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Senate committee hears pleas from districts as school construction funding faces storm‑shelter costs
Summary
Superintendents and department officials told the Senate Education Committee that new Arkansas fire‑marshal requirements for storm shelters and higher construction prices mean the state’s fixed per‑square‑foot funding cap no longer covers typical school projects; the committee discussed changing funding to a cost‑factor model and agreed to continue oversight and possible follow‑up legislation.
Superintendents, department staff and lawmakers spent the longest portion of the Senate Education Committee meeting on House Bill 1254, a proposal that would replace the state’s fixed per‑square‑foot funding cap for school construction with a funding factor tied to actual cost drivers.
Karen Walters, superintendent of Bryant Schools, told the committee that projects approved in past cycles that were estimated at $9–$10 million have risen to roughly $23 million after higher construction costs and a new requirement to include storm‑shelter construction took effect on Jan. 1. Walters provided recent construction figures she said show $367–$382 per square foot…
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