By Maleka Momand Would you believe me if I told you a police officer could pull you over on the highway, take your cash, phone, and other valuables, and keep them without charging you for a crime? To most people, this scenario sounds like highway robbery, but it is a daily occurrence in Arkansas. Civil asset forfeiture is […]
ACRE Review
The Sales Tax, Special Elections, and Voter Turnout
By Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl Arkansas has the third highest combined state and local tax rate in the nation. How did this happen? Research we are conducting at the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics suggests that part of the reason is that many counties and cities have elected to increase their own sales tax rates. […]
Myth 5: Traditional Public Schools will be Forced to shut down Because they can’t Compete with Open Enrollment Charter Schools
By Dr. Mavuto Kalulu When a charter school opens in the vicinity of a traditional public school, some people fear that the decreased enrollment caused by students transferring will cause the traditional public schools to shut down. When a public school shuts down, children are assigned to other schools, which they and their parents may […]
Myth 4: Open Enrollment Charter Schools Receive more Public Funding than Traditional Public Schools
The public school system in Arkansas is funded with taxpayers’ money. Over the years, the amount of money that the state allocates per student has been rising, with the hope that the additional resources provided by more funding will improve students’ performance. What have taxpayers bought with these additional funds? Figure 1 shows the trends […]
Myth 3: Open Enrollment Charter Schools Hire Underqualified Teachers
Opponents criticize open enrollment charter schools for employing “underqualified” teachers. The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) defines a highly qualified teacher as one who is licensed, demonstrates subject-matter competence by passing a content knowledge test, and holds at least a bachelor’s degree in the subject that he or she will teach. In contrast to traditional […]
Myth 2: Education Outcomes at Open Enrollment Charter Schools are Worse than Those at Traditional Public Schools
No Arkansas parent wants their child to attend a failing school. Proponents of school choice argue that open enrollment charter schools—an alternative to traditional public schools—improve the performance of the students they enroll. Opponents argue that open enrollment charter schools erode the quality of education and hurt the performance of the students that they enroll. […]
Myth 1: Open Enrollment Charter Schools Don’t Enroll Many Black or Hispanic Students
Arkansas has a history of severe racial problems in its K–12 schools. A case in point is the infamous 1957 Little Rock Nine case, in which a group of nine African American students were denied enrollment at the all-white Central High public school. Over the years, laws have been enacted to ensure that public schools […]
Dispelling Myths About Open Enrollment Charter Schools in Arkansas
By Dr. Mavuto Kalulu Arkansas offers two types of public charter schools for students seeking an alternative to traditional public schools. Conversion charter schools, first authorized in 1995, are public schools that are converted to charter schools. They have more autonomy than traditional public schools while still remaining under the school district’s control. Only students residing […]
Issue 3 and Local Economic Development
By Mr. Jacob Bundrick Will Issue 3 bring jobs or bankruptcy taxes? Issue 3 proposes to allow local governments to appropriate tax dollars directly to private companies for economic development projects and to pay private organizations for economic development consulting work. Issue 3 would also expand the type of projects for which local debt can […]
ACRE Coverage of Issue 3 in Arkansas
According to a recent poll, 35% of Arkansas voters are still undecided on Issue 3. This ballot issue is a major change to Arkansas’s Constitution, and it is crucial that Arkansas voters are well informed when they head to the polls. To assist with this process, ACRE policy analysts and scholars have produced several written […]