Gravette school board meets

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

GRAVETTE -- A 24-minute PowerPoint presentation was the highlight of a public meeting held Monday evening at the Gravette High School commons. The meeting, one of two scheduled by the Gravette School Board, explained the time line and process the board has followed concerning construction of an elementary school in Bella Vista. About 60-65 people attended the meeting.

A second meeting will be held this Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at Highlands Crossing in Bella Vista,

Danny Alsup, board president, who opened the meeting, explained the procedure. Superintendent Richard Page introduced the other board members present, Jay Oliphant, Susan Santos, Jack Skillett, Jim Singleton, Dan Yates and John Edwards. He then gave the presentation. The information is also available in a three-page handout and can be seen on the school website. The handouts will also be available at the Bella Vista meeting.

The information traced the project to 2005 when the board established a 10-year plan for numerous projects, including the new high school, stadium, ball fields, classroom additions to the upper elementary, refurbishing what is now the middle school and others. The board conducted a study in 2009 concerning a location for an elementary school and the following year approved an agreement with Cooper Communities, which agreed to furnish the chosen site for the building. An architect has prepared a preliminary design.

The board at its next meeting, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., may vote to call an election asking voters to approve a 3.9 mill tax increase to finance that project and a six classroom addition to the high school complex. Total cost of the two projects is estimated at $14,693,000. The present district millage rate is 37.2 mills. Each additional mill will add approximately $20 to property tax bills for a property valued at $100,000. As an example, on a property valued at $200,000, the 3.9 mill tax will generate about $80. Taxes are collected at about 20 percent of property market value.

Possibly because the PowerPoint answered many questions which have arisen, only four people, Ty Russell, Troy Bates, Renee Allen and Doug Batie, spoke briefly at the meeting. Their concerns touched on the location, the tax cost to individuals, operational costs and the need for the school at this time.

Board members indicated the project will be discussed at its meeting next Monday at 7 p.m., including possibly deciding on whether to present the subject to voters in an election to be held later this year. The board meetings are open to the public and next Monday's will be held in the high school commons, rather than the administration building, the regular meeting site.

General News on 02/19/2014