Clarksville to vote on levy for schools

On ballot Sept. 15, 7.9-mill increase sought for new high school, other upgrades

Voters in Clarksville will go to the polls in September to decide whether to approve a millage increase to pay for construction of a high school and other facilities to accommodate the school district's steady growth.

The Clarksville School Board voted last week to put a 7.9-mill increase on the Sept. 15 school election ballot. The additional millage would generate $27.8 million to pay for the school, a new gymnasium, two tornado shelters and renovation of the football stadium.

Craig Frost, board president, said the board voted 5-0 for the measure June 16 based on the response members received from the residents about the need for expanded facilities.

"There's no doubt we need a new high school, gym and [football facilities] and we believe the community will support the increase," he said.

Officials say the new facilities are needed because the schools have run out of room. The expansion will provide more space for all the grades.

"We've had slow, steady growth, and we're continuing to get that growth," Superintendent David Hopkins said.

Despite some leveling off of the growth rate in in the past couple of years, the district has consistently grown in its population, he said. Charts presented at a June 15 public forum projected the school's population will grow from 2,600 today to about 3,000 by 2020.

The board proposes the new school would be for sophomore to seniors and would be built to hold 630 students. The new gym, which would be connected to the school, would have a capacity of 2,000.

Of the two new tornado shelters, one would serve as an auxiliary gym.

Nearly all the existing buildings will continue to be used, Assistant Superintendent Steven Wyatt said. The only structure marked for demolition would be the 1970s-vintage field house.

Adding another building would require a redistribution of the grades, Wyatt said. The reshuffling will result in each school having extra room for growth.

Grades eight and nine would move into the current high school, Wyatt said. Grades six and seven would move into the junior high school and become the middle school. The two elementary schools would hold grades two to four and five and six, respectively. Kindergarten and first grade would remain in their present classrooms.

Wyatt said plans are for the district's Metheny Field to get a bandstand area, and the field would be turfed, the concessions area would be renovated and a new dressing facility would be built. The stadium renovation is estimated to cost $4.05 million.

If approved, Clarksville's school millage will increase from 34.5 mills to 42.4. The increase would add $158 a year to the property tax bill of a Clarksville resident owning property worth $100,000, according to the information presented at the public forum.

If the school-millage increase is approved, the total millage rate in Clarksville will be 53.9.

School officials pointed out in the forum Clarksville's school millage of 34.5 is below the state average of 37.46. They also compared Clarksville's millage with that of comparable district's in the state.

The districts they compared were:

• Alma, 3,084 students, 43.4 mills.

• Farmington, 2,196 students, 42.6 mills.

• Greenbrier, 3,097 students, 38 mills.

• Valley View, 2,520 students, 42.5 mills.

• Vilonia, 3,024 students, 39.9 mills.

NW News on 06/25/2015

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