teacher. Anticipate what have it. As she began her first year of teaching. Without a license because she had to go through a nontraditional pathway she was the she had that by that she was given a year to pass her practice test this state would have it when she began her year of teaching the students twenty six students in our classroom she realized. Six of those students were dyslexic. No one else ever discovered that parents didn't know what. That was not discovered an early age but she knew that those students she has done some amazing work with those dyslexia students in her classroom. Because she gets it she's lifted. And what I believe is that there is no score that she could have passed on a practice test that would have made her more effective in that classroom or would have shown us with a data point that she was going to be a good teacher not. As. Through a lot of work the doctor Feffer and her team is done at the department. on this issue we had a conversation just a few weeks ago as we were trying to finalize the language in this bill with secretary leave a. Secretary secretarial leave a as as we were sharing the story of our. Lit up. His face just beamed and his eyes got wide and he looked at me and he said. This is the type of teacher that we need in our classrooms and a standardized tests were never shown us that. And so I believe that there are pathways that we can create the the department's input. That can provide us with an opportunity for teachers to get their licensure without just a one day data point of passing a standardized tests that being the practice test and I'll be happy to turn over Dr Pfeffer for additional input. Thank you representative and and members of the committee and I think one thing that I would add is that and this is not a bill that would lower standards for quality in our classrooms that is not what we're seeking to do here what we're seeking to do though is to provide that additional way for a teacher to show their and content knowledge or their ability to and teach the content and a representative eleven listed several ways. Something else that and is is a factor and we have that we are getting close to and fifty percent of our teachers going through some type of non traditional or alternative certification route and so what that means is that and a great number of teachers are not going through a pathway like I did when I went through and I was taking courses in college that we're very much aligned to the to the type of test items that I was getting counter so many teachers are now coming to as in those classrooms while they're completing their preparation and therefore that contributes also to the barrier of them being able to successfully pass the test right away and so we would like to look at all those measures that would enable them over time to either show it through the performance and and if students and through other types of means and that that's what we would and be outlining in rules and then bringing back to the Legislative Council to to review again so I think those were the additional points. Yeah and and also just to add to this this does not eliminate the practice test this just provides additional pathway so if the teeth if if the teacher prep inspiring teacher comes out of higher ed and they're prepared and they're ready and they want to take the the practice to get their license they certainly still can't this does not prohibit that this doesn't eliminate it it just this allows the department to set up programs and pathways to promulgate rules to provide an alternate measure and I would have to say also that as is through the learns Act we are investing a tremendous amount of money into trying to promote our teacher prep academies providing additional scholarships to get teachers in the pipeline providing additional opportunities for teachers to retire student loans providing additional scholarships for teachers to me this just correlates right along with that because I would hate to see us invest a whole lot of money and a whole lot of effort into getting more teachers in the pipeline and then once we get them trained and ready to go out into the workforce it they ate there be some type of barrier just because of a standardized test and I was very thankful that when we started the discussions on this how many different institutions of higher ed in our state that have these a teacher prep programs came on board in this and want to be involved in drafting the language because they're seeing the pants and their teacher prep programs of students that are reluctant to be to begin the teacher prep because the fear of not being able to pass test. And we have to take any questions. Represent make sure recognized for a question good luck chairman go down there and get off Scot free right it's from so and I just make sure I get understanding of this I think I really love with this bill's going the giving of the department more flexibility so is this going to be geared primarily to the college age student that is looking maybe to get into a career or is this going to be Gates to you know you're a fifty five year old chemist who is retired and would like to start a second career and you know to be a high school chemistry teacher and allow them to do that without having to go back and take a bunch of education courses that all the above I think that's an absolute wonderful questions represent makes appreciate you asking that that's your member back just just Tuesday we passed a bill out of here for representive Lundstrum to provide opportunities for those their con have content based knowledge they're out in the work force to go in and and and helpful some of these current tech programs and I think very well there could be people that are just ready to get out of that work force but yet still have a love for kids and this could provide a way for them to get their licensure to teach as well excellent and then the the the follow up that's okay yes Sir I'm on the performance side of this would be the principal it's doing the performance evaluation or review kind of thought through how that would work. We we know we've had discussions with the department on that I think they're still trying to determine I can tell you from my discussions with with Brooklyn back in my district a she said in my office one day she said. I beg my my administrator common observe me tell me where I'm lacking give me the resources and the and the support to get where I need to be and I'll do it and so I think there is a a real desire out there to have those building administrators and they're observing and and helping get them to be the very best that they can be awesome thank you thank you John. Person Walker Jeff question yes. one of the biggest complaints I get from my constituents is that there's no good pathway for people with associate degrees seeking to enter the teaching program and get a bachelor's degree in the process I know some kind of them in a master's program some won't transfer the hours any chance this bill will address that and make it easier for the ones associate with associates degree trying to get into teaching but with the vice I think that that is certainly an opportunity that the department could address through through the rules process and when the program was set up I think that's a great idea to help get additional people in writing right thank you. Absolutely and and to add to that there and there are programs that require passing of some of that has to in order to get you into that impropriety round so if that's the case then yes that would be a very or for someone early on and it but we definitely do want to look at and making sure those that have associates degrees can get into and whether it's or whether teaching academies or through an alternative certification route but yes this would make sure that that doesn't have to be a barrier ride at the very beginning. Other additional questions by the committee. Is anyone signed up to speak for or against. Seeing none represent eleven you're recognized close your bill I'm close from a bill make a motion to pass sevens has made a motion do pass on house bill sixteen oh nine. As amended. Is there any discussion on the motion. C. notification all in favor say aye opposed. Actually syndromes eleven your bill is passed you're now recognized to present house bill sixteen eighty eighteen eighty eight one you've all been waiting for. So members is we set through months of of adequacy hearings. And listen to all the feedback all the survey information all the discussions all the data happy today to bring you the house bill sixteen eighty eight which is the public school funding announcmenet bill also known as the foundation funding matrix I will go through some of the highlights just of the bill just to make sure that you're good clarification on that and then also have a couple comments to make from the matrix just for some clarity that's not listed in the bill so first off the first for the bill under section one you'll notice there any underline section it talks about employees health insurance programs so back during the fiscal session there was a number of meetings that was held regarding EBD we work continually year after year approached in the General Assembly by EBD that there was shortfalls within the funding in the solvency of our state funds that back up those insurance programs and they were continually coming to us and asking for we need fifty million to balance out when you sixty million to balance out and so we put a lot of work and time brought consultancy and to really look at these plans and see where we were at that point if that kind of data point in time there was since there was a suggestion that we would need to increase for the twenty four for FY twenty four in FY twenty five that we would need to increase that amount of three hundred dollars parading M. four two for the money to flow back through with a pass through back to the schools for the announcmenet that the district will be responsible for for each person that was on the state teacher health insurance plan. And I know that when the recommendation came out from this committee in October that was the number that was listed under the teacher health insurance line the principal health insurance line and secretary health insurance line was to move that number thirty six sixty seven and that was part of the recommendation and so what that did was that drives up that per pupil funding amount that would be the bottom line on the matrix that we would be funding since that time and just most recently because as the bill regarding this back during the fiscal session stated that that it anytime the General Assembly through through joint education would review that and if that increase was not necessary then we would not have to make that increase and what that would do is then lower that amount that would have to be added into the matrix to pass back through to the districts for their contributions the the consultants suggested to us and what we adopted through legislation was that those funds would stay at a fourteen to sixteen percent solvency of amount to make sure that the funds were whole. So just in recent in the last couple of weeks conversations that we had and the reason that the amount in the matrix is not reflect that three hundred dollars is because currently our fund balances are running in the eighteen to twenty percent Solvency level so the need to increase that for the next two years based upon what the consultants have told us currently is not needed today and so that value is not in there if you turn over to page. Page two. Section two is where we get into the per pupil recommendation and you will see that we're recommending for the FY twenty four seven thousand six hundred eighteen dollars per student for twenty four twenty five seven thousand seven hundred seventy one dollars per student. If you go to section three it addresses the A. L. E. funding. And on the A. L. E. funding. for twenty three twenty four that shall be four thousand nine hundred and eighty seven dollars and for twenty four twenty five the amount will be five thousand and sixty eight dollars. We're also This section for it addresses in English language learners for a three twenty four twenty three twenty four that's three hundred sixty six dollars. And for twenty four twenty five that remains at three sixty six. if you look in the section five that's where we address ESA enhance student achievement funding for twenty three twenty four that is remaining flat at one thousand six hundred and thirteen and for twenty four twenty five one thousand six hundred thirteen maybe you know you may want to ask why is there not an increase there that is because the the. What we looked at the heir to the Senate and the house through our combined recommendations was the amount of money that's being that's going to be going to the schools through the learns Act for literacy and numeracy the high impact tutoring in the touring grants in the summer that's where the district will be receiving additional funding for ESA. And. The N. N.. Then the other question that has come up. Most regularly in the fund to other two additional things technology continues to remain flat the we have been told by the by the districts that they're not the two hundred fifty dollars for ATM that the using for technology per student reporter she coming back to BLR that that is not being used up each year and so that is flat we had already increase the enhanced transportation fund through build representative Cozart ran earlier in the session we did increase the transportation funding line and then we also based upon the recommendations wanted include additional funds for classified staff and so we're putting forty four dollars eighty M. and FY twenty four in FY twenty five it's an airline is called new salary enhancement other employees and that's for the classified staff one additional thing that I'll mention that we've included in here was something that in my discussions with with all the group is we are working on these numbers was I felt that as as we went back to our districts and talk to our constituents about learns Act that it was important to try to use differentiate and not let the fifty thousand dollar bass in the two thousand dollar raise not let that muddy the water on adequacy and I continue to push that those are two separate things when it came to teacher salaries and that I felt like it was necessary to make sure that there was a Cola in FY twenty four in FY twenty five and so the Colo on teacher base salary and Secretary base salary for FY twenty four is one point eight percent and on FY twenty five a two point one six percent overall this equates to a two point eight percent increase in the matrix. for funding that's the second largest increase that I've seen over the last ten years that I've kind of been following this stuff and I will be happy to try to answer any questions. Represent major crescent recognized for a question. Thank you Mr roster so um this is with the the matrix being applied to the law so that the question that I have it and I have I have to okay so the the first one is fit is course back in the fall when the house made our recommendations for for the matrix the the Senate didn't see eye to eye with us on some things and so has there been agreement with the Senate on these numbers or are these just strictly the House numbers account can can you Sir I appreciate yes that represented me so yes. If you went back to the fall high believe memory serves have seen a lot of members and a lot of these spreadsheets last few months the recommendations paid for FY twenty four for the House was eighty one twenty nine I believe for the Senate was eighty one fifty that was the recommendations that we made a part of that in I can't speak specifically for the Senate I don't have that in front of me but for the House was that we were putting a four thousand dollar raise retroactively into FY twenty three which would carry over into FY twenty four plus with the race that we were given for twenty four so that did drive that number up considerably by adding that four thousand dollars in compounded twice over the biennium but with but with the salary increases coming through learns that was that within be taken out to specific specifically answer that question yes we had sit down session Senator English and I met with the budget chairs with the Department with B. L. are and we looked at both the Senate and the house recommendations and and actually what we did we went line item by line item of each recommendation and tried to figure out how we can balance that out and and create one combined and that's what this is is one combined of the Senate and the house together okay great so what what I didn't want what happened was we Passover's we sent it down there they say no we don't like it and we're here another week for and session trying to solve it so so this is the agreed amount does occur awesome great to hear that so that that the other question I had is during the the learns discussion the one of the things that came up in the concern was of the the federal employees about that pay differential I know and speak on my superintendent he seem to indicate that making that change wasn't just as easy as going asking the federal government Hey can you send us more money. was there any discussion on trying to resolve that issue or is that still on going you know I believe that still ongoing I mean that was that discussion did happen secretary leave as he is has repeatedly stated that anyone that is currently funded through federal dollars or some type of federal grant to get that increase there would have to be a new application put in for that but the department was supportive and provide any information that was necessary to be able to help get that increase okay that won't affect anything with the the matrix what's the answer it does not all right thank you thank you for all your efforts on this yes. Represent McKenzie a leave you had a question no a representative characterized. Thank you Mr chair. Okay can you go back and talk a little bit about the insurance match because I've had some questions about that from my district and or from a couple of different districts but sure can you explain a little bit more I I can I can but if it's okay Mister I'd I'd like to bring Greg Rogers from the Department Greg has been involved in these discussions and he can get a little bit more fine tuned into the dollar amounts and and how that will flow through the department over the next couple of years. Mister Rogers if you would please recognize introduce yourself record. Rogers former education. You're recognized. Receive a. so when represent eleven was just talking about the matrix and the insurance in the match and again coming college football game since I'm a freshman can you explain or what art did something happen it's gonna make it better for the school districts with the insurance match is it the same that they handed dissipated before this matrix came out for whatever decisions are made in the fall I just need some clarity on that I wasn't exactly sure. So part of it is that the foundation funding is over a fiscal year and insurance is paid over calendar year and so last fall in or a year ago when we first for having shortfalls within the EBT Fund we had to increase how much was going into the even the fund and at that time it was made that the minimum contribution to school districts to Scottish without pay per participant was three hundred dollars and so districts have been paying that three hundred dollars now with the fund balance the reserves that ET has there have more funding than they need right now so they have to figure out how to stay within that sixteen or. The fourteen six of fourteen sixteen range and will this right here will lower the minimum contribution that districts have to pay to the two hundred thirty five dollars so when this becomes when if this bill goes through because act will put out a notification to the governor's letter to the commissioners note that says that the minimum contribution that districts required players to thirty five. Other national questions by the committee. Representative. Sorry thank you just give a little time to get there no you're good I took me a second to push the button I thought it might be some of the questions is so you know what there's been lots of questions out there so I I feel like I need to ask them for people because they had they want to know and so there's there's some districts thirty Isher so that are concerned. about they did not receive as much foundation funding before and their concerns with the impact on learns to the average. Salary think regnant I think you know we're going that they are not able to do some of the increases are there steps and things that they weren't before so they've you know they were like we need we need more money than I think the order I guess we need to be included the hundred eighty five dollars and sorry that I don't have a great grasp on how to explain this but I think you guys probably know I understand Johnson as I can I can tell you that representative Mayberry is very patiently waiting she has a bill to address that. Give a follow up. Yeah I mean do you all I mean is there is there concern there I guess. Is that a problem that is a problem or is it not a problem for the school district I guess from your all's perspective you're been dealing with the money and we're gonna send back to them want and so forth is that a problem. Sep sun NO. We had we don't see it as a problem because part of what lands did was give the state portion that was needed to get teachers up to fifty thousand dollars or at least the two thousand dollar raise it also allows districts to flexibility make their own salary schedules so if they. Want to keep us to do the difference our schedule they have the ability to do that or they can make one however fits their individual district so that is how that's part is going and then also with the foundation funding the call of being in being included in that that will help because ours as well. I know that. Welcome back to if we need to represent back you're recognized. Thank you thank you Mr so. In this I may begin to from far off topic here but as far as a major concern but there was you know that the requirement for the eighty percent money to go to the salaries and all that has that created any issues that you guys are aware of in the schools like we have schools are way out of balance in one night it's trying to make that is going to create shortages other where other places. No what we've been when we've gone out and talk to the colossal for taking that eighty percent of the required expenditure forward salaries is the major line item when I looked at the two twenty two fiscal year because I had a four year extensions on that that would have been spent in eighty percent of the five thousand four dollars that was in that it ever district that we had quality would have met that eighty percent on underneath the twenty two year then to help districts going forward I've looked at what the eighty percent would be now for the required spending of the fifty just went blank the fifty four I think in the salaries line item right now on the matrix and. Based off their budget so all the districts would still qualify for the divisional funding for the lands but I've added we're adding a spreadsheet on to our at scanned website that tracks budgets and has a budget and also tracks expenditures so as we finish out this fiscal year districts are exactly where they are and spending that eighty percent to make sure that they are qualifying for at the end of four twenty three thank you. Represent Vaught thank you Mr side and I've spoken several times and had several supers talk to me about you brought it up that they used. We'll be able to continue their. Steps but in reality are we send it back enough money for them to be able to actually do their steps because I'm being told the two hundred five dollars that were sent it back will not actually help them continue on with their steps even though I think we said and learns they shall do it. So. In lands is says that each teacher shall have a salary schedule what that salary schedule depends on them and that's that's what we and so what we fund it is the the fifty thousand or that leaves the two thousand and with the call it can help them establish whatever kind of step they want so there's not a lot of lines as it say they have to hate continue those steps they just need to have a salary schedule how it looks with bits that best fits their district right now okay thank you. Representative voted by if I cannot add not sure where that number that you the two hundred five dollars because when I look at the teacher base salary in the matrix for FY twenty three it was fifty seven two oh eight and for FY twenty forts fifty eight to sixty one I mean that's a thousand and fifty three dollars thank I'm speaking of that and you're recognized thank you Sir you're talking at the eight you're talking on the foundation liquor it okay on the seven four thirteen to seventy six a yes Sir that's the that's the money and talk about thank you. Representative your backup. Thank you Mister chair so to act is kinda to in line with what represent Vaught was saying I'm hearing from districts across the state and I kind of was concerned about this a long time ago was that although the Freedom of doing the salary scale which is fantastic I mean that that sounds wonderful but the reality of being able to can you sit in your salary salary schedule from what was seen on the school district's sides is this compressing on they're not able to do that they're not able to can you the steps they created they're just created a new one so is there any solution that you all would be aware of that would allow them to at least through what we're doing with these plans here to help them continue to keep some of those steps because they're struggling and so maybe they need some help I don't know it's gonna be a little more money or if we need to try to help them manage it a different way but there certainly has struggling being able to keep those steps going do you have any. Is resolutions in this this piece here. So when we've been going out and speaking to the echo of the districts at the different because that is what we're talking about as and and asking for input from other soup tenants are looking at how are they looking at differently how are they addressing it and we're hoping that that is the subject themselves to understand that information of each other and what's working your district how are you doing it and we've had some conversation where some districts have already already had some ideas on how they're doing that and they are saying that with each other. Representative painter you're recognized. Thank you Mr vice chair and it is and and sorry if I'm going to repeat a question trying to follow the the rabbit hole here so. What. What caused I guess you know it's a five six hundred dollar difference between what was recommended to what's being presented what. Thanks to be to there are three factors involved with that one was again as I stated in the recommendation of the House made in October we were putting a four thousand dollar raise in FY twenty three which would compound on of the salary schedule verify twenty four so that there's there's a big chunk there secondly was the increase in the teacher health the the teacher insurance line which I believe was about thirty million on an increase and then the third thing was in was the increase that was and for ESA which goes to the bottom for eighty online as well that is now flat due to the money coming in for the tutoring in the literacy and numeracy of learns those are the three things that drove it up the highest well no actually there was a as no there was also and additional one if the that was added up in the top part of the foundation matrix is not there. Thank you. Represent five you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair being asked this but one of my superintendents and forgive me I I had to step out for a little while so you you may have said this is there a specific amount districts need to increase classified employees salaries with the increase in foundation funding or is it up to each district to decide based on what money is available and then specifically he asked to do a two dollar an hour for all my classified employees it will take a hundred ninety eight dollars eighty eight cents per student I don't know if others are in that same situation that is there an expectation for us to do two dollars an hour with only a two hundred and five dollars student increase. So no there's not a set for the classified staff and the increase in the foundation funding allows the district because to pay what is the market way for the class that classified staff right now there's not a requirement for a two dollar an hour raise but there has been an increase in that line item in the foundation funding for districts to help pay their classified staff. Thank you. Represent Cozart you're recognized. On the same subject is that not full time staff not part time staff that is correct that's what I saw thank you. The additional questions of committee. I no additional questions anyone signed up to speak for or against the bill. C. not represent eleven would you like to close for your bill. The rich chair I am close for the bill and make a motion to pass. Per sevens has close for his bill with a motion do pass is there any discussion on the motion by the committee. President Paul you're recognized thank you Mr chair. I feel like I don't have a choice but to vote for this because the schools need funding but I do not feel like this is what our schools were expecting I think we put out an adequacy report in the fall that showed a much. Different adequacy funding them what we're actually presenting here tonight I know that we've we're doing a lot of changes in public education and I know it's going to take money for them to do those changes so I worry that we're going to really strapped some of our schools by not sending back what I would consider to be an adequate funding what are committee found to be an adequate funding after all of the process that we went through and all the stating that we did over adequacy so I'm I'm kind of disappointed in the fact that I don't feel like we're really doing what we had. I thought we should do when we turned in our adequacy report from the in the fall so. I understand I've been told that if you know if we don't pass it out then they just go back to their funding that they had last year and I know that's not a good idea either but. I am kind of worried about what we're doing here and I just wanted that to be on record. Angel discussion on the motion by the Committee represent painter you're recognized. Me in a new here I just wanna go this same comments that represent Vaught did lot of feedback from my district still concerns about you know what with this two hundred five dollar increase tonight and I get why but I just thank. I just think a lot of people had a number off the the stuff that we mention of the adequacy they got those numbers stuck in their head and then we presented this it's completely different and so I think that for my area the Senate shockwave throughout my district so I will vote yes because I don't believe in in denying a district you know go back to the old funding but I vote yes with a very heavy reservations. Person McKenzie recognized. There was pressure I just want to take a moment to commend chairman Evans in the eighty staff to say. What they've gone through over the last several months. With full learns and then with taking a let's just say less than harmonious adequacy coming out of the interim before we're all sworn in is like fifteen and I on the they're stating that came on the IV needle I appreciate all the work that you've gone into I also appreciate the additional clarity as to why the adequacy study. It was inflated out of the initial recommendation coming out of our committees and that this number I want to remind everyone of this committee is an increase its much needed for our districts back home so I appreciate the work you've done I look forward voting yes. Represent Cozart. Well. I agree with your sentiments about the money but as as I know. I was here last year and I worked. And then with the representatives and others on that adequacy funding and we did have a pretty good adequately funding but that was all based on something totally different than when the large bill came out of the four thousand dollar raise that we had in there with a lot of money into that line item that made it that eighty one and so when we had to pull that back out that made a big difference and there were some of the things that learns affected on that so knowing that it was going to change things. And it was really kind of a shocker to see why much it did change things but to give you kudos of representative eleven we I really thought when we first got there it would be a lot lower because of the money we pulled out and the he worked hard with the the Senate side and the the FNA and everybody to get as much as we could and he's got as far as he could go this year and will try to make it better the next of adequacy by annual thank you. Representative. Thank you Mr chair and I'll I'll echo that I mean I've got to committees obviously we all the but I think we've got we've been blessed with a great chair and vice chair and have been very patient with this freshman and I appreciate that I do appreciate I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work you guys have put on this listener thinking about The money issue in the concerns of that I think we all have in our districts have but I also know one of the concerns their districts have is instability they've had it for awhile and not knowing how to plan for their contracts and how to plan for their staff. So I was trying to think what do I do one is do I vote yes or do I don't know and I don't it who knows what I'll do but but what I do I hope that if we leave and the school boards are sitting back there and they're dealing with this the reality in the day to day that we will be committed as a legislature that if there's a problem and I add I think that is the case that we will come back and we will fix it for them because. Sometimes you feel like when you're back there in those schools that session happens and then everyone goes home and there's they're sitting there dealing with the day to day and they need to know that we are committed if we need to fix something that we will come back and we will fix it. Thank you. Represent back you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair of that. I just wanna heckle a lot of things that were said it I understand the matrix and understanding adequate things adequacy thing that we constantly go through and and you know other possibly some maybe I won't even call leaps of faith that maybe they're just small steps of faith in this there's been a lot of things change there's been a lot of improvements this is a large increase is far as funding it shows a commitment of of this committee and and and I will not just committee but but also the Senate Committee and getting this thing I think it's a very good package I really think it's a great package for us to start from as it could be actually perfect perfect I doubt it because and are not many things that are that are part by think it's a good starting point I think we can start from here and and for that reason I will be voting for this. Thank you for all your. Any additional discussion by the committee. See none there's a motion do pass all in favor say aye. Oppose graduations represent eleven your bills passed thank you committee thank you for each of your efforts in this over the last several months NO this is and I would love to brought this to you a month ago but it it took a considerable amount of additional hours that we put in in in meeting with everyone involved to get us where we are tonight and I'm I appreciate a good vote and and now we can move forward. Look at all the faces deciding who who's gonna get called up next. A motion to adjourn. Let's go representative may be I know I'm a do you next by No representative Graham looks is short and easy and let's get let's knock that one out. Yes your knees a representative shortly the representative Graham was fourteen ninety five. R. Smith is just a little bill doesn't do anything that's it. Representative amateur if you identify yourself for the record and with your with despair than you received your bill my name is that Graham like state representative district fifty. Lar while Spokane county election coordinator. so this bill was brought to me from the county clerks essentially they are trying to change the date the last final date that a. Millage can be can be filed the language is agreed on by the school board association and the ATA Anything that. Basically this is the current process that we're using the the law currently says sixty days but we have to have it parties sixty days by sixty days out from election we are to have our ballots proved and ready to go so this is basically just making the what state what's already really happening. The representative makes question. Awful questions I just curious though the way the bill so we're going from sixty days to seventy two days except in years when the president of the United States appears on the ballot now we're gonna go out looks like another twelve days from doing my math right now not to seventeen days issue yeah exactly so we're going out almost another three weeks or so on a presidential election year water we why not just seventy two across the board what do we need that additional three weeks on a presidential. Any idea. just lining up more with. Other for deadlines that occur in in those years when you have the presidential election the primaries moved up to March there's just extended. That that period between Filing invalid drawing all those things we have to do is extended and so that reflects on the okay. The additional questions from committee. I thank represent a painter you have a question. Further represent the kids if that's represent mackenzie recognized her motion appropriate. DO we noted. I see no other questions by the committee anyone here to speak for against the bill. Seeing none representative Graham what you're recognized close for your bill I'm because my bill. You should get a vote. I have represent McKenzie you're recognized for your motion motion to pass plays a motion to pass by representative McKenzie in discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor of the motion say aye opposed nay Is have it bills passed thank you Committee thank you chair. I don't see. Hodges I am forgot about yearly. The body of our represent Mayberry you ready run that house bill sixteen sixty eight. If you identify yourself for the record and with your guest you may. Senator Bill. State Rep Julie Mayberry District ninety two. Larry Smith assistant superintendent for human resources to support services from in school district. And I have to tell you this is actually I think the shortest bill I've ever had so it is a tiny little bills. I had a little discussion of it in the the previous conversation I'm gonna let Larry do most of the compact most of the explanation of it but I do want to say that this kind of started last session in twenty twenty one we passed a bill for teacher salary equalisation we had some school districts that did not benefit from the extra funding that was available for teacher salary increases and that's what causes the problem now so I'm going to let Mr Smith share the information he can explain it a whole lot more than I can well I've learned a couple things today one don't talk about the subjects we don't do that don't follow representive eleven after he just got through with the adequacy report because I want to ask you to change one lives in right off the bat and I know you don't like to do that but I do want to talk to you a little bit about the seller equalization funding and I'd like to start by thanking I represent Mayberry and Cozart harken Johnson and Warren and senator Hammer in Cork along with others who expressed their support for this bill what it does House Bill sixteen sixty eight amends the average teacher salary required to receive teachers our equalization funding from the current average of fifty one thousand one hundred eighty two dollars and twenty twenty one to sixty one thousand one eighty two beginning in the twenty three twenty four school year as you mentioned in representative Cozart can probably speak this much better than I can because it was bill originally to do this there are some districts are struggling what we're trying to get salary up to thirty six and even above that and so but look at the southern regional education board I think average salary added two thousand dollars to and said this is a number that we want to shoot for and so those districts it wanted that were eligible immediately for the hundred ninety five dollars per child to try to raise their salaries that had to go to salary. His benefits for teachers it could not be used for the maintenance operation could be used by the lectern bill any of those kinds of things that go to your salaries for that so I currently two hundred ten out of two hundred thirty four the public school district in our state and twenty of twenty one charter school qualify for the hundred eighty five dollars for IBM to help them increase their teacher salaries and if you look at those districts what you will find is the big difference is how efficiently those districts run that do not receive it I am actually typically in areas where a lot of competition for teachers my colleague John cook is that no they're like side he not complete for teachers all the time and so we have to fight with salaries all the time I try to make sure that I can still has more make you still mine to get the best there we have to compete in our district even with northwest Arkansas a lot of times we had several teachers in the last couple years have gone to the fable Rogers Bentonville area because they can receive higher salaries so we have to run extremely efficiently in our districts and we have to put that extra funding towards teacher salaries if you look at ours right now and compare that the figure was used on the eighty percent that was used for the learns Act in the funding for that what you find is been school district is ninety nine point one five percent of our teacher salaries are our money we receive our foundation funding for teacher salaries go to teacher salaries and benefits we have to run that way in order to be able to do that and partly because of our size were able to do that probably a little easier than in some districts can I would also would tell you that that number is is relative to five hundred the closer you are to five hundred or a thousand fifteen hundred or two thousand whatever the easier it is to be more efficient our district at the time of these numbers around the last time was it fifty four fifteen so we were almost on one of those numbers that ended in five hundred so we can be very efficient at that point in time as you get away from those numbers in a row. What. Crazy things start to happen with class sizes and stuff like that that that cause you not to be as efficient it perhaps you would be otherwise So I mean that there's been some effort to work on salaries by those districts to do that and there's some unintended consequences from learns Act as well with the salaries and and I would love for you all to write down all those questions you asked awhile ago and ask again because I would like to enter some of on behalf of the bin school district in what is done with us has someone to look at our salary schedules and what's going to have to happen with that and what we're going to try to do to address I even without the Asian funding increases and how much that is going to take for us to even be able to keep any semblance of our current salary schedule now I want to relate one quick story for you one of the co sponsors I won't mention Senator Hammer by night when I read it is what is on our school board our school board she is a retired teacher she was a PPC member for several years and we went to our board when learns Act first came out and we realize what the funding from that was going to be and I went to her and I said I want to take a look at this not put down the salary schedule that funded just want to learn that funded. So everyone who was at forty eight thousand or above got exactly two thousand dollars everyone who was below fifty got whatever took you down to fifty and I show them the amount in those squares on that salary schedule how much of an increase that was and so what you saw was we had teachers or get eighty three fifty and we had a whole bunch of teachers around at two thousand I said what's going to happen to me when I walk into a meeting with our teachers and I have the salary schedule to them she looked at me very seriously and although he said like I can't say this is not politically correct they're going to shoot you is what's going to happen when you walking over that salary schedule. and we're getting funded one point three million dollars we're gonna put that in the salary schedule to pay that but we're going to have to compress steps one through right down. Almost ninety percent of what they were before they can go from eight twenty five to one thirty five four years experience. For the first eight steps on our salary schedule that's what's going to have to happen and here's what that's going to cost us two point two million dollars. To make that happen. If I took it all the way up and just brought everything down so we're going to get to fifty we're gonna start there and keep our steps as they are four point six million dollars will be funded at one point three. That's what it would take to keep those steps as they work. And I will tell you and I appreciate all the work the representative Evans did and and represent because our because I worked really really hard. on trying to come up with this but we had a very good plan going into the adequacy hearings in the fall about what we were going to their salary schedule we were raised up to forty eight as beginning salary schedule and we have legal steps as they wire and all of our digital got a very healthy right he's out of it and we would not have fitted those pictures in your one through right you're gonna get large amounts purchase those are gonna get small amounts. and and so that. That's what it's done from a practical standpoint. And I know that the numbers I understand all that but I also understand the teachers. Have given life to be at school and work. I feel like if they've been selected vice the real good. So just want to throw that out there not be glad to answer any of those other questions I will go to a and what you understand we're not asking in our district for special treatment we just want the same hundred eighty five dollars that those other districts are getting and I will tell you very honestly this delete five districts and don't receive it will stop districts all have assessments in their district of over two billion dollars. The school district has five hundred million is our system so that four five times as much property value in their districts as we have. And again I will tell you if you look at all these districts that it impacts because people like Charleston. You have to compete with Greenwood in Fort Smith and little bit Charleston I believe has eight hundred to nine hundred kids. But they put a lot of money to salaries because I had to because they did that they're not going qualify for. Ninety five dollars to help them raise their salary of. It's gonna be tough for them Farmington is in the same exact situation grab it is in the exact same situation they work hard to get salaries because those who have to compete with fable Bentonville Rogers Springdale features so I have to put the salaries of their so it makes it very very difficult and again it's not that we want special treatment we would just like to be able to Have access to that funding to do it and understand if we receive all of this go to your salaries we've already heard what's gonna go can I just tell you what the difference between those two things are. My superintendents committed to making that happen. If we have to use all the increase assessment that we have. For it if we have to use however much of the new foundation funding money that we have to have but I understand our gas bills go up to we still have some in our district I'm not sure but shall not say anything bad about someone don't get me wrong but my guess built homes gone up a lot and I can tell you that yes built one of our campuses that the month before was twelve hundred dollars went to nineteen thousand dollars. In a month. That's what we're dealing with their that's going to come out at foundation funding because as much as we like to talk about teacher salaries and how it's been under spent overtime we don't spend much time talking about foundation funding and how that's been over by district because we have to from what the funding we receive free and doesn't I took pictures all the time our staff is all the time at the end of the day as much as we will talk about different pots of money. There's one part of money and we have to spread it around we have to do all that sort of stuff and I appreciate the federal funding stuff it's not a simple sending an application in you're gonna get more federal funding. It's based on a formula and you're gonna get what I tell you're going to get you don't get to ask for more I just send it to you it doesn't work that way I've been doing this for. I tell my agent I've been doing this for thirty four years thirty of those administrator I've been involved in federal programs all of those thirty years and it doesn't work that way you don't just get more funding so please keep that in mind the arms act and. It's great but there's a lot of funding that it did not cover we have districts like John Smith could could we narrow this down to the bill and I will be third okay yes we've got folks like John Breaux who run preschool programs that feature on that salary schedule large money does not pay for those races that's on the district but it might increase so those things are there that are constricting those districts and their ability to do findings to help us our schedule and it is going to be extremely difficult without some help trying to do that so I want to try to get in some stories about some of those districts and what's there it is a very short bill it changes one number from five to six and changes a couple year dates on that it has prostate to understand it to its eighteen point two million dollars. To make it work. And I don't like from the outside of my tricks either a representative back I think it's a terrible idea but I understand why it was done when it was not but it's created an issue right now that we got to try to address at some point I'm always going to be really and so I'd be glad to answer any questions anybody has for that I nobody wants to go home so. Represented by I believe you read a question. I was going to ask the chair I I see my superintendent here from Van Buren and they're on the list could could he come to the table and very briefly tell the situation that happened and then beer and when we get past with questions for for thank you yes ma'am representative makes. Thank you Mr so one of my school district is on the on the list here as well but I try to be real cautious and not be one of those representatives and I don't think anybody here all to the table is but I wanna be the kind of representatives that I'm not here to get all I can for my district regardless of what it does for everybody else so I want it on the table and kinda like was mentioned the up I've never been a real big fan of of this statute but it is what it is and so what that's what's before us so the the the two questions that I have is where did the sixty one thousand dollar or bigger come from that's in the in the bill and then the second question is is worth eighteen million dollars coming from because ultimately. Our citizens are you may be paying for that and you know we would love to give the teachers as much as possible but the more we give the teachers that means the more citizens are having to pay and we've got to balance that so if you would address those two for me please well originally and it's sort of a combination question to that the thirty six thousand it was the minimum salary course went to fifty which is fourteen thousand dollar increase but there was talk of going to forty and then the fifty so that was a ten thousand and so that was kind of a number that we felt like was reasonable not the full fourteen because ninety but was going to get that but more than the two and and it was probably a main number to try to to see for okay so that was just the. Somebody'd Allen you remember yes Sir okay and then where's this money come from. If you give me about fifteen minutes with you but not much I can find it. Save. Thank. I had a solution for the school nurses I don't have a solution for this one this would just have to come out of general revenue we have to come up with the money. And is that the solution and is that minute counter foreign are say that's about to be put on our test tomorrow no. Okay that that I can answer them. Representive Walker. So if I'm reading the impact statement right this would be an eighteen point two million dollar increase yes Sir we just passed a bill that slightly increases the foundational funding but not as much as what some of us was hoping for My thought is eighteen point two million if it was there it would be added to the foundational funding to made a lot of. I requests and needs would it not be more fair for our small schools and everyone if we were to look at increasing the foundational funding if eighteen point two million dollars is available. Well those smaller districts one already receive the hundred eighty five dollars if you are recognized a smaller the other districts that are not on the list that you have already received that army five dollars if you are district does not. All of the recognized so by that is this excluding what small schools would be able to receive and a more targeted would not build anything to any of those districts are already receiving it what you would have is there still be five districts in the state that would not receive funding those five are Bentonville Fayetteville Springdale Rogers in Little Rock and those are the ones that all have the the assessment I mentioned earlier in excess of two billion dollars and their salaries are already average salaries already above that sixty one thousand dollar a level I think and I'm I'm I have your machine on I can tell you. Bentonville sixty three six forty one fable sixty four zero six four Little Rock sixty two five nineteen Roger sixty four sixty nine and spring Bills average salary right now sixty three five forty two of the district that would not have it but we still be outside of that number but it's a vote that's probably a roll into it today. So just to clarify and and again this is Bruce Cozart stability might be able to explain it more but and I know you weren't here last time but last session the school districts that are not listed on the sheet all received an extra hundred and eighty five dollars per student for teacher funding to help compensate their pay. And the school districts did not because they had already. Set a salary that was higher than the base salary that we were adjusting it to does that help explain a little bit more. And I don't know if Bruce can explain it better than that but just trying to simplify it the school districts did what they needed to do to increase teacher pay they sacrificed in other areas state combined classes they they worked hard to increase teacher salaries and then didn't get the benefit of the extra money that all the other school districts got the benefit of and they were left out and now we're just in another little situation here where they're still being left out of this extra funding I believe there's three districts next year that will receive it did not receive it last year because their average salary actually fell below about fifty one thousand one eighty two one those my former district where I was superintendent at white hall they will receive this funding next year they have not received it before just because that salary changed and what happened was they had several experienced teachers a retired and left and when they hired new teachers coming in to replace somebody were lower salary and that lower their average just enough to be below that number once at lord love it automatically triggered a rival to receive the funding for for members combat well over half a million dollars which they desperately need representative back you're recognized. Thank you Mr South. You Sullivan my phone R. Hey I think I don't finding around the matrix you know because this is this is what happens when I think this is actually what happens when you do that yes hi is it does it every time but the problem I'm having with this right now is this all right are you saying that the ones that got this hundred eighty for that hundred eighty four dollars now are are having our salaries in these in the then these that you're saying is not getting it right here on this Johnson three saying that those rules are not I'm not we're not saying that all their their salaries not essential go to sixty one they're not gonna be up there now no no I'm saying are you saying that the schools that received a hundred and eighty four thousand I am twenty five dollars I doubt that Iraqi I it's hard to talk about dollars that have about by the but but those those guys are you know those the salaries in those schools are much lower than these these sellers. Some of our some of or not I can tell you that for. The that they're lower in my in my study the Farmington Mrs receiving the funding by less than two hundred dollars on the salary part of it right and that two hundred dollars for them would be about three hundred thousand which would raise their salaries are considered what from what I understand what you're saying but the problem of the the concern I have don't you think that what what what we're doing here is we're just doing this. And we just keep doing this this is on balance okay okay this is about and we are in that it just seems like it's another step I think that we we should take a look at this in terms of getting into the foundation for so it is all the same and not doing this funding around thing that's that's going on because this is what gets a system is not gonna go away if we approve this if we approve this we will be back again doing the exact same thing because there's another group that didn't get in now didn't get it for whatever they didn't make the that they cut and now we got to do it for them and they won guess what we'll have another group and we'll have another good now so we should have any reflected on that that would only be five school districts that receive that well and they are the only things that they will still there will still be the imbalance yes Sir I I and I agree with you completely so this might be just what you do about it so I'll start with would you agree that doing this is not going to balance between all school districts is not gonna make a Malik no it's not my colleague all right thank you represent about thank you Mr chair I was trying to think about the sixty million and I. I think that maybe you said something about general revenue on the sixty million. Sixty or fifty million look it's not how much money trying to get here eighteen point two thank I was like I'm sorry not that I have a number that will be. Eight years. I'm I'm sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry so but there is a certain amount appropriation that's appropriated for this ride yes currently there is okay so that's fifty three I do believe it fifty three point okay that's right as are you I'm very tired I did get it till that late last night also so And it's coming around the fence around the matrix findings so either we're gonna make it a smaller portion that every school yes would that be correct if we did if we fund it. Everybody's going after that same fifty three million dollar power not. No matter what the districts are significant or million dollars now will receive that they they cannot receive less funding on what they're receiving now so you can't divide the pot even smaller if that's if that's where you're going with them yeah and that is why I'm going so what is the appropriation and come to fund this. That's what I'm at that's what I'm asking is it going to come from this time. Or not from the existing this would be additional money to eighteen point two million dollars from general revenue that we would have to okay so that that follow up please are recognized thank you I know they're working on RSA so have we been talking to them about this eighteen million dollars to be taken from the RSA. Have we ask about the eighteen okay now I've filed the bill waiting on the results have to go through committee I can't tell them to add that in there we have no approval to move forward and you know what you're trying to set up a totally agree what you're trying to do it telling to put it in there and I owe a bill. What you're trying to do I just know that we're locked on this. A certain amount and I wonder where we're going to get this money ask to fund it that's where I'm at sub but I do agree with what you're trying to thank you if if we pass it out of the committee it would force it to be in that. RSA. Seeing no other questions Mister Smith. Thank you for your testimony Sir Mr. Dr Jeffcoat would you like to come make comment. And then I believe we have. Melissa Moore who is patiently been here all day as well some is more you'll be. After doctor Jeffcoat. Identify yourself for the record you can give your testimony yes Sir I'm Harrell jeffco superintendent of and your school district. You ready for our it would register okay I had shared with with representative fight our situation and and why are district didn't qualify for the teacher equalization funding it's a little bit unique you know I I I think every school if you if you look at each school you'll see that we didn't qualify for a variety of reasons and not all of us for the same reason I know you're gonna you're gonna hear in just a moment from Charleston and their situation is different than than our situation and been situation in lakeside we're all we're a little bit different. So I I I was the deputy superintendent Cabot school district for for a while and working with representative Evans we we cut our teeth together an education he served on the school board I served as a deputy superintendent I had a great opportunity to move to to Van Buren wonderful community got there and we we had a we had a lot of great things go in there is one area of concern that that we that we struggled with and that was in the area of finance in fact I worked with Greg Rogers quite a bit in the beginning of my superintendency help me really break down some of the concerns and challenges that we had faced we had world pull that one out of town that that left Fort Smith area and it it caused several students to leave leave Fort Lee the Van Buren school district and the fortune a school district. Which created some financial challenges for us and so so when I moved in one big task of mine was to to try to improve in efficiency so we had to really cut away a lot of a lot of excess staff we had that we had to just become real honest with how we work it would staffing I don't get a whole lot of Christmas cards and my first year it was a challenge the second year we work to to to go out to the community and set a vision for what our school district needed to look like in the future so I met with with teachers I met with parents I met with chamber of commerce civic clubs churches I met with a lot of different groups and we really set a vision for what we wanted to achieve one to accomplish we made a list of things that that were were focus areas for us and those included things such as improvements in facilities improvements in in and and teacher salaries was was one of our big pieces improvements in technology in classrooms and and just a lot of different things that we set out to do. Our community elected to to support a millage increase for us and so that was a huge celebration force nearly seventy percent of of our taxpayers voted to increase from that that uniform rate of tax you all know all schools are required at twenty five meals will in bam here and we have twenty eight now and so they they they voted to increase that that the millage rate which generated about a million dollars more for our school district and it was great for us it L. A. would allow us to take care of all the needs that we had identified but the one thing that it that allow allowed us to do that was really critical wasn't increase our teacher salaries. We were one of the lower paying schools in the in the region we're thirty five minutes from Fay Advil so we enforcement across the river we had we were a great training facility we would hire teachers and they would stay for a little while then they would move on because we just could not pay them so so if you look at our our salary schedule today we made some improvements but I can tell you that isn't that's not always been the case and our teachers they they should be provided the same type of pay as as any others they they deserve that and so we work really hard to do that will when we receive that extra million dollars since we do have to have such a critical need in teacher salaries we dumped almost every bit of it in to see teacher salaries and that helped us get get up a little bit higher they did help us in that regard but how it heard us was we didn't realize teacher equalization was coming so we sat on the back burner all these other critical issues that our community and it identified as as needing improvements we put those over to the side and we focus on our teachers and and I'll just tell you we're all here for our teachers you all know this money can't be used for any other purpose and we're here to to to to to provide more for our teachers so but we we did we put that all in teacher salaries we missed the the cut off the threshold to qualify for teacher equalization funding because of the increase in millage so our local taxpayers. Are the reason that we didn't qualify because their commitment to our school district they elected to support us with all of those areas of need and as a result we put in one one particular area so now now we're not we don't qualify for teacher equalization I can tell you that the amount was fifty one thousand eight hundred eighty two that's the amount that you had if you were average salary that's what you would you would qualify for teacher equalization funding well if we had not put the the the millage money into teacher salaries just a couple years prior we would be at fifty thousand five hundred thirty four dollars. But instead we we put all of that money in that in that category which then. It disqualified as for these funds and so now we're going to continue to support our teachers with those funds but we're not gonna be able to take care of those other areas of need because we put the majority now we can put all of that we put the majority of it in teacher salary so now we'll still get to take care of those other needs but it's going to be in small portion so I'm here just to to ask that there be some acknowledgment in that area of of schools that were being aggressive with efficiency and and being aggressive in finding ways to locally support teachers you know I I I don't I don't want to sit here and say it's unfair but I can guarantee you if you lived in my community and you know that you are paying twenty eight males and and somebody over here was banned twenty five and that school receive these teacher equalization fund dollars but you your school does not it will put it or input to a bitter taste in your mouth so here just advocating for our teachers I don't know where the eighteen million dollars comes from I do know that our local property taxes have increased significantly over the years which has reduced the adequacy expense from the state the state we've relieved when I first got to Van Buren our school district was happy to accept a little bit over five thousand dollars per student of that seven thousand so but now we're we're down below four thousand or around four thousand five hundred or so so we do we are doing well in that regard but. Just hopeful that we are able to to be included with the teacher equalization funding thank you Dr Jeffcoat presage coming down here and been here and it's great to see you I know you're doing a great job up there just like you did when you were in our districts thank you Sir. Any questions Dr Jeffcoat. The nine thank you for your testimony service more and then we have also shown cook from hot springs lakeside. For a few more days at least. June thirtieth. The identify yourself for the record any procedure testimony hi Melissa Moore superintendent at the Charleston school district and I appreciate the opportunity to speak to not I know you all had a very long day and worked very hard so thank you Mr chairman and and thank you Committee and I'll be brief I just I feel like I'm a bit of an anomaly on the list if thank you notice Charleston we're a small school we have about a hundred and fifty students and a long tradition of trying to take care of our students and our teachers so. Well before I can't became superintendent this didn't just begin with me this is been this is been a goal of our district in our school board and our community is to take care for teachers and I'm very proud of the fact that our average teacher salary was we're what was that although with eight hundred fifty students you know with the adequacy were not route where we need to be to be efficient that would be at five hundred and we're we're just right in kind of stuck in the middle so we have to hire extra staff where maybe you wouldn't have to to to take care of our students and meet the standards and that's what we do we we take care of our students them and we try to take care of our staff. But in doing so the three ways we get many assessment enrollment and poverty we're we're pretty low in all of those areas so I'm very proud of of what we're able to do with the money that we receive but we're taught we're very taught at this time and with learns it's very concerning to a school of my sinus as it is you've heard from two superintendents of larger districts it's concerning to all of us but we have less to work with and we do pay our teachers well and that was well you know that was before learn scanning it isn't learns that's going to make us pay our teachers well we're going to continue to try to do what we've always done and that is due to do the best with our salary schedule that we can we are a bedroom community of Fort Smith and close to green wood and other larger schools so we've always tried to be competitive and provide the best the best education to our students we can and we all know to do that we need the best teachers that we can get and we hang on to them and that's part of our issue as well we we have a veteran staff and and we're we're proud of that and but it hurts you on the salary schedule as far as these equalization funds are concerned but that's the only place that hurts you because veteran teachers are the ones that trainer new teachers and they're really the ones that we need to keep our school running to the best of its ability so you know what with that I'm going to close because you've heard a lot today but I I do want you to know that for a smaller school like ours those funds would be so invaluable in helping us meet. The requirements of the learns to cover those areas that were not covered and you know I I would appreciate a positive voters I know all the schools would that are left on the list and dealt with that I thank you very much for allowing me time after such a long day miss more we have one question if your tech questions at representing makes right and I I appreciate you as a superintendent being down here advocating for your for your teachers that's what we want from our superintendent the the question I have real quickly is before the learns Act when this value was at fifty one thousand dollars I assume you're receiving money from this program as well are from this part of money or now I never have we've never received that money at Charleston we've our we've tried. I mean every superintendent is looked at it that didn't receive it. Each year to see if we can get our average teacher salary down and you know we're all kind of losing more teachers to retirement and I've I have three more you know resignations and with that you'll probably higher. Teachers at the other end of the salary schedule but now the other end of the salary schedule is fifty thousand so it just seems like with in our district we were working to get to a starting salary of forty we were thirty nine and and so the ten thousand to me made sense because that's how far we were away from fifty. So so so this would primarily go to pay the upper level teachers or is going to pay everybody I would have to pay everybody because it's the beginning of the salary schedule that. In the and the most disarray with the learns because everyone is back to fifty that wasn't there and how to flash that back out into a salary schedule I'm I'm hoping to get those good ideas for my colleagues and and our coop does have a work day coming up this next week that Allah tendon and we're gonna try to put our heads together and do the best we can. Thank you miss more thank you Mr. And congratulations Sir on your up and coming retirement after many years of service to hot springs lakeside Education as a whole. Thank you Mr chairman I got a lakeside two thousand four we were fiscal distress school district a lot of people think like sign that K. they've got money there is a negative nine hundred thousand dollar bouncy or before and I started efficiency model which I'd been trained but one the best in the state to do Germany use take over helped take over school districts and fix them for the state department Mr Bob Evans so we employed the sufficiency model get all fiscal distress really quickly and we are employee student ratio we should be and we start putting all extra money into teacher salaries and we have aggressively done that ever since I've been there for nineteen years so. To put it to put in real simple terms if we would not put this money in teacher salaries in March we in school district the sap amend the integer sours my twin school district instead put this money in a building fund maybe that a turf field or a new wing of the school they would get all this money and we're not getting any of. So that that's why it's just in an equal and I have a neighboring school district gets more settlement revenue four point four million more in revenue than I do about the same size they qualified qualified for because a you know our salaries are higher than theirs so we feel like as I talk to these different school district the school district has really been working hard to do what I think you want to do to put all of our money into teacher salaries that we can I put are we put most of our average daily membership money into teacher salaries every year the majority of the great majority of one of their so now we're from what was if we would've done that would put over there in a building fund we can begin this are ninety five dollars to so I just ask you to really look at rewarding efficiency and please just let this bill get out here is it what can happen with the I think it's fair. Thank you Mr cooking questions for him. See note appreciated being here this evening Sir no one else signed up to speak for against. President Mayberry ready clothes for your bill. I think you've heard a lot today I appreciate a good vote. Represent Mayberry is closed for her bill representive fight you're recognized. It just allows proper time. I have a motion to pass by representative fighting discussion on the motion represented Duke. Thank you Mr chair Allen thank you represent a report bring in this because I think you are highlighting something that a lot of people don't realize happened and I appreciate it and I have I do want to say it's easy to look at these numbers and I hope everyone's looking at the numbers because those are it representative teacher salaries and steps that they have been looking out and planning for for years thinking if I do this if I stay in a district this long this is what I'm going to get paid and that's not what's going to happen for some of them and there's a lot of great things that happened but there's been like always some unintended consequences and that's what is happening here and it kind of it's been interesting for me to see some of these different school districts that are come up here because I understand the race that people have the working at trying to compete with salaries in areas where you are getting the competition is tight for teachers and I know other districts have other they're competing with us up in Northwest Arkansas forgetting those things I've watched some of them work hard to as as of our school districts around there did to keep the class size is tight and no do split classes be as efficient as they can to get their salaries up there. as I appreciate what you superintendents have done and I know there's a problem and it but I also understand representative Beck said about and and when you get outside the matrix and. That's that's what's great the problem we have an unlevel playing field and I don't know how to fix it because it. If you if you do that if you do the increase if you grow or when that money I don't know where the money comes from and that's a problem. And I don't know that those other five school districts whatever need it but I don't know they wouldn't. And then the the it just keeps compounding. I don't. I don't know how how we fix this but I don't think we can sit here as legislators and state. Well we don't know how to fix it we don't want to keep being unfair we helped well. We created some of this and so I do think that we have an obligation to try and figure it out I don't know if this is a solution this is the part of the legislature that you know what I mean school or meeting you just keep working to make a motion and we get to fix it that night and we don't get to do it that way here and that is maybe good maybe bad but I I really appreciate what you what you did on this and I hope people are are paying attention not just going with those districts have all the money or they have salaries are high they worked hard. They work hard and yes we were blessed and and I'm not he said you're pulling from my district is trying to get money from my district because those numbers are teachers and quite frankly that amount of money there My district probably able to figure out even though I think there's our skills gonna be compressed in one the other districts in my in my District twelve they're not even gonna mean they're not impart a group that have the struggling with it and one of them's been better off than what they were to begin with I mean it's been a great blessing for them which I think is fantastic now they're actually able to compete with some of us there's a lot of good pieces to it but these are people and these were their salary schedules and they are. Not the same anymore and it's not so easy to figure out on the local level and it does matter and. I wish I knew how to fix the problem. But I know the money I don't know where the money comes from and I don't think you get outside the matrix I think that just makes it worse so I'm hoping represent Cozart has all the answers to how to fix this problem here a little bit I'm really excited all right I'm excited so with that I will I'll be glad. No discussion. Representative back. That. You don't fix it outside the matrix I'll respond to to representative Scott you don't fix it outside the matrix because that's what's created the problem that you have right. Hi that's that's the problem hi the matrix funds per student. Right it is and I'm not again I'm not married to the matrix but and and maybe the matrix needs a lot of changes to and that I've I would. Not argue that that's not the case but doing this just creates another layer it's just it's just one more thing to do we need to help to make sure that everybody gets funded these people did their jobs right. We are punished for it out but we need to do it in the matrix stop going around the major cause in a major sits per student all right are you don't have to be the measures that we have night but some kind of funny that awards the things that the educate children per student because I can tell you right now there's you there's an argument that could may not I don't I don't think he's super intense would which have their poor school districts out there that we've got that money that are struggling like crazy to even come close to these the salaries right I mean they're really struggling and and and and the what my point being is we've got to get and fix this thing and stop just putting one more you know that if you think that's kind of like a cliff right you out you didn't make it to the cliff you went off the cliff to now that's what's going on here and if we keep doing it we're not gonna we're not gonna correct we're just creating more cliffs out there so I I mean I would love to do it it's it's an easy on the funny just eighteen million dollars to fix it but but yeah it's it's it's for so what's another eighteen million dollars go and that's it but that that's not going to make it equal it's not gonna make it a court still going to be exactly where it is now we need to do it and the matrix are some form of a matrix that that will. Distribute this funding equally. Representative Walker. Some understanding of the teacher's salary the equalization was to help rule for schools they more competitive with the salary schedule to the schools that are listed here that have a lot more I didn't have a lot of time but I was able to look up three of the school districts on this list and wiped and their top salaries range from sixty one five to sixty four seven and the school district in my area range from forty eight to about fifty two or so which is nearly ten thousand less than what their top salaries are but if we're going to end up making it to where everybody gets legalization funding I still stand by what representative Beck is sign or we need to be moving this over to the matrix and and making this money of a war fought falls under the foundation funding but I mean this is ninety eight percent that's going to get the funding of this is approved which to may or replaces the purpose of this in the first place or maybe I'm not understanding this correctly but I appreciate you give me a minute thank you representative Walker. Seeing no other discussion we got a motion by representative fight I believe that suit was. All those in favor of the motion do pass say aye. Opposed say nay. Nays have it our representative Mayberry and. Is that your last one today. Yes. Representative Beatty are you here. Members hi I am. Members I am very hesitant to say what I'm about to say but I hope you just give me just a little bit of grace as I say this. A lot of these bills not counting the one he speaks to run with his. But a lot of these bills have been out here for quite some time as members have worked through. Co sponsors working the Kinks and stuff and the but the media these bill somebody's bills been out here for several days and weeks. I want everybody to have the opportunity to run their bill. And we still got a lot of bills to run and if we pick apart every bill that's presented here tonight. At the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs we're gonna be here to the sun comes up and I don't have anywhere I've got to be but I can read this committee and I know there's members of the table that's ready to hit the roads are ready to go home we've got people that's been here all day. And I think everybody deserves a fair opportunity to have their bills heard by the book of this committee and so. Let's try to be concise with our questions be very tight with the purpose of the question and and let's give folks the opportunity here they're bills and work as efficiently as we can representative Beatty you're recognized. To present your bill. I think that's a thank you I think that's a thank you Mr chairman. All. Representative Howard Beatty District ninety five here to present house bill seventeen seventy one Senate Amendment. No no you don't have a member on your bill no Sir all right thank you. Seventeen seventy one and it's an act to amend the law concerning nonpartisan elections amend the law concerning members local school boards amend the law concerning school board elections and the date of which an election of a school board directors hailed and other purposes kind of all just be brief on the talking points basically it will This is a continued effort to increase voter turn out in school board elections so that we we can have better turn out in our school board elections in in in in our local districts We should do everything that we have is legislators and their this within our power to maximize the participation in those elections at the local level. what what what this bill is proposed in the school board members will be elected in even numbered years like every other elective office. is nonpartisan position school board members would be elected is all other nonpartisan positions during the preferential primary with run off at the general election. the annual election as provided in the constitution would not be impacted by this bill school districts would also save money in that the the cost of those elections in odd numbered years this would reduce some of the cost. I would provide one of the changes that uniformed term limit of four years for school board members and a change from the five year term. and the existing terms as president process prescribed would ensure fairness is nearly as possible that there would be an equal number of school board members so there's continuity on the board going forward it addresses this bill is being drafted to address issues and concerns raised by the Arkansas Code Arkansas school board association as well as some addressed by the Senate Committee on Education hi. Those are the the main points going to the bill page to your say based on if the school board is elected during if the entire school board is elected during the election that then they will draw ballots or draw lots for the two and four year slot positions and then it spells out based on those that are are seated currently as to when those terms will expire if if and it it spells that on page two just for brevity of will not go through those those terms is there and I know we can already and get those And that's the the main points of the bill the the intent of the bill is to get and an increase in in voter turnout raise awareness by having these elections only even numbered years and hopefully that's one of the one of the issues that I've heard from all the school boards it's hard to find folks this upset that election at a time that there other elections and raise awareness of the importance of school board hopefully draw the attention of folks in the community to file and run and do do the the people's work at the school district with that I will answer questions any questions from committee. Representative Duke. thank you Mr chair real quick if you because some school districts were popped into the census and all of them got re had run for reelection this last time and I'm sorry it's probably on there but I can't ring thing clearly right now can you tell me how that's going to affect them because they're tired of running for reelection. Basically that's that's part I was keep that I wasn't gonna go three one I've talked about the term limits but that's on page two of the bill and so for members of the school district that's current that are currently holding office depending on where when there terms for set to expire so if if that term limit was November twenty three then that that would expire in twenty four like wise if the term was to expire in twenty four it expires in twenty four it was twenty five then it would also be twenty four twenty six then would go to twenty six because this every two years and then twenty seven would be in twenty six and then after that it would it would go on the the four year term. I hope that answered. Representative painter. The motion at the proper time. Any additional questions by committee. Seeing none anyone here speak for against the bill represents ex president Jordan Mister Jordan you're signed up. I believe. You identify yourself the record begin your testimony yes Sir. Dan Jordan Arkansas school board association thank you Mr chair and committee. I didn't realize it was on the agenda so I'm I'm just going to recall from memory a couple things one obviously everyone here knows that school board members are not compensated for the jobs that they do the the only elected officials In Arkansas that are not compensated and this bill will pass hi and then there were amendments to the to the bill and it moved from November to may elections for preferential primary and should there be run office of for those non compensated were members that would advance there would be an additional cost for them to do that and we're consultants aren't about that and our constituents or the other the main reason that I Are the the other reason is we feel that there's constitutional issue with the bill and that would be that if the district I held a special millage election earlier this year and schedule their school board election this November that they would not hold an annual school election this year due to not having an annual school board election and that's a constitutional issue that we reference back in twenty one when a similar bill came forward and this is information and the concern that we shared with the The most sponsors of the bill on the house and Senate side so that's a concern that we have constitutionally as well as the the cost to board members that are Thanks any questions for Mister Jordan. C. nine thank you for your testimony you speak against the bill anyone here to speak for the bill. Mr Newton. Philadelphia yourself the record you begin your testimony thank you Mr chairman members of the committee my name is Gerry Newton with Arkansas learns which is the voice of consumers of education I applaud representative Beatty in center Penzo for bringing this bill on their own initiative it's it's nice to be able to come in support of something that we've been fighting for for a decade in fact my first appearance before this committee was coming to try to move school board elections to win people actually vote and we couldn't get a vote in committee for that eleven years ago. As far as a Mr Jordan's comments. The annual school election is required by the constitution the school board elections are prescribed by the legislature there's nothing that would preclude a district from holding its annual school election if it's in November holding it in November. This would simply have school board elections when people are voting for school board all right the other thing is it's a matter of of. The quality when it comes to running for office currently the system is if you run an even numbered year you're running in a preferential primary mostly in Arkansas or in the general election if you're running in an odd numbered year you're running in the only the school board election which is very low turnout you go from tens of thousands in some cases to dozens. And if it comes to the run off even if you're running and November or and may in a preferential primary you go from a high turnout election two three weeks later again a low turnout election. What was said in committee with multiple times was these are non partisan offices and they needed to be treated that way I applaud the sponsors because they heard those notes the suggestions they went back and treated these like all other non partisan races and I think that elevates these positions like we treat the preferential primary for nonpartisan elections it is a big delay to go to the general but it ensures that we never have an Arkansas again a low turnout election for leaders of our largest local governments so thank you for your consideration of this is a further perfection of what we've tried to do over the past decade and it it makes sense for Arkansas it also makes sense to elevate these positions and we would welcome the opportunity to work with the school boards association talk about a potential compensation for these very where the service. Any questions Mr Newton representative makes. So a it's like a log in tire so just to sum this bill up in one line what we're doing is we're aligning the school board elections with the main primary elections yes Sir all right thank you. Any other questions. Thank you for your testimony Mr Newton. Then there's you are recognized speak against the bill. Thank you chairman eleven thank you members of the committee and I just want to acknowledge that this is it will that where the the bill started if you go back to the original Senate bill three eighty and back to six the as a matter of fact been a long time with this company so I do want to acknowledge that a lot of the concerns of the bill were addressed with the non party or the partisan pieces taken out the part where there was a cap on board members the thing that we still have an issue with this it you know what Mr Newton stated we've been at this for many many years keep changing election changing Alexion changing lections we are right now we have the election center in may or November by the choice of the district they happen every year that allows some continuity of those things that are and why I think that's important at this point is that we're getting ready to work and I do a lot of changes in districts we've got a lot of board members that are going to be in some tough situations as I have the conversations about where they move the salary lot of upset people that are probably going to be happening as as things change and I think it'll be changed for the better but it's still going to be hard implementation and so for that I don't really see a real need for us to make this move now I understand the the increasing voter turnout argument but it at this point I don't I don't really see the big need for the change so thank you any questions for doctor Mendez. C. nine thank you for your testimony. Representative body ready clothes for your bill. Yes Mister Mister chair and I'll be brief because this has been something we worked on For Policarpo months I would I would think it is of long far cry from where we started with the first bill we listened to the school board members that contact is in the concerns that they had the partisanship piece of this was was removed the term limits that piece was removed the the main focus of this bill is to get the to raise awareness of the school board elections get them on the same cycle that the rest of us run known and hopefully increase an interest in folk serving for school board and I I just want to say that I have the utmost respect for school board members and the jobs that they they perform for this state and it is also all. The sometimes a thankless job but one of the most important jobs that we can serving in the state so I appreciate the work we have worked in every way possible to make this bill something that would work for all parties while raising the awareness and and try to take care of the one issue that every school board members told me. We don't have enough people that want to serve so I'm I'm is just an attempt to raise awareness and let folks get him on the schedule when the rest of of of the state and the rest of the elected officials are running and I think that will raise the awareness so with that I'm I'm like you guys it's been a long day and I've been running all over the capped I know you all have been to so I'll I'll be quiet and I would just ask to take into consideration the willingness that we worked on a compromise on this bill and the intent that senator Penzo and I have to raise that awareness and take care of in the when and I would hope for a good vote thank you represent but just be as close for his bill representative back recognized. Motion the pastor motion do pass by representative backing discussion on the motion. It's purposeful. Representative back. Motion to pass thank representative Beck thank you for taking the lead on that representative pending you're recognized motion to do pass. Your representative but he said he was gonna be brief. Twice we have a motion. We have a motion do pass as right that should be to road got a motion to pass by representative painter. A discussion on the motion. The none all those in favor say aye. Lows may. Is have it graduation to pastor bill. Thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee. Representive under here. He's not he's probably in another meeting. It's too good for awhile. How can we get. You've got. Three. You have three Bills. One of the bill. Okay. Okay I'll get you next representative Richardson I see you're there you've got one was going to get yours we'll get you and we'll get you next. Your identify yourself for the record you be begin presenting your bill. thank you Mr Preciado the opportunity to share with you committee my name is Scott Richardson district thirteen the northwest Arkansas bring to the Committee a bill from a constituent a teacher who what I'm kind of a history buff and I I appreciate history their history teacher so we have conversations that are interesting like this and one of the one that challenges that we both agreed on was that we feel like that our kids aren't getting enough information around specific autocratic government types communism is a is a continued problem we continue see the failures yet we have thirty percent plus depending on which survey you look at kids feeling that does socialism to communism in the right direction for our country that that obviously is a challenge for us this bill tries to address that from an education perspective make sure that we present that information and the perils of communism and over a hundred million people that communist governments are autocratic governments of their own people they kill through through the recent history so um this is modeled after the Holocaust bill I'm sure you guys remember that when it came through great bill wonderful opportunity make sure that we're teaching our kids the right kinds of information around the Holocaust in the challenges there is modeled very closely to that one and I would be happy to answer any questions any questions representative Richardson representative makes you're recognized can you add socialism to this bill that the that the real question is have you talked to the Department of add on their ability to be able to execute this and make this come the if it does pass yes I I've passed it by them I didn't get any comments or any concerns also and point you to the comments made in the the Bill sorry the of financial impact I guess it is the financial. Impact statement associated with the their return in that there's plenty of room within the curriculum to address this this is this is one of those bills where you're just framing up the idea and the Department education ensure that that's including the curriculum from point seventh grade on. Any other questions. Seeing none there's no one signed up to speak for or against the bill. Represent Richey red clothes for your bill I'm close for the bill. And bridges close for his bills will committee. I that representative painter I don't overlook you again. motion do pass by representative painter any discussion on the motion. See now those of favour say aye opposed nay. House have it graduation many bill Mr. Representa macalin. And. Members I believe representative Michael and and has a resolution referred resolution ten sixty seven. We'll start there identify yourself the record and then you may present your bill or resolution yes Sir thank you so represented many mac Linden District ten. And. I am presenting a House resolution ten sixty seven it encourages Arkansas institutions of higher education to re locate Chinese language and cultural programs from being managed in China to be managed in Taiwan many of you are involved session with passing a bill that outlawed the Confucius institutes at our at higher learning institutes and I applaud that. The governor the communist government was obviously involved in helping to staff the Confucius institutes and they do not work in the best interest of America American students as backlash began across the country at these Confucius institutes and as they begin to close they have bomb began rebranding itself as the ministry of education center for language exchange and cooperation so Chinese language and cultural programs began to pop up in our universities some of them just one day after the Confucius's to closed so while these kind that includes that you see a as well these contracts contain provisions such as quoted better protections for intellectual freedom but the Chinese government still sponsors the university and helped out the programs so this resolution encourages the Chinese the learning of Chinese culture and language without the influence and oversight of the Chinese Communist Party. And it reads. House encourages institutions of higher education to relocate the Chinese language and cultural programs from the people's Republic of China to Taiwan to advance US national security interest strengthen ties between our two democracies and promote a positive learning environment to enhance comprehensive Mandarin language education for American students and with that I'll take any questions the representative Matt Linden representative fight you have a question. Yes I'm thank you Mr chair representative McClendon I'm wondering if you have talked with the cultural institute and Houston which services this entire five state area to see if this is something that they can do. I have not talked with the culture institute in Houston I have talked with a delegation from Taiwan he was very supportive of it and I went through I the senator cotton's office as well to kind of talk to them but I've not talked to the used group. The other questions for president Michel ended on the resolution. Seeing none. No one here signed up to speak for or against the resolution he closed the resolution I am customer resolution ask for a good vote representative Mike Lynn is closed for resolution represent McKenzie you're recognized. The motion to pass on house resolution ten sixty seven. Discussion on the motion. C. none all those in favor say aye. Pose may Is have it resolutions passed thank you Committee. it next on your list to seventeen forty seven which I believe you are sending to I. S. P. is that correct correct we'll turn that one out next you have seventeen thirty eight yes. Tridentine you're recognized again. In your bill thank you okay so this section a number that this evening I am bringing you house bill seventeen thirty eight is is retitled the parents bill of a complex you parents bill of rights for school this comes from many parents in my district is asking to kind of codified and explicit bill of rights for parents representative Michael ended yes you have an amendment on this all thank you Sir yes I did okay member center. When send around real quick. Per passing that out if you would like to. Okay. President the make up of the amendment thank you so This amendment does have two main things wine it adds open enrollment public charter schools to be included besides public schools and then on the second page you'll see about the top it adds it's a lease some lines and it adds the phrase make available annually and in the bill it religiously the bill had said that the school would publish the All of this information on their website and after conversations with ADA and our superintendent we felt like that was just too onerous for the schools to take on and so instead we wanted to say that they would just simply make it available to parents. And those are the two changes to the amendment. Are there any questions on the amendment questions members. I have a motion by representative needs to adopt the amendment any discussion on the motion signals in favor say aye opposed nay your members been adopted you can continue. Presenting your bill as amended thank you so. What we found was that parents just wanted some to codify a bill of rights so that they kind of knew what their rights were and what the schools rates were and just want to be clear that there is no specific incident that has come from the school district that is bringing this on just the concern of parents moving forward parents and teachers both want what's best for the kids in this bill really does just give parents the proper involvement with their child's education there two main parts of the bill there is the parental rights in the school districts and so the parental rights say that the parents should have access to the information regarding school activities they should have as we just talked about access to the materials that the children are learning and that's in conjunction with existing statute and then they should also have the right right the right to remove their child from the classroom if it conflicts with their beliefs or the religious beliefs or moral beliefs and then from a school district standpoint they should make the materials available. that they need to notify parents within twenty four hours if there's a change in their email health mental emotional state to be sure that the parents are staying involved and they're not to discourage or prohibit personal involvement in less it is prudent to do so if they believe that there is abuse or some sort of risk that I would come to the child because of that and with that I'll be happy to take questions. Senate macalin as presenter bill represent a makeshift question yes Sir and I've got a concern with I love what you're doing with the bill I fought for support it there's one little issue with bill that I would normally ask you to take down about what I'm going to buy on a gentleman's agreement gentleman lady agreement see if there's an amendment that can be done to to address this issue so on on page three when it talks about the parental rights as as a parent shall be entitled to access full information regarding the activities of a public school so if the. I'm concerned that that language could be interpreted way too broadly that Because I'm a parent and I send my student to school A. B. C. now that means I'm entitled to go in there and get all the information regarding every other student in there as well you know what's little Johnny doing what's little Susie doing of the you know what's the the superintendent doing to to discipline you see I'm saying and so if that's something that we can get. Narrowed down to I think what your intent is I think I think we would be I'd be happy. I will take care of that thank you. Representative Duke. Thank you Mr chair I've got two quick ones so can you can you can you give an example of what being provided having made available would look like okay and then I'll try to remind myself with the other one was because. Senate to be made available means it can happen they can have the books available at the school for review they can publish them on their website that's probably it's two easiest ways for them to make them available. Yeah. And and then on what represents Meeks said that kind of caught my just a little bit too as far as what that means in the parents being able to I don't with the wording was but what I was curious is does that mean if a teacher has three four five parents to show up and say why would be in your class today and I'm fine with having parents come of the class but there has to be some kind of room otherwise you you could potentially end up with a whole lot of parents because I'm so does that. Open that up or is that not going to be a problem I don't feel like that opens it up I feel like that would be a policy of the school if they allow to parents and the date for the day or three parents and for the day like I feel like that would still fall under the. Under the school's guys but as we re worth that then we'll make sure that. We'll figure that one out. Okay. It is for questions. Signin no one signed up to speak for or against the bill he would like to speak for against the bill. None. Representative back when you're ready close for your bill yes I just wanna say thank you for staying here so like to hear the bill and they are tired and we just ask that you will pass the parents bill of rights and that's for good vote and you will take care of this for representative makes yes The Amendment all right yes. Representative long actually I believe you're recognized recognize you first. Got a motion do pass as amended good catch all those in favor the motion say aye opposed nay regulations your bill is passed thank you Charlie that is all of your represent landed. Johnson is going across the hall huh. Under is it represent under your here now all right. It is yourself for the record you here to present house bill seventeen oh two you can now present your bill. thank you Mr chair thank you Committee excuse me for being a late little laid us fighting the good fight across the hall house bill seventeen NO two is an idea that came for me from a constituent. And I'm not anti school boards we I love our school board in Springdale Arkansas and I believe most of them are wonderful people. But. That's not true everywhere all the time and so this is a bill to create recall elections for members of school boards. basically in case something has happened in the realm of misconduct three people. Looking on page two a member of the school board district of directors is subject to recall and removal for the following reasons including without limitation a moral failure failing leading to pending charges in number two loss of public trust this came out of an incident up in northwest Arkansas. We're basically some high school boys were being sexually assaulted as part of a hazing ritual that was just an ongoing thing. Of. In the school is brought to the school board's attention and they refused to do anything about it it almost the same time this was going on a school board member from that school board was caught in the act of basically having sex under a bridge with one of the teachers by sheriff's deputy once again there was no mechanism to do anything about it there are within the Arkansas Code six dash thirteen dash six one one and there are real ways to fill a vacancy on the school board under a variety of circumstances but there was nothing on there relating to criminal activity or moral failure and frankly I thought there should be. I'm open for questions say you're ready for questions yes Sir members any questions for representive under. Representative make sure recognized I'm off all full of questions tonight so that my my my first question is is I haven't been I don't know if there's a legal scholar and here they can answer this late at night but I didn't know if the General Assembly we can impeach other elected officials I didn't know fact falls under our purview that we could impeach that are somewhat could it could impeach in that circumstance or they would no longer qualify for office once they were actually charged with a felony and so I think that would take care of my my my concern here is I understand we're going all in on where it says that Someone has lost the public trust that they could become a could be a reason I don't know who decides that per se because there's a lot of people in the public like right now who probably think that we betrayed the public trust because we voted for a certain bill and we can put our school in an unintended consequence here is the you know the Conway school board just had a very difficult issue in front of them with bathroom policy and because they voted a certain way on that there's a certain segment of the population who they've lost the public trust and could now start a recall petition and and I'm just concerned that the unintended consequences here is you're going to open up a huge can of worms where if somebody votes a certain way that all of a sudden we're gonna start having recalls all over the place is that a fear that a or concern that you have or how would you general how do you feel about that concern. I personally hope this thing never gets used but in the spirit of I'd rather have it not need it than need it and not have it you would to even initiate this you would need more than had signatures are excuse me you have to yeah collect signatures of more than half of the registered voters of people who are qualified for that. And There be a thirty five percent vote. I'm sorry I'm saying that wrong please forgive me I'm reading from page two U. two paragraph to paragraph subparagraph a at the time the petition is filed the petition contains a number of signatures equal to at least thirty five percent of the electors who are eligible to vote for the office held by the member to be removed and so the number thirty five seem to be an appropriate bar for me it was a judgment call it wasn't too high and it wasn't too low. In yes you know what we seem to open up cans of worms all the time. Represent painter. Thank you Mr chair so you know I or always told were innocent to until proven guilty Carlaw on page two. up at the section line for our line three S. as a moral failing leading to pending charges. Pending charges doesn't necessarily mean someone is guilty. So if if someone is having I'm sorry Mister chair if someone's having pending charges. And they don't. They're come out in a sense does that member of the school board get reinstated back. Good question thank you. I have an address that in the bill but also with pending charges is you know legally that can can get kicked down the road for a long long time. And I would just rather put that decision in the hands of the local voters. The representative flowers you have follow up represent painter counter Center Lauer's you're recognized. If I reserve under it so it means. Isn't Arnie elections in the hands of voters already when they elect people and and and I'll add this to the question when you have a situation where something that someone has done something. That may seem distasteful offensive or even seem criminal we we have another process that affords someone due process. So I'm super concerned about really. Creating a process to overturn the will of the people. before justice is done Do you have is there anything that you'd be willing to do and the way of amendments to address those concerns. The as I understand it the term of most school board members for five years. And so that is a long time. If you had a bad actor and I I hope we wouldn't. Follow up to that if you don't mind recognized. But when you would say bad actor I guess the thing that concerns me is. And and I guess I might be being repetitive but I just want to be clear. If you have a bad actor in terms of a criminal after again there's a process. By which someone would be Arrested convicted whatever like there is a whole process once someone is guilty of a felony then that would remove them from office anyway. So I'm just I feel uncomfortable when we say bad actor. Because that that it that opens that opens up so many opportunities for someone who feels like you're a bad actor because you didn't vote for this and this should of. Been something you voted against because it's distasteful or it would harm kids. I just think for all the reasons specified without. Amending it to address those concerns including the possibility of. This run away sort of process where people are upset on whatever political part of the spectrum people will just because it's five year terms which people know when they're voting right people know when they're running if I get tired of you what about me trying to set you up I mean I know that sounds a little. Conspiratorial but people are passionate about their kids people are also passionate about power so I mean what are your thoughts about everything you've heard and the possibility of amending your bill to address those concerns. I would be open to amending the bill to Pacific's and I'll tell you I brought this forward with some fear and trembling. Because I see I don't want this to be a political football but I also thought that the the people in the community should be able to remove a bad school board member and so those are our two tensions is respecting the will of the people in periodical elections but also holding school board members accountable. Representative flowers you have follow up. Just one more thing I would also feel uncomfortable setting a standard for removal in the middle of a term for an elected official outside of this body and not do it for ourselves because someone could say the same thing about us to and so if we're talking about specifics I mean I think there are a lot of issues where this bill would need work and I'm I mean if we're going to do a recall bill let's do it for everybody because I think you're. Well Joint joined forces with France. Well but regardless I'm just saying aye I just would. I ask that you think about that and maybe pull with an amended thank you representative Hodges you have a question yes Sir thank you. Representive Unger I apologize if you already said this but isn't it true we already have recall laws. On the books for some local elected officials like mayors and city councils in that your bill matches the current law for recall in those cases yes thank you representative that is true and in the language in this bill was mirrored off of other recall bills and is that also true that representative Cavenaugh as bill who I'm a co sponsor on would require a constitutional amendment that this would not. Yes the free I don't know anything about represent representative Cavenaugh bill This is not required no Sir it would not require. Thank other questions represent McKenzie thank you Mr and I apologize I know you said with the clothes and no no I want to take a moment to disagree agree and disagree with representive flowers because I do believe that recalls are reproach for voters to take the democratic process to appeal for the removal of the candidate. I do agree with representative flowers and that and L. B. a matching to other municipality miss municipal officials more often than not recall petitions require a preponderance of the electorate thirty five percent on a preponderance not fifty plus one I agree that we need this bill I do I do think that it needs to be increased Can you again would you be willing amenable to considering amendments to put this into the form of a question thank you representative are you recommending changing from thirty five to fifty fifty one. Anyone. I'll consider that thank you Sir. In additional questions. Seeing none I don't believe there's anyone signed up to speak okay. Mr Jordan you are signed up yes the brief. Your identify yourself for the record and begin your testimony speak against house bill seventeen oh two. Yes thank you Mr chair and committee the Arkansas school I'm sorry I'm Dan Jordan with the Arkansas school board association. The Arkansas school organization sociais Asian cannot and does not defend unethical behaviors of school board members unfortunately sometimes elected officials across the state and nation act inappropriately as best we can determine only city officials under a city manager system of got a municipal government can currently be recalled by board members should not be subject to recall when other elected officials such as county judges JP's assessors Clark's etcetera and even state officials are not subject to a similar process. In addition to representative makes point of board members could also be removed for doing the right thing if that wasn't perceived favorably by a significant number of committee members as example with the removal of the board members that voted to do away with for example a support to the state basketball if we choose one or the program FFA orders or any program when the district was Having a tough time and having to make tough tough decisions for fiscal reasons in order to maintain the selection or the rigor of academic or what programs under this bill it would be possible for an entire board to be recalled leaving the quorum court responsible for replacing the board with all new members it once this could be a great disadvantage to a school district having to conduct business with an entirely new board or possibly have an extended period of time before enough vacancies resulting from the recall were field for the board to be able to conduct business it is already difficult enough has been mentioned earlier this evening and it's already difficult enough to attract good school board member candidates in some parts of the state the threat of recall could limit even further a school district's ability to acquire quality board candidates finally finally rather than so board member recall we would rather see a system a review that would be responsible for investigating and making determinations on accusations of school board member ethical misbehavior. And as a matter of fact a Senate bill was filed yesterday that will do just that. Thank you. Thank you Mr Jordan for your testimony questions for Mister Jordan. President flowers did you have questions you might just along. Hello okay just wanna make sure I'm overlooking one. Jordan thank you for your testimony. majority vote against the bill is anyone here speak for the bill. C. nine. Representative bunker you're ready close for your bill. Thank you colleagues I realize this is not a perfect product but we're not perfect people in a. In perfect world and that this to me would be a bill it seems to repeat could rip represent the will of the community to manage their own local school board and I ask you for a good vote thank you. Represent voters close for his bill will the committee representative parties you're recognized I make a motion to pass I do have something for discussion. Have a motion do pass we have discussion on the motion. Representative Hodges you're recognized for discussion thank you Mr president under all disagree with you I think you've got almost a perfect product here I would say that you know first of all the thirty five percent threshold that you have in the bill is not the. Thirty five percent of the vote to remove the official your bill says yet of thirty five percent of the vote. Thirty five percent of the eligible voters in the zone to sign a petition to trigger a recall election yes have majority of the voters then choose to recall you from office I also point out I think your bill access higher bars and a lot of other recall examples because typically it's it's thirty five percent of. Photo of voters who voted in the last election for the position which would be fewer people than the total number of actual eligible voters I think your bill actually has a higher threshold required for petition gathering to trigger a recall election. and so you know I I I do think there are cases where there could be an egregious example like the one you reference where it voters in that district might decide that they're not comfortable waiting three years until the next election when they can then. Vote somebody else into that office so I've I've filed the recall of concerts Amendment four years ago that that represent Cavanaugh is running I'm I'm typically for recall options we can do that but as I pointed out I guess I am what's good for the goose is good for the Gander I would have been I'm in favor of a for members of the General Assembly but again that takes conscious because it'll minute this we can do and statute so I'm for for everybody but in this case we can actually do it so I'm in favor of this bill. A fight you're recognized for discussion. Thank you Mr Speaker and representive under you know I love you but I'm going to have to vote no on this bill I I can't think of much more hurtful to a community especially a small community and someone to get angry at a person on school board maybe because of some small issue and go around gathering petition against them turning neighbor against neighbor family member against family member who's going to ever want to run for school board you know it's it's a thankless position I think this will make it ten times worse so I'm a no on this. Representative make sure recognized thank you chair okay I had a cold what to a representative Fite said my my concern here is these are these are such small communities that for example when I talked about the the the issue the Conway school board over the the the bathroom type thing you can have a situation where you've got that one small vocal group that does this petition drive because they don't like how somebody voted on that and then as we all know the turnout on these elections is notoriously low it's all it takes really is that one small vocal group to go in and they're the only ones are going to be super motivated to go vote against this person on election day the general public is if they're even aware they're gonna be living their lives and they're not gonna be concerning them enough about the school board member to go down there and so I think it creates a very like like representative Fite said a very hostile kind of environment that I think there's a better way I think the Senate but I think the Senate bill that was just talked about is probably the better cleaner way in order to handle this to take care of the concern you have which is a very valid concern but to do so in a way that doesn't make it difficult for school board members. Any further discussion. Representative Brooks you're recognized thank you Mr chairman represent longer it does we've kind of identified some challenges and questions among several members I think there is a right. Commitment made by you just a minute ago relative to amending so. Prior to us voting I want to see if we can get that commitment to amending based on the concerns are out there. A thank you and I guess I shouldn't be asking a question most of us latitude I apologize. At this time. I'm just going to say I'm going to leave it is it is let the chips fall where they may thank you. Any further discussion. Representative Hodges the motion do pass on. House bill seventeen oh two. All in favor say aye. All opposed say nay. The nays have it our representative ****. Representative Cozart. You ready. The. Sixteen eighty nine. Mister chair I have an amendment for this bill also. Very very little one. At this point there's no such thing as a little amendment as little. Members we have an amendment coming around representative Cozart. One. At. Mister chair I do have a handout if you're okay with that I forgot to ask permission again forgive me I'm not. You know he's going to pass it out. Actually everybody should have had it in their email but I think it would be better if they could just see it openly some but some may already have it so some may not agree to give you one. President Cozart you like to explain your moment. Yes Sir thank you Mister chair representative Bruce Cozart district ninety one. Garland County this amendment just changes some language that we we thought the language is okay and it would have been but we just want to make it worse a little easier for people to understand what it means is basically changes funding about to funding amounts and weighted funding amount because those go together and there are a couple that changed a little bit but that's basically what it thanks to. There was any questions on the amendment. Seeing none representative make sure recognized. Motion to adopt the amendment the discussion on the motion see now all in favor of the amendment I posed a member's pass represent Cozart. Recognized to present house bill sixteen eighty nine is amended. Thank you Mr chair. Colleagues This bill is not as long as it looks it does have fifty five pages but a lot of a strikeout language from the old languages which will go away in two years when The actual bill would be put in place and twenty five this is not a bill that we're going to fix it as soon as we ran it if at all passed through it would still be in the year twenty five that would be made into an act of the the handout I passed you is basically a brief of what this bill does I want I want to go through the bill you can look at some of the fund of some of the handouts and some of the way it does and what it does it changes the K. twelve public school funding modifies accountability system. On the page for the handout it kind of shows you the multiple funding streams of from the prior in prior your enrollment current year funding and stuff like that I know some of those kind of hard to say so I want to I want to kind of go to the Bill real quick. If you have any questions will try to answer all those I don't know if I can but pages one through fifteen I'm sorry Page one to twenty eight is all strike language in the bill so just you know any more about that to start on the Page twenty eight and paid yet thank twenty eight is the title of the bill and the Legislative findings and intent of the bill and the legality legal of the constitution a decision of spring of the Supreme Court of Lake View version of verses Huckabee and two thousand twenty two and it's absolute duty the state provided public children school children with an opportunity for an adequate education that's basically the first part of the bill pays twenty nine continues all things that we are to do to provide a public school students page thirty the General Assembly declares the that the creation of new form the for for. Former for funding of free public education system in the state of Arkansas is awarded to this funding foreman must be designed to support the areas in the following parts of the pages of those being on page thirty two Try to get there Those definitions in the subchapters. Of the average membership daily membership means the sum total number of days in a public school we all know a lot of this distant these definitions are all just definitions that we already know they were in the old bill of basically residing in the boundaries a public school enrolled in a public school all of those things you can look down on page thirty two I believe those go all the way through thirty four and a lot of or just the definitions for those bills it does have career technical program and that means a coordinated non duplicate sups subsequent of acted it academic and technical it is late at night I'm going to be talked a little bit here trying to do this quick so There's a there's a lot of information in the bill a lot like I said a lot of this is just up that we moved over from the old bill is is put in a little bit of different the different language now. The biggest thing I could tell you all of this stuff that we're putting in this bill will still be open to the Department of it to go through input rules and rags to to clean it up and put it to the right things that we do but most the foundation I mean most of the you definitions will stay the same but the state board can promulgate rules to meet federal requirements on page thirty five and we got the foundation funding clues of funding allocations the public school receives in the in this right now this twenty two twenty three school year under for other funding sources identified by the House Committee on Education of the committee on Senate and Senate Committee on Education with assistance of the Division of elementary secondary education during a twenty four biennium adequacy review study. Will be the local con contribution means a dollar amount the uniform rate tax tax rate of twenty five meals that the local government is required to pay towards local share of the public school funds and membership means the total number of kindergarten through twelfth grade that's how many students are in the school of the road in a public school state of Arkansas Arkansas resident means of residence ms look mislaid funds make funds received to a school district I'm still or some of the definitions I'm reading of. The biggest I guess one of the bigger changes that were we will have to define exact sizes and some of a pretty close on some of this will make sure we have the right or the changes in the size of the schools of the the public school means a public school or public school district or an open role public charter school means a small district which means a public school district with the membership between three hundred and fifty one and five hundred this is the one thing that I really like about this bill that changes what we used to have is the five hundred number was our bottom and that's what we had to fund down to and we could go lower will this allow us to go down lower on that the next the next thing we talk about is a sparse District that means a traditional public school district in which there is one and fifty one hundreds. and to students in that square mile. Of of I'm sorry on the read again public school district was there are between one and fifty one hundreds and two students between so that's means or one and a half to two students in the average daily so of membership per square mile of that's that's a sparse District we do have another definition later on a bill that just change you go to a smaller and of a very sparse unique learning learning means learning this of which for need with the public school must provide for roll student for individual services intervention active accommodations are modifications of all the rest of this is kind of sign language that we already fund with. The next page on page thirty seven is about a very small district which means a traditional public school district with a membership of three hundred fifty or fewer that's a very small the other small was above three hundred fifty so very sparse means a traditional public school where there are fewer than one. And five tenths per average membership per square mile SO one have kids per mile that's pretty that's pretty rule and we do have a lot of those I don't think I believe them also name here dear Matt Judy is one of those there is a very very sparse I don't know who has that in here there you go and it's very sparse so we're trying to bring bring those those into this and be able to Fund those schools at a different way now I want I want to tell you this does include charter schools of the only thing the charter school would not be able to do would be a very sparse or sparse because they do not have any land mass the the the small and very small will fit into them and I know Scott Smith and I've talked about this very quite a few times today and in the past it of a charter school building to fall into the small and small small and very small schools and they will This pope this programs this is support is established to support department of each student to read proficiently by grade My great three and each were thereafter the preparation of each house school graduate to succeed in post secondary program of career or in each house school group graduates choice of provision of the resources needed by a student in the state of Arkansas C. regardless of the student's individual circumstances of the Division of elementary secondary education shall implement the program beginning in the twenty five twenty six school year public school fund shall be allotted in accordance with the subject with the rules promulgated by the Division by August first of twenty five in annually on July there after so that means this is still two years down the road and that's what I've been trying to say to you all this is gonna take a little while to get it worked out my my goal. Is to work this along with the next adequacy of. Funding cycle that we will start in January I believe this up to the chair when they start that but we started in January last year so we would work that cycle on the old in and pull this along beside it and see how the numbers fit into it what number of work to be able to get those in we haven't got to the White ship so the wait Sir Another thing that how we will do this found the foundation funding amount on page thirty eight now waiting L. cations direct allocations and the student would generate funding allocations that includes the following up for a foundation funding amount waiting allocations for each individual student means every student will have a certain amount of waste that he will have or she will have attached to them whatever their needs are how that needed a fix them whether of we're going to get into those in a minute what they actually are during the biennium adequacy review process the House Committee and Senate Committee on Education or to determine the tiered wait allocations for each student so we I can't tell you how much those be money wise because we don't have that Bay City in when you do a model school to see how it works out and then we can work those in The economically disadvantaged would have a wait for it Experiences concentrated poverty that would be a weighted allocation form resides in a small district provides in a very small district resides in a sparse District district resides in a very sparse District these are some of the ways that those students would have a tax that would make the funding go up to the school for those things the Division of elementary and secondary educational promulgate rules to establish the category categorize unique learning needs of up to ten levels that are based on the additional resources required to support each unique learning need sold those will be decided by the the state of by the elementary and secondary education. receive regular down. And a fourth grade student the who is determined not to be proficient in the English language arts and the student achieving a performance level rating of the two lowest performers categories in English language arts and student most recent comprehensive assessment. They were this unit is assigned to an a student who is assigned to it but that would be a wait for those what I'm trying to say and the students sign to career and technical program that's a way to direct allocation for student who qualifies under subdivision if is one is in grade eleven or twelve in a public school has not previously taken ACT test a student who is a grade eleven or twelve in a public school and who has previously taken an ACT assessment only one time those are let out for what's a student kindergarten through Kate Kate three those get what's the student who attends an open enrollment public charter school they get it of the direct application funding for student generates of this section shall be administered and allocated by the department of public schools and the students and the members duration so. I hope you're getting the gist of how this will Fund it'll have the base funding it'll have weights that will fund it will have if you go to. And look at the And I'm trying to do is quickly leave. I know everybody's tired if you look at the page sixty pro one already fellow pyramid if you say lawyer pyramid that's that was the start just over the foundation you do the what's next then you have the direct funding and We find the direct funding announcmenet. Well I'm not I don't think I have the direct funding amount in my in my notes here but The outcome funding will be determined by the house and Senate Committee direct which will set up with an outcome what the outcome findings how much those would be those of the that's the very top of that peer incentives Senate of subject to appropriate appropriation the Division well that those incentives and things like that will be set up to that. The following categories of student shall also generate incentive dollars at two times the rate of the students who do not qualify this a bit economically disadvantaged students students and the identified the state board as a not proficient English language base of it in the students with individuals with disabilities. Those will receive a wait and learning disabilities it's all it's all kinds of disabilities what we usually have Try. We also have a commissioner of education and secondary education shall convene a group of individuals with. Relevant experience and expertise to advise him or her regarding outcome incentive dollars an outcome goals that would be the very top the outcome goals alchemic sentence of this group of will be of set up by the superintendent chosen by the. Secretary or the Commissioner of Education three superintendents one individual selected under subdivision shall be from a public school located in an urban very curry a suburban area a rule area one existed existing educator the chair of the house Education Committee and that would probably be either him or her or their designees as it usually is on these of the chair of the Senate Committee same way chair of the state board of education one parent of a student enrolled in Arkansas. One who is a bonafide resident. Of the state of Arkansas a business leader in the state and one member of a public school district board director from a public school in the district. additional funding which we always have an art of pieces professional development. Of the Division may partner with or choose a firm corporation or executive education service cooperative to provide the knowledge skills experience and expertise in the development of a researchbased process for implementation implementation of professional learning communities secondary vote of vocational areas center funding for each year the sect secondary vocational area center funding shall be established by tiered funding structure for the purpose of doing distributing. For each full time. A quick lunch student as defined by the Division of career and technical education that's a exactly what we have now that same language will will just carry right over. All right let's see. For anything else I'm missing. There's a lot of language of the ID like Senator division of professional development is. Seriousness on page forty seven this section is available to the following individuals of their there's a and a committee go back up here. Professional development series required by this section shall include without limitation an in depth explanation of this subchapter instruction how to budget increase student achievement connect student achievement within investments in education and hold decision makers accountable for funding decisions this division so make the professional development series required to the sub section of this section available the following individual request which is directors of superintendent spoke school members a public school districts boards member governing body of the chair members of the public charters ploys those sub school of public schools and the Division of show creator procure and make available no cost participants a required professional development series for the public school employees that is tailored to professional duties and the various types of of the things they are. page forty eight has accountability each school shall produce an accountability report that establishes goals for student achievement including a goal for seventy percent of the public schools students in grades three taking a comprehensive assessment program is achieving a performance level in the top two levels of the company it's in civil assessment program in the current school year and how to establish goals can be met with the public schools budget. describes how the public school's budget expenditures for the previous school years enable the public school to make progress toward the student's achievements goals established by the public school for the previous school years however subdivision eighty two a of this section shall not apply to the account of the report required of this subsection submitted by the public school for the first year following implementation of this subchapter accountability report under this subsection shall be. presented to the public for comment before the accountability for submitted to the division of elementary and secondary education the calendar report required under subsection of this should be submitted to the division by November first two thousand twenty six in their each November one there after same thing we do with our adequacy report every year. It has also in there of a public school gets do you to F. rating what they have to do what they have to go through to be able to come out of that fix those things I'm not gonna read all that to you I know you tired so those are things that we want to ask questions will go back and try to pick up there's all it has to be done for the school's academic programming and spending of the schools that Austin we have those already. Of funding adjustments for over payments if the Division of elementary secondary education terms that or payments been made public school under any appropriation authorized by this subchapter they may withhold payment from subscript state funds transfer the amount from the overpayment to the line of appropriation and rest are rest request a refund from the public school. And public school must comply property tax report prepared to provide a rebel information impacts the funding of public education General Assembly upon the Legislative Joint oughta Committee Arkansas legislative audit shall prepare a report regarding assessment collection of property taxes. calculation a miscellaneous funds this is probably what you've been waiting for I guess for the purpose of initial calculations of foundation funding and weighted funding the Division of elementary and secondary education shall calculate the miscellaneous funding of US public school district as aggregate amount of the miscellaneous funds for the public school district received in a calendar year previously of a committee of the preceding the beginning of the current school year of fiscal year multiplied by the ratio of the uniformed rate of tax to the public school district total millage rate as affected in January one of the calendar year the public school district receive the miscellaneous funds. Or some other language there will skip on down the of funds are in line to on that one line twenty seven that same page fifty one some of the following amount shall not exceed the foundation funding amount under The weighted funds foundation funding aid or for the current school of foundation data weighted funds for the current current school fiscal year I'm trying to read it with my mom does put in with the amendment so I kind of stuck those inner. Of the school district mislaid funds calculated calendar year in which the schools. Fiscal year began ninety eight percent of the uniform rate of tax both of the property assessment of the school distribution under this subdivision of this section. Foundation funding funding amounts and weighted funding announcmenet is aggregated amount of misled Fund for the calendar year which the current school I think I just read it but I don't think it was the same page same thing again I believe it is of skip to that again same thing by an I annual adequacy study additional duties regularly review this is for the Senate and education house Education Committee to do foundation funding as determined under section subsection six dash twenty dash to twenty seven oh six weighted allocations as determined under subsection six dash twenty decks dashed twenty seven oh six correct allocation amounts under the of the same code and student outcome incentives amounts as determined under that same code and identify the need for revisions additions and. Deletions deletions to the funding announcmenet requirements of this chapter. the House Committee of education and Senate Education shall Meeting jointly done by anyone by annual adequacy review process just like we do shall prepare and report on or before November first and provide a report to the governor state board of education and make any recommendations and necessary revisions additions or so as we always do Progress review board would beginning on July one twenty six there's a a progress review board shall consist of the secretary of the department of education commissioner Billick elementary and secondary education if the commissioner is an individual of the secretary of the department of education the chair of the state board of education to members of the Senate appointed by the pro tem of the Senate to members of the House appointed by the Speaker of the house each member of the progress review board shall serve a term of two years the member fails to meet the qualifications in which the member was initially pointed during a member's team member position on the progress review board shall be vacated. Of progress the board shall establish a public the public schools minimum goal to increase public schools third grade student force writing and comprehensive student assessment program to seventy percent of the students. in grade three achieving the top two levels just like we paid in the other part of there's a whole lot of things about what progressive Review Board does their we'll get to last page analyst which been waiting on the Division of elementary and secondary Education shall promulgate rules necessary to implement this subchapter when adopting the national rules to implement this subchapter the final rule shall be filed with secretary of state for adoption under subsection twenty five dash fifteen dash tool for princes. Only before January one of twenty four and if approved it will shall not it it has not occurred to the twenty fourth of practice in a script so that it comes down to it thank you for the state to sexual be affected on or after July one of two thousand twenty five that's the pretty well the the beef of the of the bill I'll try to take questions I know we've got a bunch so we'll go for. President Cozart thank you for that presentation representative back you're recognized for a question not too bad. What I read I read a little bit on it before and I did I'm not a mystery miss read some faces of there but I. A lot of people like myself accounted for around here there is a lot to digest real quick here But not mine I like it in general I like it looks like it's it's it's got a lot of holes in it yet right obviously there's got a lot of parts to be put back in not agree but but I generally like what what you're what you're going here the only real. Considered the call question now if I if you're just wanna question is what I was looking at the the the pyramid off on this you talk about the foundation and the student lights and all that Mike my question with this is. The output I mean I know this is David disorder showing I guess at the large would the I'm assuming it the large part of the funding would be foundation funding and then the next part would be the student weights and then direct and then the other I'm saying that's proportional as far as. I mean it's not I'm sure sides active proportional but it's it's showing that those are smaller so what if it if I took this funding as a whole well I end up with a student number are a per student numbers you would you would end up at something I've I've got it I have one I don't have one for our state but I have one for what Tennessee did okay I'm just going to kind of read it to you and it's it's basically they have student one and student to Aston detect the base their base was sixty eight fifty so I'm just going to kind of show what they have they have sixty eight fifty and I have everybody is eligible for that so this is student one and then they had economically disadvantaged construct the poverty sparse small charter unique learning that student had unique learning that student was a K. three grade students so they got the base times twenty and then they got another five hundred so that students total funding was eighty seven thirty two. That was that one student number two had a little bit more need they were the base they were economically disadvantaged they were constructs of poverty sparse small unique learning double double version of that I don't know what that really means and then they were a great for tutoring that brought them in fifteen thousand five hundred. And also I mean I don't know how that fits exactly what we will come up with but that's kind of how that goes the more weight you put on it the more that one student gets now not all the students in your schools are going to have they're gonna be more look like between here in between there they're going to be a mix so I can't tell you what it's going to be to we actually put numbers on and do a model and that's what we need to do during the time frame that will start work on or others a do some models as we see what that's going on. Please recognize I know it's late but The Amendment maybe maybe it's just like we should I should just shut up but one question I'll be quite. So. Your term a student wanted student to there are those sort of is is there going to be a group of students and and. The actual students Matcham are we evaluating every student every student every student will have their own it's it's I don't know how you say it but they do keep up with every student they have their name their numbers I mean a with a number or whatever I don't know what you do students but every student is individualized in this plan so if you've got a boy going to school there and grants got a girl going to school there they're gonna be different each one of those will pull their own weights their own characteristics and how their how they are and then the sum of all your of all the students that you have in your in your school district will determine you Adam all up that'll determine your full foundation of your total funding based on the base plus all the weights plus all the outcomes and a direct funding thank you. President Cozart. If we took with with with this model. If we took the exact number of dollars that we just approved in. The adequacy bill we pass on this committee couple hours ago if we took that same exact amount of dollars imported out of our current matrix input into that matrix where's the gains and where's the losses I don't know I can't really tell you that we do do we build a model Like I said each school is going to have a variation of every type of kid with different different little checks on this of of what different weight so it's hard to say exactly I don't think it the outcome the total outcome would be the same but those numbers in between would be I can't tell you what we start where we finish. But we have to work on that that's why this is going to take this to twenty five to set up that's that's what the issue not all season issue but that's just how we have to do it without the bill that model one of the bill that school they will have to build each one and how it's going to affect the school and try to do it in a budget that we can live with and and this was at the base the base is where it starts and that's what you've got to start with and figure out what the base is a bill do those weights all with okay so we're working on starting a model already I could start a model but I can't actually we're just going to put a number in your bill represent McKenzie. Thank you Mr it may be to help with the dialogue do you have any idea of what the average amount per child is in Tennessee because we that's a great example to great visualization notice if they have been here I don't I'm not sure but I could really help us get to I wish you and I think I told some of you all this morning trying to get with the gentleman that is the chair Tennessee's good friend of mine they have they have a riot if capital today so he was kind of totally messed up on trying to get back with me on some things. The. It wasn't as much of a ride as they really thought it was kind of it was more peaceful ride I think Hello fellow for such a thing as a peaceful ride and that's fine I I appreciate it we are happy to connect offline I don't I don't think they have a number that they have for the the on average that was one of the things I tried to find and I don't have it sorry. All right representative makes. Thank you Mr so I'd just again it's late so just to sum up all this is in this last simple a terms as we possibly can so the funding matrix is very inflexible it's designed for a five hundred students school and that's all it does what you're proposing this what this bill is going to allow the matrix to have flexibility to try to be tailored to the needs of the school district is that a correct characterization of what we're doing that is true because we have so many small district right now that are are under funded because of that are in an understated their teacher ratios are so messed up because of that also they have to have you know that they've got six hundred they have to have probably two principles but that they're not up enough on that next level to get those but under five hundred they really suffer because they don't get that the of the ATM to match that five hundred that should be so and I appreciate his opponent this been issued for as long as I've been on this committee so I appreciate you trying to take this off the only other question I have Department education's good with us no problems with them all right what what feedback you get from that it off I may not. To say but Greg Rogers has worked with me on this and and I've talked to them and just about every day on different things we work on amendments we had another member that's what I just put on there we had amendment last week to get some other stuff on it so we yes they have been worked on a great read over the whole Tennessee plan made the correction for us and I've had good help to aid your back over a bill or she's work with issues one of our people that presents to us the bill or and it's usually Johnson is also worked real hard on it with the source this is not me I mean I will tell you this is not me my good friend and tennis the show this to me and I was tickled to death when I seen it I said this is what we've been needing something like this we need to Julian and Adrian took it and adapted it to fit Arkansas we set out quite a few times moved things around the things around and trying to make it correct we know that in the Department of it will have to promulgate rules for that I've come to A. L. C. and get all of those okayed and hopefully everything works perfect yes a lot of pressure to work on this because I agree this is much needed. Representative painter. Thank you Mr chair I like this I just wanna make sure I understand it correctly so schools with less is necessarily lose funding but they could gain increase in funding correct yes. Yes that's what we've got a set out I believe that the way it's set will have to really work on the baseline of and and make it work for everybody because we put it too low and we've not heard something here but we got to work on that baseline because the weights are what make sure funding go up and I believe that I believe it'll all equal out we just got to figure out what that number is and how to start thank you Mr. Representative flowers. Thank you Mister chair I know this is repetitive and Rick represent painter just ask but I want to be more specific so no school public contradiction all public schools will lose any funding notice says and building if it would be at least ninety eight percent of what you've already got the last time it would never go below that so if you if you simply two percent but no more than that's what the bill says Mr. Any other questions from members. Seeing none. Dr Anand is. You're here to speak on the bill. Thank you Jerry again at my command is here represent Arkansas Association educational administrators We have spoken briefly to to represent Cozart about the bill he came into the presentation for some of our superintendents I think the the overall major concern with this I guess is that you know we had a short amount of time to look at this one our current funding formula was done with the large group lots of input as far as I know administrators have not been involved in the discussion something that this can be distressing of a change this is in the study this is a injured saying by adopting this we're changing our current funding formula you heard at a representative Cozart we've had this conversation about the base funding that's probably our overall concern if if we spend. X. billion dollars in state funding for schools if that moneys remains to stay the same then what you're looking at is a redistribution unless you know my understanding is that in Tennessee one I I've talked colleagues over there they put in about a billion dollars to make this work and and and represent Cozart may say something different but the last time we talked you know we ask about the base funding My understanding is that would be going down initially and in that case school districts that have looked at this especially ones that don't have a lot of these qualifiers like high members special ed high numbers of poverty they would stand to lose if that based funding goes down so think about it this way if based funding stays where it's at now and you at all these multipliers on top of that it costs more money and there's not really a good way around that now if if the if what you're saying this money's going to be added to this part to make it to where you know school districts are going to be whole as what they are now and things on top of that that's great but if it's going to go down there's just not enough numbers to say what does this look like how's this going to work and so what I fear is that a lot of the districts that just presented to you on the one eighty five per kid those are the school districts that not only didn't get the one eighty five per kid but they're also petition to be losing and based funding because they don't have all these multipliers on top of it so those are just concerns that we have and we just don't know what it's gonna look like because we have no numbers and no examples thank you. Representative that. Thank you for more questions and I'll stop but what what what and is you either one of you guys can go out this but. It seems to me like if we adopt this and you say that. And the thing is no school district can lose money the base funding has to go up there's no way cannot because we know that we got increased funding to the smaller school districts and if you increase that fund you have to the the the the base has to go out the but will pay for education has to go up it seems like or somebody's gonna lose money where you calling based funding. Well okay the amount of money the state pays for education right now okay so you so right now we just we were at we just ran a bill to make it seventy five six that's not base its not that's out right. At the I understand that but what I'm saying is. Right now the state pays I don't know what the actual number is but that that that how many billions of dollars that goes education three point six billion last year right so. What this says is you're saying no school district loses the funding then that number has to go out well. I understand what they're they're saying if we lessen input Celestin seventy four hundred in that number. But if that is the outcome that's the total that would be the top if we were starting with a base you look at the permit Sturch based in reading what's been your reading directs and rex for everybody just wrecks so that's that's nobody is losing direct funding that's where all your your T. goes back into up on the top is into the direct and then the outcomes is when you do good you've got the outcome so that money is not going to go away you're going to have it all everybody will get what they're getting probably now exactly or more I mean we've got to set those numbers I can't set on today because we've got to work on on everything so but it's you can't start what we have now as a base then you would have if you did that you would have more than what we showed you on those little guys of the student one student to we probably would below the chart on that so your your base that's what Tennessee did their base was sixty eight you know that may be what we need to do it may be when you may need to do sixty nine I don't know I don't know what the basis but you can't start out at seventy four right now I okay so so you're saying that the school district's. Base what what I'm saying base what I'm saying is what I guess I'm looking a little bit I understand where you're going with that but I'm saying that the amount of funds that the state pays for education it was going to have to go up our more than likely some school district's gonna lose money I want to we are losing money I agree with them they're losing money I think the learns Act. As we know we're I'm I was not happy with word of that last bill was that the represent eleven run I thought it need to be more and I think a lot of people in the need to be more but we're going to have to grow that back but we've got to do it in a slow fashion we can't just jump out in and below the blow the budget on it so I think that's what I said I want to work this along with it you've got it you've got two years before this past has or will become a law if it's not going to work we can kill it. You just don't you don't let it be an act I like the concept of I'm not a license. Yeah but I mean it's it's is there to safeguard on there is safeguarded representative McKenzie. So set a different way. Seventy seven hundred dollars what we just passed in theory is a blended rate that's when it runs at the very top if we were to take this triangle and it right seventy seven hundred dollars right a bracket over all of this for two years that would equal that blended rate screw on average. However some would be more some of the less and then as a on a need basis or need menu ties basis we would be able to increase it the total pot does not change. What and. As one of the defining here to vote we research based Mr Gyimah reserves if it if it is a problem. Represent about you're recognized. It was going on we bring back. This call back. So my question I'll do it as you're walking that way whenever you get there you can answer but my question would be would you agree that the matrix formula that we have right now is broken and we have to do something to fix it. So I I would agree that the the matrix as it is because we continue to outside fund some of these things you know there has been a study that you know you guys did and spent a lot of time on that that said there should be some increases for at smaller schools are due to be a different look at it the the issue with this is that you know. In a lot of those cases when you go back to that study in my interpretation of it there was gonna be an additional cost of that and what I'm hearing with this thing is that. And I may be wrong but you know it sounds like we're we're wanting to keep about the same speed and and if that's the case then. There are gonna be some significant winners and losers because I can tell you can go back to your districts and say look at all of these multipliers how many of these were you really qualify the districts that have briefly had time to look at this and said we don't think we're gonna qualify for any of these addition so we talk about blended funding. It's not necessarily blended when you take away what we see is the basis the foundation funding if I don't qualify for these multipliers and that base is lowered then I will be have less money at the end you're recognized for follow up thank you A brain instead of. I'm trying to figure out how to say it sorry Sir come back to you yeah that's fine he can address that yes you may of that you know and when I said at the base I don't really know what is going to be that's up to this committees at that base yeah I mean that's up to them that's not up to me that's just what I'm saying I think that's what we gotta do we've got to run a number and I like I said I'm good with the growing if we could start with a thousand dollars is a place I'd be great can we afford that can we you know course there again adequacy is is is what we have to be what it needs to take so I can't set that feed this is what that committee will have to set in this interim while we're doing this we're working the other one we would have to run this model and see how it works along with that it could be any amount like I don't know yes Sir and that's why I'm not your speak against the bill it's because the the comments and questions that I've had with him originally were about do you anticipate the base being lower and answer that we receive would yes and so that obviously if the base is going down everybody should have balls with that it's going to benefit some districts but it's also going to be a different person and if that's where we're going that's fine but everybody needs to be clear on that if the base is going that representative Vaught thank you can you are my main point year this would take place with we have become effective it's not so it's not like next year or even the next year or even. Twenty five. One of it doesn't become an actual twenty five so would be in the twenty six twenty seven whatever that is R. twenty five twenty six up adequacy be that funding. For me would. after the one we get ready. B.. Full two years down the road. Represent flowers. If the base is decreasing. How of how will schools not lose money I don't know what that base is doing I'm just saying I don't know how to set aside I just thought I heard him say that you told him I did originally when we start talking about us if we're going to keep the outcome the same as we have now the base would be lower because that's a bottom. That would be a starting number then you have the weights the outcomes that directs everything would make the top be the same we could start will have to figure out that I don't know what that is the on the CNO when I see that though that payment and we talked about the different. Considerations for determining per pupil funding and even made the point that most kids are going to be somewhere in the middle. And and I'm maybe hearing this wrong or interpreting this wrong. I'm hearing that and thinking this is about how we shift in spending who gets what of this money. When I hear you talk about a base being lower that makes me think that what goes into that pot before you start shifting impair mating and whatever. Changes it doesn't change ace it's the same for every school the base starts out saying for every school or every person that does not go that does not go down but I don't know what it will be S. was that we will have that that will be if you stay on this committee you will set that. Representative Hodges thank you Mr this might be for Mr Hannant Hernandez. I wasn't even planning to speak to the. Okay so you said. There might yes there were there will be winners and losers if we do this which I agree I think there has to be. So it for all four starting with it with a base whatever the base is. And they were adding weights to that to determine what you get on top of that the weights are if you're a smaller district sparse districts for lower income district my correct correct a lot more than that. A lot of but if you've been wrecked you for coming from a more populated area. That relative to the rest of the state. Is higher income so if you're more of and higher income me that that that would likely be the loser in this scenario yeah and and you know I've had this conversation with the of our superintendent of a northwest Arkansas that you know is a very fluent District has a you know a Los low low poverty rate is very densely populated and so that the concern is what is that base amount going to be so if I don't qualify for those weights Then yes you're going to see a a loser in and one of those districts are like represents what makes his district Greenbrier I think that's going to be one that DO I would look at that could have an issue we talked about hot springs lakeside earlier in hot springs all former superintendent Hot Springs we would probably see some pretty good gains out of some of that money but it might be at the expense of lakeside school district If the base if the base goes down so I predicate all that is at the basic is down and you don't qualify for those multipliers. Representative McKenzie. Thank you Mr. Thank you Mr but the same time these weights albeit are in draft form now are not the only way that can be added to this bill. Thank you. Amended. There are about twenty five different way great follows chair of. Can I take it. Thank you. At the end of the day with more densely more and more dense population we should and can expect children of need from. alternative education needs or and LD we can expect a higher rate of those so if you know that I understand what you're saying doctrine and is but larger school populations of it we're not gonna have as many of the disadvantage weights you're going to have a higher hi some of the higher weights in terms of. Students of The larger attention or more need for resource let let resource learning correct yeah okay it feels like CT is one of the ways so you would CT that's a six thousand dollar of ads to the base on that support and you know it's there's just there's a lot more like these are just examples that I have so the way we've we've got it on another sheet and that would be the the weights that the department would I'm sorry go wrong Mike that would be the way to the department will design and put into the right places so. Representative Cozart. Say no other questions you're a close your bill. I believe I'm close I'd ACT five I think I've tried to explain it as best I can I know it's a it's a big deal it's hard to do I don't have all my notes here with me that. Anyway thank. Representative payee you're recognized motion to pass. Got a motion to pass by representative painter any discussion on the motion. Saying notice could no discussion on the motion all in favor say aye. Close may. Is have it Bills bank you Committee thank you Mister representative mac Linden. We got a little housekeeping to take care of here very quickly for her. Mr I have a motion a proper time. Representative voted be proper time out here your motion and they that we expunge the vote by which house bill seventeen thirty eight and the amendments were passed. That's proper motion is not debatable onforever motion say aye opposed nay. That vote has been expunged. Thank you hope. Senate representa mac Linden. You have an original amendment that will need to be adopted yes Sir for you oppose that amendment yes Sir motion I have a motion to. S. M. and a motion to pass the amendment as presented all those in favor say aye opposed nay represent Michael and I believe you have a second amendment based upon the request of representative makes you close it yes motion to pass I have a motion do pass on the amendment as suggested by representative makes station on the motion none all in favor say aye opposed nay second amendment has passed to represent your bill as amended I am I'm close from a bill. We have a motion do pass. As amended. Any discussion on the motion nine all in favor say aye opposed nay. Graduations your bill is passed as amended thank you Terry thank you committee got that cleaned up all right members. Members. Hang with me. We've got we've got a more bills we've got three presenters first one is we've got a representative Hodges he has to we have representative Johnson he's here with four and representative Gazaway I believe is across the hall nope he's here on the front row with two. Representative Hodges your seventeen fifty seven. Go out there by yourself for the record present your bill. I think I'm Grant Hodges from house district fourteen I've got two very good very agreed upon very quick bills here for you all tonight. seventeen fifty seven is the student data vendor security act so essentially what this bill does it's been a few years since we've updated this law but it increases security and transparency in the sharing uses student data by third party vendors so vendors that work with our school districts and get students personally identifiable information so the first several pages the bill are definitions if you go I think page four is kinda where it actually picks up and what it does There's kind of three fundamental principles for data security requires the vendors to provide a clear and easy to understand information about kind of what they do with the information that they're getting Explaining what data is collected when what they're doing with it and how they're using it the next section kind of deals with other limitation of the data requires all the vendors that I have the student data to only use that data as authorized in this the contract with the school. The next section requires a third party vendor to Adopts And maintain contributions of programs to protect the security privacy and confidentiality of that data. And lastly there are some exceptions listed. So the the bill really draws from legislation and a number of other states including Colorado and Utah so it is kind of model legislation for other from other states the Attorney General supports the bill the governor's offices in the bill the department has seen the bill and they're all okay with it again very agreed upon very very good bill the bill we're not going to affect until June of twenty twenty four so districts would have almost a year and a half to make sure they're in compliance and I I will take any questions and then make a motion to pass. Can have not and we cannot get to. He has to be close for his bill in a motion to pass. The New anyone have any questions for representative Hodges seeing nine anyone here to speak for against the nine. Reddy close for your bill I'm closed I make a motion to pale the motion to passing discussion on the motion hearing none all those in favor say aye opposed nay Is have it thank you Committee nation seventeen this was even easier. You're ready now for seventeen ninety five say clean up bill deals with charter schools also being able to be eligible for the minimum teacher salaries if they were not potentially eligible from what we passed learns bill I'll bring up Scott Smith real quick if you have questions it's not I'm happy to take any questions. Any questions for me Scott. Representative make sure recognized for a question involves money so I've got to ask the the the the just just for a I know I will start so is going to cost the state any money and is that money accounted for in the budget does my only two questions it doesn't cost anything skews me Scott Smith APS or see it doesn't cost any more money it's just a minimum teacher salary money that we're made available for all public schools it's making sure that the charter schools are included that's the intent there was just some ambiguity in the language of this cleaning that up all right. Any further questions. Seeing none. Representative Hodges ready clothes for your bill. Yes I've got a few pages of closing statements here. I'm close I make a motion to pass. motion do pass on house bill seventeen ninety five station on the motion the none all in favor say aye. Is not a. The ayes have it. Your bill is passed. Representative Johnson. I'm. That's why I Mr chairman if I may ask if we could take him out of order I'll try to do the EGS which is already would you which bill would you like to present first sixteen house bill sixteen forty three and I do have an amendment that they should pass out in Amendment coming around on house bill six days before his runs or Senator Davis is a co sponsor. Thank you splaine Amendment just adding a dissenting Senator Davis is co sponsored. We have a motion to adopt all in favor say aye opposed nay. Regulations are members pastor now recognized present your bill as amended. Members currently there's an acting statute that requires school campuses have an automated external defibrillator on campus what it did is required this to promulgate the rules so when you ask questions like you know what is a campus this is promulgated within the rules and desi all I'm asking them to do is and is now at school sponsored sporting events these devices are portable take these devices take them to the sporting events where the close to the athletes because it's common is is becoming more common to see young athletes collapse with a real mess the defense related to only does you good if it's there and close by we seen real life examples in recent months the van of football players on national TV collapsing and being saved by the the presence of these devices the other thing it does is it asked the Arkansas higher education coordinating board to develop and adopt rules to require them to have automated defibrillators at appropriate places on the campus and have them also at their sporting events a lot of schools already do this you know as far as added experience schools already had these devices is potential that a school might might need to purchase an extra device depending on the situation but I don't think this will be next at a much of a cost for schools because these things are portable be happy to answer any questions on this bill. Members any questions for representative Johnson sixteen forty three. I have a motion at the proper time to see no questions no one signed up to speak for against represent Johnson rate close for your bill close from a bill absent Johns closures bill reps and make sure recognized. Got a motion do pass as amended in discussion on the motion the nine dollars favor say aye opposed nay Is have it your bill is passed which thank you. house bill seventeen seventy two. And I do have an amendment on this bill and I apologize this was all these bills have some amendments I'm just trying to get the language right before he passes out because it's the last chance we have a thing to do that so that's very very noble of you Sir this amendment that's coming around to House Bill seventeen seventy two this is a this agreed upon language we had we left out a master's level program in a licensed psychology salmon or in the process of trying to create this scholarship program this is just adding those entities in to the program in the bill that I'll explain when I get a chance to represent Johnson explained the amendment I have a motion do pass station on the motion saying none all in favor say aye opposed nay translations are members passed now present seventeen seventy two is amended members that this bill started as a broader bill to do a scholarship program loan forgiveness program for battle Health professionals training be behalf health professionals this bill is more limited it's the it was the language is built to was Was drawn up with the department of health and also the psychology board at this just creates a scholarship program not a loan forgiveness program so it's much cleaner the funding is already there within the Scholarship board excess funds surplus funds from their licensure fees they collect their supportive of using that fund for a scholarship program to help try to dress of the workforce shortages in this particular area of neuro psychological testing it's a good bill is going to hopefully help with some of the work force issues the appropriations already been laid out the money's there to do it we just need the sensitive legislation to create the program happy to answer questions. Any questions. Seeing none I wanted to speak for against Reddy close for your bill I'm close from a bill. A motion to pass by representative volatile seventeen is amended on house bill seventeen seventy two. The number seven seven get that order I can seven seventy two seventeen seventeen twenty two look like. Yep seventeen seventy two correct yes I have a motion. Do pass as amended on seventeen seventy two discussion on the motion. There is a twenty two we haven't got to that one yet. Any discussion on the motion none all in favor say aye. Pose may Is have it your bill is passed seventeen switch when you're doing that in twenty to House for going back to seventeen twenty two have an amendment for that as well. Ugh. That is to get amendment to make the bill better. So the amendment what what I'm trying to really now the amendment is the bill so it's very hard to present The amendment without presenting the bill that what I'm trying to do here I'm trying to do two things the school rating system we had was developed over a decade ago very very well thought out program you know this is we have value valuation of that was was the the right thing to that time since that time you know we're using the rating system for more things that we support before when you look at the learns Act of reading systems important criteria for what some people including not including on I'm just asking for two things one is for desi to reevaluate the existing school rating system and that's the second part of this amendment so when you see number to reevaluate the since the system school rating system consider without limitation the utilization of measures provided under subsection that you can see that the substantive bill and I'll explain that we get to the bill and then I'm also asking them to create a top of rating system for the kids that are attending private schools on the educational freedom Act money and I'll be happy explain that detail to the amendment is adopted. Representantes explain the member representative Vaught I have a motion to pass on the amendment representative makes your question or motion question on the amendment you're recognized. And you make you get to this on on the actual bill on what what I'm wondering is if you're wanting to create a rating system on the the children that are doing that the educational freedom account some of those are going to be included including private schools and home schools and I'm just wondering how the. That would be collected or we strictly going to be limited to only collect again off of the students who are using these accounts to go to a different public school is represent Johnson is aye something dressed in the amendment it's I can address in the member I can address in the bill either way. Either way let's get the amendment and then we'll get to that question okay for that has represented makes representative voted you restate your motion. The motion to pass on the amendment on house bill seventeen twenty two all favor the members say aye opposed nay minutes pass you know present house bill seventeen twenty two as amended so it to address your question as I at what we're trying to as I am trying to create a rating system for the private schools specifically how we're trying to do that if you read it says credit score rating system for the collective students participating in the Arkansas children's Education freedom account program who shall be grouped by the student's respective participating schools so would be home schools this is for the the schools are participating and really my thought behind this is very simple I'm I'm for school choice in what we have now is is it we've created a situation where we're going to provide funding to the citizens of Arkansas you're gonna be able to choose between different private schools so if you're a person here in Little Rock who has some funding out through the large activities educational freedom funds and you're trying to decide between. Little Rock Christian Pulaski academy there is no rating system to give me any indication of the performance these private schools are doing I'm asking desi to try to come up with that kind of system in the way I am asking them to do is I'm going to just to consider the kids that are getting the freedom account funds so if there are ten or more kids at at a private school deter get going there on the educational printout funds I'm asking this you to come up with a way to compare those two schools with respect to those kids of intentional at the very open ended I want them to be able to look at this and decide but I do think it's fair for us to at least start talking about considering within the in the context of school choice how do we compare our private school's performance with the kids that are receiving these educational funds that help answer the question. so I backed I I'm I'm with you on the intent I'm good there my only concern is and maybe you can address it is earlier this evening we had a bill brought to us that were would require private schools to do standardized testing and and and and we killed it to be honest this and and I want to make sure that we're not through a kind of a back door way here creating a situation where does he can require that standardized testing that we just stop you said I'm saying so when you say come up with a way to do it could they potentially use that as a way to do it or will private schools kind of have the freedom to. Within reason maybe report the grades of those students or something along those lines that I I just wanna make sure that unintended consequences not there I understand that and I certainly that's not my intent but I don't think I'm leaving the door open for that and in this early so with it we do not have you know we do have some anonymity among the students so we're not requiring any personally identifiable information what we say and be is the division shall use the measures and indicators considered by the school rating system you have those measures with you in this bill usually they won't usually when the draft bill they don't include as much as I clean here I wanted you to be able to look at what current statute is right so there's a whole list of things that that that the current system could consider and I'm just asking them to you to win their establishing this rating system whatever movie that they could consider some of the same things that are in current statute I don't think that leaves the door open for that certainly this would be promulgated to rules within desi so anything they came up with would come back to LC for final approval so if I'm wrong and there's something that that comes up with it's not to the intent of the legislation there is that catch coming back three nine thank you. Well as I'm presenting the bill I'd like to point out so so that I think I've explained the private school part of this bill and you'll be happy to ask more questions that I want you to understand to what I'm trying to do what I'm asking them to re evaluate the current system so if you look at the bill on on page one third line thirty two at a this is the school rating system shall be multiple measures approach shall include without limitations it tells it tells the desi they have to include a one and two and three and four but on the on page two. Beeline three. The school rating system shall consider without limitation at least one of the following that list you know not different things but they only have to include one of those things there's a lot of good things in those nine you know it for the press to say then you'll have to click once so in in my task for asking them to reevaluate asked them to to consider again this is very soft language reevaluate the existing rating system and consider without limitation the utilization of the measures in may which they're already doing in more than one of the measures and date so right now they only have to do what I'm saying look consider using more than one and the third thing I'm saying I want I want to explain as well and in center city I want them to consider a school rating system that has more than five categories currently we have a grading system that is A. B. C. D. E. F. that's five categories about thirteen states that have an A. through F. grading system there are other states have a five star system which is essentially the same thing right it's five categories I have schools in my district that are on the verge of being a B. school. Better see school at schools in my district they're on the verge of being in the school. Better see school what I would like to see is do is go to a plus rating system so to me there's a big difference between a C. plus school. S. C. school S. C. minus school and we're not given any way for the schools to evaluate that when you look at what we're doing the large act which I truly appreciate we're we're creating we're we're limiting the categories first for the course choice for instance to schools that are C. D. and F. it would be great I think if you could say C. minus the plus because there are some schools right on the cusp of being be but we have no way to really evaluate their or look at that so I'm just asking desi Hey when you look real when when you re looking at this system consider having a rating system that has more than five categories however that might look because I think that gives you a better evaluation of what the schools are doing and how they're performing and I'd be happy to answer any questions on on this bill. Any questions represent representative Johnson represented mackenzie recognized thank you Mr and I'm just trying to wrap my head around this in terms of what is the essential are quintessential nature of school choice allowing dollars to follow the student as opposed to finding a system is that parents that are become the arbiters of what they value as being an important indicator or marker for what they want to see R. their child's education so instance you know all of these are are very adequate and important statistics but if I as a parent value of you know a faith based education or something that is you know based on the classics or a or a trainee M. style curriculum albeit there are elements of these characteristics in the things that I value they are not clear indicators of the things that I value in in when creating a rating system I believe that. More or less that I mean and I don't to say picks winners and losers because that's too far of an oversimplification it creates an indicator that I think could be a misnomer to what the at the true intent of that school and and why people are access education freedom accounts. Our our our truly using that those monies for took to those dollars can follow other students to match the type of education they want their children to experience so albeit I I appreciate the intent I think that it's creating a rating system that. These private schools albeit what a well rounded education hopefully the outcome of all of them it may not be what the purpose of that school is. Don't you would you agree yeah I don't I don't disagree and I'm not trying to mandated dictate where anybody goes to school I'm just trying to provide more layers of information so certainly you you know if you're choosing your school you would have to consider the rating system and all and she's in the school I mean this is just if you but if your parent who wants to consider rating system this would be a ready system that you have this is not in any way it to be punitive or declarative it's just meant to be more information for consumers trying to choose whether kids want to go to school if you you know if your person who wants to choose a faith based or whatever curriculum you want you don't have to look at the races or you can look at and say okay that's what that's part of that really doesn't mean much to me but it you know it does provide another layer of information that's currently not there it in till we start spending tax dollars on the schools doesn't make necessarily says for me to have once we start giving that money to people to use I think we ought to empower them just like we do with the rating system right now school choice and school choice in public schools part of the reason there's a rating system there is so that so that parents can make an educated choice don't want to take it to a B. school or C. school or the school I mean that right and what I'm doing here do you this is existing rating system none of that is anything new I'm just asking desi to look into it re evaluate it see what you come up with. Representative Brooks for questions thank you Mr chairman maybe more of a clarifying statement as well as the previous question because I think what we should do so I guess would you agree that right now learned actually does have a testing requirement for private schools that accept via faces just to speak up what was or were represent makes a saying earlier on there is a requirement for schools to take to take the FAA and and that data actually will be published in aggregated that'll be available so would you agree that some of that is most of those acts already addressed within learns I would agree that it sounds like there's a testing requirements I don't think there's a rating system but it sounds like Lawrence has all the information there to create one should I desi be able to look into it and uh consider doing it I believe yet and I guess all of trauma when your grease again I believe that that that part of part of of the requirement in learns is is for that data to be available based upon rules are promulgated yes. I agree. Questions for members. Seeing none the one here speak for against the bill. None representative John street clothes for your bill I'm close from a bill thank you representative Johnson's close for his bill believes seventeen twenty two. Motion by representative Vaught do pass as amended a discussion on the motion seeing none all in favor representative Hodges. Yeah just real quick I'm sorry I. The the private school part I probably have some concerns with but the the section that's changing the existing public school rating system has been developed over years I'm a little concerned about tinkering with that here at the end of session without really being able to. Can I think that through especially because I think the department and the state board of education could already. Do a lot of what you're asking them to do in the bill without requiring it lost so thank for those reason gonna have to to be a no. Represent flowers. I wish I could ask a question I was trying to be quiet unit as well but I'll make it the statement that it sounded to me like this is something that is setting parameters for experts to come back and offer something to A. L. C. which none of it sounds. Definitive punitive extreme at all. For a courageous and I think that if we want to truly offer choice to people we have to give people information and tools and. If we do it for our traditional public and and our charters I it just baffles me that we wouldn't want to provide any information to parents so that they can make informed decisions. I don't think this goes nearly far enough but the idea that we would put something in the hands of. Professionals to determine as we have made these huge changes you know in our education system to make sure that we are moving forward with a rating system that would reflect the changes you know it seems to me that it's something we ought to consider Favorably and see what happens on the A. L. C. and of the fact of of the process so for that reason I'll be voting yes thank you representative Cozart. Thank you Mr. Private school rating system bill is already addressed in learns of. The large bill requires testing and results. Two state to measure success they don't have to report other information so we can already address the data point we have and that this was manner so that's just what I got from. Some of the people from Lawrence. Information. Well no I just I sent it to me just now. We get results I don't know that's just I don't know. The public is public right here I just gave it to you but yeah but I mean I don't I'm sure it is once they do that it would be public but that's just how it it comes to the larger yes in the in the learns acted it addresses there's a dashboard that will that will have all of that data available I was just sent by her son representative back. I'm telling you pull at my down. out. I I we were talking on the motion right. Yes we are most social motion I want to yeah I it does seem like it's a bit yeah we have it learns it's available to the people making the choices it's so we're saying okay but we now we need another system in may maybe it might use part of the part of the you know information of the others but it just seems like it's it's kind of like. Double dipping on this implies and. The parents to choose these private schools are are are you know they're it they're going after they know why they're taking their child in that school you know for the what they're they're going after what they want their child to get whether it be you know religious or whatever so I think they've already taken that I had and I think since. But honestly the private schools are is is is a pretty small group and I think it's well known as to what the what they're offering at each one of the school so I did I just don't think it's necessary to be honest with you and I think it's it is it is adding more money for something that the. As little value so I'll be voting now. Here the discussion on the motion. Seeing none all those in favor the motion say aye. Opposed nay. Nays have it sorry your bill has failed you ready to run seventeen seventy three M. opened about fifty percent so these and in decreasing order of likelihood of passing. But I do what I do with this this one I wanted and I know it's late and I understand that but I think there's some important things I'd like to try to discuss this bill does have an amendment the minutes clarifying some confusion that was created in the bill the way it was drafted some of the people that were reading the bill was reading this Asa was a seventeen seventy three to seventeen said amendment is coming around it so you are presenting your amendment yes sent some people reading the amendment as a and not war situation I can explain that better once I've got the amendment adopted in presenting the bill so the the man is just trying to clarify that. I have a motion by representative needs to adopt the amendment is presented on house bill seventeen seventy three all in favor say aye opposed nay Memon has been adopted you now can present seventeen seventy three is amended members I know you're probably tired of hearing about the teacher's salary equalisation fund but I mean it I'm I'm gonna give you what I think is an idea that I think has merit for consideration so right now there is one qualification allowing school districts to access the teacher salary causation Fund that is having a median salary that is below the state median so if you if you if you're gonna qualify for teacher salary causation money. You have to be identified you know by the division of secular educations have an average annual salary below the statewide market average that's currently. The way you get that money what I'm saying is I want you to get it two ways if you're if you're below the median you get the money. If you're not below the meeting you're above the median but you spend more than a hundred percent of your foundational funding for teachers on teacher's salary I'm making the argument that you should qualify for teacher salary causation and that's in that stance what I'm saying is if you're a school district whose teacher median salary is above fifty one thousand and eighty six or whatever the median is your average is fifty four thousand but you're spending a hundred and six percent of your foundational funding for teacher salary benefits on teacher salary benefit you are in essence is a school district creating your own teacher salary causation Fund at your own expense. And I think that ought to be compensated to the teacher out the salary causation Fund this would if if this bill were to pass some of those school districts that we know don't currently get teacher salary causation Fund some of those school districts are spending more than a hundred percent of their allocated money on teacher salary this would just say that those schools now qualify for teacher salary causation funding you know when and I know you all know this because there's lots members that have been out here a long time in this committee you know you can say where will the money come from for this extra. After the large act there will be a lot of schools and I've had bill or pull the the date on this when when you when you take away the teacher salary causation Fund what when the education compensation fund was started right that was a fun that we started trying to make sure we can get the teacher's salary to thirty six thousand when governor Hutchinson may that law that was designed to phase out because we knew over time is adequacy funding went up. We knew that eventually that minimum we'll get to thirty six thousand and we wouldn't need that education compensation fund to get them there we pass the teacher salary causation stabilization teacher salary equalisation fund that was passed because we wanted to raise the median price for all the school districts what we didn't do in that process is ever consider phase out because we thought how are we ever going to get enough money in adequacy to end up phasing out anyone who's below the median so as it stands right now if you're below the median salary you are when you will perpetually. Get this hundred eight there is no phase out we didn't we didn't anticipate when we wrote that law we didn't anticipate the large act in what a boon it would be to our schools we didn't anticipate the infusion of funding that would come from the learns Act to raise these minimum salaries from thirty six thousand all the way to fifty thousand that's a huge shift and when you look at the median salaries for the school districts in the twenty twenty three twenty twenty to twenty twenty three year compared to the coming year with the money they're going to receive from alarms Act there's a tremendous increase in their median salary most of the schools now will be above this fifty one one eighty six and yet we've not made any adjustments in that average salary salary in in adequacy and so there's gonna be money in that account that's not going to be allocated to these new schools the. We know probably there needs to be consideration of phasing out the teacher's salary the inquisition find over time that we've had this confusion cast but what this bill would the would be able to give that money to a set of good performers in good stewards of the money who are giving more money back to their teachers then they're getting to be happy to answer questions on any of that. The question remembers representative make sure recognized thank you Mr chairman so are you in that you know the the the language in the the law right now sets that target average annual salary of fifty one eight so with learns Act they're radically every school district in the state should easily be able to hit that fifty wanted for requiring a minimum of of fifty my my concern is is the the way this is written is it says a school district that utilizes an amount of state funds equal to one hundred percent or more of the amount allocated for teacher salary according to the the fund would be eligible for for this one hundred eighty five dollars so regardless of that fifty one thousand dollar target if any school district even if they were at sixty six thousand dollars if they were spending more than that one hundred percent they would automatically be eligible for this hundred eighty five times the you know the daily membership so you can see that what you would basically be doing here this is my concern is every school district in the state's going to say if I spend more than a hundred percent on that line item. Then I'm suddenly now I'm going to get another hundred eighty five dollars times every student so you can see how this would be and I'm but I know that I understand what you're trying to get at but the way this is written you'd be opening up a huge Pandora's box in the huge financial burden that is just there's no accounting for the other out of the screen and when I when I drafted this bill I didn't drafted with the intent to run it at. Do you happen to have a clock or not on it address to the with the intent to to generate some conversation around the teacher salary causation Fund because I think we've got we've got some work we need to do and how that money is administered in this is a good option discuss at what I think a fair approach to be in a bad time to amend this is what I would do I would rather than give them at a five dollars per student I would give them the Delta they spent over right and so if they spent a hundred seven percent given the seven percent back right it let's make that the way we reimburse them for their good stewardship of the money let's not give my hundred eight five people us a lot of money right that but we also need to look at. What are we doing with this teacher salary possession with when is it going to phase out it because doing it you know if we now if the goal of that fun was to help raise minimum salary median salary to the state median. At the at the time of that phone was an active we've been S. it's done that to a large degree with the learns Act like do we still need to be compensating the schools that I donated five dollars kid. In addition to the learns Act money if their teachers if their average teacher salary now is. Across the state you know I mean the average teacher salaries to the point of trying to make is. Every Mayberry's bill well intended and I was a co sponsor of that bill sixty one thousand is a huge media and that's just the one more money and but we do need to consider what we're doing with this fund and how it's funding as we move forward if we're gonna have if we make those corrections representative fight you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair of representative Johnson would you consider pulling this down and putting it in interim study to give us more time I absolutely would I think that's a reasonable idea and I appreciate the time the committee's give me that look at this not pull it down and get with this you will look at some different ways to do it thank you thank you representative Johnson. I'm sorry. Later. Represent Gazaway. You've got to bills last to on our agenda. Home. Which one you'll start with. seventeen eighty to seventeen ninety one. I'm sorry at the restraint bill to be seventeen eighty two. Pillarless yourself for the record. I'm state representative Jimmy Gazaway represent district thirty one recognized president house bill seventeen eighty two. Thank you Mr this is a bill that would amend a bill that actually passed last session regarding seclusion and restraint. Of children in schools We basically codified. Some guidance that the Department bed used with respect to seclusion restraint and its use in public schools. They made that we've took what was guidance and put it in statute. This bill actually was brought to me by our old friend representative to let. I don't know if that's good or bad but Hello that helps me or hurts me but basically I thought he made a good point that you know there do need to be some exceptions when a teacher can restrain a student that would violate the law I mean there are being come on there are instances obviously where that needs to happen it and you don't want teachers to be liable you don't want to you don't want again school staff to be in trouble for it and so would make an exception this subchapter does not apply to a an emergency situation or be a situation that is unsafe or pose a threat to the safety of an individual and then in section two we say school personnel who act in good faith under this subchapter shall not be liable for any civil damages for an act or omission so long as the act or omission was not gross negligence or willful misconduct so in other words somebody gets hurt by accident in what is an act of negligence you're not liable for that not you're acting very intentionally to hurt a student obviously that's not exempted you have no. Protections for that subdivision D. one of this section does not provide immunity so it begin to clarify for school personnel who engage in wanton willful or intentional misconduct which I think is fair so I think this is you know really a good change that you know provides appropriate exceptions when restraint might need to be used once again and emergencies or if there's a situation that's unsafe or that. Poses a threat to the safety of an individual I think that's fair to all the bill does And I'm happy to answer any questions thank you representative Gazaway members any questions. Senate back you're recognized. Thank you I I allowed like kind of what we're going with this my concern would be in the maybe there is some problem but could could would it be possible if the teacher were hurt. And in trying to restrain someone that there would be a legal action against the school because that's part of their responsibility to do that are they sought as part of their responsibility yeah I think I think you bring up an interesting point I don't see this as imposing a responsibility to act I see this as. sensually allowing someone to act in a certain situation specifically emergency situation situation it's unsafe and then providing some. some immunity if you will or or protect your liability protections but I don't see this is imposing. Of a requirement to act on. Representative Dick you're recognized thank you Mr chair I want to thank you for reading this because I had I do know that is something that. It was a concern for us several years ago because it put people in difficult situations because when you have kids who are who run and you got to keep them safe and you don't know how to do that so wouldn't you agree that that's great. I would agree. Any additional questions. Seeing none. So anyone signed up to speak for against the bill represent Gazaway Reddy close for your bill thank you Mr chairman close for the bill. And would appreciate a good vote represented painter you're recognized. Motion to pass by representative painter. All in favor of the motion say aye opposed nay ayes have it bills passed thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee. What was that. This. Seventeen ninety one you're ready for that one yes would you like to. At the end Senator Dismang is here and I would ask without your permission be allowed to help present the bill. Prince credit bureau identify yourself for the record Jonathan Dismang station. You're recognized president house bill seventy ninety one percent low. So it's been a while actually I'm I'm actually pretty excited that he decided to take this up and run it this is a bill that we worked on quite a bit last session had really work for the Department ducation and I thought got to a pretty good conclusion in a good bill there was opposition from superintendent you may receive that again but I do want to go through why I think the bill is important children are not inherently evil okay so there is a child that is in the classroom is running around with a pair of scissors chasing a teacher there's a reason that's happening it's happening kindergarten room and we should be confident enough to ask why is this happening doesn't mean the expulsion shouldn't take place but why is this happening is there something that we need to know about before we send that child back home. and it in essence in a nutshell that's what this bill does it the later sections of this bill there was a lot of concern I think on the school district level that they wouldn't be able to implement this because they didn't have the resources to develop the program well that's the good news inside this bill at the end of the program we put in charter we put the we allow the Department occasion to promulgate really a process to be followed in regards to aces and so what aces are you can look on page two those are just these are a few of the list of things that may be a trigger point for child essentially is what those are so it's a it's an imminent time something is an adverse childhood experience with that I mean it and others a lot of language to the bill but the end of the day that's what the bill accomplishes just trying to make sure that the children receive the help that they need and we're asking the right questions I think the last thing that any was would want to do is again something happens in the classroom and we explore it spell a child that may be getting right that may be getting abused on and we haven't even taken the time to ask if those things are happening and trying to understand if those things are happening before we send the child home read questions or need any questions represent flowers. I do remember this and I have not had a chance to read the bill so I just have a question about what we would do with that information so let's say we. You know cultivate a program to actually collect this information in a really comprehensive and responsible way we discover that there's some things happening at home is that at that point to involve DHS or do we have social workers on tap for completely different depends on what the situation is the one thing I will say it does not prevent as a child from being expelled I think that's kind of been the narrative that is not not what happens is if it needs if the child needs behavioral support then we will try to contact to make sure that they're receiving that help that they need and A. L. E. we're gonna put them in that type of environment do they need to do I think it's just it's really dependent on the particular situation these are all unique experiences hopefully experiences numbers understand or even ever ever had happened to us when the bill came from me from a foster parent whose child was. Want to another foster home goes to a school district in he's expelled within five days. What the superintendent the principal no one took the time to ask is why is this child behaving this way and should we look for in a day. The child's exposed and sent back home in. And I think that was a short coming on the school district opening in conversations afterward the principal said well we just don't know what to do it's not a problem well that's not exactly how it should work so with that I'll just for clarification of the bill does stipulate that we do we will do something with yes okay I thank. The other quote a representative do. Thank you Mr chair I'm gonna guess is not to be a surprise to some people that I'm I'm not going to be a fan so here's my questions because I remember this bill to so my first question is can you not I mean is there are we already prohibiting school districts from expelling kids and in certain elementary grade levels. At. This is you can expelled hid for more than ten days without you know asking what's happening the following question but that's already I mean I don't remember what the grade level is but I mean I think there's room for him you can't do it in certain grades in the elementary level okay I believe I believe I'm correct on that was on the other school board members may not I I mean I have a lot of questions so I know I need to get back in. Representative makes I thank Mr I think I'm get my second win here this late hour. Yeah I know it's getting late so I've got a question the. Yeah I know so yeah so I guess kind of following up with with representative flowers the and and working with the department of education I assume they've looked at this they're good with this well the resources be made available to be able to handle those situations and then my original question which I've forgotten have not remembered is one of the concerns I've I've heard from teachers over the year as the discipline issue that they don't have the resources to be able to handle that does this help maybe address some of that concern on page four we talk about possible April supports and that's where you go into the details of what the Division desi would be charged with creating an answer that make that kind of answers your question is yes they do not have the resources I'll talk to school teachers that said they don't and the district doesn't and this is going to you know allow desi to implement up kind of a protocol or a you know that Hey if this happens this happens and it you know we're a district on its own some do have things in place some do not those that can afford it could utilize with that she's able to create thank. representative Dick you're back in. Thank you Mr chair and and as I mean I did I did really truly like that other bill So on this one I noticed that it has one of the aces is parental separation or divorce and then there's also emotional neglect. Would you agree there's gonna be a lot of kids are gonna fall in those categories before you discipline. Yes. A follow up. And okay so my next question is what is the procedure in because we just got this or I know it was filed and then I got on the job anyway haven't had a chance to look at to the degree that would like to nor have my constituents so what is the time frame. On What you what the time frame you have before when they commit a disciplinary action it was just a plan can take place because in the previous bill last year last session it was a significant and how impact was gonna have on the teachers in the classroom between when they could the fraction happened and how they would discipline them so what's the time frame here if a kid is and I I'm very familiar with I'm sorry I know this long sorry what's the time for. The time frame is essentially you're making a reasonable request to kind of understand what's happening I mean I don't think there's anything explicit in the bill that creates a time frame re on that. I will give you one more. how many times like if a child is a repeat child has that issue do they have to go through some of the steps again or is it kind of documented the way that they know this is an issue so they can just go right into whatever they think the next step discipline needs to be yeah and in part of it it says you can rely on those older records that have been obtained and we've made the request I mean that's the way that I want to repeat that again there's nothing that prohibits the expulsion here just ask it says that you need to ask questions before you do representative Barker. And instead of I was Barker. Welcome back to you represent Walker. Treaty like painters okay. okay so kind of a long representative dupes question on the time frame from a teacher standpoints let's the child has missed behaved what's the what's the pause in between the miss behavior and and as the rest of the class C. in that I will nothing happens. If we have to stop and wait for all this to find out and if there's a kindergartner and this is I'm only using this causes with the example of a superintendent gave me kindergartner was chasing other kids around the room with a pair of scissors I was a known troublemaker in the room and again not our problem that's the parents problem so all this is doing it is again that you're not allow the child to say the classroom as if nothing's happening when there's when there's something clearly happening the question that may impact other children inside I'd just to. It is not as if there is placed on hold and allowed to do whatever they want to for an extended period of time I mean all it the. The only short change or the only time differences we're gonna work through these asking questions if we go through expulsion that doesn't mean that they're not separated from class or whatever may need to happen for the safety of the children in the in the room okay so you're saying it's not like you can't have any discipline now it's just not to the point of expulsion the only discipline we're talking about and you can expel and you can do all kinds of things so long as it doesn't exceed ten days. I mean ten days is pretty extreme so. All right we do have Mr Edwards signed up to speak for the bill. I'm sorry hold on top. Represent Walker. So Okay my question back So during the ten days instead of the school then the one that's asking these questions trying to investigate and do the research why are they not submitting it to DHS and letting them because they're equipped with the tools of schools are not let them figure out oak and that maybe it's on the bill I made a mistake when I ask him if interests but let DHS figure out that something is going on at home we need to remove them from the household and then work with the school district on phasing them back in instead of anyway just if you can help me understand that that's part of it they would you know whoever needs to be associate in part of that process would be and that is part of the concern I understood for superintendents before as there's not a process may be expensive development develop don't know exactly who to contact and that's or dead who would come into play and put that plan in place for at least a you know a a working plan that others could utilize. Thank you. Mr Edwards Blake come speak for the bill. Thank you my name is Frasier Edwards I am president of the one health education group president of the rule health association of Arkansas executive director of the Arkansas to pass the medical association the Arkansas college of osteopathic family physicians in the Arkansas osteopathic foundation I have helped start To osteopathic schools in the state I'm also working to help start a dent on of that school and state as well I have tried to address a lot of the shortages and gaps including the social determinants of health regarding aces from the provider standpoint in my opinion what this bill does is it helps fill in those gaps from the other side of it this is a comprehensive bill that allows not every student or. Child has access to health care providers who are equipped with it to to diagnose to treat all of the have the access everyone knows that Arkansas has access issues I want to be as brief as possible I know that there's quite a few questions regarding this asus has been a a project of mine that I've worked on for a long time well even before this bill where I've Worked with a lot of different groups to A fellowship programs for providers to be able to be equipped to know recognize and treat these so yes A representative I know you had quite a few questions yes lot of children will have a set scores for greater is considered where they will have additional health care issues associated with it but yes there's over sixty one percent of the children in the country have at least one or two And on the races. So That is a major concern covid also made that a lot worse these children were locked up in their house typically in negative situations where They could not escape that so they were literally in these high stress environments that change the physical make up of their brain and their development we do not know the extent of that yet because we are just now coming out of covid so to what I really like about this bill isn't. From the comprehensive aspect of it knowing How to knowing the problem and knowing how to address it and getting them to the resources that they need to go we're not making the problem worse by sending them right back to the places where they've already been abused or neglected or food desert's all of the different avenues so I wanted to address that your question about how many times typically in medicine with physicians will do as two times in a year they'll re evaluate it and that's standardized by CMS as well. So bill test the come back there's also resilience tests that come across there's adverse community experiences this will the data itself that will be collected will help drive community health needs assessments that will get resources to the communities in which they need to go so you'll be able to really actually focus and save money on resources instead of a shot gunning it to just any and all carte Blanche so. And as far as the tools necessary the asus questionnaire and the asus test is a standardized nationally standardized test is readily available at any time you can go on look at it it's fifteen questions anyone to take it it's if you are thinking in my opinion if you are thinking about expelling or suspending student taking a five minute call questionnaire with a student who is possibly chasing someone around with scissors or something along those lines and understanding where that child is coming from it isn't is an obligation. Thank you Sir any questions for Mr Edwards. Representative do thank you Mr chair I want I want to say first of all. I don't really have a lot of I really don't have a question per se I just which no I'm not coming at this and not having an understanding and I'll explain more that when I have an opportunity to comment I do appreciate I understand that there are a lot of issues I've seen on but would you agree that school boards often have capable people that are on those boards making decisions and staff members in the schools are often very capable in many schools I think a lot of schools I think most schools and are able to make a lot more decisions than we give them credit for sometimes. I guess I'm not understanding coming because I I completely agree there's a lot of. Follow sorry I have to ask things I have to into the question so all that what. I'm sorry. Any other questions for Mr Edwards. The man Sir thank you for your testimony and for being so patient today to get to this bill. No one else signed up to speak for against represent Gazaway rate close for your bill. Thank you Mister chair I. Wish I could have Senator Dismang close for this bill because it is such a wonderful job explaining it but I think that you know this bill shows the appropriate care and concern that we should have for all students. who who are attending public schools. Thank you senator Dismang said when you see a child who has these behavioral Behavior problems clearly there's something there has to be something else behind it and we should be asking these questions so once again I think it's just a showing the appropriate care and concern that we should toward the students who exhibit these behaviors and I think it's a good bill in. would appreciate a good vote. Represent Gazaway closers bill president to make sure recognized. Motion to pass by representative makes a discussion on the motion. Representative Duke thank you Mr chairman I'm sorry I is because I know we all want to go home believe me I thought I was driving home to grab its not not now but. Backstory that y'all didn't know this bill this bill that ran last time is a big part the reason why I'm here because I was serving on the local school board I'm gonna venture to guess I'm maybe not but I'm districthas I'm probably the only one that's the most recent one the seven expulsion hearings and it is the hardest part is my former for school board members are who will say is the hardest part the job that you do on a school board absolutely but we set back there in my school district on a on a. I think really good board that has spent hours we've done board meetings like this this late trying to make the best decisions for kids because on the back of our little name plates was what's best for kids. I work I have worked with kids since I was sixteen years old I know that the kids run around the classroom with the scissors I know the kids that are dumping over chairs I know all those things I don't question any of it and throughout this session I have talked to somebody if my fellow colleagues that I knew that this was a passion for them to try to get on the same page with them and to talk about the look I understand the problem informed I do understand that trauma is an issue I've seen it I know what my problem with aces is it's broad because so many kids fall these definitions. My second problem and and I also know that what the other bill looks like and how broad even more broad that bill was and where we go in education and in politics and everywhere is we get a little bit and the next time we come back we to look at more and next time we come back and a little bit more I I've watched it and I sat there school board meetings my school board meeting with a frustrated Board because down here in Little Rock. Rules are being made on how we were supposed to discipline our school district. We knew our kids we feel the same way during covid we knew our kids no one love those kids more than we did because I get that a state or not but I'm holding it no one loves those kids more than we did what school with them we go to church with them our own go to ball games with them and we had people telling us we know better than you do on how to have those kids I know there are perfect school districts I know there's some that are trained better than others. But this is sloping down below school boards. And coming in and telling them how to handle discipline issues in their school districts this is swooping down on teachers and after this happened in the conversations and I I was one one to work my hardest I could last year to get killed. And I set their struggle with what I didn't want to come down here in Little Rock this was not my deal I told my family no this is not I'm never gonna do it never gonna do it never gonna do it but we got frustrated on our local school board because we felt like we were continually being undermined on issues like this that we can best decide perfectly no we're not perfect neither are any of us. But we saw it on a daily basis and I'm like down here we can change in the next board meeting. Stuff like this we can't change the next session and so when we make decisions like this week I don't those boards those teachers they wait for two years and it grew throughout my districts throughout the community in northwest Arkansas some of the discipline problems were seen is because some of the P. B. I. S. which not all positive behavior intervention supports is bad there's a lot of it's good but when we require it we make it was school districts can't make the decisions for themselves. We are tying their hands. And. I don't question the intent I get it because I see those kids and I have foster parents same thing but that we know they've told me is some of these policies rebuilding schools today we have these kids for a small window of time and we're trying to teach them structure we're trying to help them and we go to school and gets undermined sometimes because people think because we love them we shouldn't discipline them and I know that's not exactly what you're saying I understand that but you're taking the local control away from the schools and that has been my theme down here and often times it's our theme when it comes to business world but when it comes to school world it seems like it goes out the window so often and so and school boards are perfect in Arkansas but they're not they're not near as bad as sometimes they get made out I think the most important a job. And I think we can do a better way help in this and I would have loved if I'd a known sooner. I would love to come along side his I hate doing this believe it or not I am not that confrontational. By nature. But I didn't know and freshman mistake probably should have seen it coming because I have been warned everything happens last week or so. but I am such a hard no on this one and it's not because I don't think there's a need to to work with trauma kits that's not it at all but this approach right here is too far on what you're trying to local school boards and. I'm in. I couldn't believe it because I mean this is this is this is the reason why I came is because I just think this stuff is so not the way we should be handled stuff so I'm in no ask my colleagues to vote no I would be happy to work with you something to even work in the end trump to try and help us schools do a better job of dealing with that **** can't children who have had trauma and need help but this is not the answer. Any other discussion on the motion representative flowers. Try to be very brief and just say that I've. Totally respect representative Duke and have grown to know her to be very passionate and thoughtful I just want to I guess clarify that what I heard. Was that. This would in no way impact the school's decision making authority as it relates to expulsion or whatever the distant the disciplinary decision might be and and therefore I'm just not seeing where a school board's hands would be tied at all as a matter of fact what this what excites me about this is there might be an opportunity to better understand what what. Hines of trauma that children are experiencing any given community at a given school. Recognized whether or not there any patterns and enable the school to take that data to determine what they might need to do better all I kept hearing Senator Dismang say is that there's a ten day period to collect information on heat and say like that but that's what I'm hearing and the school could make the decision to expel still they I heard him answer that question probably about five times. If if it was what. Representative Duke was saying I wouldn't vote for it either honestly. but I'm gonna vote for it because I know having served on children and youth and for anyone who hasn't seen those reports of just what is reported on the hotline what is happening to kids in this state. we have to do something so that we can know what we're dealing with and know how to deal with it. Better and I think with that I'll stop and just ask for you to consider voting along with me yes thank you representative do one more thing and this was another piece that really concerned parents was and you said and it baby think it when you said that thank you by the way representative flowers is that collecting the data and that was a piece that really concerned parents because in order to find out if that child has trauma when they're doing whatever whatever acting out is in yes or saying scissors but some of that up interpretation of what you think is that bad behavior is they're gonna ask your children questions and those questions you got a list of some of them right there and that that was a very concerning peace two people in my district and not just my district I heard from them all across northwest Arkansas as they begin to see implementations because some school districts are doing this already without without being mandated to do it they were doing it already and they were starting to see some of those ripple effects and behavior whether was the intended effect of of decisions it was the unintended consequences seven. We have a motion to pass all in favor the most say aye. Opposed nay. Is have it. Police say one hand. I have two hands. Representative McKenzie. The representative McKenzie yea. The representative painter. Now. Representative Duke. Now representative long. Now representative Walker. Now representative Hodges. Now representative Garner yeah yes representative wing. Representative when. Representative Barker. Now representative Maddox representive Maddox. Representative Vaught. Yes. Representative flowers yes representative Lanny Fite. Representative Lanny Fite. The representative back. Representative back. Representative McNair. Representative make their. Representative Charlene Fite. Yes representative Cozart. Now representative Meeks. Yes. Sorry bill has failed. Members thank you for all your work. We will meet again on Tuesday to take up any remaining Senate bills no other agenda saving. We are turned.