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Decision coming Tuesday |
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Monday, 09 March 2009 |
The fate of a proposed millage increase in the Bryant School District faces its final test Tuesday when district patrons go to the polls.
Early voting for a proposed increase of 3.9 mills for construction and renovations of Bryant facilities will continue through 4:30 p.m. today at the Saline County clerk’s office in the courthouse annex, 215 N. Main St. in Downtown Benton, and at Bryant United Methodist Church, 508 N. Reynolds Road.
After today, voters must cast their ballots at their regular polling sites, which are Bryant United Methodist Church, First Pentecostal Church of Bryant, Salem United Methodist Church and Paron Fire Station
Deputy clerks at the Saline County clerk’s office reported that nearly 865 district patrons voted early through Friday.
If voters approve the additional mills, the increased tax revenue is expected to generate more than $28 million, which would enable the district to receive an additional $7.5 million from the state, for a total of $34 million.
Superintendent Richard Abernathy said the bulk of the project packet includes 35 new classrooms, four art classrooms, five business and technology rooms, two multipurpose rooms, a counselor’s office, a security office, a principal’s office and a media center. Other projects include the acquisition of security cameras and fencing, paving parking lots and more.
Deputy Clerk Darlene Westbrook said more than 625 votes were cast through Thursday. That number increased to 862 votes by the end of the work day Friday, with 690 votes cast in Bryant and 172 in the county.
Linda Montalvo, the county’s election coordinator, also said that in comparison to the failed 6.2 millage proposal in 2007, the turnout for this election “is considered heavy for early voting in a school election.”
In 2007 she noted that only 207 people cast early votes. The millage proposal was defeated by a 63 to 37 percent margin with more than 2,800 total votes cast. After the defeat, Abernathy, the board and supporters of the increased millage regrouped to revamp the millage proposal. Two surveys were put on the Web.
“We found that everyone is still happy with our schools, but that the high school facility needs to be updated,” he said. “Security at our schools is also an issue that was found in the surveys.”
The 2009 3.9 mills proposal, if it passes, would allocate $28,674,000 for construction, renovation, paving, awnings, moving utilities, demolition of current facilities, etc. at the high school; and $295,000 would be used for security fencing around the north and south high school campus, Abernathy said.
“We are also looking at a new possible entrance to the high school off Reynolds Road,” Abernathy said. “We are looking at possibly tearing down some older buildings, too.”
He said $590,000 would pay for security cameras on all campuses; $1,180,000 would be spent on painting remaining high school buildings; $153,400 on playground improvements at elementary schools; $1,026,600 on energy management controls for all campuses; $708,000 for heating, ventilating and air conditioning replacements, including the high school and Bryant elementary campuses; $283,200 to replace security locks on older facilities, including the high school and Bryant elementary campuses; and $755,200 for new paving and improvements.
“We need some roofs repaired at various campuses including the high school gym and Paron facilities,” Abernathy said. “It seems we always need some repairs in the restrooms. We have a variety of projects to work on at almost all of our campuses.”
He said $590,000 would be spent for new and upgraded technology, including new computers and infrastructure, such as replacing wiring at various campuses. All the projects total $34.26 million, but Abernathy said the projects are drastically needed.
“With a new technology center we should alleviate issues and problems we currently have with so many computers at our schools,” Abernathy said. “The classrooms in the construction plans will also be larger at 900 square feet. “
The bonds will be issued in the principal amount of $28,565,000 and will mature in 30 years, the superintendent noted.
The district’s current millage rate is 33.5 mills and will increase to 37.2 mills if the millage issue passes. The state average is 36.57 mills, Abernathy noted.
According to the superintendent, the amount of taxes a homeowner pays depends on a structure’s assessed value. For a home valued at $50,000 with an assessed value of $10,000, the tax increase per year would be $39 or $3.25 per month if the millage is approved. For a $200,000 home with an assessed value of $40,000, the additional 3.9 mills would result in an increase of $156 per year or $13 per month, Abernathy said.
An outspoken opponent of the proposal is Larry Hacker, a resident of the Shannon Hills area, who has called the proposal a “big scam” and has distributed fliers against the millage. Among his claims, Hacker said “the tax election ... calls for continuing the present 8.3 mills from the 2003 bond issue and adding a new $28,565,000 30-year bond with a 3.9 mill increase for a total of 12.2 mill rate.”
Hacker also said the Bryant school district tax base has increased 175 percent since 2003, increasing revenue from $317,480,000 to $554,004,000 in 2008. He also said the 8.3 mill tax from 2003 generates enough surplus revenue to make the annual payment on the proposed 30-year bond.
“The big scam is the disclaimer at the bottom of the ballot,” he said. “’The surplus revenues produced each year by the debt service millage may be used by the district for other school purposes.’ If the board would apply the present surplus to the new bond, it would not be necessary to raise taxes.”
Abernathy responded that the disclaimer is on the ballot, but said it is standard language for a referendum.
“Bryant has a long history of placing excess revenue in the building fund,” he said. “Since 1975, Bryant has placed over $36 million dollars of excess revenue in the building fund for construction projects. As construction needs arise, the building fund is used to fulfill those needs and these funds have been used to complete a number of projects.”
In 2003, the school board asked for a millage increase of 4 mills and, according to Abernathy, the goals that were promised to the citizens were met and this should help residents feel confident that a new millage increase would help the high school.
“We went to our voters and asked for a 4 mill increase and we promised to take care of seven projects,” Abernathy said. “Those promises were all kept. I think that is one thing that we in Bryant can hang our hat on, because we did exactly what we said we were going to do. It is going to come down to the community —they are going to see progress continuing and we need some help.”
Those projects reportedly have helped Bryant students score well above the state average in academic performance and helped produce two of the state’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified schools — Bethel Middle School and Hurricane Creek Elementary School. Abernathy also said that with the two new schools, district officials expect to save $11.3 million.
Hacker said he voted and campaigned against the 2007 millage proposal and still stands by his position.
He said he opposed those proposals “because the tax base had grown significantly in the years since the 2003 millage increase was passed,” Hacker said. “In 2007, that tax generated $1,436,000 more that the annual bond payment of $2,019,000. And Bryant School District revenues for fiscal year 2007, collected in 2008, is $11,688,583. That is an increase of 188 percent since the $6,202,764 from fiscal year 2003, collected in 2004.”
Hacker further said, “As I see it, the current 8.3 mills total should be adequate to fund the current and proposed issue, if not for the way the huge annual, unrestricted surpluses are being spent. In these difficult financial times, taxpayers must spend their money wisely. We expect our school administrators and school boards to do the same.”
He also posted on a Saline County Web site, www.mysaline.com, “Continually rolling partially paid bond issues into new and longer-term issues is not really the heritage we want to leave to our children and grandchildren.”
Abernathy said he encourages voters to seek the “correct information” and to even “visit or call” Bryant schools. He also asked voters to visit the school Web site www.bryantschools.org. The Web site lists not only the information about the millage proposal, but also includes several question-and-answer forums, lists where residents tax dollars are going, enrollment projections for Bryant and an analysis of facility spending and bonded debt.
“There is a lot of misinformation floating around,” Abernathy said. “I encourage people to get on the Web site, call or e-mail me or come by and tour the campus. We have already given numerous tours of the high school campus and people have walked away seeing our needs.”
Abernathy said he hopes to again keep promises to the voters if the 2009 millage proposal passes, but added that if the issue fails, the district will have to meet with state officials.
“The school will receive a letter from the state, by law, 10 days after the failed millage,” he said. “We’ll meet with the Arkansas facilities director to determine how we are going to build classrooms to take care of our projected growth.
“”We are one of the fastest growing school districts in Arkansas, and I don’t see it slowing down ... in eight years our high school campus is going to have a little over 2,400, almost 2,500, students enrolled,” Abernathy said. “With our current facilities, we cannot handle that many students. So we have been looking at and trying to figure out what we are going to do with our high school campus to prepare ourselves with what is coming.”
Another issue facing the school is having teachers without classrooms, Abernathy said. He said classrooms already are reaching student capacity.
“There are five teachers right now that don’t have classrooms,” he said. “We call them floating teachers. The have a roll cart with their books and supplies and share classrooms with other teachers. It is hard on all the teachers. We are at a crossroads right now with facility plans, but we don’t have the revenue to construct or renovate any facilities.”
Abernathy said he just wants residents to “learn the facts” before casting their votes.
“Vote for what kind of school district you want,” he said. “Many of our students have already been speaking out at public forums and meetings in support of the millage. I think our kids deserve better than what we can provide to them. Again, I just encourage people to get to know the facts and come by and see our school before making a vote.”
More information about the proposed Bryant millage increase is available at www.bryantschools.org or by calling the school administration office at 847-5600.
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