Larger surpluses mean a smaller pool of money for major programs like pre-K and often end up benefiting “pet projects.” Surplus spending is harder to track and is not subject to the same scrutiny as other “normal” budget spending....
The state budget, or what the state chooses to spend money on, is essentially a list of priorities. As with any state budget, the financial demands on the Arkansas budget far exceed our state’s ability to meet all needs....
A new federal grant will provide $15 million each of the next four years for Arkansas Better Chance (ABC), the state’s high-quality pre-K program. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) and the Invest Early Coalition are grateful for...
Each year, there are more than 3,000 law enforcement incidents in Arkansas schools. The majority of children involved in these incidents are arrested for nonviolent offenses. This is a nationwide trend, and Arkansas is no different. Across the country,...
Each year, law enforcement action is taken in more than 3,000 incidents in Arkansas schools. Just last month, 12 students were arrested at a single Pine Bluff high school, allegedly after a fight. All students were between 14 and 15...
There are millions of workers each year who are cheated out of hard-earned money by fraudulent employers. This practice is called wage theft. Employers are guilty of wage theft when they do not pay at least the minimum wage,...
As Governor-Elect Hutchinson begins to craft his budget strategy, we must keep the conversation going. As part of a series of videos highlighting voices in support of pre-K across the state, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and the Arkansas...
General revenues for last month and for the year as a whole came in above expectations. Total net general revenue for November was $391.1 million, up 11.8 percent (or $41.4 million) from last year and about seven percent above...
Thinking about taxes seems complicated; but in its basic form, taxes raise the money we need to pay for and upkeep the services we depend upon daily. On the state level, we use these dollars to fund our schools,...
Tuesday is #GivingTuesday – a day different from all the rest. It’s a day on which we are encouraged to give of ourselves in whatever form that means. It’s a day to find a need and try to meet...