Arkansas officials outline $1.46 billion in school facilities funding, propose rule changes to expand safety and reprioritize growth

Summary

A Bureau of Legislative Research briefing reviewed more than $1.4 billion in state facilities funding since 2005, proposed changing project prioritization to favor growth, phasing in a wealth-index recalculation, and would allow some security projects to be eligible for partnership funds if new rules are adopted.

Lori Bowen of the Bureau of Legislative Research told the Senate Education Committee that Arkansas has allocated roughly $1.468 billion to school facilities programs since 2005 and expended about $1.2 billion through fiscal 2019. The review covered program structure, project categories, prioritization methods and proposed rule changes the facilities commission is considering.

Bowen said the partnership program is limited to academic facilities and imposes a project minimum of $300 per student or $150,000, whichever is less. The program currently groups projects into categories such as space/growth, warm/safe/dry space replacement, warm/safe/dry systems replacement and consolidation/annexation; the 2019-21 cycle placed growth-oriented space projects at the top of the priority list.

The report notes the commission and its advisory committee recommended reorganizing categories into two pots—one for space/growth…

Arkansas officials outline $1.46 billion in school facilities funding, propose rule changes to expand safety and reprioritize growth

Summary

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