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Residents within the Mountain Home School District have paid taxes resulting in millions of dollars in excess revenue. This excess revenue has been spent at the district’s discretion instead of retiring debt and planning for future builds.
CURRENTLY ACTIVE MILLAGE TAXES:
Dunbar and HS Gym: Voters approved a 2.7 millage tax in 1989.
Pinkston Middle School: Voters approved a 3.92 millage tax in 1995.
Hackler Intermediate: Voters approved a 2.95 millage tax in 2008.
All of these UNRETIRED millages generate excess revenue for MHPS and “may be used by the District for other school purposes” per the ballot language. Where has that money been spent? Why hasn’t that been used earlier to rebuild the Big Top?
On February 6th, I attended a forum meeting conducted by the School Board at Dunbar Auditorium, where Assistant Director of the Division of Arkansas, Tyrel Pace, shared this information in his public presentation. One slide he shared was the following:
Project 2324-0303-001 Status
High School Building Replacement,
Project Scope if approved:
Demolish SF – 80,000
Approved SF – 37,440
Cost Factor – $200.00
Qualifying Project Cost – $7,488,000.00
Wealth Index – 0.602019487175539
State Share – about 40%
State Financial Participation – $2,980,078.08
Now, tell me again why we need a $55M new millage bond when the State is recommending only to demolish 80,000 sf and build back 37,440 sf, which is all this is needed due to the declining student population according to the State.
Why tear down 111,000 sf and rebuild 160,000 sf when the State says we only need 37,440 sf rebuilt and only need $4.5M to rebuild the new structure according to the State? And the school gains $1.6M in additional funds from the property assessment tax increase to put toward it. Plus, old millages that haven’t been retired. If passed, our total bonds would become over $100M.
So tell me, why do senior citizens on fixed incomes and families struggling to put food on their table during this devastating economy need to pay MORE taxes? It’s just NOT logical! So SB, go back to the drawing board and create a revised plan. Vote NO May 2-9.
Sheila Atchley of Mountain Home
