BENTONVILLE — The proposal Bentonville School District voters will see this year to build a second high school could come with a price tag of under 3 mills.
Scott Beardsley, financial adviser for the Bentonville School District, presented several possible sets of assumptions about the millage proposal during the School Board’s work session Thursday.
Under Beardsley’s two assumptions that included $15 million from the state, the board could pay for the high school with either 2.52 or 2.91 mills. State officials announced Wednesday they would provide about $15 million for the project.
The difference between those two assumptions was based on a $10 million difference in project scope. The board hasn't settled on the location or specific features of the new school.
“These are strictly estimates at this point,” Beardsley said.
This will be the second time in two years the board has pursued a second high school. In June, voters rejected the board’s request for a 6.7-mill tax increase that would have provided about $130 million for a school and a full set of athletic facilities in Centerton. The package also would have paid for operational costs, renovation to Bentonville High School and upgrades to technology and heating and cooling systems in the district.
This time the board is focusing on a request for only the second high school with fewer athletic facilities. The district surveyed voters in January and found out of 3,896 respondents, 2,361 (60.6 percent) said they’d support a second high school at a reduced cost.
The board also is focusing on one of two locations: Bright Road in southwest Bentonville and Gamble Road in Centerton. The district owns land at both sites.
Construction costs for the two sites differ slightly, with Bright Road estimated at $73 million and Gamble Road estimated at $73.8 million. That’s for a 362,000-square-foot school with an ideal capacity of 2,250 students.
Centerton Mayor Bill Edwards told the board Thursday the City Council on Monday and approved $1.4 million in road improvement around the Gamble Road site if the board chooses to build there.
“I feel strongly that (Centerton) has made a very serious commitment,” Edwards said.
Board members applauded the city’s effort.
Board members received a sheet listing site evaluation factors to help them decide between the two sites. They are expected to weigh the sites based on factors such as the potential for expansion, pedestrian accessibility, vehicular accessibility and proximity to homes.
Superintendent Michael Poore told board members there are four main components of the high school proposal they could manipulate to affect the project’s scope and cost: the extent of athletic facilities, the size of the auditorium, the number of programs offered and the location.
The board is preparing to host a series of public forums to get feedback from residents on the issue. Those meetings haven't been scheduled yet.
“I think we really need to hear from the community,” said Rudy Upshaw, a board member.
A preliminary proposal developed for the board shows about $9.8 million dedicated to athletic facilities for the new school. Last year’s millage election asked for $23.7 million in athletic facilities, including a football stadium.
Travis Riggs, board president, noted many voters were alienated by last year’s election because of the price tag for athletics. He expressed concern those same voters won’t notice the difference in dollars dedicated to athletics this time.
“We’ve got to get that message out for sure,” Riggs said.
At A Glance
Committee Meetings
The Bentonville School Board voted at Thursday’s meeting to move some of its committee meetings to 11:30 a.m. The board agreed to hold its facilities and curriculum committee meetings at 11:30 a.m. Policy and personnel meetings will continue to be held at 5:30 p.m. A recent change in state law allowed school board meetings to be held before 5 p.m. if no personnel-related issues are considered.
Source: Staff Report