Publication Sneak Peek: Our Two Cents This segment features content from other AAEA publications. Our Two Cents is a monthly publication available to subscribing districts. The following excerpt comes from the June 2022 issue.
Did You Know? Legislative Happenings The Joint Education Committee met June 6-7. Presentations were made on assessment, PLCs, student achievement, accountability, and the Succeed Scholarship. Click here to find the committee meetings, presentations, and videos. There will not be a Joint Education Committee meeting in July but will resume in August. Governor Hutchinson issued an Executive Order to reconvene the School Safety Commission to review past recommendations and potentially develop new ones. There is also a discussion of a special session to address tax cuts, school safety, and teacher salaries. Stay Tuned! Department of Finance and Administration Revenue Report for May 2022. Arkansas' state general revenue collections in May dropped by $177.4 million compared to the same month a year ago to $645.4 million but exceeded the state's latest forecast by $6.6 million. On May 18, DF&A increased its general revenue forecast for the current fiscal year that ends June 30 to a surplus of $1.47 billion and projected a $914 million surplus in the fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2023. Governor Hutchinson has said inflation, including the high cost of fuel, has hurt Arkansans and some form of tax relief is necessary to return a portion of the surplus to taxpayers. A special session to address this and other issues, such as broadband access, school facility funding, and school safety, is anticipated sometime this summer. Click here to see the full report. Attorney General Opinions In Attorney General Opinion 2022-014 the AG opined that a letter from a school board to the superintendent stating the board has voted to recommend termination is not subject to FOIA if there has been no final administrative resolution of the board’s termination recommendation. The full text of 2022-014 can be found here. Assessment and Millage Reports The Division of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE), Fiscal & Administrative Service Division has submitted the Statewide Assessment Report for taxes payable in 2022. The report is posted on the DESE website here. The assessment data is submitted by each county official on or before March 15 each year in compliance with A.C.A. §6-20-2202(g)(1). This report will be used in the state foundation funding calculation for 2022-2023. The Division of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) has completed the 2021 Millage Report. The millage report is available on the DESE website here. The report provides calendar year 2021 voted millage rates for taxes collectible in calendar year 2022 and includes millage rollbacks. The county clerk of the county in which the school district is administered provides the DESE a certified copy of the election results along with a copy of the ballot. The Assessment Coordination Department is the source for rollback of millage rates. The data from the 2021 Millage Report will be used in the calculation of school funding for fiscal year 2022-2023. Interested in more from Our Two Cents? Contact our office at 501-372-1691. 13
