Arkansas Supreme Court to Hear School-Funding Case

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The state's high court is to hear oral arguments later this month in a lawsuit by 14 school districts accusing the state of violating the constitution by relying too much on local property taxes to fund schools.

Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel say the suit has no merit. Oral arguments are set for May 21.

In a deposition, Fort Smith Superintendent Benny Gooden accused the state of in effect "skimming" state general revenue that should have gone to schools, and replacing it with property-tax money. Gooden called this a "travesty."

Alma Superintendent Charles Dyer in his deposition accused state officials of "playing their little games" with school funding.

"Benny and Charlie ain't never met another dollar they didn't want to get for their schools," Beebe said told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in an interview. "That's their job. I understand that. They may not publicly admit this, but if you get them off in private and get them a tall cold glass of milk, they will admit to you that Arkansas has been really progressive and really advanced the cause of public education with its financial support the last few years."

The suit was filed in 2005 and Pulaski County Circuit Judge Marion Humphrey granted summary judgment in favor of the state on March 28, 2008. The districts appealed.

The districts named as plaintiffs are Fort Smith, Alma, Greenwood, Lavaca, Ozark, Mansfield, Van Buren, County Line, Charleston, Paris, Cedarville, Mulberry, Mountainburg and Booneville.

The districts' suit is an illegal-exaction lawsuit that alleges the state wrongly used tax dollars. The districts ask for "refund of all taxes illegally exacted" but don't give an amount.

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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)