Last week we reported that the Joint Adequacy Evaluation Oversight Subcommittee (JAEOS) had recommended a $69 million (2.5%) increase in K-12 school funding for next year, with a 2.9% increase the year after that. Yesterday the subcommittee withdrew its recommendation, and it will reconsider before submitting a new one today or tomorrow.

The JAEOS recommendations were based on inflation predictions it heard from two financial analysis companies: Moody's and Global Insight. But several subcommittee members thought the JAEOS was moving too fast -- particularly state Senator Kim Hendren (R-Gravette), who didn't think such a high increase was prudent. Governor Mike Beebe also expressed doubts about the subcommittee's process.

So the subcommittee expunged its vote from last week, and it has until Wednesday to submit new recommendations in a report to the House and Senate joint education panels. Hendren moved that the JAEOS approve a range of possible funding increases, as it has in years past, but his motion of a 1.6%-2.8% range (identical to what the JAEOS recommended last year) was voted down.

The JAEOS has the difficult task of balancing fiscal responsibility with a Supreme Court mandate to adequately fund the state's public schools. The subcommittee's recommendations will not be automatically adopted, but will be considered by the General Assembly in the 2011 session as it distributes funds.

For more information, read this article from the Arkansas News Bureau.