From the Arkansas News Bureau:

Seeking to help Arkansas school districts deal with soaring gas prices, a legislative committee voted Tuesday to develop a new funding mechanism for school transportation.

The panel also recommended increasing funding for salaries and instructional materials by up to $58.8 million and recommended that the Legislature study ways to help teachers with rising health insurance costs.

The Joint Adequacy Evaluation Oversight Subcommittee, which has been reviewing the state’s school funding formula, voted unanimously to approve a motion by House Chairman Rep. Bill Abernathy, D-Mena, that the committee develop a funding mechanism to aid underfunded districts and “establish accountability between present funding and fair and essential transportation costs in all districts.”

Currently, districts receive $286 per student for transportation, based on total enrollment. Abernathy said Monday that two-thirds of districts have transportation costs in excess of their funding, while about a third are spending less than they receive.

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