School consolidation and the growth of state government were dominant issues in the AETN debate among Arkansas’ gubernatorial hopefuls.
Democratic incumbent Mike Beebe, GOP challenger Jim Keet, and Green Party nominee Jim Lendall met in Conway for a one-hour exchange which also centered on illegal immigration, tax cuts and a state vehicle controversy.
John Lyon with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau, reports.
Keet said he would like the Legislature to revisit the state law that forces school districts with fewer than 350 students to merge with neighboring districts because small districts that perform well should be allowed to remain open despite their size.
Keet said that the Weiner School District, which earlier this year was forced to consolidate with neighboring Harrisburg, was exceeding all student test scores, but had just under the minimum enrollment required under Act 60 of 2003.
“I think we should revisit the law,” not to change the enrollment threshold but to make exceptions, he said.
Beebe said revisiting any portion of the law, including the 350-enrollment threshold, could reopen litigation against the state’s method of funding public schools.
“Mr. Keet’s plan would indeed get us back in court,” he said, adding that if any exception was allowed, every school district consolidated since 2004 would file a lawsuit trying to be reinstated.
Also, some of the gubernatorial candidates, including write-in candidate Elvis Presley, met in Fort Smith on Monday. Our content partner, The City Wire, files this report.