Decatur schools could be annexed into other districts
Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/63337/
DECATUR — Students from the Decatur School District could be heading off to school in Gentry, Gravette or Bentonville next fall.
The Arkansas Department of Education informed the Decatur School District on Monday that it is in fiscal distress and could be forced to annex into another school district at the end of July.
The situation was made public the day before the deadline for Public School Choice applications, at 3 p. m. July 1, giving parents little time to react.
The state Board of Education will make its official decision July 14 on whether to place the school district in fiscal distress, and will meet again July 31 to make a final decision on the annexation.
Superintendent Dave Smith explained notices from the ADE to the school board and a large gathering of teachers, students and community members. Teachers expressed shock over the issue because school districts are usually given two years to reverse fiscal-distress conditions.
The ADE formally requested that the Arkansas Board of Education “ order the annexation of the Decatur School District with another proper district to take effect in the 2008-2009 school year effective immediately after an order of annexation has been executed. ”
The state Board of Education, the governing body of the ADE, is composed of nine members from across the state appointed by the governor.
According to the request, the school districts under consideration are the Bentonville School District, the Gentry School District and the Gravette School District.
A letter from Dr. T. Kenneth James addressed to Smith and school board president Michael Wilkins states the following: “ This letter is to provide notice that the Decatur School District has been identified by the Arkansas Department of Education as a school in fiscal distress. ”
The letter cites the district’s declining balance and other conditions deemed to have a detrimental impact on the continuation of services by the district as the reason for the ADE’s decision.
A second letter from James gives notice of the state department’s intention “ to annex the Decatur School District to another school district based on the Decatur School District’s failure to meet fiscal-distress requirements and the state board’s authority to annex fiscal-distress districts. ”
Smith said that while the Legislative Auditing Committee has been auditing the school’s financial records for more than a month and is still at work, the ADE has concluded that the school will be $ 634, 104. 57 in the hole by the end of the 2008-2009 school year.
Smith agreed with school board members that this figure is inaccurate because it is based on the last two school years. School board member Vicky Tilley-Moore pointed out that the new elementary school was built during this time, and many improvements were made to the existing middle school and high school.
“ It’s very heartbreaking for everyone in this room, ” Smith said.
“ We have a right to file a petition to see if they will reconsider. I personally want to fight for the school. ”
He said the school could set up its own budget and see if it was a few hundred thousand dollars less than that projected by the ADE.
“ I feel we’re being made examples of. They don’t want to mess with us, ” Smith said.
When a community member asked, “ Will we have school next year ? ” Smith answered that it would totally be a decision of the state board.
Smith said that multiple accounting irregularities caused accounts to be posted incorrectly, making it seem that the school was doing well financially until May.
“ Our accounts are so fouled up we have nothing that balances, ” he said.
Smith would not comment on the role that Tina Murray, who resigned from her role as district treasurer on May 28, played in the problem.
Wilkins said no criminal charges had been filed against Murray at this point, and declined to comment if they would be filed in the future.
“ I hate to see people jump ship when we don’t know the answers, ” said Ike Owens, a community member attending the meeting. “ Parents are forced to make decisions without knowing. ”
Staff under contract will have a position for one year at some school district in the state.