The Final Report entitled “Recalibrating The Arkansas School Funding Structure” is posted on the following web site: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ under Education Issues. This document was prepared by Lawrence O. Picus and Associates for the Adequacy Study Oversight Sub-Committee of the House and Senate Interim Committees on Education of the Arkansas General Assembly. At the request of the Adequacy Study Oversight Sub-Committee, Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN) has been asked to substantiate the information listed on page 45 of the Recalibration Report regarding Supervisory Aides.
Picus and Associates define supervisory aides as “individuals who help students get on and off buses in the morning and afternoons, and to supervise lunch and recess periods.” It is likely that schools take a varied approach to these specific duties; and therefore, it is also likely that the costs associated with these services may not be coded uniformly throughout the state. In order to provide legislators with accurate information from which to make funding decisions, school districts are being asked to complete the attached spreadsheet and return it by October 27, 2006.
For each Local Education Agency (LEA) within a district, the following information is being requested:
School Name
School LEA Number
School Enrollment at October 2, 2006
Total Supervisory Aide Hours Per Day
Average Salary and Benefit Cost Per Hour for Supervisory Aides
Total Days Per Year Worked by Supervisory Aides (Normally 178)
From this information, the annual cost and annual cost per student will be calculated for each school and for each school district. It is important that each LEA within each district is listed and that the total cost of Supervisory Aides be included on this report. The average salary and benefit cost should be reflective of the actual cost for the personnel performing the duties, regardless of how the salaries and benefits are coded.
The completed spreadsheet should be returned to Racheal Lowery at racheal.lowery@arkansas.gov by October 27, 2006.