Texarkana, Benton millage proposals both fail

The next step is for the state to visit with local school officials to agree upon a figure as to what is absolutely necessary to achieve adequacy in facilities. That meeting takes place today at 2:00. Although that figure would normally lead to another election, Texarkana can't hold another election until 2008, because a district can only hold one a year (it was only six months ago that the last attempt failed at the polls). There are a few alternatives to bring the facilities up to state standards:

1. The district can agree to divert funds not needed to adequately teach the core curriculum;

2. The state could loan the district its local share and the district could pay it back at no interest either from the revolving fund (smaller amount available) or pursuant to Act 989 of 2007; or

3. A combination of the two.

State takeover would be the most extreme result. Arkansas High (the older part) is listed at no. 73 on the state's priority list of schools in disrepair. Doug Eaton, the director of the Academic Facilities Division, tells me this morning that the state can't let the school stay in its current condition. He'll be meeting with Dr. Human today. Here's today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette story by Seth Blomeley.