Three Arkansas school districts that failed to get school property tax increases passed in Tuesday's elections to modernize or replace buildings now face new challenges.
The Bentonville, Harrison and Twin Rivers school districts now must come up with the money within their budgets or try again to raise taxes.
Across Arkansas, dozens of districts will face the same situation - special tax elections - in the months ahead because of a new law stemming from a 2002 state Supreme Court decision that found that the state's public education system, including buildings, is inequitable.
If they fail to fix or replace small, outdated buildings, the districts could be forced within a couple of years to make tougher choices, including reducing staff, eliminating athletic programs, or, as a last resort, consolidating, said state Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, chairman of the state's Academic Facilities Oversight Committee.
For more information see today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
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