Millage increase voted down

Bryant voters — 2,496 of them anyway (out of 28,297 registered voters) — decided by a 60 to 40 percent margin to reject the proposed millage increase in a special election on Tuesday.

Proposed projects to be funded by the millage increase included construction of new elementary and middle schools; additions to Collegeville and Davis Elementary schools; District-wide technology updates; upgrades of the Bryant High School cafeteria and various roofing projects; additions for eighth and ninth grade academies; contruction of a health, physical education, and activity facility; and additions to fine arts facilities. With the school population growing by an average of 250 students a year, the district is in dire need of more classrooms.

A total of 1,504 voted against the proposal (60.4 percent), 988 for it (39.7 percent). Going into election day, early voting and absentee voting was in favor 375-350.

According to a report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday:

“If the increase fails, the Education Department’s Facilities Commission will set a conference with the superintendent and the School Board president to determine whether any of the district’s facilities              need immediate repair, space or growth. If the commission finds inadequate facilities, the district must set a new special-election date and ask voters again for a millage increase.

The district has 90 days after an inadequate-facilities notice to set the election date or face a potential “facilities distress” designation and subsequently a slew of sanctions, according to the commission.

District officials have said they plan to ask voters next year for another millage increase if Tuesday’s proposal fails.

If that second attempt fails, the district said it will lose $19 million in state partnership funding. The state Education Department would then meet with district leaders to determine facility priorities and what budget adjustments must be made.”