MH School Board hears of bill attempting to cut funds

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The Mountain Home School Board met in regular session Thursday evening. A major topic brought up at the meeting is Senate Bill 298, sponsored by District 34’s Jane English, which would discontinue declining enrollment funding for public school districts. During a presentation of financial reports from Business Manager Ann Harned, she directed the Board’s attention to revenue from declining enrollment at just over $124,000. Senate Bill 298 would take the funding away.
In the emergency clause of the bill, it says public school districts do not expend the funding for its intended purpose based on declining enrollment funding and expenditure reports of the 2014 and 2015 adequacy studies.
Harned disagrees saying it’s not the lack of spending the funds, but more likely the funds expended aren’t being coded correctly in some school districts. The result looks like the funds aren’t being used and therefore unnecessary. Harned says that’s simply not the case, the funds are getting used and they help in times when enrollment.
Superintendent of Mountain Home Public Schools, Dr. Jake Long, says the declining enrollment funds were put in place out of necessity.


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The bill is now in the Senate Education Committee in which, the bill’s sponsor, Senator English is chair.
In other Mountain Home School Board news the board approved the recommendation of the legislative audit report, a one percent raise in step and grade for each employee, a payment of $75,000 for the new softball and baseball complex and for the purchase of a newer stock trailer for the agri department.
An easement to replace an existing gas line and approval of bulk paper products was also approved.

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