Joint Budget Committee

In order. First I would be agenda's item and be to Senate bill two Senate Irving you wanna. Go the table order from right there whichever would you prefer. All right. Senate bill to the school safety grants appropriation Centerview identify yourself and you're free to go. Thank you Mr chair Senator Missy Irvin. And. I'm just gonna go through the bill section one gives the department of education spending authority to their operational find section to its sets up the restricted reserve which where is where where parking this of these funds and section two it further details and outlines the process that we will and go through in order for those funds then to be utilized as a L. C. will take a vote as to the initiate the process and then the rules then we'll also have to be approved by a L. C. which is consistent with the restricted reserve fund and then section C. of section two allows a transfer from the restricted reserve which requires a three fifths vote through a LC you have the severability clause and then at this section three is actually the transfer from the surplus funds into the new set aside from that we've created with this bill four and five or just boilerplate language and then section six of the emergency clause which requires passage and approval be happy to take any questions okay members anybody have any questions representative Springer you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chair good afternoon Senator I would just like to know do you have any idea I have yet in discussions with the Department education regarding what specific type programs or this money will be utilized for. Yes ma'am thank you for the question so as you may or may not be aware but this we have a school safety commission and they have been meeting and they have recommendations were going to combine that information which is based on national standards for school safety and recommendations else as well as at there has been an assessment through our adequacy process about school safety which I have the results of that and you can find this for yourself as well and and then we're also going to communicate with the schools trying to establish a baseline of what is actually needed for those schools so that we can make sure that the grant meets those needs thank you I'm glad to know that you're going to make contact with the schools to decide what yet we want to be very intentional with this money and obviously use it where it needs to go verses what you think what we think it ought to go for some legislator thanks about ago right well based on standards so that that are appropriate for school safety. Thank you Mr and I will put the final recommendation of that task force is due in October is that correct senator bill I believe so yes. You have some more questions Senator Chesterfield you're recognized yes thank you Mr chair senator being why couldn't this way for the special session after the adequacy study. At center Chesterfield this is something that because of the recent issues that happen in your body and there are this was a huge concern for a lot of schools they're in the process of trying to develop those plans right now with their school boards in with with the parents that are that are clamoring to say what are you gonna be doing differently than what we have now and and this was a recommendation that the governor had that we enacted on. So. We know that our schools need to be safe I think that is without doubt a unanimous thing in this body. We also know in order for them to be safe we need adults in the classroom we want to be there and can afford to be there I guess this one I'm concerned about the the timing of this I'm concerned about the thought behind this because if we can do something about school safety we can do something about teacher salaries would you agree. Senator Chesterfield we're utilizing the surveys of the superintendents and the teachers provided through the adequacy process that's what we're parking the money in restricted reserve because we do not have those answers as of right now as we're preparing and planning for the promulgation of the rules of the grant program we're gonna go through that process and utilize recommendations from the school safety commission as well. Thank you Mr chair thank you Senator Irvin. I guess it makes sense to me but thank you. Thank you senator senator Hammer you in seat sixty. You're recognized thank this year and I'm sorry Senator Russian issues before but it just dawned on me can you tell us about the conversation with the Department bad as far as it being promulgated through rules how that's going to coordinate with the with what Senator Chesterfield just talked about as far as the adequacy study help help us understand how that's going to harmonize and time frame which you think that will occur in. So again I think we do have an initial assessment that was done through the adequacy process which we do have the results of but there's there needs to be more specifics in my opinion about exactly what the schools currently have I we don't it's not my intention for us to have a grant program where. There's not a defines need. And so that this these funds can meet that need and so that assessment process needs to occur and we're gonna send that out in the next couple weeks we're gonna try to get through this but we utilizing the recommendations from the school safety commission and combine all that together that's what we're parking this money in restricted reserve for the development of that in that working with the Department of at two to make that process and to create that grant program appropriately for where the needs are are thank you thank you Mr. Thank you senator senator Elliots. You're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman Senator Irvin this is just an anticipatory question but do you anticipate that of when the commission makes its recommendations that these recommendations are going to be maybe. A list from which school districts may choose or do you anticipate will be maybe that plus there are some that are mandatory you have any sense of where they're thinking I guess there's something I don't want to do is a school district I'm not required to do it sister called recommendations right we'll well I think when you when you think about school safety. We think of. Unfortunately the events that have occurred with school shootings but for me school safety was really talking about the safety of that child and the administrators that are there and the teachers and the staff and everybody involved and if you look at the survey online bullying is the number one concern right now and so unfortunately we've also seen a lot of suicides in schools so for me when you talk about school safety you really need to broaden what that means and so you know in my opinion I think there should be a standard and a base level and there are things that I think we need to occur before an event and it hopefully an event would never occur but there are things that can be utilized like the smart data dashboards which we already have within the Department of and we're schools need to utilize and understand more than those things really need to be more intentionally used and utilized so that we can try to prevent anything from occurring and then at the moment that something might or may not happen if it is a school shooting then in my opinion there are things that we have already invested in and taxpayers dollars that we should be able to utilize more fully and so those things need to be flushed out and then and then at the end of that there is such an aftermath of what may have occurred and so you need be prepared on the back end of that to deal with that so you have to look at the whole spectrum of of school safety and I'm I think we have we've done a great job since twenty thirteen when we pass the safe school initiative and we've we've kind of built on that and as we understand technology and how technology changes there's all kinds of opportunities where we could actually integrate all the technology that's available so that we're able to prepare and respond immediately which is why you save lives if you can lessen that response time you're actually saving more lives when you're able to do that so we. Advances in this technology since twenty thirteen you have artificial intelligence that can recognize recognize things before it happens there's immediate lockdown there's all those kinds of things however you have schools that have already gone that distance where as you have maybe some schools that are more poor or scoring or any rule parts of the state of Arkansas that aren't that prepared yet so we've got to take all of those things into accountability and consideration when we're developing a grant program so that we're being intentional about taxpayers dollars and where they need to go and that is my priority and I think several of us that are have worked on this issue for the last couple of months well I was trying to get a sense though if whether or not how much is this is going to be optional for school districts is what I what I was asking about for example I you know that I'm not the only one that I would not like to see for example would on something today then end up finding something that says we have to have people with guns and all of our schools so for something like that or any other thing we want to consider. Do you anticipate that these recommendations are going to be optional or do you anticipate some of them are going to be mandatory As we start through this process of rulemaking and so forth I'm just wanting if there's been any discussion about those things no I have not had discussions about the okay and that's really a question for this state school commission and Dr may as far as their recommendations I'm focused on the nuts and bolts of this appropriation shall and setting and that's the way hi I just in one I want I'm focused but is connected to because I'm voting today on what's going to be funded and I would just really like to have a bit of clarification our what those rules are going to me and I. In for that I think real quickly because we're talking that establishing the grant program no one is going to force any school to make their school safer so the school district doesn't want to you know submit a proposal by the thank you know looking at like so we don't know exactly the process is but no school is going to be forced to take this money and implement programs to make their school safer so again it's it's some school doesn't want to participate then they will not have to participate I think that maybe answers your question doesn't away and the senator I want to know all of these things are going to be optional though like when I feel like the grants they're not going to be certain things I have to accept must accept along with the Graham I have never seen a grant program written that didn't have requirements that you would have to meet to accept the money that was being granted now there may be some programs out there that you just get to take money however you want to do whatever you want but I think so long as there is a cohesive consistent plan to follow some of the guidelines that is currently being worked through someone is applying can be able to you know it's even receive that grant money but again no school is going to be forced to make their school safer by taking this you know and and have to take this grant money. I will this is a lot of the icing when you say no school will be forced to take money to make themselves safer and there is some instances and when you might think to take it out take the money this is making it safer what I wanted to be sure because one person thinks and this is a mandatory thing this is one of the things you have to do to get the grant money that might be one of the very things that I think is not good for my school might not be safe at my school that's all I was trying to clarify it and then if that happens it would be like any other grant program I've ever seen then that person would not apply for the grant money okay there are requirements in place and I think there should be it would be very foolish of us to issue and I guess for working through right now in just allow people to take grant money for whatever they like to I do think there should be some guidance and bare minimum standards that should be mad of course we're not far enough along to know what those are but I would hope that there is minimum guidance that they have to follow before they're able to be awarded the grant money but again if they're not willing to meet even the most basic requirements to receive some this grant money no one is going to force them to take this grant money. I understand that senator and not what I do I just want to be clear and no way I'm familiar with the granting process but there are some things that happen when we're talking about something that is this serious and all that's been considered safe it is very clear that there are folks who think having a gun in schools is very safe I do not so I'm what I that's the kind of thing I'm talking about but in no way would I ever assume there would not be died lines demi that would just be foolish for me to even come of that kind of thing and so that is not a guidance I needed in the ground the same page thank you thank you. Thank you senator Senator Stubblefield you're recognized thank you Mr chairman Senator Irvin do we have any idea how many schools of prior to this safety commission's meeting do we have any idea I mean school the number of schools who have a ask for she'll grants through in our A. R. a C. O. P. Grannis that would meet up with the recommendations of the safety commission the lord put those those protocols in place are they still eligible for. That's a great question and. One of the things that I think is a priority is making sure that. If you have already utilized any of those federal funds it would be nice to know where they have used a lot says and if they've been able to take advantage of those and so I don't have that information senator samples is there anyway we could get that because I have no open a number of schools of art put in receive these grants to shield grants and sale progress the president alarm systems and and met many of the other criteria that was recommended by the safety commission right add an trained of staff and provided weapons and law enforcement training for the staff. No so could we get a list of those two so that's part of part of what I described as the assessments that we are going to send out which we have not been here yet and we're going to work with the Department of that because I want to know exactly what they've already spent their money on how they spend their money where it came from what pot of money it they utilized for instance you know if they used S. R. funds to replace doors with because of inflation or covid well we don't want to spend money to replace doors again we we want to make sure that this is intentionally Spence and that we utilize it wisely which is why we've structure the appropriation bill the way we structured it to put it in restricted reserve and for all of that to come through a L. C. for further explanation and vetting okay thank you Mr chairman and members remember we're just setting aside fifty million dollars that the pier and Legislative Council will have full oversight is this and once again all the recommendations will not be here until October this is just settings aside this fifty million rock will spend any of it now between now and at least October it'll be after October but that's what we're doing today and it will have time to to set up the guidelines for the recommendation of the task force in with peer subcommittee and and the legislative body will have the final say on how these these funds are spent that's all right there in Senator Hendren you have a question. Yes thank you Mr chairman so I I appreciate your work on the program I guess my question is we've got a fifty million dollar bucket is say we get eighty million dollars and requests it is a LC who's going to referee between the school districts and prioritize is that again going to come to the legislature. Again Senator Hendren I think there this is again just like representative genes that we're sending us money aside we're working on a lot of those details to make sure that we're spending the money wisely intentionally and appropriately I don't have an answer if you have more needs that come in it depends on how this is structured and what the needs are for I don't want to waste the money I don't think anybody here wants to waste taxpayers money on something or spend money on something that's not going to actually me as a standard and national standards that set by you know people that are in this space as experts on school safety I mean there's been so many people that have created different assessments based on it what happened at parkland what happened at Columbine what happened at sandy hook those types of technologies exist and you have the ability to utilize that to guide us so that this great program is very focused and very intentional so I don't anticipate right now that there's going to be more than a fifty million dollar need out there but however we will address that just like we always do and the Legislative Council process which we have done previously with other grant programs yeah I guess I'm like is it school districts are watching this I know some are more in tune with what's going on here than others and I hate to see good requests not funded because they get the word later their work their request comes in three months after somebody who's got somebody down here full time monitoring what's going on so I guess my question is again is are part of the rules and guidelines that you Senator Dismang talking about going to be clear that is a first come first serve is that we're going to ranking categorized how are we going to deal with more requests are we always going to commit the we're gonna put enough dollars to fund whatever legitimate request count well those are great questions because there are some schools like you said that have somebody that's really tuned in on the grant. Assess and how to write those grants and take advantage of those grants not every school have that person so I am very aware of that because I serve a district that's very rule and it's and they struggle sometimes in those areas to try to make sure that they're getting the right and appropriate monies or assistance three available grants they may not know about the grievances Senator Stubblefield talked about so that is something that's always on my mind you have other schools that have really stepped up and have them connected to R. A. with system for instance which is one of the best emergency network and radio systems in the country with that we have spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars creating and building And so fable school district I believe our Rogers and gets Rogers have already connected and integrated into that system which I think it's great that they have that capability of doing it because it's a larger district they have more resources to be able to understand that and bring that together I want to make sure that what we do helps the smaller schools reach that same level of safety and standards as a Rogers school district by always should be able to do the same thing as Rogers but it's going to be the legislature I guess was going on here if I can I'll inject real quick on that because I think I understand the question that you're asking in so you're asking is going to be first come serve her serve how we going to do this and I would agree there have been some grant programs that have rolled through that we did not give the proper oversight to ready for business B. probably a prime example that was first come first serve not properly funded but in the in in in in the beginning I should really say it will be up to the department to make the recommendation to this body on how those funds are going to be awarded it will not be up to this legislative body on how those funds are going to be awarded they will have to give us a set of rules and guidelines and then we can only approve or disapprove no we may ask that they tweak make changes it goes back but it will be their planned. That we follow on how they are distributed so that's first come first serve if it's capita certain amount per school of its based on kid number of kids all of those things will come from the department not this legislative body I would hope that we have some discussions are part of that process but if we're concerned again just to say one more time about first come first serve the distribution process do we need to express those conserve to the executive branch because they are the ones that will be issuing the letter to make a request for the funds and they'll be the ones issuing the guidance the rules of the recommendations for the body so I feel like we're kind of a little bit out of our turn of what our legislative responsibility is and I don't want any in this for about in this room to have a misconception that you are going to dictate how much each school receives if it's capped and how it's going to be awarded we can be a property the process but we will not be the ones that will be able to drop the actual rules rex okay I guess I appreciate that statement Senator Dismang but that's not what page two of the bill says. It says the department shall not disbursing the funds in the school safety set aside contingency vote I'm an or contingency vote three fifths set aside until the rules have been approved by the Legislative Council and absolutely and and you know because the way that our process is set up we cannot because we are not the executive branch establish rules and regulations those can only be done by the executive branch we have the ability to approve but nothing more so we can disapproving it has to be based on the fact you know for for a particular reason in regards rules rags we can approve or disapprove we cannot change amended adjust whatever that would be up to the executive branch I guess the reason I'm asking this you you brought up of of of the case which I agree with which was poorly managed with a grant program to the executive branch but I see we got up your committee next week with thirty school district or so coming before peer to get a specific program approved not by the executive branch by peers with what I want to know is is that what we're doing here to all we have is the ability to approve or disapprove we don't have the ability to change the amount of what it that's not what I'm asking I'm saying when you end up with a system where we are the approval authority which is what we are doing next weekend Pierre and what it appears this piece of legislation sets up and now we have a system where eighty million dollars with the request comes in and you got fifty million dollars set aside how are school district personnel who they talked to the Department of your committee no they talk to the Department. The department is going to take a look they have fifty million dollars to work with we can bring up someone from the department of they've done this before the fifty million dollars to work with they're going to set a cap or limitation on how many school receives that would be step one at least that's how I would draw it up they may choose to do it differently but it's going to be a certain allocation per student based on population cat per school I don't know that would be up to the department determines they're going to bring a plan to us are so responsibilities that we have a discussion about it but at the end of the day it's to you approve or disapprove so they will bring us similar to what we're going to see next week of list of school districts what they recommend for approval and it'll be an up or down vote based on the recommendation from the park they're going to bring to us my understanding we'll just see how it plays out happy with the what they plan on doing as far as a rule promulgation for how these funds are going to be discreet distributed that they want you to do that on a district level when they bring it in here or if they want to do it on a global level and say here's the parameters of the funds can be spent we would ask for you to approve that for these funds be spent I don't know the answer that that's going to be at the department on how they move forward not to us well again again I'll stop at this but the reason I make this is for is for the point that Senator Irvin said I represent a lot of small school districts to and I hate to see them left outside because the ones who are on the inside coming here roll through fifty million dollars before they figure out what happened I will never visit that again we went to that with the ready for business program it was a. Huge misstep and I do I I will personally be engaged enough to ensure that that doesn't occur again and thank you will be to all right thank you thanks. Our representative body hot you're recognized. Thank you Mr my question is Senator Irvin had you guys come up with the fifty million dollar amount to be allocated. That was an amount that the governor announced through the press. Thank you. Thank you representative wouldn't you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman. I will I will pursuit Senator Hendren flowers questioning a civilian exact point that I will question I wanna answer if you can give it. What is any consideration being given to dividing it up or per pupil bases per district her the foundation program because if not we're going to end up with exactly what Senator Hendren stalking about the cap the worst home school gets less than forty or fifty thousand dollars that takes care of your small schools but we're going be a hell of a mess. If we give let them come in here for fifty million dollars worth representative wouldn't. Of thanks let me just say this I think I think this may be part of the task force. Recommendation that will become in October then the administration and the department can accept that recommendation add or change things to it so we don't know all the answers right now but there is a process and when we will get the final recommendation from the task force school safety task force in October and I think a lot of our questions will be answered at that time just let the process work yes represent we we are very engaged in this process and we're trying to communicate as best we can collect as much information as we can so that when we make this grant program with the Department of Education bringing for the rules and the regulations that were trying to take all those different factors into consideration as best we possibly can and to learn from past history because we don't want to repeat the mistakes of previous grant programs requisition Mr chairman is that being considered the foundation bases or the per pupil disbursement of the funds by the commission so so what you're discussing is the matrix in the funding is that what I'm understanding I'm just talking about that fifty million dollar destroy this is just a grants program sucks you're telling us that this is your grant in other words maybe make it fifty and Springdale to bill you know we do we don't know we don't have that in. The grant program the it's a grant program it's not this is not part of the foundation funding if I'll I'll representative would not think I can answer your questions for you. We don't know and I think it's a little more complex and we just give it on a per pupil basis because you'll have large school districts that obviously would absorb a lot more than money it's gonna be hard in the school district three hundred fifty that's not going to amount to a lot and so I think it's gonna be some sliding scale but again we're all just making up with that may look like today it's going to be the responsibility of the education department in conjunction with whoever else is involved the governor's office on what that disturbance going to look like and then we're going to have and I think what we're doing right now Sir bodies listing the audience educations year the others here there's a concern about making sure how these things are distributed in that The Little Rock School District doesn't get the full fifty million we want to make sure that doesn't happen is everybody understanding the audiences that we're talking about doing I think we're gonna be clear moving forward that it's going to be did you will it'll be distributed up it's going to be done as fairly as possible thank you and and I I hope we understand that there are places in rule Arkansas West Side was where one of the first school shootings occurred in Jones for a website I know people that had to respond to that emergency that worked in the emergency room from that shooting. It was a rule school. Their needs are very different than Fayetteville or Springdale as they are different for viola and Salem and Norfork and Clinton and St Joe in Marshall and Mountain View and Searcy in bald knob and BB. We want to make sure a child is safe no matter where they are. That's a priority for me. I represent one of the most rule parts of the state of Arkansas. And I can assure you. These folks struggle to make it all work and I understand that this is fifty million dollars to help keep children safe on our school campuses and we have to consider all the circumstances in my opinion when we write a grant program so that the child that's in Salem Arkansas can be just as safe as a child on Texarkana campus not a priority for me and I think it should be for all of us well I'm a quote I'm not questioning that I agree with you I'm just trying to I'm just trying to figure out how my district's goal fair and I got a small districts and big business yes and I'm only like Senator Hendren you're going to have some of those will get less because they're smaller but is that right you made the point of the problem right but you don't know that you're making an assumption that you can any assumption well okay. We will move on. Senator Alan Clark you have a question. Thank you Mr chair of like to follow up on the a chair's remarks of referred to senate James remarks that were waiting on the task force this report in October or if that's the case are we getting the cart in front of the horse. Senator we've got some surplus money I don't I don't think fifty million is the final price tag but we're gonna have a regular session of coming in January that we can do more if we see then the there this is just a recommendation that the governor want to set aside some of this excess money market and and we're still working on a formula. Through the task force. And it hasn't got the department of education and the governor make their final recommendation so all we're doing is setting aside fifty million dollars that the legislative body through a LC will control that's all we're doing is go sit there until after the recommendation in October and some point after that how this is going to look what is going to turn out is still yet to be determined and it's a process that I think we all won't input in exactly of representative Jean the of we don't know what it's gonna look like. And I'm trying to think of a time that I was told that I would have because I thought Senator Dismang brought that out very well if you were listening. That we've been told that we would be we would have approval but it seems to me like every time it comes up for approval then we're told well if it doesn't actually violate the law you have to vote to approve so I have bills that we have any approval at all in the future and that we're just set the money aside for the executive branch department education I think we're taking this step as we did the cares and the American recovery money and and Sir we do have approval of it and this will be the same path that that that money is taken care of in a LC and Pierre do you have the file of saying that money so I I'm. You won't I thank you won't legislative oversight on your spending I think you would agree with that oh absolutely yeah so I mean but the plan has not been developed yet but you have any other questions though so well only one is the money going somewhere between now and October if we don't know something no thank you. Thank you Sir representive hajj. Thank you share of going back to the first question I asked earlier of you mentioned the fifty million dollars with or recommendation of the governor I mean I guess it's just a banker in the and and the thank you know what when you come up with the dollar amounts if a mobile home you know I I want to know the estimate what would you get the dollar amount from the to this home given estimate before I give you this money so I'm I'm just curious to know the the fifty million dollars a minute how do we come of that bigger because going back to a center entrance Question you know it could be eighty million our million dollars worth of requests that are out there so how do I do I'm just curious to know into a finite mind of mine how do we pick a fifty million dollar amount to put is grant not I think it's a great question I think that's a question you can ask the governor at I think that's a question you should ask the governor at as high as how he picked that number because I don't I can't answer that question okay what I can answer is that I think like representative Jean said we have another session coming in January if we see that there are other things that we want to act on then that can be addressed at that time that's the way this body functions where the legislature we see that and we do that all the time I think this is a good starting points and it could be more could be less we do we don't know but this was just a number that was given to us and I respect that and that's what we're here to to do but again we're setting that money aside and developing this and I understand. This is that's why it's a grant program you know if if or not a grant program then perhaps we would make an assessment and then we would just start sending money out the door to the school district and say okay you need this you need this and you need this but that's really not the way we function. And that's not how a grant program with function so I'm okay with the amount that at where it is given that it's a grant program I'm not that I'm not okay with amount that we but I I'm just you know just curious mind was just want to know I mean usually sponsor on the bill I would just you know if somebody gave me at a dollar amount to allocate I would be curious to know okay how did you come up with those figures can you you know get the did you have a formal assault and to come up with that so that that's that's my curiosity all. For the grants concern thank you I appreciate it. Senator You Like a make a motion to adopt Senate bill again I'm I have a motion to have a second I have a second any discussion all in favor say aye opposed Senate bill two is adopted. We're going to item C. both this would be a normally appear of I thank the FNA these little. Overtime money. Anybody wanna come up talk about it yelled go good to go. Thirty thousand dollars. Now we're not gonna take. Forty minutes one is spun these people we're not going to that. Recognize yourself Melanie Haislip department of finance and administration. Wayne had Wayne Hammer recommend a straighter for the driver services a motor vehicle. Due to an increase in the volume of titles and then also staffing issues as I'm sure most of you know as a problem in today's society we've had to work or current staff additional overtime that was not anticipated so we're just coming to you guys asking for thirty thousand to get us through and till the end of this month will when we will come before appear in A. L. C. for another three hundred thousand I believe to get us through the end of the year. Any questions Senator just feel it is more for personal provision just want to thank these two people sitting at the table for always being so pleasant and responsive we need to step we need information from your services for a constituent and I would be remiss if I didn't say that today just thank you very much we don't get a chance to say that all thank you and I and I would move that we provide the thirty thousand dollars okay all right thank you senator Jeff bill for the. Cabdulle FOR D. F. and they they I'm sure they they appreciate that anyway anyway. Of. Without objection this will stand reviewed folks that is F. we appreciate it if we need you again will have a call the chair's appreciate the good work we are adjourned.