Arkansas has not made education its 鈥渇irst priority鈥� as required by a 2002 state supreme court decision in a school finance lawsuit, a special investigation concludes.
The report, commissioned by the state鈥檚 high court, criticizes legislators for holding per-pupil spending steady in fiscal 2005, despite an anticipated state surplus of more than $100 million.
In 2002, the state supreme court in Lake View School District No. 25 v. Huckabee declared Arkansas鈥� school aid system unconstitutional.(鈥淐ourt Orders Arkansas To Fix K-12 Funding,鈥� Dec. 4, 2002)
In the following two years, the legislature approved more money for education and a preference for schools in funding decisions. Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, said in a statement that the report is based on conclusions that are 鈥渇actually incorrect.鈥� He added that he assumed the case was over when the court ruled last year that the state had done an adequate job addressing funding issues.
