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“Fiscal management is as important as academics in evaluating any school district’s performance.”  Arkansas Policy Foundation report, “A performance analysis of the Little Rock School District” (May 2000)   (May 2011) Eleven years ago this month the Policy Foundation published a report on the Little Rock School District that found “10 years of rising revenues and […]

(May 2011) One year ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated “the creation of a national high-risk insurance pool will result in roughly 375,000 people gaining coverage in 2010, increasing national health spending by $4 billion.”  But the number of enrollees totaled only 12,437 on Feb. 1, including only 147 in Arkansas.   […]

“Demand intellectual honesty and complete openness in reporting academic progress and “the state” of public education, this to be implemented through a comprehensive public school accountability system … (and) broaden Arkansas’ inadequate charter school law to allow for the development of new start-up charter schools.” Policy Foundation, Murphy Commission project, 1998.   (April 2011) Policy Foundation […]

                    (March 14, 2011) Students and teachers at Arkansas charter schools are less likely to face weapons incidents and assaults than their counterparts at traditional public schools, according to a Policy Foundation analysis of 2009 school performance report cards. (1)   The analysis compared the percentage of discipline incidents in charter schools with those in […]

(March 2011) Arkansas Medicaid program costs have tripled since 1996, increasing from $1.3 billion to $4.1 billion (2010), with an increase of another $416 million projected for 2011. (1)   The number of unduplicated beneficiaries nearly doubled from 356,053 to 755,607. The average cost of treating a beneficiary rose from $3,651 to $5,429.  The number of […]

INTRODUCTION  The Policy Foundation has advanced Arkansas virtual education for nearly a decade.   Virtual School Application and Charter Expansion (2002-11)   The Foundation submitted an application to establish an Arkansas virtual school for K-12 students in 2002.  The application was submitted after discussions with education officials.  The application was withdrawn following further discussions.  The state Department of […]

“Issue school-by-school performance report cards to parents and the public. Use the results of this report card to hold schools accountable–rewards for those performing on an exceptional basis and sanctions for low performing schools.”  1998 Policy Foundation recommendation (February 2011) The status of Arkansas’ first formal government report to issue grades to districts based on performance is […]

  The capital gains tax “makes Arkansas less competitive in attracting capital as compared with states with lower or no capital gains tax rates.” Murphy Commission, Policy Foundation, 1998   (February 2011) Legislative branch action to freeze part of Gov. Mike Beebe’s proposed $109 million spending increase for FY 2012 creates the policy option of […]

(January 2011) Funding for core Arkansas government functions—education, corrections and transportation—could occur at slightly increased rates while other operations are frozen at current levels, providing $31 million in savings to cut state income, capital gains and grocery tax rates.   Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has called on tax cut proponents to identify spending cuts.(1)  Spending cuts […]

(December 2010) Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has called on tax cut proponents to identify spending cuts.  But spending cuts are not required to cut income, capital gains or grocery tax rates. Three 2011-2013 budget alternatives that increase state spending at lower percentage rates or freeze spending at current levels would provide an extra $57 million-to-$109 million […]