With the passage of the Arkansas LEARNS Act earlier this month by the Arkansas Legislature, school districts in the state are learning how the sweeping legislation will affect them. One of the big questions is how they will pay for the increase in teacher salaries mandated by the bill.
The LEARNS act makes the minimum teacher salary in the state $50,000, placing Arkansas behind only three other states and the District of Columbia for the highest minimum teacher salary in the country. It also says teachers making for than $50,000 will get a $2,000 per year increase. But, how will this be funded?
School districts receive funding from the state to help with operations, but unless the per-student funding is increased, many schools, including Mountain Home, according to Superintendent Dr. Jake Long, will see their budgets fall short of meeting the new requirements.
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Long says the school board last week had to put off renewing teacher contracts, something normally done in March, because they are still waiting to see if the states funding will be enough to cover the pay increase.
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While nothing has been approved, Long says he recently spoke with State Representative Stetson Painter whose district includes part of Baxter County and who serves on the house education committee. He says Painter indicates the $8,000 per-student number, which is an increase of $600-700, is still being discussed.
Long says the Mountain Home district has roughly 300 teachers and about half of them will see the increase to the new state minimum.
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Long says regardless of how the per-student funding from the state shakes out, he doesnt foresee having to cut any positions.
The LEARNS Act also repeals the states Teacher Fair Dismissal Act, a law that requires school districts to notify teachers of changes in their employment status before May 1 each year.
The move is meant to make it easier for school districts to fire teachers for poor performance. Teachers will still have the “opportunity for a hearing” and notice before they can be fired.
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